Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) is found abundantly in the extracellular matrices of bone and dentin. Secretory DMP1 begins with a tripeptide of leucine‐proline‐valine (LPV) after the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐entry signal peptide is cleaved. The goal of this study was to determine the role of the LPV motif in the secretion of DMP1. A series of DNA constructs was generated to express various forms of DMP1 with or without the LPV motif. These constructs were transfected into a preosteoblast cell line, the MC3T3‐E1 cells, and the subcellular localization and secretion of various forms of DMP1 were examined by immunofluorescent staining and Western‐blotting analyses. Immunofluorescent staining showed that the LPV‐containing DMP1 variants were primarily localized in the Golgi complex, whereas the LPV‐lacking DMP1 variants were found abundantly within the ER. Western‐blotting analyses demonstrated that the LPV‐containing DMP1 variants were rapidly secreted from the transfected cells, as they did not accumulate within the cells, and the amounts increased in the conditioned media over time. In contrast, the LPV‐lacking DMP1 variants were predominantly retained within the cells, and only small amounts were secreted out of the cells over time. These results suggest that the LPV motif is essential for the efficient export of secretory DMP1 from the ER to the Golgi complex. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 1468–1475, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Historically, computing instructors and researchers have developed a wide variety of tools to support teaching and educational research, including exam and code testing suites and data collection solutions. However, these tools often find limited adoption beyond their creators. As a result, it is common for many of the same functionalities to be re-implemented by different instructional groups within the Computing Education community. We hypothesise that this is due in part to discoverability, availability, and adaptability challenges. Further, instructors often face institutional barriers to deployment, which can include hesitance of institutions to rely on community developed solutions that often lack a centralised authority and may be community or individually maintained. To this end, our working group explored what solutions are currently available, what instructors needed, and the reasons behind the above-mentioned phenomenon. To do so, we reviewed existing literature and surveyed the community to identify the tools that have been developed by the community; the solutions that are currently available and in use by instructors; what features are needed moving forward for classroom and research use; what support for extensions is needed to support further Computing Education research; and what institutional challenges instructors and researchers are currently facing or have faced in using community software solutions. Finally, the working group identified factors that limited adoption of solutions. This work proposes ways to integrate and improve the availability, discoverability, and dissemination of existing community projects, as well as ways to manage and overcome institutional challenges.


This study addresses the issue of village assets management in Bali Province of Indonesia since the cases of misuse and abuse of village assets by village apparatuses became a frequent problem in the Bali Province. This study aims to investigate the effect of village asset management quality in term of utilization optimization and management professionalism in increasing the village original revenue of the in Buleleng Regency of Bali Province. Data collection was conducted by survey method through self-administered questionnaires distributed to 87 village heads and village secretaries in Buleleng Regency, the largest regency in Bali Province. Furthermore, the data obtained were analyzed quantitatively using multiple linear regression techniques.This study found that the efforts of optimizing the utilization and professionalism of village assets management significantly have positive impact on the improvement of village original revenue.


Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen (1971) educated economists on the notion of entropy laws in economics and ecological process. An earlier paper by Kenneth E. Boulding (1962) asked what we might do with a measure of organizational entropy, were one ever devised. The aim of this paper is to propose the notion of planning horizons as a candidate for this role. First, the concept of organizational entropy is discussed and defined within the interdependent domain of ecological economics. Next, the character and contributions of an entropic measure of organization are reviewed, as described in Boulding's work. Third, the concept of planning horizons – and their relation to economic cohesion, efficiency and well-being – is introduced to show how 'horizon effects' (shifts in planning horizons) serve as an ordinal entropic measure of organization in dynamic complex settings of interdependent effects. Last, the promise of planning horizons as a new social research program in ecological economics shall be discussed.


This paper examines resource use efficiency in sweet potato production in Offa and Oyun local government areas of Kwara State of Nigeria. Primary data were collected from one hundred sweet potato farmers who were selected from the two local government areas during the 2003/2004 farming season. The data was analyzed using regression analysis and inferential statistics. The regression result shows that the coefficients of labour and purchased inputs were positively and significantly related to the output of sweet potato at 5% level. The coefficient of land was positive but significant at 10% level. The coefficient of multiple determinations (R2) of the lead equation indicates that the included variables accounted for over 99% of the variation in the output of sweet potato. Resource use efficiency analysis using a t-statistic indicates that land and purchased inputs were under-utilized. The use of labour input was efficient in sweet potato production as shown by the t-statistic computed for the t-test. To achieve increased production of sweet potato, it is recommended that there should be an increase in the farm size devoted to sweet potato and increased awareness campaign among sweet potato farmers, in the area of good agronomic practices and usage of improved varieties of stem cuttings. Keywords : Sweet potato, Resource Efficiency, Marginal Value Product, Unit Factor cost JARD Vol. 4 (2) 2005: pp. 187-199


While corporate social responsibility (CSR) among large corporations has been widely
investigated, it is often overlooked among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as their involvement in CSR activities is often based on less formalised business strategies, and more on the ethical concerns of the owner-managers. However, recent trends show that there is growth in CSR activities among manufacturing SMEs. Hence, this study aimed at examining the influence of stakeholders (employee, local community, customer, government, competitor and supplier) and performance on CSR participation
among Malaysian manufacturing SMEs. This study also examined the moderating effects of personal values (religious, economic, social, theoretical, political and aesthetic) on these relationships. Structured self-administered questionnaires were distributed to SME owner-managers using the simple random sampling technique. Usable responses were received from 203 SMEs, giving a response rate of 13. 7%. Partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was subsequently performed using Smart PLS. The results indicate that employees and local communities are positively related, while suppliers are negatively related, to SME-CSR participation. Customers, governments, competitors and performance are insignificant drivers for CSR practices. Owner managers' personality like economic, social and aesthetic values can moderate the relationship between employees and CSR participation. A strong positive association exists between the employee factor and CSR practices when these three values of the SME owner-managers are high, and vice versa. Religious values can moderate the association of suppliers and performance with CSR participation. The relationship
between suppliers and CSR participation is strengthened when SME owner-managers'
religious values are high. The results also reveal that SME owner-managers with low
religious value are concerned with the economic benefits of CSR practices and vice versa. Political and theoretical values do not moderate the relationship between CSR drivers and CSR practices. Integrating stakeholders into the institutional theories in explaining CSR participation will enrich the existing literature.


Atmospheric state analysis is a difficult scientific problem due to our limited ability in computation and observation, and analysed atmospheric states are fluctuating around the true state. The purpose of this paper is to analyse atmospheric state as a superposition of possible atmospheric states using information redundancy, and evaluate its accuracy in the context of numerical weather prediction (NWP). This atmospheric state analysis approach has two novel aspects. First, it uses only real atmospheric information, and no-artificial perturbations unlike existing ensemble based methods. Second, it does not require specific error structures of our knowledge of the atmosphere. We performed this method on a global numerical weather prediction system of Japan Meteorological Agency. The experimental results show the method can clearly reduce forecast root means square errors about 3-5% in average within 2 day forecast compared to existing methods (CNTL). Furthermore, forecast RMSEs of ensemble means of ensemble forecasts using only a few members generated by this method are significantly smaller than CNTL from the forecast initial time.


Aim: This article described a physiological impression technique to design denture surfaces by the action of the surrounding musculature during functional movements based on "neutral zone concept" in patients with severely atrophied mandibular ridge.
Methodology: Dual surface impression technique was employed for the fitting and polished surface using silicone impression material.
Results: This technique provided a stable base with correct borders to perform all functional movements of the lips, cheeks, and tongue.
Conclusion: The patient improved the ability to maintain the adaptive muscle behaviors necessary to control the denture movement in function and rest.

How to cite this article: Abdel-Khalek EA, Said MM. Dual surface impression for management of mandibular flat ridge in an elderly patient: A Case Report. Int Dent Res 2018;8(3):151-4.

Linguistic Revision: The English in this manuscript has been checked by at least two professional editors, both native speakers of English.


Earth is the oldest and most widely used building material in the world today. It's abundant, inexpensive, and energy-efficient. But if you're building with earth, simplicity of material needn't be an excuse for poor planning. Paul Graham McHenry, author of the best-selling Adobe - Build It Yourself , here provides the most complete, accurate, and factual source of technical information on building with earth. Lavishly illustrated with scores of photographs and drawings, Adobe and Rammed Earth Buildings spells out details of: - soil selection - adobe brick manufacturing - adobe brick wall construction - rammed earth wall construction - window and door detailing - earth wall finishes - foundations - floor and roof structures - insulation - mechanical considerations. Whether you're designing a new building or renovating an existing structure, Adobe and Rammed Earth Buildings can show you how to achieve better results.


Investigating the antecedents of cycle time reduction is a continuing concern within new product development (NPD) research (Chen et al., 2010; Cankurtaran et al., 2013). A number of researchers have reported the effects of team learning on NPD speed (Dayan and Di Benedetto, 2008; Cankurtaran et al., 2013), while others relate learning to overall team performance (Magni et al., 2013). However, few studies have systematically researched the effects of improvisation and trial-and-error learning on NPD cycle time. The aim of this study is to shine new light on NPD learning and cycle time reduction through an examination of the effects of improvisation and trial-and-error. To that end, this study conceptualizes and tests the settings wherein improvisation and trial-and-error might contribute or hinder NPD cycle time reduction. The authors develop hypothesis to investigate the effects of improvisation and trialand-error learning on NPD cycle time. Based on a review of the literature and in-depth interviews measures are defined to approximate improvisation and trial-and-error using secondary data from over 200 projects with absolute objective measures of cycle time. In addition, 1000s archival records of debugging incidents and engineering changes are used to approximate the impact of improvisation and trial-and-error. To estimate their impact on cycle time a learning curve model is developed (Argote, 2012) which offers an effective way of identifying the conditions that drive cycle time learning and performance (Wiersma, 2007). Based on this model the hypotheses are tested. The findings suggest that improvisation and trial-and-error contribute to cycle time learning in the prototyping and pilot phases only, and that they hinder learning during later stages in the NPD process. These findings contribute to the extant literature by providing an important new organizational learning perspective on NPD speed. The study contributes to practice by relating firms' improvisation and trial-and-error practices to learning and speed performance.


This paper provides a systematic analysis of the relative utility of basing EBG based plan reuse techniques in partial ordering vs. total ordering planning frameworks. We separate the potential advantages into those related to storage compaction, and those related to the ability to exploit stored plans. We observe that the storage compactions provided by partially ordered partially instantiated plans can, to a large ex1ent, be exploited regardless of the underlying planner. We argue that it is in the ability to exploit stored plans during planning that partial ordering planners have some distinct advantages. In particular, to be able to flexibly reuse and extend the retrieved plans, a planner needs the ability to arbitrarily and efficiently "splice in" new steps and sub-plans into the retrieved plan. This is where partial ordering planners, with their least-commitment strategy, and flexible plan representations, score significantly over state-based planners as well as planners that search in the space of totally ordered plans. We will clarify and supporll this hypothesis through an empirical study of three planners and two reuse strategies.


Up to now, traditional drive systems have been used in packaging machine engineering. Hereby the operating process is controlled mechanically via cam disks fitting on a line shaft, making sure that all processes maintain their synchronism even in case of breakdown. As a consequence, product conversions need considerable setup time. The use of modular concepts in construction and in drive engineering allows a simple and fast and therefore low-cost product changeover. The use of single drive systems requires the substitution of the mechanically coupled functions by data-processing links. This paper presents a new feeding conveyer of a cartoning machine using two interconnected servomotor drives as well as a collision avoiding strategy. The mentioned strategy has been worked out and is currently being tested on a test bench.


The Message verification remains some of the best actual methods for prevent the illegal and dis honored communication after presence progressed to WSNs (Wireless Sensor Networks). Intend for this purpose, several message verification systems must stand established, created on both symmetric key cryptography otherwise public key cryptosystems. Best of them will have some limits for great computational then statement above in count of deficiency of climb ability then flexibility in node settlement occurrence. In a polynomial based system was newly presented for these problems. Though, this system then situations delay will must the dimness of integral limitation firm in the point of polynomial: once the amount of message transferred remains the greater than the limitation then the opponent will completely improve the polynomial approaches. This paper suggests using ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography). Though using the node verification the technique in this paper permits some nodes to transfer a limitless amount of messages lacking misery in the limit problem. This system will have the message cause secrecy. Equally theoretic study then model effects show our planned system will be effective than the polynomial based method in positions of calculation then statement above in privacy points though message basis privacy.


Due to its basis in kinetics, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) has been shown to be superior to conventional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) tools that solve the Navier-Stokes (NS) equation for complex flow problems, such as multiphase and/or multicomponent flows. However, after development for decades, the LBM still has not gained prominence over other CFD tools for a number of reasons, one of which is its unsatisfactory ability to handle complex boundary geometries. The goal of the current work is to overcome this difficulty.

In order to fully integrate the unstructured mesh for treating complex boundary geometries, the discrete Boltzmann equation (DBE), which is the Eulerian counterpart of the lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE), is chosen for the study. The finite volume (FV) method is selected to solve the governing equation due to its outstanding performance in handling an unstructured mesh and its built-in conservation. Therefore, the method in the current work is called the finite volume discrete Boltzmann method (FVDBM).

A FVDBM platform, both for isothermal and thermal models, is developed in the current work, which consists of three parts: the cell-centered (CC) triangular unstructured mesh, the FVDBM solver, and the boundary treatment, among which the latter two are the main areas of contribution. In the FVDBM solver, there are three components: the time marching scheme, the flux scheme, and the collision calculator.

The flux schemes are the major area of study because of their significance in the overall FVDBM model (they control the spatial order of accuracy) and their complexity (they calculate the spatial gradient term) on the unstructured mesh. A universal stencil is developed on the arbitrary CC triangular unstructured mesh, with which two categories of flux schemes are developed systematically: the Godunov type and the non-Godunov type. As a result, a total of five schemes (three Godunov schemes and two non-Godunov schemes) with different orders of accuracy are formulated, numerically validated and analyzed. Two major conclusions can be drawn. First, for any flux scheme, Godunov or non-Godunov, its actual order is roughly one order lower than its theoretical order for velocity solutions, due to the diffusion error introduced by the unstructured mesh and the Eulerian nature of the solver. Second, a Godunov scheme is less diffusive and more stable than a non-Godunov one if they are of the same order of accuracy.

Furthermore, a unique three-step boundary treatment is developed in detail for the current model. With the proposed boundary treatment, a variety of physical boundary conditions (velocity, density, and temperature, etc.) can be realized on the complex boundaries with the triangular unstructured mesh in a unified way. It can also incorporate different lattice models indiscriminately. With sufficient numerical testing, it is found that the boundary treatment is at least second-order accurate in space, and it can accurately preserve Dirichlet boundary conditions up to machine accuracy under different scenarios.


The effects of bombesin (BBS) on ion transport in the mouse isolated jejunum were studied in full thickness (intact) or serosal stripped (mucosal) sheets of jejunum mounted in Ussing chambers. Although serosal BBS (0.1-30 nM) induced a concentration-related increase in transmural potential difference (PD) and short-circuit current (Isc) without altering conductance in both preparations, the peptide was more potent and efficacious in mucosal than in intact tissues. In all preparations, pretreatment with BBS abolished the effects of a subsequent administration of BBS showing the rapid development of desensitization. In intact tissues, serosal pretreatment with either chlorisondamine (3 microM) or tetrodotoxin (0.1 microM) decreased, but did not abolish BBS action. Meanwhile, atropine pretreatment (3 microM) did not affect the BBS response. In these tissues, previous blockade of NaCl cotransport by furosemide (300 microM) decreased BBS (30 nM) stimulation of PD or Isc. In mucosal preparations, tetrodotoxin pretreatment (0.1 microM) similarly reduced but did not eliminate BBS (3 nM) stimulation of PD or Isc, whereas atropine pretreatment (1 microM) again had no effect on BBS action. In contrast in these mucosal tissues, furosemide pretreatment (300 microM) did not modify the BBS response. Furthermore, carbachol pretreatment (10 microM) prevented completely the tetrodotoxin-resistant action of BBS. These findings in vitro suggest that the increase of PD and Isc following BBS administration in isolated mouse jejunum is associated with three different levels of action of this peptide: BBS may act on noncholinergic nerves, at pre- and post-ganglionic levels, as well as directly on the enterocyte.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The objective of this study was to develop mathematical relations for predicting the strength of adhesive-bonded double-lap joints under cantilevered bending. Based on the strength of composite materials theory, two models were proposed to predict the stress-strain distribution and vertical deflection of the laminates and the adhesive under this loading condition. The first model was based on the basic beam theory with the assumption that every cross section in a plane before bending remains plane after the bending load is applied. In the other model, a strain gap between each bonded surface is assumed. Based on the second model and the predicted peel failure mode, the effects of shear modulus of the adhesive, joint length, and adhesive thickness on the joint strength were evaluated. Scotchply composite laminates were used as the adherends of the double-lap joints in the experimental investigation. An Instron machine fitted with a special apparatus was used for conducting the experiments. By the attachment of strain gages to the adherends and through the use of a dial indicator, the theoretical models were verified experimentally.


Humanitarian sentiments have motivated a variety of manifestations of pity, from nineteenth-century movements to end slavery to the creation of modern international humanitarian law. While humanitarianism is clearly political, Humanitarianism and Suffering addresses the ways in which it is also an ethos embedded in civil society, one that drives secular and religious social and cultural movements, not just legal and political institutions. As an ethos, humanitarianism has a strong narrative and representational dimension that can generate humanitarian constituencies for particular causes. The emotional nature of compassion is closely linked to visual and literary images of suffering and innocence. Essays in the volume seek to understand the character, form and voice of private or public narratives themselves and to explain how and why some narratives of suffering become part of political movements of solidarity, whereas others do not. Humanitarianism and Suffering is concerned with identifying when, how and why humanitarian movements become widespread popular movements, how popular sentiments move political and social elites to action and conversely, how national elites attempt to appropriate humanitarian ideals for more instrumental ends.


The APM 214 facility (Marcoule Pilot Workshop) owns blind cells which were used in various chemical processing operations. They are now at the end of their working lives and D&D operations have been planned. Due to the high level of radiation these operations must be partially carried out using remote-controlled equipment. The CEA has entrusted ONECTRA to define the best way to dismantle the blind cells with remote-controlled operations. The first step started with an inventory of the main physical characteristics, constraints, nature of remote operations to perform and imagining the machines necessary to complete the tasks at hand. A further step has seen the designing of these specialized machines.Copyright © 2011 by ASME


The present study deals with the optimization of the conditions of immunoblotting (IB) and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with the use of mouse polyclonal immunoglobulins to tick-borne encephalitis virus. In contrast to ELISA, the results of IB depended, to a great extent, on the composition and pH of blocking buffer mixtures. In some cases IB permitted the detection of a heretofore unknown virus-specific polypeptide with a molecular weight of 58-60 KD. The results of the study lead to the conclusion on the impossibility of the direct transfer of data concerning the specificity of individual preparations of immunoglobulins in ELISA or IB due to differences in information.


When a Canadian exchange student returns home from a semester abroad in the capital city of China, she might tell her friends that she had Peking duck every day, but she would never, as a 21st-century liberal arts student, say that she stayed in Peking for a semester. Rather, she would say Beijing, as would most English speakers in the present day. But such discrepancies between English transliterations of Chinese words are far from uncommon. Is it the Nanking Massacre or the Nanjing Massacre? Who is the author of Tao Te Ching: Lao-Tzu or Laozi? What, then, is the Daodejing? This paper will focus on the English representation of Mandarin Chinese phonology, particularly the consonant sounds. The inconsistency of English transliteration of Mandarin is caused by historical exchanges and encounters between the British and the Chinese and a lack of a monolithic standardization of Mandarin. Paradoxically, while these transliterations attempt to unify and standardize themselves and the representation of Mandarin sounds, they simultaneously represent the concept of a diverse Mandarin.


Rituals can provoke or escalate conflict, but they can also mediate it and although conflict is a normal aspect of human life, mass media technologies are changing the dynamics of conflict and shaping strategies for deploying rituals. This collection of essays emerged from a two-year project based on collaboration between the Faculty of Religious Studies at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands and the Ritual Dynamics Collaborative Research Center at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. An interdisciplinary team of twenty-four scholars locates, describes, and explores cases in which media-driven rituals or ritually saturated media instigate, disseminate, or escalate conflict. Each multi-authored chapter is built around global and local examples of ritualized, mediatized conflict. The book's central question is: 'When ritual and media interact (either by the mediatizing of ritual or by the ritualizing of media), how do the patterns of conflict change?'


The main concept of this research work is to apply a mineral source of potassium for supplying the soil by this element in order to substitute the expensive commercial fertilization of some crops.The applied K-feldspar rock has about total potassium of 10.0%, in extractable form 395 ppm and in soluble form 125 ppm. Spectrographic semi-quantitative analysis of this rock revealed that it has 70.40% SiO2, 15.48% Al2O3, 8.38% K2O, 3.22% Na2O and traces of other elements such as Fe, Mg, P and Ti. A field experiment was conducted to grow cowpea on poor virgin sandy soil. Four treatments were followed: potassium sulfate only, ½ potassium sulfate + ½ potassium feldspar, ¼ potassium sulfate + ¾ potassium feldspar and potassium feldspar only. There was a highly significant variation between the vegetative growth of the cowpea under the second treatment, in which half K-requirement was added as K-sulfate and the other half as K-feldspar, and all other treatments. The same trend was obtained with respect to the number of branches in the plant, number of kernels and weight of seeds. In spite of the fertilization requirements of nitrogen, phosphorus and organic compost have been added equally to the four treatments, there were some fluctuations in the content of these elements of the yield of cowpea. The content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the four treatments can be arranged as followed: 2nd>1st>3rd>4th treatment. The lowest vegetative and yield quality of plants under the 4th treatment, in which potassium feldspar was added, can be explained by the fact that these minerals are quite resistant to weathering and supply relatively small quantities of potassium during the growing season. However, their cumulative release of potassium over several years is very important acting as slow release fertilizer. The positive influence of the fine grains of the K mineral bearing rocks is improving the poor structure of loose sandy soil, consequently the water and nutrient capacities of this soil will be enhanced and increase their ability to plant uptake.It is worthy to refer that the cost of chemical fertilizer (K-sulfate) is about 7000 LE /ton while the K-feldspar rock is ranging between 600-800 LE /ton.


ABSTRACT The unprecedented advances in interactivity and multimedia capabilities together with a myriad of emerging technologies have enabled the creation of virtual learning environments that could be utilized to boost the development of English language skills among Malaysian primary and secondary school students. English language standards have been deteriorating over the years and basic oral skills have been appalling due to lack of usage and reflective practice. English lessons that incorporate multimedia applications can exert powerful motivation and provide bored students with exciting new ways to learn. The utilization and integration of ICT tools can indeed assist students in acquiring English Language competency as well as enhance the quality of their learning experience. This paper first examines the present scenario of English language teachers as regards ICT integration and tries to determine if ICT skills of English language teachers in the light of existing infrastructure facilities are adequate to promote English language teaching and learning. The researchers next look at some of the obstacles faced by English language teachers in ICT integration and finally in the concluding part the researchers suggest the use of interactive lessons to speed up the teaching and learning of English. Keywords: interactivity, multimedia elements, rich learning environment INTRODUCTION There is growing concern about the level of English proficiency at the workplace which if left unchecked could lead to the country losing its competitiveness especially in the industry and technical fields. Malaysia needs communicative competence to maintain its competitive edge in all aspects of our economic environment be it administration, education, trade or finance. The 2004 School Certificate Examination Report on English Language 2 revealed that the majority of the candidates have yet to master the writing skills in English (Laporan Prestasi SPM, 2004). What is amiss? Can the right ICT tools enhance English language teaching and learning and quickly arrest the rapid decline? ICT tools have now removed the time and space limitation found in traditional teaching. Classroom dialogue can now extend beyond the time and space constraints of class time (Frayer, 1997). Carmen et al., (2003) say that integrating ICT tools in teaching can lead to increased students' learning competencies and increased opportunities for communication. Key findings under ImpaCT2 (www. becta. org. uk) show that the use of ICT tools in teaching and learning has positive effects on behaviour, motivation, communication and process skills and that it enables pupils to learn more autonomously. ImpaCT2 further shows that teachers in schools where pupils used ICT in English achieved higher mean gain scores. The integration of ICT tools in the teaching and learning of English have found to bring other benefits too. Besides motivating pupils and raising self-esteem and confidence, ICT can enhance pupil interaction, verbalization and involvement in collaborative learning (SIIA Report - 2000). What is the scenario on the utilization and integration of ICT tools among English option teachers in Malaysia? Can similar benefits be achieved here in Malayia? In order to answer these questions a qualitative study was carried out to find out the extent of ICT integration among 30 English language teachers in Kuala Langat District in Selangor. METHODOLOGY The sampling frame of study was primary and secondary school teachers in three premier schools in Banting. Over a period of six months (i. e., July to December 2005), the researchers conducted face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with 30 trained teachers from three schools namely Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Langat, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Teluk, Panglima Garang and Sekolah Menengah Sultan Abdul Samad, Banting. Prior to the interviews, the researchers visited the above three schools and obtained useful information pertaining to infrastructure facilities. …


Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder that affects patient's motor function including speech articulation. There is no cure for Parkinson's disease. Speech and motor function de-clines as the disease progresses. Automatic assessment of the disease condition may advance the treatment of Parkinson's disease with objective, inexpensive measures. Speech acoustics, which can be easily obtained from patients, has been used for automatic assessment. The use of information in motor function of articulator (e.g., jaw, tongue, or lips) has rarely been investigated. In this paper, we proposed an approach of automatic assessment of Parkinson's condition using both acoustic data and acoustically-inverted articulatory data. The quasi-articulatory features were obtained from the Parkinson's acoustic speech data using acoustic-to-articulatory inverse mapping. Support vector regression (SVR) and deep neural network (DNN) regression were used in the experiment. Results indicated adding articulatory data to acoustic data can improve the performance of using acoustic data only, for both SVR and DNN. In addi-tion, deep neural network outperformed support vector regression on the same data features measured with Pearson correlation but not with Spearman correlation. The implications of our approach with further improvement were discussed.


PURPOSE
Tendon injury is an increasing problem in orthopedic and trauma surgery due to aging of the population and increased activity demands. Many rodent animal models are used in order to evaluate tendon reconstruction. Although tendon reruptures are a well- -known clinical problem, the outcomes of tendon repair in animal models are rarely discussed in the literature. The goal of the present experimental study was to compare the primary fixation stability of three suture techniques for repair of Achilles tendon defects in a rat model using a collagen scaffold.

METHODS
Cadaveric left hind limbs of Sprague-Dawley rats were prepared with an Achilles tendon defect of 3 mm and rejoined using a collagen scaffold. Three suture configurations (simple, simple stitch with additional framing suture, and modified Mason-Allen stitch; n = 5 each) underwent tensile testing until complete failure was observed.

RESULTS
Under a load of a mean value of 6.6 N, the failure load of simple stitches was the significantly lowest ( p < 0.01). Both, modified Mason-Allen stitches and simple stitches with additional framing suture showed a mean failure load of more than 14 N. Regardless of the suture technique, most of the samples showed failure of tendon due to suture tear-out. The suture material as well as the scaffold remained mostly intact.

CONCLUSIONS
Although simple end-to-end suture techniques are common in the literature, stitches with more suture strands should be preferred. Using techniques like an additional framing suture or modified Mason-Allen stitch, maximum failure load can be doubled and the risk of tendon rerupture may be decreased within in vivo testing.


In the international context it has been argued that institutional reform to leadership in local government can improve the sector in terms of both its democratic legitimacy and its operational efficiency. In Australia, despite two decades of far-reaching reform processes across state government jurisdictions, focused heavily on structural change, local government still faces daunting problems, yet the potential of reform to political leadership as a method of alleviating these problems has not been fully explored. This paper thus examines the applicability of alternative leadership models to Australian local government, in particular the elected executive model which characterises some American and European local government systems. We argue that the introduction of elected executives could prove problematic in terms of accountability and representation in Australian local government.


Emerging machine-to-machine communication scenarios are envisioned to deal with more stringent quality-of-service demands. This relates mainly to outage and latency requirements, which are for example for safety-critical messages quite different than for traditional applications. On the other hand, it is widely accepted that machine-to-machine communication systems need to be energy-efficient because of the widespread use of battery-powered devices, but also due to their huge deployment numbers. In this paper, we address these issues with respect to multi-hop transmissions. Specifically, we deal with minimizing the consumed energy of transmitting a packet with end-to-end outage and latency requirements. We account for the cases in which the system can utilize solely average channel state information, or in addition obtain and profit from instantaneous channel state information. The developed solution is based on convex optimization. It is shown numerically that despite accounting for the energy consumption of acquiring instantaneous channel state information, especially as the outage and latency requirements become tough, it is by up to 100 times more energy efficient to convey a packet with instantaneous than with average channel state information.


The scarcity of research on French immersion teachers' professional identity contrasts with the increasing popularity of French immersion programs in Canada and the concomitant need for French immersion teachers. This study explores the professional identity negotiation of four French immersion teachers in Alberta, Canada, with a focus on discontinuity. Semi-structured interviews conducted faceto-face with the participants were analysed using dialogic narrative analysis. The findings highlight how discontinuity is occasioned by a change in knowledge about the French immersion teaching as a profession, encountering classroom realities, shifting one's values concerning second language learning and the emotions one experiences in moments of discontinuity. A negative change in emotion may encourage discontinuity in immersion teacher identity and teachers' understanding of themselves as second language learners. On the other hand, positive emotions underline the harboured passion for French and second language learning and may help re-align French immersion teacher identity to the sense of purpose teachers identified in their professional lives. The study concludes with a discussion of certain considerations arising from the data.


PurposeA lot is known about systemic barriers to broadening participation (BP) in STEM. Empirical research has demonstrated the existence and impact of implicit bias, stereotype threat, and micro-aggressions on a sense of belonging, organizational productivity and leadership opportunities. We also know that achieving greater participation of women and faculty of color in the STEM disciplines is complicated and depends on altering complex and multi-layered interactions between activities and actors. Further, because researcher and institutional goals vary as a function of target population and context, generalizable models can struggle in the face of larger BP efforts. Through the authors experience as an NSF ADVANCE-IT awardee, the authors believe that a dynamic, multi-scaled and organizational level approach is required to reflect the reciprocal dialogue among research questions, best practices, tailored applications and quantifiable goals. The authors describe several examples of research, programming activities and program evaluation that illustrate this approach. In particular, the authors describe both the programming successes and challenges, with the aim of helping others to avoid common mistakes by articulating very broad and, the authors' hope, generalizable "lessons learned." The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachTo better understand the barriers for women in STEM, the authors utilized an iterative methodology. Specifically, the authors conducted a social network analysis, an exit survey of departed faculty, longitudinal analysis of career trajectories and research productivity, and a survey on the interaction between values and climate.FindingsThe analyses suggest three strategies better retain women in STEM: improve women's professional networks; re-aling policy documents and departmental practices to better reflect faculty values; and improve departmental climate.Practical implicationsThe pay-off for using this more complex research approach to triangulate onto specific challenges is that the interventions are more likely to be successful, with a longer-lasting impact.Originality/valueWith continuous institutional research, metric refinement, and program evaluation the authors are better able to develop targeted programming, policy reform, and changes in institutional practice. The interventions should result in permanent institutional and systemic change by integrating multi-method qualitative and quantitative research into BP practices, which the authors couple with longitudinal analysis that can quantify success of the authors' efforts.


Development of software-intensive systems such as embedded systems for telecommunications, avionics and automotives occurs under severe quality, schedule and budget constraints. As the size and complexity of software-intensive systems increase dramatically, the problems originating from the design and speci cation of the system architecture becomes increasingly signi cant. Architecture-based development approaches promise to improve the e ciency of software-intensive system development processes by reducing costs and time, while increasing quality. This paradox is partially explained by the fact that the system architecture abstracts away unnecessary details, so that developers can concentrate both on the system as a whole, and on its individual pieces, whether it's the components, the components' interfaces, or connections among components. The use of architecture description languages (ADLs) provides an important basis for verication since it describes how the system should behave, in a high level view and in a form where automated tests can be generated. Analysis and testing based on architecture speci cations allow detection of problems and faults early in the development process, even before the implementation phase, thereby reducing a signi cant amount of costs and time. Furthermore, tests derived from the architecture speci cation can later be applied to the implementation to see the conformance of the implementation with respect to the speci cation. This thesis extends the knowledge base in the area of architecturebased veri cation. In this thesis report, an airplane control system is speci ed using the Architecture Analysis and Description Language (AADL). This speci cation will serve as a starting point of a system development process where developed architecture-based veri cation algorithms are applied.


While most neural generative models generate outputs in a single pass, the human creative process is usually one of iterative building and refinement. Recent work has proposed models of editing processes, but these mostly focus on editing sequential data and/or only model a single editing pass. In this paper, we present a generic model for incremental editing of structured data (i.e. ''structural edits''). Particularly, we focus on tree-structured data, taking abstract syntax trees of computer programs as our canonical example. Our editor learns to iteratively generate tree edits (e.g. deleting or adding a subtree) and applies them to the partially edited data, thereby the entire editing process can be formulated as consecutive, incremental tree transformations. To show the unique benefits of modeling tree edits directly, we further propose a novel edit encoder for learning to represent edits, as well as an imitation learning method that allows the editor to be more robust. We evaluate our proposed editor on two source code edit datasets, where results show that, with the proposed edit encoder, our editor significantly improves accuracy over previous approaches that generate the edited program directly in one pass. Finally, we demonstrate that training our editor to imitate experts and correct its mistakes dynamically can further improve its performance.


A microstructured arrayed microfluidic waveguide structure for infrared radiation focussing and transfer is proposed and demonstrated. The arrayed waveguide structure comprises Masterbond UV-curable epoxy UV15 optimised using ZEMAX optical design software to achieve high efficiency of heat capture through far-infrared light focussing and subsequent absorption of the radiation on a centralised fluid medium. A high degree of alignment of the precision-positioned fluidic microchannels with the symmetry axes and the focal plane locations of the cylindrical microlens array is demonstrated, which maximises the efficiency of absorption of the incident IR light energy within the moving fluid. Observation of ink flows through the initial device prototype confirms the suitability of our microfluidic channel fabrication technology for the transfer of far-infrared light (heat) transfer. This microstructured arrayed waveguide structure has application for development of a textile fabric that enhances surface heat removal.


Depth-enhanced 3-D video coding includes coding of texture views and associated depth maps. It has been observed that coding of depth map at reduced resolution provides better rate-distortion performance on synthesized views comparing to utilization of full resolution (FR) depth maps in many coding scenarios based on the Advanced Video Coding (H.264/AVC) standard. Conventional techniques for down and upsampling do not take typical characteristics of depth maps, such as distinct edges and smooth regions within depth objects, into account. Hence, more efficient down and upsampling tools, capable of preserving edges better, are needed. In this letter, novel non-linear methods to down and upsample depth maps are presented. Bitrate comparison of synthesized views, including texture and depth map bitstreams, is presented against a conventional linear resampling algorithm. Objective results show an average bitrate reduction of 5.29% and 3.31% for the proposed down and upsampling methods with ratio ½, respectively, comparing to the anchor method. Moreover, a joint utilization of the proposed down and upsampling brings up to 20% and on average 7.35% bitrate reduction.


The spin of an electron often misleadingly interpreted as the classical rotationof a particle. The quantum spin distinguishes itself from classicalrotation by possessing quantized states and can be detected by its magneticmoment. The properties of spin and its collective behavior with otherfundamental properties are fascinating in basic sciences. In many aspectsit offers scope for designing new materials by manipulating the ensemblesof spin. In recent years attention towards high density storage devices hasdriven the attention to the fundamental level were quantum physics rules.To understand better design of molecule based storage materials, studies onspin degrees of freedom and their coupling properties can not be neglected. To account for many body effect of two or more electrons consistent withrelativity, an approximation like the Breit Hamiltonian(BH) is used in modernquantum chemical calculations, which is successful in explaining the splitin the spectra and corresponding properties associated with it. Often differenttactics are involved for a specific level of computations. For example themulti-configurational practice is different from the functional based calculations,and it depends on the size of the system to choose between resourcesand accuracy. As the coupling terms offers extra burden of calculating theintegrals it is literally challenging. One can readily employ approximations as it suits best for the applicationoriented device computations. The possible methods available in the literatureare presented in chapter 2. The theoretical implementations of couplingfor the multi-reference and density functional method are discussed in detail.The multi-reference method precedes the density functional methodin terms of accuracy and generalizations, however it is inefficient in dealingvery large systems involving many transition elements, which is vital formolecule based magnets as they often possess open shell manifolds. On theother hand existing density functional method exercise perturbations techniqueswhich is extremely specialized for a specific system - highly coupledspins. The importance of spin-spin coupling(SSC) in organic radical-Oxyallyl(OXA)was systematically studied with different basis sets and compared with asimilar isoelectronic radical(TMM). The method of spin-spin coupling implementationsare also emphasized. Similar coupling studies were carriedivout for the species HCP and NCN along with spin-orbit coupling(SOC).The splitting of the triplet states are in good agreement with experiments


From the abandoned crofts of Mingulay and the standing stones of Orkney to the white beaches of Colonsay and the spectacular Cuillins of Skye, this is a complete gazetteer covering all of Scotland's many hundreds of islands, including those which are uninhabited and those which are notoriously difficult to reach. Packed with information on access, anchorages, points of historical or natural interest and things to do and see, this compendium provides information for touring, for browsing, for reference, and for all of those travellers who wish to experience some of the most beautiful and remote places in the world. Illustrated with full colour illustrations and relief maps of all the main islands, this is both an impressive work of reference and a fascinating personal view of Scotland's distant outposts.


Although recent efforts to address behavioral and social science (BSS) gaps within U.S. medical education are well-intentioned, crucial shortcomings plague the successful translation and application of BSS skills into meaningful practice. This article focuses on the role of BSS reforms in medicine and the need for more accurate and relevant assessment measures throughout medical training and licensure. The goal of this article is to encourage communication and other BSS fields to think about and contribute to the development, critique, and improvement of medical training and assessment standards in the United States.


The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of an incremental test to exhaustion on sensory sensitivity using critical flicker fusion (CFF) frequency. The CFF threshold, tympanic temperature, and heart rate were measured before and immediately after an incremental cycling test of maximal oxygen uptake. Deterioration in perceptual processes linked to fatigue were not observed in the present study. On the contrary, results indicated that incremental exhausting exercise increases the sensory sensitivity threshold, thereby suggesting an exercise-induced increase in cortical arousal. Furthermore, the absence of change in subjective judgment threshold suggests that change observed immediately after exercise was not linked to a change of strategy (more cautious or more risky). The CFF threshold protocols appear to be relevant for assessing the effect of exercise on sensory sensitivity and cortical arousal.


Cloud computing is an exciting area for research, because of its relative novelty and exploding growth. In this paper, we present a descriptive literature review and classification scheme for cloud computing research. The former consists of 58 articles published since the recent inception of cloud computing. Clearly, there is an explosively increasing amount of cloud computing research has been conducted this year. The articles are classified and results are presented, based on a scheme that consists of four main categories: technological issues, business issues, applications, and general. The results show that although current cloud computing research is still skewed towards technological issues, such as performance, network, and data management, new research theme regarding the social and organisational implications of cloud computing is emerging. We hope this review will provide a snapshot and reference source of the current state of cloud computing research and stimulate further research interest.


Histone deacetylases (HDAC) are evolutionary conserved enzymes, which catalyze removal of acetyl groups from histone and non-histone proteins, therefore, control multiple biological processes. Inhibition of their activities have been investigated to modify gene expression and/or protein functions not only for treatment of certain diseases but also for understanding functions of deacetylase isoforms. We previously synthesized aryl butenoic acid derivatives and identified their pan-HDAC inhibition activities. In this study, we investigated selective inhibition activities of these derivatives (C1, C3, C4) on class I HDACs using in silico and in vitro approaches. Molecular docking studies of the three aryl butenoic acid derivatives were performed on the crystal structures of HDAC 1, 2, 3 and 8, which were obtained from RCSB protein databank, using Glide software. In vitro inhibition activities of the compounds at two different concentrations were tested using fluorometric assay. In silico results indicated that all the compounds showed higher affinity to HDAC 1 and 8 than other class I deacetylases. In vitro analysis showed that the compounds inhibit HDAC 8 more effectively than HDAC 1. It was shown that C1 had higher binding affinity and inhibition activity to both enzymes. We concluded that, C1 inhibited both HDAC 1 and 8, however, C3 and C4 showed slight selectivity for HDAC 8 over HDAC 1, which was in agreement with the docking studies. Further cell culture studies will be valuable to determine increased acetylation on target proteins in response to compound treatment.


High-quality Gallium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Ga) films have been prepared on epi-GaN/sapphire (0001) substrates by the metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) method. The relative amount of gallium doping was varied from 0 to 8% (atomic ratio). The structural, electrical and optical properties of the ZnO:Ga films have been investigated in detail, as a function of Ga content. All the prepared samples have the wurtzite structure of pure ZnO with a strong (0002) preferred orientation. The microstructure for the surface of films was markedly influenced by the amount of Ga doping. The resistivity decreases continuously with adding Ga content and reaches to the value of 8.4×10-3 Ω•cm at 8%. The average transmittance for the deposited ZnO:Ga samples in the visible range was over 75%.


Avatars, within the context of online interactions and video gaming, are representations of the user, selected and potentially created by the user. These can be full and realistic 3D representations of an individual for virtual environments (VE's) and games, 2D head shots for online forums or even fantastical and monstrous creations. Avatars can be accurate representations of the individual, aspirational or separate from their own physical characteristics.

Avatars are often functional but can have effects beyond the simple purpose of allowing a user to have an identifiable representation. The Proteus effect (Yee & Bailenson, 2007) suggests that the creation of an avatar with certain characteristics can change the behaviour and self-perceptions of the individual. In the literature this is often linked to positive impacts such as empowerment through gender selection, and increased self-confidence through the creation of a desired 3D body.
There is arguably less focus on the Proteus effect when reversed; when the characteristics of avatars and online bodies are used or shape behaviour negatively. Something the authors would tentatively label the Frankenstein's Monster effect. When avatars and online bodies are perceived to be horrific, and are treated as such, behaviour can be shaped to conform with these new expectations just as the horrific visage of the monster in Shelley's work led to its rejection, and ultimately the horrific acts it committed.

Using examples from online and 3D avatars we explore the modern Frankenstein's Monster, and consider how we can further research this area as an addition to the Proteus effect. We focus in particular on the creation of full 3D bodies in games such as 'The Sims' and how negative creations can lead to negative narratives within the game, as well as the creation of horrific or lewd monsters in the community based game 'Spore' as a form of online vandalism.


The objective of this study is to determine consumers' perception on organic food in Kota Kinabalu area. This study is done by conducting survey in two of Kota Kinabalu's most visited shopping complex, Centre Point and Wisma Merdeka. The data obtain from the survey were analysed using the program Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). 206 consumers participated in the survey but only 159 know about organic food. Majority of the respondents (21.4%) perceived that organic food is free from pesticides and herbicides. Educational level (X2 = 26.504, df = 4, P = 0.00) and total monthly household income X2 = 31.097, df = 5, P = 0.00) is found to have influence on respondents' awareness towards organic food. Only 28.9% out of 159 respondents bought organic food in the past 12 months. Frequency of respondents which bought organic food for the past 12 months, were analysed with education background and total monthly household income. It is found that educational background (X2 = 28.507, df = 4, P = 0.01) and total monthly household income (x2 = 41.926, df = 5, P = 0.00) do affect respondents' choice of organic food. Total monthly household income affects repondents' acceptance on organic food premium (x2 = 89.287, df= 5, P =0.00). Almost half (45.1%) of respondents refrain from buying organic food stating that organic food is expensive. 41 respondents were willing to pay slightly more for organic food premium, which 48.8% of them stated that they were willing to pay the surcharge to the extend of 50%. It can be concluded although consumers in Kota Kinabalu have positive beliefs about organic food, percentage of consumers that buy organic food is still low.


Background: The lean production is a well-established managerial concept, which helps companies to provide the customer value and to reduce cost. Recently it gains a lot of attention among the remanufacturers. In this paper the assumption is made that remanufacturing process is more sustainable, if there will be efficient utilization of the resources. The resource utilization is efficient when there is no waste of resources. The implementation of lean principles and tools into a remanufacturing process can benefit to improved sustainability but also it suffers some constrains, which are identified in this paper. Methods: The research methodology consists of a literature review, where research papers from the Scopus, Science Direct and Business Source Premier databases were used. The search criterion was the phrase "lean remanufacturing". On the basis of literature review the lean remanufacturing problems are identified. The framework for lean remanufacturing analysis was established. Author presents also case studies on assessment of the leanness of remanufacturing process and discusses the potential for waste elimination in order to improve sustainability of remanufacturing process. Results: Problem identification and analysis framework of lean remanufacturing process is discussed. The case studies results are analysed in the context of the finding of the literature review. The advantages and constrains of lean remanufacturing are discussed. Conclusions: A remanufacturing process is more complex than the respective production process. The implementation of lean production principles and tools into remanufacturing process is at a very early stage comparing to the traditional manufacturing. There are evidences from the industrial studies and the academic research on lean remanufacturing benefits. There is a need to distinguish between lean remanufacturing on an operational and a strategic level. From the perspective of sustainability of remanufacturing process an operational framework seems to be more suitable.


The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) is a flexible source of funds that states may use to support a wide variety of social services activities. States have broad discretion over the use of these funds. This short report provides background information on the SSBG and tracks relevant legislation and appropriations measures.


The clear cell carcinoma is a relatively rare tumor, represented approximately 85% by renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but has a characteristic of early metastatic, which sometimes spread to unusual places. Metastatic tumors in the paranasal sinuses are very rare. This case report a 65 years-old patient who presented sinusitis and epitaxis as a first sign of renal cell carcinoma with metastasis to the right maxillary sinus, which was opereted at Lagoa Hospital—RJ and strengthen the inclusion of this disease in the differential diagnosis of sinus disease. The renal cell carcinoma is a relatively rare tumor, representing approximately 3% of malignant tumors. About a third of patients with renal cell carcinoma have metastasis at diagnosis. The sinuses are a rare location of metastasis. The maxillary sinuses and the paranasal sinuses are most commonly affected by metastatic tumors to the sinuses region. The most frequent primary tumor to metastasis to paranasal sinuses is the renal cell carcinoma. This report highlights the rarity of the case and the importance in the differential diagnosis of sinus disease.


Hexanoyl chitosan that exhibited solubility in THF was prepared by acyl modification of chitosan. Films of hexanoyl chitosan-based polymer electrolyte were prepared by the technique of solution casting. The effect of plasticizers on the electrical properties of hexanoyl chitosan: LiCF3SO3 electrolytes have been investigated. The plasticizers used were EC, PC and a mixture of EC and PC. The highest room temperature conductivity of about 1.1 x 10-4 S cm-1 was achieved for electrolyte with composition of 50:50 (wt.%) mixture of PC: EC. The variations in conductivity have been explained using the Rice and Roth model from which the numbers of free ions per unit volume, mobility and diffusion coefficient of free ions were obtained. Electrochemical cells based on LiCoO2/MCMB couple were assembled using the electrolyte that exhibited the highest ionic conductivity. The performance of the cells have been studied and discussed in this paper.


Abstract The Solute Carrier 15 (SLC15) family of peptide transporters, alias H + -coupled oligopeptide cotransporter family, is a group of membrane transporters known for their key role in the cellular uptake of di- and tripeptides (di/tripeptides). Of its members, SLC15A1 (PEPT1) chiefly mediates intestinal absorption of luminal di/tripeptides from overall dietary protein digestion, SLC15A2 (PEPT2) mainly allows renal tubular reuptake of di/tripeptides from ultrafiltration and brain-to-blood efflux of di/tripeptides in the choroid plexus, SLC15A3 (PHT2) and SLC15A4 (PHT1) interact with both di/tripeptides and histidine, e.g. in certain immune cells, and SLC15A5 has unknown physiological function. In addition, the SLC15 family of peptide transporters variably interacts with a very large number of peptidomimetics and peptide-like drugs. It is conceivable, based on the currently acknowledged structural and functional differences, to divide the SLC15 family of peptide transporters into two subfamilies [3].


Past research has suggested that during the calving period, caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ) in Arctic Alaska generally avoid areas within 1 km of oilfield roads with traffic. However, avoidance is not absolute, and caribou may habituate to infrastructure (e.g., buildings, roads, well pads) and human activity. We conducted road-based surveys of caribou in oilfields on Alaska's Arctic Coastal Plain during the late calving and post-calving periods of June in 2000–02. We recorded location, composition, and behavior of caribou groups located less than 1 km from active gravel roads and production pads. Caribou groups with calves were on average distributed farther from oilfield infrastructure than were groups without calves, but habituation to oilfield activities, indicated by decreased avoidance, occurred at similar rates for groups with and without calves. During the calving period, sighting rates were greater in areas of low human activity, and calf percentages tended to be greater at night when oilfield activity was reduced. Caribou groups were on average closer to infrastructure during the post-calving periods than during the calving periods in 2000 and 2001, but not in 2002. In 2002, when snow melted early, caribou groups were closer to infrastructure during the calving period than in 2000 and 2001, when snow melted later, emphasizing the importance of examining environmental variables when investigating the dynamic interactions of caribou and oilfields. Overall, caribou appeared to habituate to active oilfield infrastructure after the calving period in 2000, late in the calving period in 2001, and likely before our sampling period in 2002. The timing of annual rehabituation was positively correlated with timing of spring snowmelt. Land and wildlife managers can use information from this study to develop calving period-specific mitigation measures that are more effective and flexible.


A two-stage synthetic method for accurately realizing the track was presented according to the characteristic of controlled mechanism of two degrees of freedom and mechanical character of controlled driving component. An optimized model of controlled mechanism that can accurately realize the track of many points was built. Using the method of generalized inverse based on windows solves the displacement, velocity and acceleration of compensation movement. Controlled mechanism was simulated and analyzed by using visualization way etc. It provided a reliable and practical work platform for researching and applying controlled mechanism.


The Organ and Its Music in German-Jewish Culture, by Tina Fruhauf. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. 284 pp. $74.00 Tina Fruhauf has given us a book that is as much about Jewish identity as it is about music. She presents the organ as a marker of Jewish identity: at fitst as a marker of assimilation in the context of nineteenth-century reformation, and later as a marker of dissimilation, as Jewish musicians sought to find a unique voice. The introduction of the organ into Jewish worship in Germany in 1810 stirred up a fierce controversy. In the opinion of most traditional Jews, the organ was treyf, totally unfit for Jewish worship. Since the fifteenth century the organ had been associated with Christian worship, and halakha forbade hukkat ha-goy - imitation of gentile practices. Furthermore, after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the rabbinic authorities had declared that the entire nation was in a state of mourning, and music, especially instrumental music, was inappropriate. And playing any musical instrument on Shabbat or a holiday was considered forbidden work (or might lead to the forbidden work of repairing an instrument). But the reformers countered that beautifying the worship service was one of the exceptions to the halakhic ban. They also pointed to the precedent of the magrephah, (according to some interpretations) a hydraulic organ used in the Temple in ancient Israel many centuries before the organ was used in Christian worship. But the elephant in the room was the early reformers' plan to remove any aspects of Judaism that were dissonant with the lifestyle of their German Lutheran neighbors. They eliminated traditional nusah (prayer chant) and candilation, and completely did away with the role of the hazzan (cantor). The rabbi, like his counterpart in the church, led the services, and the music consisted of chorales sung by the choir and congregation, supported by the organ. For the emancipated Jews of Central Europe the organ came to symbolize the enlightenment and their assimilation into a refined culture and a society into which they so desperately longed to be admitted. Decades later, moderate reformers sought a middle ground in which the hazzan regained his position on the bimah alongside the organ and the choir. Now the organ was used to accompany the cantorial recitative, to perform preludes and postludes, music for meditation, as well as to accompany congregational singing. Salomon Sulzer, the great cantor of nineteenth-century Vienna, reversed his initial opposition to the organ and opined that the mighty instrument could be used to "lead, control, to cover dissonances" in congregational hymns. His younger colleague in Berlin, Louis Lewandowski, composed organ accompaniments to traditional recitatives that boxed their free rhythms into a rigid meter of four beats to the bar, and their exotic Eastern modality into German classical functional harmony. Again the organ was being used as an instrument in the battle to purge Jewish culture of its "otherness." It was not until the first decades of the twentieth century that organ music displayed signs of dissimilation. Whereas nineteenth-century synagogue organists were church musicians who moonlighted on Saturdays, now we find a cohort of trained Jewish organists. …


Objective: Few studies have investigated the reasons for alcohol initiation and continuation. The present study examined reasons for trying alcohol for the first time and its subsequent use. Furthermore, the study attempted to discover the possible predictors that make an individual vulnerable to alcohol use. Methodology: A total of 280 first-year college students from six different colleges were contacted. Using the method of equal probability, every third subject from each class was selected. All the selected subjects were interviewed and administered semi-structured questionnaire for gathering information regarding their experience with alcohol. Results: In our study, experimentation and peer pressure were found to be the main reasons for both alcohol use and its re-use. The first time drinkers differed a lot from those with multiple users in terms of reasons for trying alcohol, the effect of alcohol, family history of alcohol use, and self-view about alcohol use. The results depicted that the gender, educational stream, and family history of alcohol use are the factors that make an individual vulnerable to alcohol use. Conclusion: First-year of college is a unique transitional period. First-year students with high levels of sensation seeking may be especially at high-risk to begin or escalate heavy drinking. Studying the nature of alcohol initiation may not only be helpful in planning awareness programs but also in preventing underage drinking and alcohol abuse.


J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ. 39:125–131 (2010). doi:10.4195/jnrlse.2009.0021 • http://www.JNRLSE.org © American Society of Agronomy 5585 Guilford Road, Madison, WI 53711 USA ABSTRACT Opportunities for farmers to participate in greenhouse gas (GHG) credit markets require that growers, students, extension educators, offset aggregators, and other stakeholders understand the impact of agricultural practices on GHG emissions. The Farming Systems Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator, a web-based tool linked to the SOCRATES soil carbon process model, provides a simple introduction to the concepts and magnitudes of gas emissions associated with crop management. Users choose a county of interest on an introductory screen and are taken to the input/output window, where they choose crops, yields, tillage practices, or nitrogen fertilizer rates. Default values are provided based on convention and county averages. Outputs include major contributors of greenhouse gases in field crops: soil carbon change, nitrous oxide (N2O) emission, fuel use, and fertilizer. We contrast conventional tillage and no-till in a corn–soybean–wheat (Zea mays L.–Glycine max (L.) Merr.–Triticum aestivum L.) rotation and compare continuous corn fertilized at 101 and 134 kg N ha–1 yr–1. In corn years, N2O was the dominant GHG, due to high fertilizer requirements for corn. No-till management reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 50% due to net soil carbon storage. Continuous corn fertilized at 101 kg N ha–1 yr–1 emitted 1.25 Mg CO2 equivalents ha –1 yr–1 compared with 1.42 Mg CO2 equivalents ha –1 yr–1 at 134 kg N ha–1 yr–1, providing a 12% GHG savings. The calculator demonstrates how cropping systems and management choices affect greenhouse gas emissions in field crops.


Dynamic mechanism design is an important area of multiagent systems, and commonly used in resource allocation where the resources are time related or the agents exist dynamically. We focus on a multiagent model within which the agents stay, and the resources arrive and depart. The resources are interpreted as work or jobs and are called tasks. The allocation outcome space has a special restriction that every agent can only work on one resource at a time, because every agent has a finite computational capability in reality. We propose a dynamic mechanism and analyze its incentive properties; we show that the mechanism is incentive compatible. Empirically, our dynamic mechanism performs well and is able to achieve high economic efficiency, even outperforming standard approaches if the agents are concerned about future tasks. We also introduce a static mechanism under the setting of a restricted outcome space; it is proved that the static mechanism is incentive compatible, and its computational complexity is much less than that of the standard VCG mechanism.


The influence of natural antioxidants incorporated to biodegradable materials has become a focus of attention in the current food packaging research and development. Chitosan is a functional natural polymer extensively used for tailoring systems or matrices for a different active compound delivery. This work was focused on studying the changes undergone by the chitosan matrix because of the addition of ferulic acid as an antioxidant. Thus, both microstructure and physical properties such as solubility, thermal stability, mechanical and barrier properties were monitored. The addition of ferulic acid caused a decrease in both the moisture content and water vapor permeability, an increase in resistance and a change at the structural level evidenced by TEM. Through FTIR spectra and their relationship with chitosan-based film properties, it was demonstrated that ferulic acid was effectively incorporated in the polymer matrix. The amount of the bioactive compound released from the chitosan matrix to a liquid medium was determined. The delivery profile suggested that the release of the antioxidant agent was controlled by two parallel mechanisms, one Fickian-type and the other associated to the high swelling of the matrix. The antioxidant and UV- barrier properties induced by the addition of ferulic acid turned the chitosan films into a potentially active material to be applied on high-fat foods. Copyright © 2014 VBRI press.


M-mode echocardiographic structures, and cardiac function indices, PCV, and total plasma protein values were determined for 34 endurance equine athletes before (base line) and after (after race) a 161-km endurance competition and were compared. The PCV (base-line mean, 37%; after-race mean, 46%) and total plasma protein value (base-line mean, 6.9 g/dl; after-race mean, 7.5 g/dl) increased. Compared with base-line echocardiography, after-race echocardiography indicated an increase in heart rate, as determined from the simultaneous ECG recorded on the echocardiograph (base-line mean, 41 beats/min; after-race mean, 54 beats/min), and an increase in interventricular septal diastolic thickness (base-line mean, 28 mm; after-race mean, 33 mm). The septal thickening fraction (base-line mean, 59%; after-race mean, 38%), the left atrioventricular valve E to F slope (base-line mean, 224 mm/s; after-race mean, 175 mm/s), the left ventricular diastolic dimension (base-line mean, 99 mm; after-race mean, 86 mm), the fractional shortening of the left ventricle (base-line mean, 41%; after-race mean, 37%), the aortic root dimension (base-line mean, 63 mm; after-race mean, 58 mm), the caudal aortic wall excursion (base-line mean, 19 mm; after-race mean, 11 mm) and the left atrial diastolic dimension (base-line mean, 46 mm; after-race mean, 39 mm), decreased significantly (P less than 0.05). In base-line echocardiographs, late diastolic left atrioventricular valve motion was evident in 9 horses. The aberrant left atrioventricular valve motion was not evident in after-race echocardiographs. Seemingly, central vascular volume decreased in these horses during the recovery phase of severe strenuous endurance competition.


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Viscose fiber provides fabrics with superior clothing comfort and appearance characteristics. Vortex and air jet spinning technology provides yarn with unique structures, which can be produced at a high production rates. The unique properties of viscose fibers on one hand and vortex and air jet spinning technology on the other hand have been exploited by many researchers to provide fabrics with superior clothing comfort. In this research work knitted fabrics were produced using viscose vortex and air jet yarns. The knit structure and stitch density were varied. Fabrics made from the vortex yarns were superior in terms of pilling and abrasion resistance. The study of the effect of stitch density on selected fabric characteristic revealed that pilling and abrasion resistance were positively correlated to stitch density. Air permeability was negatively correlated to stitch density.


This volume is the first to consider the golden century of Gothic ivory sculpture (1230-1330) in its material, theological, and artistic contexts. Providing a range of new sources and interpretations, Sarah Guérin charts the progressive development and deepening of material resonances expressed in these small-scale carvings. Guérin traces the journey of ivory tusks, from the intercontinental trade routes that delivered ivory tusks to northern Europe, to the workbenches of specialist artisans in medieval Paris, and, ultimately, the altars and private chapels in which these objects were venerated. She also studies the rich social lives and uses of a diverse range of art works fashioned from ivory, including standalone statuettes, diptychs, tabernacles, and altarpieces. Offering new insights into the resonances that ivory sculpture held for their makers and viewers, Guérin's study contributes to our understanding of the history of materials, craft, and later medieval devotional practices.


Integration of multimodal sensory information is fundamental to many aspects of human behavior, but the neural mechanisms underlying these processes remain mysterious. For example, during face-to-face communication, we know that the brain integrates dynamic auditory and visual inputs, but we do not yet understand where and how such integration mechanisms support speech comprehension. Here, we quantify representational interactions between dynamic audio and visual speech signals and show that different brain regions exhibit different types of representational interaction. With a novel information theoretic measure, we found that theta (3–7 Hz) oscillations in the posterior superior temporal gyrus/sulcus (pSTG/S) represent auditory and visual inputs redundantly (i.e., represent common features of the two), whereas the same oscillations in left motor and inferior temporal cortex represent the inputs synergistically (i.e., the instantaneous relationship between audio and visual inputs is also represented). Importantly, redundant coding in the left pSTG/S and synergistic coding in the left motor cortex predict behavior—i.e., speech comprehension performance. Our findings therefore demonstrate that processes classically described as integration can have different statistical properties and may reflect distinct mechanisms that occur in different brain regions to support audiovisual speech comprehension.


In this paper, we propose a robust fingertip extraction and extended Continuously Adaptive Mean Shift (CAMSHIFT) based robust hand gesture recognition for natural human-like HRI (Human-Robot Interaction). Firstly, for efficient and rapid hand detection, the hand candidate regions are segmented by the combination with robust YCbCr skin color model and haar-like features based adaboost. Using the extracted hand candidate regions, we estimate the palm region and fingertip position from distance transformation based voting and geometrical feature of hands. From the hand orientation and palm center position, we find the optimal fingertip position and its orientation. Then using extended CAMSHIFT, we reliably track the 2D hand gesture trajectory with extracted fingertip. Finally, we applied the conditional density propagation (CONDENSATION) to recognize the pre-defined temporal motion trajectories. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm not only rapidly extracts the hand region with accurately extracted fingertip and its angle but also robustly tracks the hand under different illumination, size and rotation conditions. Using these results, we successfully recognize the multiple hand gestures.


We have reviewed the outcome of 134 hips in 96 children with Graf type-III or type-IV dysplasia of the hip on ultrasound examination. We treated 28 affected hips in 22 children with the Craig splint, 43 hips in 30 children with the Pavlik harness, and 26 hips in 16 children with the von Rosen splint. A total of 37 affected hips in 28 children was not splinted. All children were less than three months of age at referral.

Those treated with the von Rosen splint had a significantly better ultrasound appearance at 12 to 20 weeks of age and fewer radiological abnormalities than those not splinted or treated with the Pavlik harness. In the von Rosen group no hip required further treatment with an abduction plaster or operation compared with ten in the Pavlik harness group, three in the Craig splint group and eight in the group without splintage.

Our results suggest that the von Rosen splint is more likely to improve the outcome of neonatal dysplasia of the hip and a definitive, large-scale randomised trial is therefore indicated.


High concentration of mercury and acidity have been noticed in the effluents of Dharansadara
Chemical Works and Plastic Resins and Chemical Centre near Kayalpatnam, south of Tuticorin. The bar
mouth of the polluted lagoon is opened during November-January and the discharges of heavy metal
toxicants in the open sea is of great concern in the management of marine and nearby ecosystems. Sea
water in the industrial coastal area contains mercury in the range 18-70 pg/ml. Marine organisms
such as bivalves have a particularly high capability for concentrating heavy metals. Investigations have
been carried out on the survival of two important bivalves of the region Crassostrea madrasensis
end Mesodesma glabratum of different size groups by abruptly exposing to different concentrations
from sharp lethal to non-lethal concentrations of the industrial effluents, Samples of these two species
have also been exposed to different sub lethal concentrations for varying durations to study the uptake
and rate of accumulation of mercury in the tissues of the bivalves. The results of the observations are
discussed. The study provides information as to when exactly the bivalves are brought under stress end
for planning preventive measures to protect the valuable resources.


The Paris Agreement and its accompanying decision call for Parties to strive to formulate mid-century communicate long-term low-greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LT-LEDS) by 2020. Moreover, the Paris decision requests Parties to communicate a new or updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) by 2020. This paper finds that there is potential for these long-term strategies to guide short- and mid-term action and feed into future NDC submissions. This paper highlights that long-term strategies can substantially shape countries' short- and mid-term priorities, policies and investment pipelines, leading to significant cost reductions in the long-term. Linking NDCs to long-term mitigation strategies will be key in ensuring efficient use of resources, particularly crucial for responding to climate change amidst and following the COVID-19 crisis.


The objective of this study was to determine whether the freshwater crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823) rearing can be economically achieved in the rice fields using meta-analysis. For this purpose, 100 juvenile freshwater crayfishes were settled in each of three cages in the rice field and the survival and growth characteristics of juvenile freshwater crayfishes in the rice fields were evaluated for 68 days. The meta-analysis was performed to the present study and nineteen studies where researchers evaluated the survival and growth characteristics of juvenile freshwater crayfish. As a result, initial average length and weight of the individuals were 11.08±0.097 mm and 0.04±0.003 g, respectively. They reached to a total of 37.46±0.872 mm length and an average of 1.46±0.095 g weight after 68 days. During this period, the survival rate of the juvenile individuals was also determined as 64.67%. The meta-analysis showed that growth in length at a significant rate on the contrary growth in weight. In conclusion, it is suggested that freshwater crayfish rearing in rice fields is a new and applicable alternative method for growth of freshwater crayfish in Turkey.


Abstract. The paper aims to investigate the occurrences of rainstorms and their relationship with the climate change scenario. The study period under investigation refers to the period of greatest recent warming between 1976–2000 whereas the study area covers China east of 105 E longitude. This region is commonly considered to be controlled by the monsoon type of climate over East Asia. Positive (increasing) trends of rainstorm occurrences, both in annual and summer respects, have been shown for subtropical China whereas a non-uniform picture is associated with temperate China. The increase of rainstorms in subtropical China corresponds with an increasing trend of precipitation. At the same time, subtropical China experiences a mostly decreasing recent temperature change. No clear evidence could, however, be proved for a direct linkage between increasing temperatures and greater rainstorm occurrences. Within the climate change scenario a great risk of rainstorm occurrences must be regarded as part of the increasing risk of extreme weather events. Rainstorm occurrences are of a great practical importance as they increase the risk for environmental hazards such as landslides, landslips and floods. Landuse planners must therefore pay a great attention to an increasing number of rainstorms and their adverse risk impact on the environment. Such practical aspects need particular attention in subtropical China as the region of largest increase of rainstorm occurrences and where, at the same time, the mountains and hilly landscapes are particularly hazard-prone to landslides and floods.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine principals' sense-making of a school–university collaboration taking an institutional perspective on organizational change. The study's context involves three schools in a collaboration focusing on leadership and school improvement with one university.

Design/methodology/approach
The study draws on findings from a qualitative case study that examined principals' sense-making of this type of school–university collaboration. Data were collected over three years and consisted of semistructured interviews, meeting notes, field observations, field notes and document analysis. A qualitative content analysis was performed using the Atlas.ti 6.2 software tool.

Findings
The findings showed that mattering sense-making for the principals in this collaboration is related to the cultivation of collective participation and responsibility, the development of trust and improvement culture among actors, and the sense of moving towards research-based and collaborative learning-oriented practices in their schools.

Research limitations/implications
This study encountered several limitations that need to be addressed and recognized. First, the small number of cases in this multiple case study, as well as the specific social context, limits the possibilities for the generalization of the findings. Second, the study was not independently selected and the findings and analyses were linked to national and local contexts, which can be seen as a limitation and a strength. Nevertheless, this study provides in-depth information about the principals' experiences and constructions of meaning as they helped lead a school–university collaboration in their schools. Finally, although the sample was small and not representative, the findings provided useful insights into and examples of how principals understand and interpret a school–university partnership in their schools' improvement processes.

Originality/value
The findings provide an elaborated illustration of how intentional efforts to collaborate and develop the schools in a school–university partnership may affect the regulative, normative and cultural–cognitive aspects in schools.


Some 3dn (4 ≤ n ≤ 7) transition metal compounds exhibit a cooperative transition between a low-spin (LS) and a high-spin (HS) state. This transition is abrupt and occurs with a thermal hysteresis, which confers a memory effect on the system. The intersite interactions and thus the cooperativity are magnified in polymeric compounds such as [Fe(Rtrz)3]A2·nH2O in which the Fe2+ ions are triply bridged by 4-R-substituted-1,2,4-triazole molecules. Moreover, in these compounds, the spin transition is accompanied by a well-pronounced change of color between violet in the LS state and white in the HS state. The transition temperatures of these materials can be fine tuned, using an approach based on the concept of a molecular alloy. In particular, it is possible to design a compound for which room temperature falls in the middle of the thermal hysteresis loop. These materials have many potential applications, for example, as temperature sensors, as active elements of various types of displays, and in information storage and retrieval.


A new special drill is developed for iron cast drilling. The special drill has double point angle and 0°chisel rake angle which can decrease cutting force, tool wear and cutting temperature. Drilling performance is evaluated by trust force, torque, tool wear. The results indicate that new special drill is suitable for iron cast drilling with small cutting force and long tool life.


Background G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CLR) signalling is implicated in skin-related and cardiovascular diseases, migraine and cancer. However, beyond its agonists and receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs), proteins which bind to CLR and define its properties in primary human cells remain insufficiently understood. Aim We aimed to profile the CLR interactome in primary human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (HDLEC), where this GPCR is expressed. Materials and methods Immunoprecipitation (IP) of core- and terminally-glycosylated CLR from primary in vitro cultured HDLEC was conducted using rabbit polyclonal anti-human CLR serum (with pre- immune serum serving as a control) and confirmed by immunoblotting. Total HDLEC and co-immunoprecipitated CLR proteomes were analysed by label-free quantitative nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-MS/MS). Quantitative in-situ proximity ligation assay (PLA) using ZEISS LSM 710 confocal microscope and ZEN Blue 3.0 and Image J software was performed to confirm nLC-MS/MS findings. All experiments were repeated at least three times (biological replicates). For statistical analysis of PLA data, distribution was analysed using Shapiro-Wilk normality test followed by an unpaired t-test or Mann-Whitney test with a p-value of ≤0.05 interpreted as significant. For MS data of CLR IP samples, statistical analysis was performed using t-test with a permutation-based false discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted p-value of ≤0.006 interpreted as significant. Results A total of 4,902 proteins were identified and quantified by nLC-MS/MS in primary HDLEC and 46 were co-immunoprecipitated with CLR (p<0.006). Direct interaction with the GPCR was confirmed for five of these by PLA (p<0.01). Conclusions This is the first study of its kind to identify novel binding partners of CLR expressed in primary human cells. Our integrative quantitative approach, combining immunoprecipitation of core- and terminally-glycosylated CLR, nLC-MS/MS, and PLA, could be applied in a similar fashion to study its interactome in a variety of human cells and tissues, and its contribution to a range of diseases, where the role of this GPCR is implicated.


The roto-extractor was used in 32 cases of anterior segment membranes or opacities during an 18-month period. Of these, 27 eyes improved and five did not improve or became worse. Significant complications included retinal detachment, massive preretinal retraction, and recurrent hemorrhage which contributed to the visual loss in these patients.


Sustainable models of animal production constantly seek for ways to pasture production with inputs reduction. In this context, the introduction of forage legumes in the pasture system is fundamental to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and supply it to grasses, increasing its production and persistence, enhancing animal nutrition as it grazes, at the same time. Still, the use of plant mixes in the system brings further benefits to it, such as better utilization of fertilizers as well as enhances the nutrient cycle and soil coverage. However, there are still many gaps in our knowledge regarding intercropping legumes and grasses, especially the use of tropical legumes. The purpose of this review is compiles data about forage legumes as well as analyses them to find new tendencies and gaps on the knowledge to shed some lights on researches in this area. We also expect that this review will help researchers and producers to understand the role of forage legumes in a pasture system and that there will be an increase in its utilization worldwide, especially in the tropics, where nitrogen is easily leached and lost from the pastures. With emphasis on description of promising tropical legumes but still little used Arachis pintoi, Macrotyloma and Neonotonia whightii.

 Key words: Arachis pintoi, grass, Macrotyloma axillare, mixed pasture, Neonotonia wightii.


Multi-modal contrastive learning (MMCL) has recently garnered considerable interest due to its superior performance in visual tasks, achieved by embedding multi-modal data, such as visual-language pairs. However, there still lack theoretical understandings of how MMCL extracts useful visual representation from multi-modal pairs, and particularly, how MMCL outperforms previous approaches like self-supervised contrastive learning (SSCL). In this paper, by drawing an intrinsic connection between MMCL and asymmetric matrix factorization, we establish the first generalization guarantees of MMCL for visual downstream tasks. Based on this framework, we further unify MMCL and SSCL by showing that MMCL implicitly performs SSCL with (pseudo) positive pairs induced by text pairs. Through this unified perspective, we characterize the advantage of MMCL by showing that text pairs induce more semantically consistent and diverse positive pairs, which, according to our analysis, provably benefit downstream generalization. Inspired by this finding, we propose CLIP-guided resampling methods to significantly improve the downstream performance of SSCL on ImageNet by leveraging multi-modal information. Code is available at https://github.com/PKU-ML/CLIP-Help-SimCLR.