Statutes of limitation, otherwise called limitation laws, are legislative instruments or enactments that specify the timeframe within which an action or claim relating to a particular subject-matter may be brought to court. The implication of such enactments, subject to relevant exceptions, is that once an actionable wrong has occurred, the stipulated timeframe for an action to be instituted begins to run and if it lapses, without an action being instituted, the injured party would no longer be allowed to bring the action to court. The right of action would be deemed to have become "statute-barred." Statutes of limitation are laws made by the legislative arm of government based on its constitutional powers. In Nigeria, there are two main tiers of government (Federal and State), with each having power to enact such laws. There appears, however, not to be clear rules defining the scope of application of the statutes of limitation enacted by the various legislative houses at Federal and State levels. Thus, there are scenarios of apparent conflict where it appears that more than one statute of limitation may govern a particular case. This scenario represents a challenge for litigants since the limitation periods prescribed for a given cause of action – say tort – are not always be the same in the respective statutes of limitation that may potentially apply. This article examines the scope of the constitutional powers of the two main tiers of government in Nigeria to legislate on the subject of limitation of actions, the intersection of laws made pursuant to those powers and how these may impact on the pursuit and defence of claims by litigants, especially when those claims cross state lines, border on Federal subjects or border on the administrative/executive actions of Federal authorities. We hammer that there is an uncomfortable greyness here which requires better clarity.


We report the case of a 52 year old male with diabetes mellitus and long standing evidence of hepatic iron excess. Initially considered to have haemochromatosis, this patient was reevaluated when hepatic iron stores were found to be unaffected by a prolonged course of weekly phlebotomy. The development of neurological disease prompted diagnostic consideration of aceruloplasminaemia, which we confirmed by demonstration of a novel frameshift mutation in the ceruloplasmin gene. Our inability to resolve the patient's iron overload by regular phlebotomy is consistent with recent animal studies indicating an essential role for ceruloplasmin in cellular iron efflux. Evaluation of this case underscores the clinical relevance of aceruloplasminaemia in the differential diagnosis of hepatic iron overload and provides insight into the pathogenetic mechanisms of hepatocellular iron storage and efflux.


In this paper we develop a model to identify determinants of macroeconomic integration in the African CFA Franc Zone and in Dollar-pegging Caribbean countries (including members of the East Caribbean Currency Union). These two groups of countries each comprise states using several different local currencies: on the one hand the BCEAO-CFA Franc and the BEAC-CFA Franc (both pegged to the Euro), on the other the ECCU Dollar and other national Dollar-pegged currencies. The purpose of the analysis is to distinguish the effect of monetary union on macroeconomic integration from the effect of pegging to a common OECD currency.


Multi-organ segmentation is a critical problem in medical image analysis due to its great value for computer-aided diagnosis, computer-aided surgery, and radiation therapy. Although fully-supervised segmentation methods can achieve good performance, they usually require a large amount of 3D data, such as CT scans, with voxel-wised annotations which are usually difficult, expensive, and slow to obtain. By contrast, large unannotated datasets of CT images are available. Inspired by the well-known semi-supervised learning framework co-training, we propose multi-planar co-training (MPCT), to generate more reliable pseudo-labels by enforcing consistency among multiple planes, i.e., saggital, coronal, and axial planes, of 3D unlabeled medical data, which play a vital role in our framework. Empirical results show that generating pseudo-labels by the multi-planar fusion rather than a single plane leads to a significant performance gain. We evaluate our approach on a new collected dataset and show that MPCT boosts the performance of a typical segmentation model, fully convolutional networks, by a large margin, when only a small set of labeled 3D data is available, i.e., 77.49% vs. 73.14%.


Cross-flow tidal turbines also known as vertical-axis turbines have not reached the efficiency as it is usual found for horizontal-axis turbines. This can be mainly accounted to the intensive development effort dedicated to the latter in the past 30 years in the area of wind energy. Less attention has been given to cross-flow turbines as they present mechanical cyclic loads that detriment their durability. Nevertheless, there is great potential for their employment in tidal energy exploitation as they are intrinsically independent from the flow direction and have a higher power output per area in farm installation. For this reason the research for cross-flow turbines have regain impulse.
Among various approaches to improve their hydrodynamic characteristics found in the literature, the intracycle pitch control is one of the most promising one. It consists in actively pitching each blade as function of the azimuth angle.
The present paper will introduce the overall experimental environment and methods for developing an optimal intracycle control for cross-flow turbines in tidal power generation. This is the main component of project OPTIDE at Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Germany in cooperation with the LEGI at University Grenoble-Alpes, France and the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal.
The experimental system consists of a turbine flume model equipped with a speed controlled generator. The three bladed turbine model has independent controlled pitch actuators embedded in each blade and a force sensing system in one of the blade holding arms. Local high-dynamic systems allow to control the speed of the generator and the pitch position as a function of the rotational angle of the runner i.e. pitch trajectory.
A superimposed governing system which automates the experiment has been implemented. This allows to perform an optimization process with the experiment in the loop. Evolutionary algorithms are employed to solve the two objectives of the optimization: (1) Maximizing the efficiency by (2) minimizing the alternating structural loads on the runner. These kind of problems are usually solved with numerical simulations using finite element method (FEM) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). However, this commonly comes with very high computational efforts and uncertainty. For this reason in our approach simulations are replaced by an experimental optimization technique.
The optimization cycle implemented in the superimposed governing system chooses a set of individuals (pitch trajectories) for each generation on base of the genetic algorithm. Each pitch trajectory is performed sequentially while power output and loads are measured. This allows to evaluate each individual in about one minute. The best individuals are then the base for the offspring of the new generation. Cross-over from best performing parents and subsequent mutation ensure both, convergence and a thorough exploration of the entire design space.
It is expected that this method will fast and reliably find the optimal pitch trajectories under various conditions. Selected cases will be analysed in detail by means of particle-image velocimetry (PIV) with synchronized force and torque measurements to research the underlying hydrodynamic mechanisms and the effects of the flow control performed by the pitching motion.


Lipid residue analysis has recently been applied to investigate the adoption of pottery by Early Woodland hunter-gatherers in north-eastern North America. Results, however, have proven contradictory, especially regarding the extent to which early ceramics were used for processing aquatic resources. Here, the authors argue that this inconsistency is due to the use of different analytical procedures and criteria for identifying aquatic organisms, rather than any actual variations in pottery use. By applying robust analytical criteria and methods to Early Woodland pottery from the Great Lakes region, the authors present evidence supporting their hypothesis that such pottery was indeed used for processing aquatic resources.


During typical robot-assisted training sessions, patients are required to execute tasks with the assistance of a robot while receiving feedback on a 2D display. Three-dimensional tasks of this sort require the adoption of stereoscopy to achieve correct visuo-motor-proprioceptive alignment. Stereoscopy often causes side-effects as sickness and tiredness, and it may affect the processes of recovery and cortical reorganization of the patients' brain in an unclear way. It follows that it is preferrable for a robot-assisted neurorehabilitation therapy to work in a real 3D setup containing real objects rather than using virtual reality. In this paper, we propose a new system for robot-assisted neurorehabilitation scenarios which allows patients to execute therapy by manipulating real, generic 3D objects. The proposed system is based on a new algorithm for identification and tracking of generic objects which makes efficient use of a Microsoft Kinect sensor. We discuss the results of several experiments conducted in order to test robustness, accuracy and speed of the tracking algorithm and the feasibility of the integrated system.


Most techniques for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging require linear propagation to detect nonlinear scattering of contrast agent microbubbles. Waveform distortion due to nonlinear propagation impairs their ability to distinguish microbubbles from tissue. As a result, tissue can be misclassified as microbubbles, and contrast agent concentration can be overestimated; therefore, these artifacts can significantly impair the quality of medical diagnoses. Contrary to biological tissue, lipid-coated gas microbubbles used as a contrast agent allow the interaction of two acoustic waves propagating in opposite directions (counter-propagation). Based on that principle, we describe a strategy to detect microbubbles that is free from nonlinear propagation artifacts. In vitro images were acquired with an ultrasound scanner in a phantom of tissue-mimicking material with a cavity containing a contrast agent. Unlike the default mode of the scanner using amplitude modulation to detect microbubbles, the pulse sequence exploiting counter-propagating wave interaction creates no pseudoenhancement behind the cavity in the contrast image.


The concept of 'sustainable development' was highlighted for the first time at Stockholm in the United Nations Conference on human environment in 1972. However, this term was coined two years later in the Cocoyoc (Mexico) Declaration on Environment and Development and further emphasized upon at the Rio Declaration at the Earth Summit in 1992. It may be understood, as the development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development is thus an integration of developmental and environmental imperatives. It can be also equated with being a new way of science that involves, an integration of technology and social philosophy. The United Nations adopted a new set of global development goals for 2016-2030 known as the Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This agenda puts forward a comprehensive agenda for global action to be taken on sustainable development and is aimed at inter alia ending poverty and reducing inequality in all forms. However, in order for the agenda to succeed, new innovative approaches are required with respect to the goals. This includes innovation as a new form of social practice coupled with new or improvised technological products especially in in the light of achieving Goals 2 and 9 amongst other goals. Goal 2 focuses on ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture. Similarly Goal 9 deals with building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation. Therefore, this paper will deal with how innovative approaches are integral in order to achieve the sustainable development goals and thereby not compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs while at the same time, meeting the needs of the present generation. The paper will delve into how the agenda of the goals puts forward a tremendous opportunity for new forms of innovation to contribute to ensuring sustainable development while also explaining the constraints that might be encountered in the process of doing so.


Prevention and reduction of surface water pollution has been a matter of concern for decades, which has promoted the implementation of best management practices (BMPs) to ensure the protection of water resources. A considerable number of structural and non-structural BMPs have been developed to control hydrological processes and enhance pollutant load reduction at field and watershed scales. However, the selection of a specific BMP or the best combination of these practices and BMP placement are major challenges faced by decision makers. Recently, modeling tools have been presented as an effective alternative to support those challenges and to achieve cost-effectiveness in addressing environmental quality restoration and protection needs in different scenarios. USEPA has presented The System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis Integration (SUSTAIN) model to be used by watershed and stormwater professionals to develop, evaluate and select optimal BMPs combinations, at multiple watershed scales, and to achieve targeted water quality objectives based on cost and effectiveness. This tool incorporates algorithms from the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), the Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model and other BMP modeling techniques. In order to evaluate and validate the application of the SUSTAIN model in an agricultural scenario, a case study is developed for a midsize drainage area (307 ha) located in the Mississippi Delta. The agricultural watershed includes a surface drainage ditch in which three low grade weirs have been installed and monitored for water level and pollutants concentrations since July 2010. The objective of this study is to assess the performance and capability of the SUSTAIN model in the context of a real agricultural scenario where BMPs are implemented. The study also attempts to determine the cost-effectiveness curve for the implementation of BMPs in the study area (considering the number of weirs installed as a variable) using total suspended sediments and total phosphorus as control targets.


In this paper we analyze the effect of immigrants on natives' job specialization in Western Europe. We test whether the inflow of immigrants changes employment rates or the chosen occupation of natives with similar education and age. We find no evidence of the first and strong evidence of the second: immigrants take more manual-routine type of occupations and push natives towards more abstractcomplex jobs, for a given set of observable skills. We also find some evidence that this occupation reallocation is larger in countries with more flexible labor laws. As abstract-complex tasks pay a premium over manual-routine ones, we can evaluate the positive effect of such reallocation on the wages of native workers. Accounting for the total change in Complex/Non Complex task supply from natives and immigrants we find that immigration does not change much the relative compensation of the two types of tasks but it promotes the specialization of natives into the first type. JEL Classification Codes: J24, J31, J61.


Clusters and cluster initiatives are the most effective interconnection not only between companies of a particular industry but also in the wider surroundings where cooperation is the most important factor. The analysis of potential clusters provides a clear picture of the regional economy and is one of the backgrounds in formulating the economic development strategies of the regions. The main aim of this article is to propose the appropriate location of the potential tourism cluster. To achieve this, it is necessary to identify the activity of the tourism sector in the selected regions that create the conditions for cluster formation. The identification is done using quantitative cluster mapping methods - the location quotient and shift-share analysis. The main sources of the calculations are statistical data on employment published by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. Comparing tourist regions has helped identify not only growing but also decreasing potential cluster organizations. The application of both methods has found that the region of Upper Považie is, with his positive dynamic development, positive location quotient values and the support of local factors, the most appropriate region for the location of the tourism cluster. The results achieved can be used in further assessments of the environment and his effectiveness for cluster creation already in the specific tourist region. In this process it is necessary to involve institutions that know the environment and can assess the importance of tourism for the region.


Abstract This article explores the role of Jamia Millia Islamia—the National Muslim University—in the formation of a composite national identity in India around the time of partition. This institution, born under the dual influence of the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation movements, constituted for its members a 'laboratory' for the nation. Through their educational experiments and constructive work à la Gandhi, Jamia teachers and students sought to lay the ground for an independence that would be 'meaningful' not only for Muslims but for the entire nation. In so doing, Jamia members claimed the right for Muslims to be recognized as 'unhyphenated Indians', able to speak for the nation. This article thus discusses the efforts of Jamia members to promote an inclusive conception of 'composite India' of which Muslims were fully part. At the same time, it highlights the ambiguous attitude of government authorities vis-à-vis the institution. Despite Jamia members' strong affinities with Congress leaders, notably Nehru, the school received little support from state authorities after independence. Paradoxically, Nehru's government preferred to turn towards another Muslim institution—Aligarh Muslim University—often considered the 'cradle' of 'Muslim separatism', in order to reach out to Muslim citizens and promote national integration. By exploring the motivations behind this paradoxical choice as well as the complex relations between Jamia and Nehru's government, this article highlights some of Nehru's own ambiguities towards the 'Gandhian' legacy as well as to Muslim representation in secular India.


This work is dedicated to the promotion of the results Hadamard, Landau E., Walvis A., Estarmann T and Paul R. Chernoff for pseudo zeta functions. The properties of zeta functions are studied, these properties can lead to new regularities of zeta functions.


Unconditional security is the key-feature of quantum cryptography, which makes it superior to any classical encryption scheme. Most research in this area focuses on analyzing the theoretical properties and performance of particular quantum key distribution protocols, but a rigorous analysis on the network level seems to be missing. We present a game-theoretic approach which gives simple and tight bounds to the risk of communication that any two peers in a quantum network have to take when communicating, even if quantum cryptography is used. This work is motivated by recent (im)possibility results regarding unconditionally secure message transmission in arbitrary networks, which puts stringent constraints on the network topology. Hence, our model naturally accounts for a given graph topology (existing fibre-optic networks which are natural candidates for a roll-out of a quantum network), as well as measuring risk in terms of probability or the designers subjective understanding. As a by-product, our model gives optimal path selection strategies, and the optimal design of network topologies under given constraints (like geographic or monetary ones).


Since the eruption of 2011 Revolution the Egyptian economy is suffering its worst economic crisis. Indeed, Egypt has experienced a drastic fall in both foreign investment and tourism revenues, followed by a 60% drop in in foreign exchange reserves, a 3% drop in growth and a rapid devaluation of the Egyptian currency. Generally, the country is facing a series flaw in the performance of the productive sector, which affects the economic performance of the country as a whole. Therefore, major reforms should be undertaken to restore stability, restore tourism and restore confidence of investors. Moreover, there is growing recognition worldwide among policy- makers and private sector decision- makers the current economic growth is socially, environmentally and economically unsustainable. This has motivated international community to make a committed transition towards a green economy. Since 2011, Egypt is taking steady steps to adapt Green Transformation Strategy. This strategy embraces many of the principles and objectives of green economy. Therefore, this research focus mainly on Egyptian tourism in the green economy and how investing in the greening of tourism can reduce the cost of energy, water, and waste and enhance the value of ecosystems and cultural heritage. This research analyses how the concept of green economy is perceived in Egypt. It aims to explore the massive transformation process needed. These two questions will be answered using Delphi technique. The research concluded that tourism is a main economic activity in that process both as a potential catalyst of change and as a component of transformation.


Objectives: To evaluate the positively and negatively factors associated with the subjective well-being of adults with hemophilia from two associations of patients.
Methods: This study is a cross-sectional survey, carried out with convenience sampling in two patient associations. Data collection took place in November and December of 2015. The evaluation protocol consisted of the application of two instruments: Hemophilia Well-Being Index and a collection form of sociodemographic and clinical data.
Results: Fifty-three adults with hemophilia, and male, participated in the study. Their age ranged from 21 to 54 years old. It was observed a higher prevalence of participants with single marital status and third education level. The age and marital status of the participants did not influence their well-being.
Conclusion: The high level of education was positively associated with the well-being of the participants, related to the item "economic situation."
Keywords: Hemophilia A; Hemophilia B; Adult; Subjective Well-Being Scale.


There has been a lot of literature and study on youth mentoring. However, little has been found in the literature that explains the form of leadership model that is being practiced in a mentoring relationship. Moreover, this is a complex issue since mentoring takes place in many settings, and in the partnering relationship. A mentor also plays a variety of roles, and that there is reciprocal influences and power suggesting that leadership is at play and practiced by both parties. This paper therefore explores, examines, and discusses the forms of leadership that could best 'fit' in a youth mentoring programme. This will also include literature on mentoring and its practices in the youth, its non-formal learning context, a variety of several leadership concepts and theories; discussed those literature and determine the leadership practices that best fit this context of youth leadership. The findings had suggested a 'bottom-up multidimensional' approach to leadership employing various leadership concepts and models. This can then serve to be a generic model for practice, as well as for further study to establish a leadership model for different settings, such as in the context of youth learning mentorship programme that can contribute to positive youth change.


Online survey methods and online access panels are commonly used in both academic and private industry research. However, many industry reviews indicate the presence of fraudulent and inattentive online panel participants who pose a threat to data validity, with estimates of 8–25 percent of the sample being impacted. Although these challenges are not unique to online surveying, the nature of online panels may offer possibilities to improve data quality through real-time filters, rather than in data analysis. In this study, we retain all panel respondents passing and failing common web-survey quarantining methods to directly analyze filtering results on data quality. Through a choice experiment, we build a mathematical model to measure respondent irrationality through the classic strong axiom of revealed preference (SARP), which serves as the primary data-quality metric to test the efficacy of quarantining methods. We show that inattentive respondents failing "trap" or "red herring" questions, as well as fraudulent respondents heavily selecting low-probability screening questions, have significantly lower data quality compared to passing respondents. Removing failing respondents significantly improves data quality when filters are strategically executed. We also simulate the data-quality benefits of real-time filtering techniques during web-data collection. We conclude by advocating the use of low-probability filters as qualifiers, as well as strategic placement of trap questions just before the most crucial sections of a survey


Among the "store-carry-forward" kind of protocols, the two-hop relay and its variants have become a class of attractive routing protocols for the mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) due to its efficiency and simplicity. This paper focuses on the performance modeling for two-hop relay with erasure coding, a promising technique for improving the delay performance of conventional two-hop relay with simple replication. A general Markov chain-based theoretical framework is first developed to model the complicated message delivery process in such a network, based on which not only the mean value but also the variance of message delivery delay are derived analytically. The important medium contention, interference and traffic contention issues are carefully incorporated into our analysis, so the new theoretical framework can be used to precisely predicate the message delivery delay performance of two-hop relay with erasure coding, as verified by extensive simulation results.


Marie Bruvik Heinskou:
Sexuality between Risk and Chance: Oscillations in Late Modern Value Orientations

This article examines how young people can seek sexual experiences that intensify their existence to such an extent that the experience itself is not assigned any meaning. It is merely perceived as a moment having its own temporality and its own internal experience, often called chance. For example young people often take a chance and refrain from using a condom during sexual intercourse, while using the concept of risk as a means to navigate in a world characterized by contingency and ambivalence. The balance between these two value orientations, risk and chance, is crucial for determining whether or not young people use a condom. This outlook is often ignored in both campaigns concerning, for instance, sexually transmitted diseases and in studies on sexuality. The risk side of (deviant) sexualities is frequently overemphasized in these campaigns and in theories on sexuality, while chance is neglected. The article argues that there is need for a broader approach to sexualities both in sexual campaigns and in general analyses. Examining the power of risk and the power of chance as oppositional categories, as well as the traces of risk in chance and chance in risk, is one way of broadening the approach.


A better understanding of the pattern of musculoskeletal injuries and the zones of the playing field where injuries occur is needed in order to device specific injury prevention programmes for the Nigerian premier soccer league (NPL). This study was therefore aimed at determining the causes, frequency, and methods of treatment of injuries sustained in selected matches of NPL compared with the English premier soccer leagues (EPL) during the 2005/2006 season. Fifty matches (25 each from the NPL and EPL) were randomly selected. Video tapes of the selected matches were reviewed. Injuries were recorded with respect to causes, parts of the body injured, outcomes of treatment and zones of the playing field where the injuries occurred. A total of 230 injuries were recorded. NPL matches had the highest occurrence of the injuries (67.83%, 156/230). The knee and the ankle were the most common injured parts. Most injuries were caused by tackling attempts and accidental contacts. The highest number of injuries occurred at the midfield zone and the score box. Injured players in the NPL were not promptly and properly attended to medically. This resulted in a large percentage of these players returning to the field of play with some signs of residua injury. Keywords : Soccer Players, Nigerian Premier League, English Premier League. Musculoskeletal Injuries. Nigerian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences Vol. 6 (2) 2007: pp. 85-89


In order to predict streamflow accurately during extended dry periods, we need to understand the spatial variability of low flows and the extent to which it is affected by the spatial organization and drainage of catchment subsurface storage areas. This is especially true in Alpine catchments with widely varying topography, lithology, sediment deposits, and soil properties. Field measurements in the Poschiavino catchment in southern Switzerland, during a winter recession period without recharge, provided a unique opportunity to demonstrate the connections between subsurface storage areas, low flows, and their variability. We measured discharge in four nested sub‐catchments during seven field campaigns in the winter of 2013–2014. We analysed stream water electrical conductivity (EC) and water chemistry to identify the areas contributing to low‐flow discharge and estimated their contributions. Sediment cover type and thickness were mapped using a recently developed tool for geomorphology‐based storage classification of mountainous terrain, to determine the physical properties of the subsurface storage areas contributing to low‐flow discharge. Recession analyses combined with water chemistry data allowed the detection of different drainage timescales and the estimation of storage potential of the unconsolidated (Quaternary) deposits. We found substantial spatial variation in storage depletion between the sub‐catchments, ranging from 54 mm to 200 mm for the four‐month monitoring period. Variability in low‐flow contributions from different catchments and different recession behavior could be related to the differences in the estimated storage potential. For some point sources, we could quantify the contributing area and thus quantify low flows at the hillslope scale. Overall, the low‐flow variability is mostly related to the fraction of precipitation that recharges subsurface storage areas and to the properties influencing their drainage. To capture these processes, we suggest low‐flow geomorphological mapping approaches that consider not only morphometric (shape of the landscape) and geologic (properties of the bedrock) controls but also the water storage potential of debris cover and weathered rock.


A particular shortcoming of panel surveys is potential bias arising from selective attrition. Based on data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) we analyze potential artifacts (level, structure, inequality of income) by comparing results from two independently drawn panel sub-samples, started in 1984 and 2000, respectively. Both sub-samples carried on using the same set of follow-up rules. We apply ANOGI (ANalysis Of GIni) techniques, the equivalent of ANOVA (ANalysis Of VAriance) performed on the basis of the Gini coefficient. The decomposition followed is presented in Yitzhaki (1994). We rearrange, reinterpret and use the decomposition in the comparison of sub-populations from which the different subsamples were drawn. Taking into account indicators for income, and for control purposes those for education and satisfaction as well, significant differences between these two subsamples with respect to (income) inequality are found in the first year, which start to fade away in wave 2 and disappear in wave 3. We find credible indication for these differences to be driven by changes in response behavior of short term panel members rather than by attrition among members of the longer running sub-sample.


Primary cutaneous amyloidosis (PCA) is very common in the Ecuadorian coasts. In the Iberolatinamerican Congress of Dermatology in Rio de Janeiro in 1982, a study vyas presented. In order to investigate the treatment of this disease, we selected 71 patients by chance, 60 vi'ith localized forms and 11 with diffuse forms. We used different ways of treatment and also made a double-blind study. The 60 patients with localized forms were treated as follows: 15 with DMSO 10% in water, topically; 15 with DMSO 20°/« in water, topically; 7 with topical retinoid acids; 3 brushings; and 20 placebos. The 11 patients with diffuse forms were treated as follows: 3 with azathloprine; 5 with cokhicine; and 3 with (Ro. 109359) Tigazon. The results were considered good when the pruritus has disappeared and the papules and hyperkeratosis have decreased, or regular when the pruritus decreased, and there was no change on the leveling of the papules. In the localized form, those who used DMSO were much better in relation to the control group; with DMSO 10%, even better results were obtained. The group of patients that received topical retinoid acid had regular results. The three patients who were treated with brushing were cured clinically. In the diffuse forms, two patients who were treated with azathioprine obtained good results. The five patients treated with colchicine did not respond to the therapy. The three patients treated with Ro-10-9359 (Tigazon) after 3 months had a good response: one of them abandoned the treatment.


The treatment of image data for robotic applications such as navigation, path planning and localization has always been problematic when working in image space (using the appearance of the environment) rather than in Cartesian space (using the geometry of the environment). This is due to both computational overhead introduced by the large amount of data that needs to be manipulated and the high-dimensionality of the image space. We present results from an approach using an artificial immune network construction algorithm which dramatically reduces the dimensionality of the image space and generates network structures useful for navigation and localization. The technique uses the artificial immune network mechanism to link images with similar properties, thus corresponding to similar poses of the robot, into a network which can be displayed in two dimensions. This generates an intuitive representation of the environment which the robot has experienced in a way which can also be traversed in order to perform path-planning in the space of visual experiences. A network generated as a mobile robot moves around in its environment is presented, and related topologically to the movements made by the robot. Properties of the networks produced are discussed with relation to the visual complexity of the environment experienced by the robot. In general, regions of the environment which appear homogeneous produce fewer nodes and edges in the network, and regions of a more heterogeneous appearance produce denser, more highly connected network structures.


Objectives: To assess the impact of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) on outcome of thrombolysis-treated ischemic stroke patients, as additional to recognized prognosticators. Methods: The study cohort included 985 ischemic stroke patients treated with IV thrombolysis at the Helsinki University Central Hospital (1995–2008). In a multivariable model adjusted for baseline stroke severity, age, onset-to-treatment time, baseline glucose, hyperdense cerebral artery sign, and early infarct signs on baseline imaging, and prior modified Rankin Scale (mRS), we calculated risk ratios (RRs) of patients with sICH (separately per Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke[SITS]–Monitoring Study, European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study II [ECASS-II], and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [NINDS] definitions) for poor 3-month outcome (mRS 3–6) and mortality. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) evaluated impact of sICH on outcome. Internal cross-validation of the model was done with bootstrap statistics. Results: The frequency of sICH was 2.1% (SITS), 7.0% (ECASS-II), and 9.4% (NINDS). RRs for poor and fatal outcome, respectively, were 1.7 and 4.8 (SITS), 1.6 and 3.8 (ECASS-II), and 1.6 and 3.4 (NINDS). In IDI analyses, sICH improved prediction model for 3-month mRS of 3–6 and 4–6, respectively, by 1.4% and 3.0% (SITS), 4.0% and 5.9% (ECASS-II), and 4.7% and 6.1% (NINDS). In case of 3-month mRS 5–6 and mortality, it was 6.1% and 5.3% (SITS), 11.3% and 9.3% (ECASS-II), and 10.3% and 8.0% (NINDS). ROC analysis revealed similar results. Conclusions: Patients with sICH have increased risk of poor and fatal outcome. Compared with recognized stroke prognosticators, contribution of sICH is smaller. Definition-wise, ECASS-II- and NINDS-based sICH contribute relatively more; ECASS-II has the largest contribution to worst outcomes.


Background Research into the etiology of breast cancer has recently focused on the role of the immunity and inflammation. The proinflammatory cytokines IL-17A and IL-17F can mediate inflammation and cancer. To evaluate the influences of IL-17A and IL-17F gene polymorphisms on the risk of sporadic breast cancer, a case-control study was conducted in Chinese Han women. Methodology and Principal Findings We genotyped three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL-17A (rs2275913, rs3819025 and rs3748067) and five SNPs in IL-17F (rs7771511, rs9382084, rs12203582, rs1266828 and rs763780) to determine the haplotypes in 491 women with breast cancer and 502 healthy individuals. The genotypes were determined using the SNaPshot technique. The differences in the genotypic distribution between breast cancer patients and healthy controls were analyzed with the Chi-square test for trends. For rs2275913 in IL-17A, the frequency of the AA genotype was higher in patients than controls (P = 0.0016). The clinical features analysis demonstrated significant associations between IL-17 SNPs and tumor protein 53 (P53), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2) and triple-negative (ER-/PR-/Her-2-) status. In addition, the haplotype analysis indicated that the frequency of the haplotype Ars2275913Grs3819025Grs3748067, located in the IL-17A linkage disequilibrium (LD) block, was higher in patients than in controls (P = 0.0471 after correction for multiple testing). Conclusions and Significance Our results suggested that SNPs in IL-17A but not IL-17F were associated with the risk of breast cancer. Both IL-17A and IL-17F gene polymorphisms may provide valuable information for predicting the prognosis of breast cancer in Chinese women.


Machine learning models can automatically learn complex relationships, such as non-linear and interaction effects. Interpretable machine learning methods such as partial dependence plots visualize marginal feature effects but may lead to misleading interpretations when feature interactions are present. Hence, employing additional methods that can detect and measure the strength of interactions is paramount to better understand the inner workings of machine learning models. We demonstrate several drawbacks of existing global interaction detection approaches, characterize them theoretically, and evaluate them empirically. Furthermore, we introduce regional effect plots with implicit interaction detection, a novel framework to detect interactions between a feature of interest and other features. The framework also quantifies the strength of interactions and provides interpretable and distinct regions in which feature effects can be interpreted more reliably, as they are less confounded by interactions. We prove the theoretical eligibility of our method and show its applicability on various simulation and real-world examples.


Hand function is dependent upon the stability of the wrist joint1. The wrist joint is thus a key joint of the upper limb, and must be pain-free for normal hand function and adequate strength of grip2. Wrist involvement is frequently characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis, with tenosinovitis of the wrist extensor tendons evident in the early stages of the disease3. Severe hand deformities with ulnar deviation of the metacarpo-phalangeal joints, subluxation of the carpals and ruptured tendons, are the result of extensive wrist disease. Rheumatoid disease of the wrist and its affect on progressive hand deformity has been the subject of numerous investigations4,5,6,7,8. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the rheumatoid wrist in view of the current occupational therapy practice of splinting the affected wrists for functional positioning and the prevention of further wrist deterioration.


In this paper, we study the electronic band structure and the ferromagnetic properties of the organic radical p-NPNN by employing density-functional theory with generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and local-spin density approximation (LSDA). The density of states, the total energy, and the spin magnetic moment are calculated. The calculations reveal that the delta-phase of p-NPNN has a stable ferromagnetic ground state. It is found that an unpaired electron in this compound is localized in a single occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) constituted primarily of pi(*) (NO) orbitals, and the main contribution of the spin magnetic moment comes from the pi(*) (NO) orbitals. By comparison, we find that the GGA is more suitable to describe free radical systems than LSDA.


This paper has as main objective the presentation of an integrated pedagogical solution that aims to transform the teaching act designed for students and Bachelors in engineering into a more adapted one to the challenges of present. The author of this paper identifies the bottlenecks of the engineering education and suggests a mix of solutions that are to be followed with the aim to stimulate the students' ethical development, involvement and creativity. The solutions encompass the rethought of syllabi for engineers of all specialties and the starting point is considered to be the assessment of the technical relevance, sufficiency, and the correlation of theory with practice for all disciplines. This reshaping must be done having in mind the well spread copy-paste mentality, therefore the syllabi should also incorporate a special set of values and moral principles. Another solution taken into consideration is the evolvement of the teaching methods that must include instruments of the actual digital era, having in mind the new technologies and the new possibilities of collaborative learning. The design of new e-books and e-case studies for students, the use of BYOD ("Bring Your Own Device") solution are some examples that will allow students to properly integrate the information acquired by attending different courses and also will encourage their collaboration and the building of powerful teams. Students' empowerment and stimulation of collaborative learning are also seen as major solutions for the enhancement of the efficiency of the teaching act. The paper presents an original system of student's active involvement into the learning process and is based on a method employed by the author of this paper in her own courses held for Bachelors in economic engineering.


Institutionalized retarded adults (N = 120) were studied using a 2 (mild, profound) x 2 (stare, no stare) x 2 (close, far) analysis of variance design. It was expected that threatening-stare conditions would produce smaller response latencies for avoidance and aggressive behavior than would the no-stare condition and, further, that the stare would have greater impact on the profoundly as compared with mildly retarded subjects, especially in the close conditions. These expectations were supported by the response latency data that yielded a highly significant main effect for stare and significant Stare x Retardation and Stare x Distance interactions.


This paper foregrounds notions of learning and how they are framed in transnational adaptive capacity building processes. While supporting emerging adaptation governance mechanisms that recognize the boundlessness of climate change impacts, the paper draws attention to learning and the role it plays in such processes. Learning, for the most part, is framed as an event rather than a series of conscious, reflexive, adaptive and multi-layered processes. Such framing, the paper argues, is limiting and is based on flawed understandings of adaptation to climate change. Instead, learning should reflect the underlying complexity of both the climate change phenomenon and socio-ecological systems change processes. This paper argues that current conceptualization of climate change fails to present climate change as emerging, evolving and complex and, in the process, influences how learning in adaptation is perceived, framed and pursued.


We assessed the efficacy and safety of endoscopic therapy for esophageal varices in Japanese patients comparing the results of ligation therapy performed in 101 patients with those of sclerotherapy with paravariceal injection of polidocanol in 40 patients. Both therapies were effective in controlling active hemorrhages. Hemostasis rates at the first endoscopic session were 100% in both groups and rebleeding rates were 40.0% in the sclerotherapy and 29.6% in the ligation group. Variceal eradication was achieved equally in both groups in approximately 90% of the patients. However, the ligation achieved eradication more quickly in fewer endoscopic sessions than did the sclerotherapy (mean; 2.1 vs. 3.7 sessions, P < 0.01). Complications such as rebleeding and intramural hematomas were less common in the ligation group. These results indicate some advantages of the ligation over the sclerotherapy. A disadvantage of the ligation therapy is that recurrence occurs more quickly than in the sclerotherapy, although the difference was not statistically significant.


: The injection of dibutyryl cyclic AMP into the perfused rat heart resulted in dose-dependent increases in contractile force and phosphorylase a activity. In hearts from hyperthyroid animals both responses were markedly enhanced. The data indicate that the hyperthyroid state may produce changes in the heart making it more responsive to cyclic AMP. Such a change could occur at the level of protein kinase. The data may also indicate that, in hyperthyroidism, the heart is more capable of taking up dibutyryl cyclic AMP or of converting it to an active product.


TfdA is a non-heme iron enzyme which catalyzes the first step in the oxidative degradation of the widely used herbicide (2, 4-dichlorophenoxy)acetate (2,4-D). Like other alpha-keto acid-dependent enzymes, TfdA utilizes a mononuclear Fe(II) center to activate O(2) and oxidize substrate concomitant with the oxidative decarboxylation of alpha-ketoglutarate (alpha-KG). Spectroscopic analyses of various Cu(II)-substituted and Fe(II)-reconstituted TfdA complexes via electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), electron spin-echo envelope modulation (ESEEM), and UV-vis spectroscopies have greatly expanded our knowledge of the enzyme's active site. The metal center is coordinated to two histidine residues as indicated by the presence of a five-line pattern in the Cu(II) EPR signal, for which superhyperfine splitting is attributed to two equivalent nitrogen donor atoms from two imidazoles. Furthermore, a comparison of the ESEEM spectra obtained in H(2)O and D(2)O demonstrates that the metal maintains several solvent-accessible sites, a conclusion corroborated by the increase in multiplicity in the EPR superhyperfine splitting observed in the presence of imidazole. Addition of alpha-KG to the Cu-containing enzyme leads to displacement of an equatorial water on copper, as determined by ESEEM analysis. Subsequent addition of 2,4-D leads to the loss of a second water molecule, with retention of a third, axially bound water. In contrast to these results, in Fe(II)-reconstituted TfdA, the cosubstrate alpha-KG chelates to the metal via a C-1 carboxylate oxygen and the alpha-keto oxygen as revealed by characteristic absorption features in the optical spectrum of Fe-TfdA. This binding mode is maintained in the presence of substrate, although the addition of 2,4-D does alter the metal coordination environment, perhaps by creating an O(2)-binding site via solvent displacement. Indeed, loss of solvent to generate an open binding site upon the addition of substrate has also been suggested for the alpha-keto acid-dependent enzyme clavaminate synthase 2 [Zhou et al. (1998) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 120, 13539-13540]. Nitrosyl adducts of various Fe-TfdA complexes have also been investigated by optical and EPR spectroscopy. Of special interest is the tightly bound NO complex of Fe-TfdA.(alpha-KG).(2,4-D), which may represent an accurate model of the initial oxygen-bound species.


China's fast growing economy has brought some environmental problems, especially in water administration. Inefficiencies in irrigation activities have created severe negative effects to the environment of rural communities, and the more serious water shortages hamper food production, too. Major questions at hand are, how to improve water use efficiency, to reduce negative external effects, to optimize water allocation in agriculture, to invest in water saving technologies, and to assure more water for high value added agriculture. This paper investigates the impacts of irrigation technologies and investments in water saving on the rural economy and the environment. By taking into account individual farmers' inclination to adopt modern water-saving technologies and governments' willingness to improve public water transit systems, we optimize water use in a Chinese watershed. The main contribution is a model that shows how to optimize spatial allocation and adoption of irrigation technology given farm and investment costs. The paper employs a mathematical, spatial programming model using GAMS for optimization. It shows the importance of water pricing and discusses various policy measures such as pricing and public conveyance. The model results are of value for policy makers and project managers to allocate water more efficiently, to optimize irrigation projects, and to provide references for farmers in applying water conservation technologies.


"Levels of analysis" has been a controversial topic in group research and has often been ignored by IS researchers leading to "cross-level fallacies" and "aggregation biases." While the predominant practice in IS research is to assess group behavior by computing the "arithmetic mean of individual members' behaviors," recent studies have argued that groups should be treated separate from the individuals who constitute them, and group behavior should be measured using "global" constructs. This study examines the applicability of these two divergent practices in the context of technology adoption by groups, a phenomenon of growing importance in organizations that has not been investigated in-depth in IS research. Preliminary results from an experimental study provide some resolution to the debate surrounding the appropriateness of these two approaches, and highlight the contexts in which aggregation of individual-level measures may not be suitable for understanding group behavior.


A novel IGCT-based half-controlled bridge-type fault current limiter is proposed in this paper. By substituting the half-controllable SCR in the rectifier bridge with self-turn-off device IGCT, the uncontrolled lime of the converter bridge can be reduced from half a cycle to the delay time of the current measuring circuit. If the maximum current in the dc reactor is preset, the inductance, volume, weight and cost of the DC reactor can be reduced to one 32th of what it is in the SCR-based bridge type FCL in three phase power systems approximately. The magnetization time of the DC reactor is reduced. The control method is very simple. The dynamic performance of the proposal FCL can be improved. Topology and control strategies of the proposal FCL are described in detail. Simulations under each short circuit fault mode are carried out. An experimental model is constituted and tested. Simulation and experiment results proved the practicability and validity of the new FCL


We describe here a suite for unaccompanied violin which is based on the five Platonic solids. This ties together our own career in computer science with our lifelong interest in the composition of music, including works for symphony orchestra and for theatrical band and orchestra with chorus and soloists. A consequence of the design of the suite is that every measure in it is played twice, sometimes in immediate succession but more often at a later point in the same movement. The sheet music to the suite is available from the author.


We study the entanglement of the superconducting charge qubit with the quantized electromagnetic field in a microwave cavity. It can be controlled dynamically by a classical external field threading the SQUID within the charge qubit. Utilizing the controllable quantum entanglement, we can demonstrate the dynamic process of the quantum storage of information carried by charge qubit. On the other hand, based on this engineered quantum entanglement, we can also demonstrate a progressive decoherence of charge qubit with quantum jump due to the coupling with the cavity field in quasi-classical state.


Israel's privatization policy since the 1980s has changed Israeli society and its economy more than any other reform. This is not just an issue of economics; privatization is closely linked to the notion of what relations should exist between the state and its citizens.

Privatization Policy in Israel: State Responsibility and the Boundaries between the Public and the Private is the result of research that began in 2007 at the Yaacov Chazan Center for Social Justice and Democracy, at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, as part of a broad interdisciplinary project. The book discusses economic and political theories and examines the state's areas of responsibility, the shifting of the boundaries between public and private, and the state's regulatory tools. The book also examines privatization steps taken in areas including infrastructure, education, health, pensions, and human resources. The articles have a single analytical framework, which shows that the areas under discussion are not separate; they have a common denominator that reflects the nature of Israel's privatization policy.
The book does not attempt to argue that every privatization is necessarily bad, but it does reject the widespread assumption that all privatization is good. According to this approach, the point of departure for a consideration of privatization should be that the burden of proof lies on those who seek to move the boundary between the public and the privateץ


The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) constitutes one of the largest foreign investments China has made in the framework of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative. The expenditures planned for the coming years in the amount of approximately $46 billion will further intensify relations between China and Pakistan. At the same time, Pakistan will assume a more prominent role in China's foreign policy. But CPEC also affects relations between India and Pakistan. The transport corridor between Pakistan and China traverses Jammu and Kashmir, the status of which has been a subject of contention between India and Pakistan since 1947. This constellation would seem to suggest a negative scenario whereby CPEC could place additional strain on India-Pakistan relations. On the other hand, a positive scenario is also conceivable, with a settlement of the Kashmir dispute even becoming possible in the long term.


This PhD Dissertation collects results of my own work on the topic of continuous variable (CV) quantum teleportation, which is one of the most important applications of quantum entanglement, as well as on the understanding, quantification, detection, and applications of a type of quantum correlations known as Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering, for both bipartite and multipartite systems and with a main focus on CV systems.
For the first results, we examine and compare two fundamentally different teleportation schemes; the well-known continuous variable scheme of Vaidman, Braunstein and Kimble, and a recently proposed hybrid scheme by Andersen and Ralph. We analyse the teleportation of ensembles of arbitrary pure single-mode Gaussian states using these schemes and compare their performance against classical strategies that utilize no entanglement (benchmarks). Our analysis brings into question any advantage due to non-Gaussianity for quantum teleportation of Gaussian states.
For the second part of the results, we study bipartite EPR-steering. We propose a novel powerful method to detect steering in quantum systems of any dimension in a systematic and hierarchical way. Our method includes previous results of the literature as special cases on one hand, and goes beyond them on the other. We proceed to the quantification of steering-type correlations, and introduce a measure of steering for arbitrary bipartite Gaussian states, prove many useful properties, and provide with an operational interpretation of the proposed measure in terms of the key rate in one-sided device independent quantum key distribution. Finally, we show how the Gaussian steering measure gives a lower bound to a more general quantifier of which Gaussian states are proven to be extremal.
We proceed to the study of multipartite steering, and derive laws for the distribution of Gaussian steering among different parties in multipartite Gaussian states. We define an indicator of collective steering-type correlations, which is interpreted operationally in terms of the guaranteed secret key rate in the multi-party cryptographic task of quantum secret sharing.
The final results look at the cryptographical task of quantum secret sharing, whose security has remained unproven almost two decades after its original conception. By utilizing intuition and ideas from steering, we manage to establish for the first time an unconditional security proof for CV entanglement-based quantum secret sharing schemes, and demonstrate their practical feasibility. Our results establish quantum secret sharing as a viable and practically relevant primitive for quantum communication technologies.


Large-scale distributed denial of service (DoS) attacks are an unfortunate everyday reality on the Internet. They are simple to execute and with the growing prevalence and size of botnets more effective than ever. Although much progress has been made in developing techniques to address DoS attacks, no existing solution is unilaterally deployable, works with the Internet model of open access and dynamic routes, and copes with the large numbers of attackers typical of today's botnets.

In this paper, we present a novel DoS prevention scheme to address these issues. Our goal is to define a system that could be deployed in the next few years to address the danger from present-day massive botnets. The system, called Phalanx, leverages the power of swarms to combat DoS. Phalanx makes only the modest assumption that the aggregate capacity of the swarm exceeds that of the botnet. A client communicating with a destination bounces its packets through a random sequence of end-host mailboxes; because an attacker doesn't know the sequence, they can disrupt at most only a fraction of the traffic, even for end-hosts with low bandwidth access links. We use PlanetLab to show that this approach can be both efficient and capable of withstanding attack. We further explore scalability with a simulator running experiments on top of measured Internet topologies.


In their 2013 book Reimagining Business History, Philip Scranton and Patrick Fridenson called on business historians to reassess militarization and the "two-way exchanges" between the military and the private sector. The call is timely. The extensive business-historical scholarship on the relationship between companies and war sensibly focuses on companies that profited from their involvement in the military-industrial complex. 1 The business-historical literature is virtually silent, however, on the role of business in preventing wars from starting in the first place. In other words, business historians have missed a productive opportunity to engage with capitalist peace theory (CPT), an increasingly important theory in the discipline of international relations (IR). Many IR scholars now argue that the mutual economic interdependence characteristic of global capitalism reduces the likelihood of war. Their research suggests that while extensive cross-border economic linkages do not preclude the possibility of war, the creation of a transnational community of economic interests tends, ceteris paribus, to reduce the frequency, duration, and intensity of warfare. 2


A majority of developed countries have realized the importance of functioning venture capital markets for job creation, innovation, and economic growth. Accordingly, governments have taken measures to support the development and efficient functioning of national venture capital markets. As a policy response, particularly in the more problematic early-stage investment area, many countries have set up government financed support programs to channel risk capital to new ventures through private VC funds. The choice of the incentive structure for a publicly co-financed and privately managed venture capital fund is crucial for the success of a program. However, there is very little robust research determining the actual effects of different structures on fund performance. A comparison of government VC structures has been hindered by both the variety of utilized structures and the plurality of domestic environments. In this study, we examine the effects of different incentive structures on the performance of publicly co-financed venture capital programs under changing market conditions by comparing these structures in a simulation model.


INTRODUCTION
In 1814 Giovanni Monteggia first described two cases of fractures of the proximal third of ulna with dislocation of the radial head. These fractures are more common in children than in adults, and mutual Monteggia fracture is a rare complication. This study presents a treatment course of a patient with bilateral Monteggia fracture.

CASE REPORT
A 55-year-old patient was injured by falling in the yard. Radiography showed bilateral Monteggia fracture type II (by the Badon classification). Operative treatment of fracture was done by a compression plate on the right side and by the zuggurtung technique on the left one. Closed repositioning of the radial head was done on both sides. The patient was wearing a plaster splint for the upper arm for 21 days. After removing the fixation, the function of the elbow was determined by the Broberg Morrey score (BM) which was on the right side 45.5 and on the left side 47.5. After the proper physical therapy, four months after the surgery, BM score was 100 on the right side, and 93 on the left one.

CONCLUSION
Surgical treatment and early rehabilitation is the key for the return of good function of both elbows.


Abstract We introduce a spectrum of transpressional and transtensional deformations that potentially result from oblique plate interaction. Five separate types of deformation are designated, in which a simple shear deformation is combined with an orthogonal coaxial deformation. The types vary in the amount of extension v. contraction, both parallel to the margin and vertically. The interaction between the angle of convergence, kinematic vorticity, infinitesimal strain axes, finite strain, and rotation of material lines and planes is investigated. Quantification of the finite strain indicates that the orientation, magnitude, and geometry (flattening, constriction, etc.) change continually during steady-state transpression. These results are then applied to the cases of transpression, particularly resulting from oblique plate convergence of terranes. The obliquity of plate motion and the geometry of the plate margin determine which of the types of transpression or transtension is favoured. A component of margin-parallel stretching also potentially causes terrane motion to locally exceed oblique plate motion, or move opposite to the general direction of movement between the converging plate boundaries. The kinematic models also suggest that the boundaries between converging terranes are likely to exhibit vertical foliation, but either vertical or horizontal lineation. Finally, narrow transpressional zones between colliding blocks may have very high uplift rates, resulting in exhumation of high-grade metamorphic fabrics.


&NA; Hospitalists and other providers must classify hospitalized patients as inpatient or outpatient, the latter of which includes all observation stays. These orders direct hospital billing and payment, as well as patient out‐of‐pocket expenses. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) audits hospital billing for Medicare beneficiaries, historically through the Recovery Audit program. A recent U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report identified problems in the hospital appeals process of Recovery Audit program audits to which CMS proposed reforms. In the context of the GAO report and CMS's proposed improvements, we conducted a study to describe the time course and process of complex Medicare Part A audits and appeals reaching Level 3 of the 5‐level appeals process as of May 1, 2016 at 3 academic medical centers. Of 219 appeals reaching Level 3, 135 had a decision—96 (71.1%) successful for the hospitals. Mean total time since date of service was 1663.3 days, which includes mean days between date of service and audit (560.4) and total days in appeals (891.3). Government contractors were responsible for 70.7% of total appeals time. Overall, government contractors and judges met legislative timeliness deadlines less than half the time (47.7%), with declining compliance at successive levels (discussion, 92.5%; Level 1, 85.4%; Level 2, 38.8%; Level 3, 0%). Most Level 1 and Level 2 decision letters (95.2%) cited time‐based (24‐hour) criteria for determining inpatient status, despite 70.3% of denied appeals meeting the 24‐hour benchmark. These findings suggest that the Medicare appeals system merits process improvement beyond current proposed reforms.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide directions for future research on: broadening the role of customers in customer experience; taking a practice-based approach to customer experience; and recognizing the holistic, dynamic nature of customer experience across all touch points and over time. Design/methodology/approach – The approach is conceptual identifying current gaps in research on customer experience. Findings – The findings include a set of research questions and research agenda for future research on customer experience. Originality/value – This research suggests fresh perspectives for understanding the customer experience which can inspire future research and advance theory and managerial practice.


Three gymnosperm woods from the Melo Formation (Lower Permian) at arroyo Seco (Rivera Department, Uruguay) are described: Stiloxylon ferrandoi gen. et sp. nov., Polysolenoxylon sp. cf. P. whitei. (Maniero) and Bageopitys sp. These specimens have the pith and the primary and secondary xylem preserved. Stilaxylon ferrandoi shows peculiar features in the initiaJ portion of the secondary wood and in the pith which justify the creation of a new genus and species. The other stems show common characters of aJready known Pa1aeozoicGondwana woods.


Background: The development and maintenance of normal bone tissue is supported by balanced communication between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The invasion of cancer cells disrupts this balance, leading to osteolysis. As the only bone resorption cells in vivo, osteoclasts play important roles in cancer-induced osteolysis. However, the function of 3-phosphoinositide–dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) in osteoclast resorption remains unclear. Methods: In our study, we used a receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B (RANK) promoter‐driven Cre‐LoxP system to conditionally delete the PDK1 gene in osteoclasts in mice. We investigated the impact of Osteoclast‐specific knockout of PDK1 on prostate cancer-induced osteolysis. Bone marrow-derived macrophage cells (BMMs) were extracted and induced to differentiate osteoclasts in vitro to examine the function of PDK1 in osteoclasts.Results: In this study, we found that PDK1 conditional knockout (cKO) mice exhibited smaller body sizes when contrasted with the wild-type (WT) mice. Moreover, deletion of PDK1 in osteoclasts ameliorated osteolysis and reduced bone resorption markers in the murine model of prostate cancer-stimulated osteolysis. In vivo, we discovered that osteoclast‐specific knockout of PDK1 suppressed RANKL-stimulated bone resorption function, osteoclastogenesis, and osteoclast-specific gene expression (Ctsk, TRAP, MMP-9, NFATc1). Western blot analyses of RANKL-induced signaling pathways showed that conditional knockout of PDK1 in osteoclasts inhibited the early nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation, which consequently suppressed the downstream induction of NFATc1. Conclusion: These findings demonstrated that PDK1 performs an instrumental function in osteoclastogenesis and prostate cancer-induced osteolysis by modulating the PDK1/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.


Background: Food borne diseases continue to be a public health problem globally. Food handlers (FHs) have been implicated in food borne outbreaks. Asymptomatic carriers go unnoticed and are thus an important source of pathogens. Aims and Objectives: This study was conducted to detect intestinal carriage of Salmonella species and parasites as well as nasal and hand carriage of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) among asymptomatic FHs. Personal hygiene practices followed by them were recorded. Materials and Methods: A total of 300 asymptomatic FHs were studied. A semi-structured questionnaire was filled. Nasal swabs and finger impressions were taken on mannitol salt agar plates which were incubated overnight at 37°C; colonies suggestive of S. aureus were identified and confirmed by standard biochemical tests. Stool culture for Salmonella species was done on MacConkey agar, Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate agar and simultaneously inoculated in Selenite F broth for further processing; colonies suggestive of Salmonella species were identified by standard biochemical tests and Salmonella antisera (Denka Seiken, Japan). Stool-routine/microscopy for parasites was done by gross examination, direct saline, and iodine mount followed by concentration method (saturated salt solution). An arbitrary 10-point scale used in earlier studies was utilized for classifying the level of personal hygiene of FHs. Results: Salmonella Typhi was detected in stool culture of two FHs. Intestinal parasites detected in 10 (3.3%) subjects, included Ascaris lumbricoides (5;1.7%), Entamoeba histolytica (3;1.0%), and Giardia intestinalis (2;0.66%). S. aureus carriage was noted in anterior nares (116;38.7%) and hand (83;27.7%). A total of 149 (50%) FHs were S. aureus carriers. Conclusion: This study indicates that FHs may be a potential source of food borne pathogens.


The process of searching on the World Wide Web (WWW) is increasing regularly, and users around the world also use it regularly. In WWW the size of the text corpus is constantly increasing at an exponential rate, so we need an efficient indexing algorithm that reduces both space and time during the search process. This paper proposes a new technique that utilizes Word-Based Tagging Coding compression which is implemented using Parallel Wavelet Tree, called WBTC_PWT. WBTC_PWT uses the word-based tagging coding encoding technique to reduce the space complexity of the index and uses a parallel wavelet tree which reduces the time it takes to construct indexes. This technique utilizes the features of compressed pattern matching to minimize search time complexity. In this technique, all the unique words present in the text corpus are divided into different levels according to the word frequency table and a different wavelet tree is made for each level in parallel. Compared to other existing search algorithms based on compressed text, the proposed WBTC_PWT search method is significantly faster and it reduces the chances of getting the false matching result.


This thesis describes the development of a commercial machine vision system as a case study for utilizing the Modular Reprogrammable Real-time Processing Hardware (MORRPH) board. The commercial system described in this thesis is based on a prototype system that was developed as a test-bed for developing the necessary concepts and algorithms. The prototype system utilized color linescan cameras, custom framegrabbers, and standard PCs to color-sort red oak parts (staves). When a furniture manufacturer is building a panel, very often they come from edge-glued paneled parts. These are panels formed by gluing several smaller staves together along their edges to form a larger panel. The value of the panel is very much dependent upon the " match " of the individual staves—i.e. how well they create the illusion that the panel came from a single board as opposed to several staves. The prototype system was able to accurately classify staves based on color into classes defined through a training process. Based on Trichromatic Color Theory, the system developed a probability density function in 3-D color space for each class based on the parts assigned to that class during training. While sorting, the probability density function was generated for each scanned piece, and compared with each of the class probability density functions. The piece was labeled the name of the class whose probability density function it most closely matched. A " best-face " algorithm was also developed to arbitrate between pieces whose top and bottom faces did not fall into the same classes. [1] describes the prototype system in much greater detail. In developing a commercial-quality machine vision system based on the prototype, the primary goal was to improve throughput. A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based Custom Computing Machine (FCCM) called the MORRPH was selected to assume most of the computational burden, and increase throughput in the commercial system. The MORRPH was implemented as an ISA-bus interface card, with a 3 x 2 array of Processing Elements (PE). Each PE consists of an open socket which can be populated with a Xilinx 4000 series FPGA, and an open support socket which can be populated with support chips such as external RAM, math processors, etc. In implementing the prototype algorithms for the commercial system, a partition was created between those algorithms that would be implemented on the MORRPH board, and those that would be left as implemented on the host PC. It was …


In September 2008, Oxford Archaeology (OA) carried out a field evaluation at Brewer Street, Oxford. The work was undertaken on behalf of Pembroke College, in advance of the submission of a planning application for the proposed development of the site. The focus of the evaluation was within a 301 m2 basement area within the proposed
development; two trenches were excavated, totalling c 5% of the proposed basement area.
The evaluation revealed deeply stratified clay rich deposits which may represent fills of the pre-conquest configuration of a branch of the Thames, subsequently known
as the Trill Mill Stream. Overlying and also to the north of these possible fills were a series of deposits, which may correlate to the deliberate deposition of material along
the interface between the Thames floodplain and the second gravel terrace to the north, upon which is located the medieval walled town of Oxford. This process of 'land reclamation' has been identified elsewhere along the edge of the second terrace, in particular during recent archaeological work at the Westgate car park to
the west of Brewer Street, where the reclamation deposits were dated to the 12th-13th century. The dating evidence from the deposits encountered during the evaluation at Brewer Street would suggest that these date to the 13th-14th century.
Consequently, if the interpretation of these deposits is valid, then the process appears to be later at Brewer Street, possibly suggesting that the reclamation of
land was by no means synchronous between all the sites where it has been identified. A possible pit and a north-south aligned linear feature truncated these deposits in the south of the investigation area. The function of the pit was unclear, although it may relate to a tenement plot fronting on to Brewer Street. The function of the linear
feature was also unclear but it is possible that it formed a drainage channel running from the town to the Trill Mill Stream. Overlying the fills of these two features were a
series of imported garden soils, which are possibly contemporary with the construction of the existing buildings fronting on to Brewer Street in the 17th
century.
In the north of the investigation area the land reclamation deposits were truncated by a north-south aligned limestone wall, a similarly aligned ceramic drainage pipe,
and a 20th-century brick built inspection pit; associated with the use of the current building as a garage. The date of the limestone wall was uncertain, as it had been
truncated to the west by the trench for the ceramic pipe, and to the east by what appeared to be a 19th-century pit. However, to the north of the wall, a potentially
contemporary compacted gravel surface, produced 14th-15th century roof tile. The wall also appeared to have been modified, possibly in the 19th century, by the
addition of a chute, the function of which was unclear. Despite the uncertainties with regard to the date of this structure, it seems likely that the wall relates to the cellar of a building which formerly fronted onto Brewer Street.
©


Cells of the bone marrow are chiefly dedicated to two processes; the production of blood, and the production of bone that houses the hematopoietic organ. The majority of our understanding of these processes comes from data focused on one of these functions. Yet, in vivo the processes are intermixed. Our recent data demonstrate that human osteoblast-like cells have important accessory roles in hematopoiesis. These data include the demonstration that human osteoblast-like cells; support the growth of primitive human hematopoietic progenitors (CD34(+) cells) in short and long term cultures and, synthesize multiple cytokines believed to regulate hematopoiesis. Based upon anatomic and developmental findings characterizing hematopoietic cells in close approximation with endosteal cells, and these findings, we hypothesize that osteoblasts play a critical role in hematopoietic cells development in vivo.


Three different outcrops are selected in this study, each representing a shallow-marine system with varying heterogeneity provided by siliciclastic–carbonate mixing that may form a small or large stratigraphic trap. The impact of these styles of mixed facies on CO2 storage is relatively poorly known. This study demonstrates the significance of these systems for safe CO2 geological storage, as stratigraphic traps are likely to be a significant feature of many future storage sites. The three 3D models are based on: (1) the Grayburg Formation (USA), which displays spatial permeability linked to variations in the mixture of siliciclastic–carbonate sediments; (2) the Lorca Basin outcrop (Spain), which demonstrates the interfingering of clastic and carbonate facies; and (3) the Bridport Sand Formation outcrop (UK), which is an example of a layered reservoir and has thin carbonate-cemented horizons. This study demonstrates that facies interplay and associated sediment heterogeneity have a varying effect on fluid flow, storage capacity and security. In the Grayburg Formation, storage security and capacity are not controlled by heterogeneity alone but are influenced mainly by the permeability of each facies (i.e. permeability contrast), the degree of heterogeneity and the relative permeability characteristic of the system. In the case of the Lorca Basin, heterogeneity through interfingering of the carbonate and clastic facies improved the storage security regardless of their permeability. For the Bridport Sand Formation, the existence of extended sheets of cemented carbonate contributed to storage security but not storage capacity, which depends on the continuity of the sheets. These mixed systems especially minimize the large buoyancy forces that act on the top seal and reduce the reliance of the storage security on the overlying cap rock. They also increase the contact area between the injected CO2 and brine, thereby promoting the CO2 dissolution processes. Overall, reservoir systems with mixed carbonate–siliciclastic facies contribute to improving the safe and effective storage of CO2. Thematic collection: This article is part of the Geoscience for CO2 storage collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/geoscience-for-co2-storage


The flavodoxins constitute a highly conserved family of small, acidic electron transfer proteins with flavin mononucleotide prosthetic groups. They are found in prokaryotes and in red and green algae, where they provide electrons at low potentials for the reduction of nitrogen by nitrogenase, for the light-dependent reduction of NADP+ in photosynthesis, and for the reduction of sulfite. Proteins with the physical characteristics of flavodoxins have been implicated in the reductive activation of pyruvate formate-lyase and cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase in Escherichia coli. We have purified flavodoxin to homogeneity from E. coli, determined its N-terminal amino acid sequence, and used this sequence to construct a 64-fold degenerate oligonucleotide probe for the flavodoxin gene. Because the phenotype of a flavodoxin mutant is not known, we used this degenerate probe to screen the phages of the Kohara library and identified two phages, with inserts mapping at approximately 16 min, that hybridized to the probe. The flavodoxin gene, designated fldA, was subcloned from the DNA in the overlap region of these two clones. The deduced amino acid sequence, determined by nucleotide sequencing of the flavodoxin gene, shows strong homology with flavodoxins from nitrogen-fixing bacteria and cyanobacteria. The fldA gene maps at 15.9 min on the E. coli chromosome and is transcribed in a counterclockwise direction.


The white dwarf mass–radius relationship is fundamental to modern astrophysics. It is central to routine estimation of DA white dwarf masses derived from spectroscopic temperatures and gravities. It is also the basis for observational determinations of the white dwarf initial–final-mass relation. Nevertheless, definitive and detailed observational confirmations of the mass–radius relation (MRR) remain elusive owing to a lack of sufficiently accurate white dwarf masses and radii. Current best estimates of masses and radii allow only broad conclusions about the expected inverse relation between masses and radii in degenerate stars. In this paper, we examine a restricted set of 12 DA white dwarf binary systems for which accurate (1) trigonometric parallaxes, (2) spectroscopic effective temperatures and gravities, and (3) gravitational redshifts are available. We consider these three independent constraints on mass and radius in comparison with an appropriate evolved MRR for each star. For the best-determined systems it is found that the DA white dwarfs conform to evolve theoretical MRRs at the 1σ to 2σ level. For the white dwarf 40 Eri B (WD 0413−077) we find strong evidence for the existence of a "thin'' hydrogen envelope. For other stars improved parallaxes will be necessary before meaningful comparisons are possible. For several systems current parallaxes approach the precision required for the state-of-the-art mass and radius determinations that will be obtained routinely from the Gaia mission. It is demonstrated here how these anticipated results can be used to firmly constrain details of theoretical mass–radius determinations.


Some 1-(4-aryl-2-thiazolyl)-3-(2-thienyl)-5-aryl-2-pyrazoline derivatives ( TP 1–28 ) were synthesized by reacting substituted 3-(2-thienyl)-5-aryl-1-thiocarbamoyl-2-pyrazolines ( P 1–7 ) with phenacyl bromides in ethanol. Structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by elemental analyses and IR, 1 H-NMR and MS-FAB+ spectral data. Their antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli (NRRL B-3704), Staphylococcus aureus (NRLL B-767), Salmonella typhimurium (NRRL B-4420), Bacillus cereus (NRRL B-3711), Listeria monocytogenes (Ankara University, Faculty of Veterinary, Ankara, Turkey), Aeromonas hydrophila (Ankara University, Faculty of Veterinary, Ankara, Turkey), Candida albicans, and Candida glabrata (isolates obtained from Osmangazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Eskisehir Turkey) were investigated. A significant level of activity was illustrated.


In an economy with imperfect labor contracts, differences in the distribution of human capital are an independent source of comparative advantage. I study a world economy with two sectors, one where output is produced by teams and another where individuals can work alone. When workers' abilities are private information and workers cannot verify the value of output or the level of a firm's profits, feasible labor contracts fail to generate efficient matching of workers within teams. The general equilibrium has the most talented workers opting for individualistic activities, while their less talented compatriots join teams. The team mismatches are more severe in the country with the more heterogeneous labor force, which generates a comparative disadvantage for this country in team production. Trade exacerbates the polarization' of the more diverse society. National income could be raised, and the distribution of income improved, by a marginal expansion in the size of the team sector.


Stellar dynamo processes can be explored by measuring the magnetic field. This is usually obtained using the atomic and molecular Zeeman effect in spectral lines. While the atomic Zeeman effect can only access warmer regions, the use of molecular lines is of advantage for studying cool objects. The molecules MgH, TiO, CaH, and FeH are suited to probe stellar magnetic fields, each one for a different range of spectral types, by considering the signal that is obtained from modeling various spectral types. We have analyzed the usefulness of different molecules (MgH, TiO, CaH, and FeH) as diagnostic tools for studying stellar magnetism on active G-K-M dwarfs. We investigate the temperature range in which the selected molecules can serve as indicators for magnetic fields on highly active cool stars and present synthetic Stokes profiles for the modeled spectral type. We modeled a star with a spot size of 10% of the stellar disk and a spot comprising either only longitudinal or only transverse magnetic fields and estimated the strengths of the polarization Stokes V and Q signals for the molecules MgH, TiO, CaH, and FeH. We combined various photosphere and spot models according to realistic scenarios. In G dwarfs, the molecules MgH and FeH show overall the strongest Stokes V and Q signals from the starspot, whereas FeH has a stronger Stokes V signal in all G dwarfs, with a spot temperature of 3800K. In K dwarfs, CaH signals are generally stronger, and the TiO signature is most prominent in M dwarfs. Modeling synthetic polarization signals from starspots for a range of G-K-M dwarfs leads to differences in the prominence of various molecular signatures in different wavelength regions, which helps to efficiently select targets and exposure times for observations.


the Service by taking a larger share of the N.H.S. cake. I hear also that critics in the royal colleges 'have suggested that it is necessary for juniors to work every other night on order to get adequate training. I know that they cannot have done their homework; many juniors in recognized training posts have been working one night on in three for years; are they now to be on duty more often? The colleges have stated that the length of training may 'have to be increased; this will affect few juniors, most of whom stay much longer than the ninimum time in the training grades because of poor career opportunities. The D.H.S.S. had the opportunity to plead poverty at the time of the 1973 review, but this does not seem to have impressed Lord Halsbury when he nade the award. Recently I have 'heard talk of the proposed changes not being implemented. The consequences of that do not bear consideration.-I am, etc.,


In an era where cultural festivals multiply, so-called African festivals have spread in Africa, but also outside of the continent, in major cities as well as in little-known villages, for example in provincial France. What are some of their implications and effects in the case of francophone African literature? These events privilege a continental representation of literature, which often reveals itself as problematic when confronted with the complex geographies of the texts and authors represented at these festivals. Using cross-disciplinary methodology, this critical inquiry reads different reallocations of this persistent African matrix through a typology and contemporary examples (Kossi Efoui's writings, the "Étonnants Voyageurs" and "Plein sud" festivals). As an object of study, festivals bear witness to the necessity of expanding the toolbox of the (world) literary scholar by making use of documentary sources and adopting ethnographic approaches. It reveals a structural tension between an African map and various concrete territories, where local issues matter often more than this continental category, and can affect the form and content of literature itself.


The high computational costs of video super-resolution (VSR) models hinder their deployment on resource-limited devices, e.g., smartphones and drones. Existing VSR models contain considerable redundant filters, which drag down the inference efficiency. To prune these unimportant filters, we develop a structured pruning scheme called Structured Sparsity Learning (SSL) according to the properties of VSR. In SSL, we design pruning schemes for several key components in VSR models, including residual blocks, recurrent networks, and upsampling networks. Specifically, we develop a Residual Sparsity Connection (RSC) scheme for residual blocks of recurrent networks to liberate pruning restrictions and preserve the restoration information. For upsampling networks, we design a pixel-shuffle pruning scheme to guarantee the accuracy of feature channel-space conversion. In addition, we observe that pruning error would be amplified as the hidden states propagate along with recurrent networks. To alleviate the issue, we design Temporal Finetuning (TF). Extensive experiments show that SSL can significantly outperform recent methods quantitatively and qualitatively. The code is available at https://github.com/Zj-BinXia/SSL.


Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) represent a major breakthrough in image classification. However, there has not been similar progress in applying CNNs, or neural networks of any kind, to classification of tabular data. We developed and evaluated a novel method, TAbular Convolution (TAC), for classification of such data using CNNs by transforming tabular data to images and then classifying the images using CNNs. The transformation is performed by treating each row of tabular data (i.e., vector of features) as an image filter (kernel), and applying the filter to a fixed base image. A CNN is then trained to classify the filtered images. We applied TAC to classification of gene expression data derived from blood samples of patients with bacterial or viral infections. Our results demonstrate that off-the-shelf ResNet can classify the gene expression data as accurately as the current non-CNN state-of-the-art classifiers.


OBJECTIVE. We report a prospective, randomized, multicenter trial that compared the effect of 3 vs 8 days of intravenous ceftriaxone treatment on the incidence of renal scarring at 6 to 9 months of follow-up in 383 children with a first episode of acute pyelonephritis. METHODS. After initial treatment with intravenous netilmicin and ceftriaxone, patients were randomly assigned to either 5 days of oral antibiotics (short intravenous treatment) or 5 days of intravenous ceftriaxone (long intravenous treatment). Inclusion criteria were age 3 months to 16 years and first acute pyelonephritis episode, defined by fever of >38.5°C, C-reactive protein level of >20 mg/L, and bacteriuria at >105/mL. All patients underwent 99m technetium-dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy 6 to 9 months after inclusion. A total of 548 children were included, 48 of whom were secondarily excluded and 117 of whom were lost to follow-up or had incomplete data; therefore, 383 children were eligible, 205 of them in the short intravenous treatment group and 178 in the long intravenous treatment group. RESULTS. At inclusion, median age was 15 months, median duration of fever was 43 hours, and median C-reactive protein level was 122 mg/L. A total of 37% (143 of 383) of patients had a vesicoureteral reflux grades 1 to 3. Patient characteristics at inclusion were similar in both groups, except for a significantly higher proportion of girls in the short intravenous treatment group. The frequency of renal scars at scintigraphy was similar in both groups. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that renal scars were significantly associated with increased renal height at initial ultrasound and with the presence of grade 3 vesicoureteric reflux. CONCLUSIONS. The incidence of renal scars was similar in patients who received 3 days compared 8 days of intravenous ceftriaxone. Increased renal height at initial ultrasound examination and grade 3 vesicoureteric reflux were significant risk factors for renal scars.


Recently there has been increasing attention directed towards the analysis sparsity models. Consequently, there is a quest for learning the operators which would enable analysis sparse representations for signals in hand. Analysis operator learning algorithms such as the Analysis K-SVD have been proposed. Sparsifying transform learning is a paradigm which is similar to the analysis operator learning, but they differ in some subtle points. In this paper, we propose a novel transform operator learning algorithm called as the Transform K-SVD, which brings the transform learning and the K-SVD based analysis dictionary learning approaches together. The proposed Transform K-SVD has the important advantage that the sparse coding step of the Analysis K-SVD gets replaced with the simple thresholding step of the transform learning framework. We show that the Transform K-SVD learns operators which are similar both in appearance and performance to the operators learned from the Analysis K-SVD, while its computational complexity stays much reduced compared to the Analysis K-SVD.


This collection of articles presents the views of the different philosophical schools of the Hellenistic area on various theological topics such as on the existence of the gods, their nature, and their concern for humankind. It also mirrors the changes of perspective that took place over the many centuries in this area, thus presenting the Hellenistic contribution within the larger framework of Greek philosophical theology.


The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities enshrines the rights of disabled people to access services in all areas of citizenship including participation in recreational, leisure and sport activities. Despite this protection, people with disabilities face multiple personal, environmental and social barriers to participation in physical activity (PA). As a result, disabled people are more likely to be inactive compared to the able bodied population and are at a greater risk of inactivity-related diseases. Thus, there is an urgent need for behaviour change interventions to increase PA by specifically addressing the situations of people with disabilities and their barriers to participation. This original meta-synthesis of qualitative research was undertaken to explore participants' perceptions of PA-enhancing interventions for adults with physical disability. To identify published articles relevant to the meta-synthesis, a rigorous systematic search of electronic databases and hand search of relevant journals was undertaken. In total, 76 papers were read in full, and based on the inclusion criteria, 10 papers were included for review. Following a critical appraisal of the papers, methods of thematic synthesis were drawn upon to generate analytical themes through interpretation and conceptual synthesis. Seven interrelated analytical themes were constructed representing both components and outcomes of the interventions. These were: (i) social support; (ii) diversity; (iii) communication; (iv) behavioural strategies; (v) changing thoughts; (vi) knowledge; (vii) health and well-being. The results of this meta-synthesis provide significant new information that will help interventionists design more effective PA-enhancing interventions, and researchers to better identify and measure key mechanisms and outcomes associated with successful PA-enhancing interventions for people with disabilities.