Despite the emergence of and widespread uptake of a growing range of medical and scientific professions in elite sport, such environs present a volatile professional domain characterized by change and unprecedentedly high turnover of personnel. This study explored sport medicine and science practitioners' experiences of organizational change using a longitudinal design over a 2‐year period. Specifically, data were collected in three temporally defined phases via 49 semi‐structured interviews with 20 sport medics and scientists employed by three organizations competing in the top tiers of English football and cricket. The findings indicated that change occurred over four distinct stages; anticipation and uncertainty, upheaval and realization, integration and experimentation, normalization and learning. Moreover, these data highlight salient emotional, behavioral, and attitudinal experiences of medics and scientists, the existence of poor employment practices, and direct and indirect implications for on‐field performance following organizational change. The findings are discussed in line with advances to extant change theory and applied implications for prospective sport medics and scientists, sport organizations, and professional bodies responsible for the training and development of neophyte practitioners.


OBJECTIVE
An emerging body of evidence supports a role for dysfunctional purinergic neurotransmission in mood disorders. Adenosine agonists have been shown to have properties similar to those of dopamine antagonists; there is a well-characterized interaction between adenosine and dopamine receptors in the ventral striatum, and increasing adenosinergic transmission has been demonstrated to reduce the affinity of dopamine agonists for dopamine receptors. Allopurinol increases adenosine levels in the brain, and hence is hypothesized to reduce the symptoms of mania. Two randomized, placebo-controlled trials administering add-on allopurinol to manic patients showed significantly greater improvements in Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) scores for drug compared to placebo, while a more recent, relatively small, add-on study showed negative results. Based on these data, our objective was to examine the efficacy of allopurinol as add-on treatment to mood stabilizers and/or antipsychotic agents in manic patients with bipolar disorder.

METHODS
We performed a large, well-powered, multicenter, six-week, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of allopurinol added to mood stabilizers and/or antipsychotic agents in 180 patients with bipolar disorder in an acute manic episode.

RESULTS
Both groups showed improvement on the YMRS (effect size of 1.5 for placebo and 1.6 for allopurinol), with no difference observed between groups on YMRS scores (t = 0.28, p = 0.78). There was no difference in the proportion of patients who responded to treatment (defined as showing at least 50% improvement in YMRS score) between the two groups (p = 0.92), or in dropout rates (p = 0.84).

LIMITATIONS
None of our patients received lithium. However, the side effects of lithium and its narrow therapeutic index made the use of lithium less common and, therefore, our study results reflect common current clinical practice. In the present study, we used a variety of antipsychotic and/or mood stabilizing treatments, to which we added allopurinol; one might hypothesize that add-on allopurinol has a different effect in combination with different antipsychotic agents or mood stabilizers.

CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this large, well-powered study do not support add-on allopurinol as a treatment for acute mania. This study did not test the efficacy of allopurinol as monotherapy.


The influence of strongly absorbing N¬2 laser radiation on pores formation on a surface of Si single crystal has been investigated using optical microscope, atomic force microscope and photoluminescence. After irradiation by the laser and subsequent electrochemical etching in HF acid solution morphological changes of the irradiated parts of a surface of Si were not observed. At the same time, pores formation on the non-irradiated parts of Si surface took place. The porous part of the Si surface is characterized by strong photoluminescence in red part of spectra with maximum at 1.88 eV and intensity of photoluminescence increases with current density. Suppression of the pores formation by the laser radiation is explained with inversion of Si type conductivity from p-type to n-type. This fact is explained by Thermogradient effect – generation and redistribution of the intrinsic defects in gradient of temperature. It was shown that the depth of n-Si layer on p-Si substrate depends on intensity of laser radiation and it increases with intensity of laser radiation. The results of the investigation can be used for optical recording and storage of information on surface of semiconductors.


In this study we investigate the sources of moisture (and moisture for precipitation) over the Danube River Basin (DRB) through a Lagrangian approach which uses the FLEXPART V9.0 Lagrangian particle dispersion model together with ERA-Interim reanalysis data to track changes in atmospheric moisture along 10-day trajectories. This approach computes the budget of evaporation minus precipitation by calculating changes in specific humidity along forward and backward trajectories. We considered a temporal period of 34 years, from 1980 to 2014 which allowed identifying climatological sources and moisture transport towards the basin at interannual scale. Results showed that the DRB receives moisture mainly from seven different oceanic, maritime and terrestrial moisture source regions: North Atlantic Ocean, North Africa, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Danube River Basin and Central and Eastern Europe. The contribution of these sources differs with the season. During the Wet season (October-March) the main moisture source for the DRB is the Mediterranean Sea, while during the Dry season (April-September) the dominant source of moisture in the DRB itself. Moisture coming from each source has a different contribution for the precipitation in the DRB. Between the studied sources results show that the moisture coming from the Mediterranean Sea provides the highest values for precipitation in the basin during both seasons, extending to the whereas the whole basin for the Wet season and more confined to the western side during the Dry one. Moisture coming from the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea was that less contribute to precipitation.


This paper provides a conceptual framework through wave-based strategy to control suspended cable driven parallel manipulators. Since these manipulators usually take up large workspaces, the inclusion and investigation of the effects of cable mass and flexibility on the robot performance is inevitable. Due to modeling complexity, researchers have not paid enough effort on studying the sagging effect on designing controllers. In a large suspended cable robot, stiffness decreases significantly, causing the motion of end effector to undergo unwanted vibration. In this paper, wave based control (WBC), as a newly developed method for mechanical flexible systems is proposed and applied to cable driven parallel manipulators to perform position control and active vibration damping at the same time. The control approach assumes actuator motion as launching a mechanical wave into the flexible system which is absorbed on its return to the actuator, while the launching and absorbing proceed simultaneously. This simple, intuitive idea lets controllers to act rapid and almost vibration free repositioning of the system, using only sensors collocated at the actuator system interface. To accomplish this, the mathematical model of the robot which takes the mass and flexibility of the cable into account is developed first. Then the control method is adapted and presented to prevent or minimize any undesirable sway in the system.


In its recent decision affirming the courts' power to issue "declarations of inconsistency" between legislation and the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, the Court of Appeal embraces the notion of a "constitutional dialogue" between the judiciary and Parliament regarding issues of rights. It suggests that, since both branches of government are engaged in a collaborative process of giving effect to the Bill of Rights Act's provisions, Parliament can be expected to take the courts' views on such matters into serious consideration.
This article questions the suitability of the notion of constitutional dialogue to New Zealand's constitutional arrangements. The idea of dialogue, largely developed as a means to alleviate concerns about the "counter-majoritarian difficulty" that arises in jurisdictions with strong-form judicial review of legislation, cannot be usefully adopted to a system of very weak judicial review, such as the one put in place by the Bill of Rights Act. Dialogue may seem to be an attractive way of addressing what might be termed the "majoritarian malaise" caused by a sovereign Parliament's sometimes cavalier approach to the rights of individuals and minorities. Yet meaningful dialogue cannot take place if one of the parties is entitled to ignore the other, which has no resources to impress its views upon an unwilling potential interlocutor.
As others have argued in the context of constitutional systems with strong-form judicial review, there is no need to attribute the positive connotations of the dialogue metaphor to a set of institutional interactions that is, in truth, very far from being a conversation, because the participants may neither understand nor be interested in understanding each other. Indeed, there is a danger that the embrace of the notion of dialogue will serve to obscure the reality that, the Bill of Rights Act notwithstanding, New Zealand's constitutional framework remains one of essentially untrammelled parliamentary sovereignty, which can be, and sometimes is, abused.


The contribution of this paper is to analyse the role of network interdependencies in a dynamic panel data model for German internal migration fl ows since re-unifi cation. So far, a capacious account of spatial patterns in German migration data is still missing in the empirical literature. In the context of this paper, network dependencies are associated with correlations of migration fl ows strictly attributable to proximate fl ows in geographic space. Using the neoclassical migration model, we start from its aspatial specifi cation and show by means of residual testing that network dependency eff ects are highly present. We then construct spatial weighting matrices for our system of interregional fl ow data and apply spatial regression techniques to properly handle the underlying space-time interrelations. Besides spatial extensions to the Blundell-Bond (1998) system GMM estimator in form of the commonly known spatial lag and unconstrained spatial Durbin model, we also apply system GMM to spatially fi ltered variables. Finally, combining both approaches to a mixed spatial fi lteringregression specifi cation shows a remarkably good performance in terms of capturing spatial dependence in our migration equation and at the same time qualify the model to pass essential IV diagnostic tests. The basic message for future research is that space-time dynamics is highly relevant for modelling German internal migration fl ows. JEL Classifi cation: R23, C31, C33


High-concentration doping of silicon (Si)-based materials is an effective way to improve their thermoelectric efficiency via thermal conductivity (κ) reduction as well as thermopower and electrical conductivity enhancement. Beyond the solubility limit, a large portion of dopant atoms may undergo clustering mediated primarily by point defects, which may in turn significantly alter the physical properties of host materials. In this work, we investigate the effect of Arsenic-vacancy (AsV) complex formation on κ in heavily As-doped Si using molecular dynamics simulations. The simulation results clearly demonstrate that the presence of AsV complexes, particularly As4V which is the most stable one, may result in a substantially lower κ compared to the case where all As atoms remain substitutional and electrically active. Further analysis reveals that the central vacancy in As4V causes Si lattice softening and thus results in the reduction of phonon group velocity. Our findings highlight the significant effect of dopant clustering on κ and also provide some guidance on how to manipulate Si-based materials to improve their thermoelectric performance via doping combined with defect engineering.High-concentration doping of silicon (Si)-based materials is an effective way to improve their thermoelectric efficiency via thermal conductivity (κ) reduction as well as thermopower and electrical conductivity enhancement. Beyond the solubility limit, a large portion of dopant atoms may undergo clustering mediated primarily by point defects, which may in turn significantly alter the physical properties of host materials. In this work, we investigate the effect of Arsenic-vacancy (AsV) complex formation on κ in heavily As-doped Si using molecular dynamics simulations. The simulation results clearly demonstrate that the presence of AsV complexes, particularly As4V which is the most stable one, may result in a substantially lower κ compared to the case where all As atoms remain substitutional and electrically active. Further analysis reveals that the central vacancy in As4V causes Si lattice softening and thus results in the reduction of phonon group velocity. Our findings highlight the significant effect o...


: Obiliq which is located in Kosovo is known as an industrial city, with significant energy and coal activities. Kosovo Energy Corporation is an industrial complex based in Kosovo, which includes surface mining for coal extraction as well as electricity generation as well as a large number of secondary axiliary equipment. KEK JSC is the only corporation in Kosovo that produces electricity. And based on the existing environmental situation and the primary impact on the environment that includes the impact on land, water and air as well as legal obligations to the environment, in KEK JSC, there is a need to determine and committment to take measures to improve this condition as well as the continuous protection of the environment in the spaces in which it conducts its activities. Due to the long time of these activities without any special care for the environment, today is one of the most polluted cities in Kosovo. Although now these activities are no longer intense their consequences are obvious. Environmental damage continues to be aggravated not only because of the production units that are still active, but also because the polluted areas continue to cause pollution through dust, industrial waste and water discharge, making it a constant environmental threat. The purpose of this paper is to research heavy metals in the Kosovo A Power Plant when it is known that coal contains heavy metals and other elements. And these metals despite small concentrations, they can cause damage to the environment and human health. Most heavy metals such as (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn, V) are released as compounds (for example oxides, chlorides, etc.) bound to the particles. Only Hg and Se are partially present in the vapor phase. Mercury (Hg) is the heavy metal that causes the biggest problems, in terms of emissions from the coal combustion process. Part of the lignite mercury stops in the vapor phase, which means it does not condense on the surface of the ash particles, so its removal from the particle emission control device is very volatile. Most heavy metals are associated with fly ash at operating temperatures of boiler equipment.


This thesis explores habit theory in the realm of sugary drink consumption. Through a narrative review and empirical investigation I found that individuals with a stronger habit of drinking sugary drinks have limited control over their drink behaviour. Nonetheless, when exposed to educational campaigns, they do appear to be able to take control over their drink behaviour and respond to the intervention accordingly. I also found that the two most common measures of habit capture different constructs. Together, this research highlights a number of common assumptions within the habit literature and provides the foundations for more research in this area.


: Bulimia is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating and severe self-deprecation, often accompanied by self-induced vomiting and/or laxative abuse. It is most often found among young women in their late teens to mid-30s. Estimates of the disorder's prevalence vary widely, depending on the diagnostic criteria used, but usually range from 5% to 20% of college age women. Binge eating typically begins in late adolescence, frequently after a period of dieting to lose weight. Self-induced vomiting usually follows the onset of binge eating by about a year. To date, theories of the disorder's etiology have included several biological models, a psychosocial model, and a biopsychosocial model. The biological models proposed have viewed bulimia as a form of biological depression, neurological disturbance, or metabolic disturbance. The psychosocial model suggests that society's pressure on young women for extreme thinness leads to excessive dietary restraint, deprivation, and, paradoxically, binge eating. The presence of anxiety or depression exacerbates the process. The biopsychosocial model appears to be the most promising. It proposes that young women with biological predispositions toward overweight, depression, or metabolic disturbance are particularly vulnerable to social pressure for thinness, the binge eating that may result from excessive dieting, and, hence, bulimia. The complex nature of bulimia suggests that a multidisciplinary team approach treatment is appropriate.


Animating an articulated figure usually requires expensive hardware in terms of motion capture equipment, processing power and rendering power. This implies a high cost system and thus eliminates the use of personal computers to drive avatars in virtual environments. We propose a system to animate an articulated human upper body in real-time, using minimal motion capture trackers to provide position and orientation for the limbs. The system has to drive an avatar in a virtual environment on a low-end computer. The cost of the motion capture equipment must be relatively low (hence the use of minimal trackers). We discuss the various types of motion capture equipment and decide to use electromagnetic trackers which are adequate for our requirements while being reasonably priced. We also discuss the use of inverse kinematics to solve for the articulated chains making up the topology of the articulated figure. Furthermore, we offer a method to describe articulated chains as well as a process to specify the reach of up to four link chains with various levels of redundancy for use in articulated figures. We then provide various types of constraints to reduce the redundancy of non-defined articulated chains, specifically for chains found in an articulated human upper body. Such methods include a way to solve for the redundancy in the orientation of the neck link, as well as three different methods to solve the redundancy of the articulated human arm. The first method involves eliminating a degree of freedom from the chain, thus reducing its redundancy. The second method calculates the elevation angle of the elbow position from the elevation angle of the hand. The third method determines the actual position of the elbow from an average of previous positions of the elbow according to the position and orientation of the hand. The previous positions of the elbow are captured during the calibration process. The redundancy of the neck is easily solved due to the small amount of redundancy in the chain. When solving the arm, the first method which should give a perfect result in theory, gives a poor result in practice due to the limitations of both the motion capture equipment and the design. The second method provides an adequate result for the position of the redundant elbow in most cases although fails in some cases. Still it benefits from a simple approach as well as very little need for calibration. The third method provides the most accurate method of the three for the position of the redundant elbow although it also fails in some cases. This method however requires a long calibration session for each user. The last two methods allow for the calibration data to be used in latter session, thus reducing considerably the calibration required. In combination with a virtual reality system, these processes allow for the real-time animation of an articulated figure to drive avatars in virtual environments or for low quality animation on a low-end computer.


initial description of MAPCs, we modified our culture conditions to isolate MAPCs under 5% O2 conditions, resulting in MAPCs with higher mRNA and protein levels of the ES-transcription factor, Oct4, and greater in vitro differentiation potential. We investigated the hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic engraftment levels of eGFP/CD45.2 transgenic C57Bl/6 MAPCs in NOD/SCID (CD45.1 positive) mice irradiated with 275cGy and treated with anti-asialo GM1 antibody (Ab) on days 1, 11, and 22 following transplantation. When 106 MAPCs were transplanted, up to 70% GFP/CD45.2 cells were present in peripheral blood (PB), BM, and spleen at 13 weeks post-transfer. Lymph nodes and Peyer's patches also contained GFP+ cells. FACS analysis of cells from spleen, BM, and PB revealed multilineage engraftment with differentiation to myeloid, B, and T-lymphoid cells. We detected eGFP+ cells co-expressing Sca1+/cKit+ or Thy1+/cKit+, suggesting generation of HSCs from MAPCs, consistent with the finding that GFP+ CFU-Mix, BFU-E, and CFU-GM were present. eGFP+ splenic T cells were capable of reacting to Balb/C-derived cells and to stimulation by anti-CD3+anti-CD28 monoclonal Abs. We measured the percentage of GFP using real-time PCR and detected its presence in lung, liver, intestine, kidney, stomach, and spleen as early as 3 weeks following transplantation, pancreas as early as 6 weeks, and skin as early as 12 weeks. In conclusion, MAPCs isolated in 5% O2 conditions and grafted in the presence of anti-NK Abs engraft in lymphohematopoietic and some nonhematopoietic organs to a significantly greater extent than was previously demonstrated. Thus, MAPCs may be an alternative source of HSCs to treat congenital or acquired hematopoietic disorders or to establish chimerism prior to using the same cells to treat disorders amenable to MAPC-derived therapies.


A migrating cell is often confronted with a multitude of environmental cues--it is challenged with integrating disparate signals and then harnessing the appropriate cellular machinery to move in the desired direction. Movement of the distal tip cells (DTCs) in Caenorhabditis elegans larva during gonad development has provided insights into how extracellular matrix components regulate cell adhesion and motility. The ventral-to-dorsal migration stage of DTCs is regulated by UNC-6, a member of the netrin family of secreted guidance cues, and their membrane receptors, UNC-5 and UNC-40. In a series of genetic modifier screens, Merz et al. have identified a basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) called UNC-52, a homolog of perlecan, that also affects this stage of DTC migration. Studies in other organisms have described perlecan function as both a structural basement membrane protein and as a regulator of growth factor signaling. Defects in unc-52 alone did not affect DTC migration, but exacerbated migration defects of some unc-5 hypomorphs. The authors observed suppression of the ability of unc-52 mutant alleles to enhance unc-5 DTC defects by additional loss-of-function mutations in certain growth factor-encoding genes. These results suggest that UNC-52 is a basal lamina protein that may localize and control accessibility of growth factors that affect DTC migration. D. C. Merz, G. Alves, T. Kawano, H. Zheng, J. G. Cylotti, UNC-52/Perlecan affects gonadal leader cell migrations in C. elegans hermaphrodites through alterations in growth factor signaling. Dev. Biol. 256, 173-186 (2003). [Online Journal]


In this article I examine the non-verbal dialogues between Siberian hunters and their prey in order to explore how empathetic relationships affect the integrity of the dialogical self. Based on the ethnographic accounts of the anthropologist Rane Willerslev (2002, 2004a, 2004b, 2007) I show how the hunter maintains his human identity while he imitates the movements of his prey and thereby 'feels-into' the animal. Challenging the common idea that inner consistency and synthesis of voices holds the dialogical self together (e.g. Hermans and Kempen 1993), I argue that this case demonstrates how integrity can be maintained through inconsistent and discordant voices. In this discussion I emphasise the role of the body within the dialogical self and show how positions can be embodied in different parts and movements of the body. In order to clarify the significance of this case study for psychology, I then compare aspects of empathy and embodied positions in hunting with similar phenomena in Fogel et al.'s (2002) study of non-verbal dialogues in early infancy. Finally, this comparison invites us to re-consider the role of experienced-based, qualitative methods, such as participant observation, in studying the dialogical self.


Diverse measures are used as proxies for judicial ability, ranging from the college and law school a judge attended to the rate at which her decisions are cited by other judges. Yet, there has been little serious examination of which of these ability measures is better or worse at predicting the quality of judicial performance - including the management and disposition of cases. In this article, we attempt to evaluate these measures of ability by examining a rich group of performance indicators. Our innovation is to derive performance measures from judicial decisions other than case outcomes (which are inherently difficult to evaluate): the decisions to preside over a securities class action, to reject a motion for lead plaintiff, to dismiss the complaint with prejudice, and to reject a request for fees. In each case, an affirmative decision requires more work from the judge, and thus may be an indicator that the judge works hard and, all else equal, performs well. Using a database of securities class action cases, we find that judges who publish frequently and are highly cited are more likely to dismiss with prejudice but no more likely to make the hard choice in the other cases. Other proxies for judicial ability (attended top law school, judicial experience, earlier position as judge, prior private practice, heavy business caseload, and senior status) are more mixed.


This chapter outlines the way in which reconciliation in Northern Ireland has been promoted through some civil society groups and actors. It draws on experiences since 1965 with the practice, research and policies associated with trust building and reconciliation. The new policy and strategic framework under the banner of Good Relations has the potential to connect the work of local government and community organizations, regional bodies and Government through the promotion of improved community relations across traditional divides. This means that citizens committed to reconciliation – whether out of civic duty, a moral imperative, a faith perspective or a desire for a more interdependent world – should now be supported by the activities of public institutions, civil servants and community agencies.


The field of Sustainable HCI has grown significantly in recent years, yielding a great body of knowledge about sustainable interaction design. However, this knowledge has led to a similar outcome to many other theoretical contributions in the broader domain of HCI: there are only few examples of its direct application to practice. We looked at design research literature from outside of HCI and gathered insights about the work practice of real-world designers to help uncover potential barriers to transferal. In order to increase acceptance and applicability of Sustainable HCI design knowledge for design practice, we argue that Sustainable HCI researchers have to tailor their theoretical contributions to the application domain's practices in order to reach a broader audience and achieve higher impact. We conclude with recommendations for how to better present and communicate design knowledge to the real world design practitioners.


Purpose A temporary endovascular magnetic filter was developed to remove iron oxide particles conjugated to chemotherapeutics from the blood, preventing chemotherapeutics from circulating where it is not needed to reduce systemic toxicity and enable higher dose therapy. Magnetically targeted drug delivery through filtration could play an important role in expanding intra-arterial therapy to head and neck cancer. Previous proof-of-concept established rapid high-capacity binding of iron oxide particles in swine serum in vitro , and preliminary demonstration of qualitative efficacy in vivo in a porcine model. In this study, we aim to optimize the filtration efficacy of the prototype through finite element magnetic modeling.

Method Magnetic modeling was performed in 2D using Finite Element Method Magnetics (FEMM) software (Brighton, MA). Prototype designs consisting of individual neodymium N52 magnets were simulated to optimize the following parameters: i) magnetization across length vs diameter, ii) magnet orientations aligned or reversed, iii) magnet spacing, and iv) magnet length. The average magnetic flux gradient (∇By) was computed across a unit length consisting of one magnet and adjoining gap space as shown in [Figure 1A][1]. ∇By is directly correlated to the magnetic force on an iron particle, and was plotted as against D, distance from the surface of the magnet. Designs with greater ∇By at high D were considered more effective.

Results Designs with magnetization across the length and reversed (like polarities facing and repelling each other), had slightly higher ∇By than designs with magnetization across the diameter and aligned (opposite polarities facing and attracting each other). Magnetization across the length and aligned, and magnetization across the diameter and reversed both had low ∇By at high D. For designs with magnetization across the length and reversed orientations as shown in [Figure 1B][1], reduced spacing between magnets increased ∇By. Reduced magnet length increased ∇By at low D, at the expense of ∇By at high D.

Conclusions The current endovascular magnetic filter prototype could be improved by using longer magnets magnetized across the length in the reversed orientation with like polarities repelling each other and minimal spacing between magnets.

![Abstract P-003 Figure 1][2]

Abstract P-003 Figure 1

Disclosures C. Sze: 1; C; NIH NCI. 5; C; ChemoFilter. M. Mabray: None. P. Lillaney: None. S. Kondapavulur: None. D. Liu: None. M. Wilson: 1; C; NIH NCI. 6; C; Penumbra. S. Hetts: 1; C; NIH NCI. 6; C; Penumbra.

 [1]: #F1
 [2]: pending:yes


Abstract There has been no published research to date specifically on young people who sexually abuse in both family and community settings. This exploratory study looked at 34 young people displaying harmful sexual behaviour, and found that abusive sexual behaviour progressed from the family into the community, rather than the other way around. Boys whose abuse took place within both the family and the community were more likely to have a younger age of onset of abusive behaviour and to have experienced more abuse themselves. Boys whose abuse of their siblings was motivated substantially by jealous anger were less likely to go on to abuse outside their family. This may suggest a different dynamic and pathway for boys who abuse only siblings, and that sibling sexual abuse is a useful concept to describe a particular subset of young people who display harmful sexual behaviours.


Xylem and phloem are the two main conveyance systems in plants allowing exchanges of water and carbohydrates between roots and leaves. While each system has been studied in isolation for well over a century, the coupling and coordination between them remains the subject of inquiry and active research and frames the scope of the review here. Using a set of balance equations, hazards of bubble formation and their role in shaping xylem pressure and its corollary impact on phloem pressure and sugar transport are featured. The behavior of an isolated and freely floating air bubble within the xylem is first analyzed so as to introduce key principles such as the Helmholtz free energy and its links to embryonic bubble sizes. These principles are extended by considering bubbles filled with water vapor and air arising from air seeding. Using this framework, key results about stability and hazards of bubbles in contact with xylem walls are discussed. A chemical equilibrium between phloem and xylem systems is then introduced to link xylem and osmotic pressures. The consequences of such a link for sugar concentration needed to sustain efficient phloem transport by osmosis in the loading zone is presented. Catastrophic cases where phloem dysfunction occurs are analyzed in terms of xylem function and its vulnerability to cavitation. A link between operating pressures in the soil system bounded by field capacity and wilting points and maintenance of phloem functioning are discussed as conjectures to be tested in the future.


The building sector, comprising both buildings and infrastructure, is the largest consumer of energy and materials. As well as the huge amount of raw materials involved, enormous amounts of energy are also used for the production and transport of raw materials, building materials and products. Among all building materials, concrete is chemically and physically the most complex, scientifically the most interesting, and its worldwide production is larger than all other man-made materials combined. In this paper methodologies and examples are presented of more environmentally friendly concretes.


ABSTRACT Nguyen, V. T., 2016. Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of Nonlinear Internal Waves in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada. In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 902–906. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The existence of nonlinear internal waves (NIWs) running up a sloping boundary of the Ile-aux-Lievres Island in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada has been revealed by the researchers at Memorial and Dalhousie Universities of Canada. Unfortunately, there is no direct field observation of the generation of the NIWs in this region in order to determine where these waves be generated and emanated from. In this paper, a nonhydrostatic three-dimensional model, MITgcm model, is modified and applied to investigate the generation and propagation of NIWs by tidal forcing over an idealized depression simplified from the topography of the North Channel in the St. Lawrence Estuary. A comparison between the numerical results and the observations shows very good qualitative agreements. The results of the simulation is not only to explain above phenomenon, but also to show the mechanism of the NIWs in this region.


The scanning laser line source (SLLS) technique is a novel laser-based inspection method for the ultrasonic detection of small surface-breaking defects. The SLLS approach is based on monitoring the change in laser generated ultrasound as a laser line source is scanning over a defect. It has provided enhanced signal-to-noise performance compared to the traditional pitch-catch or pulse-echo ultrasonic methods. In this paper, an experimental method is presented to detect surface acoustic waves (SAW) with polyvinylindene fluoride(PVDF) transducer. The ultrasonic signal is converted into electric signal by piezoelectricity of the PVDF, which is attached to a micro-knife edge clamped on a metal device. The SAW are excited by employing a pulsed Nd:YAG laser on aluminum plate with artificial surface-breaking defects. The laser line source is accurately shifted by the motorized translation stage, while the PVDF is located at a fixed position on the specimen. When the laser line source is scanning over the defect, the ultrasonic signals are monitored, meanwhile the characteristic changes in the amplitude and frequency content are observed. Consequently, the position of the defect can be determined by analyzing the obtained signals. The experimental system with high sensitivity provides a detection method of small surface-breaking defects on metal and gives convincing experimental evidence for the interaction mechanism between the SAW and the surface-breaking defects.


The impending impact of climate change upon human communities has elicited a call for 'climate justice', particularly to achieve justice for those most vulnerable to climate change and its consequences. The negotiation of global climate change agreements, including the Paris Agreement and the recent Global Environmental Pact, is increasingly engaged with critical intersections between climate change and human rights. The broader concept of 'benefit-sharing', as a means of providing defined content to human rights claims, is now central to rights discourses in this context. In international agreements, however, notions of 'benefits' and 'sharing' presently lack the critical definition, detail and specificity necessary to facilitate the realization of human rights for Indigenous and local communities. The re-articulation of rights as 'benefits' to be 'shared', moreover, risks the commodification of a previously moral imperative, subordinating human rights aspirations to global political and corporate agendas, as well as to national interests. This article provides a critical examination of the concept of 'benefit-sharing', its manifestation in REDD+ and other international regimes as a putative tool for the pursuit of climate justice, and its utility for Indigenous and local communities in the pursuit of robust rights protections.


"hypothyroidism is mainly considered as a risk factor for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). The aim of this study was determining the prevalence of CTS in female hypothyroid patients visiting Motahari Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinic. Method: 300 female patients with hypothyroidism were studied. Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (symptom, functional) was filled out for the patients. In the next step, 3 signs namely Phalen's test, tinel's test and compression test were explored. Finally, electro diagnostic testing was performed on the patients and, based on the results of the electro diagnostic testing, the patients were divided into four groups: normal, patients with severe CTS, patients with moderate CTS and patients with mild CTS. Patients with a history of hand trauma or hand or foot surgery, patients with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, neuropathy, and/or radiculopathy were all excluded from the study. The results were analyzed using SPSS 16 software. out of the 300 patients with hypothyroidism who underwent electromyography- nerve conduction velocity (EMG-NCV) testing, 160 patients had mild CTS and 20 patients had moderate CTS. 120 patients had normal EMG-NCV test results and Phlen's, Tinel's and compression tests of a significant percentage of these patients were found to be positive. the results of the study indicated that a significant percentage of the hypotheroid patients had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)."


The game of bingo has become synonymous with women of a certain age and class and has been stigmatised as a dead-end use of leisure. However, the development of commercial bingo in the wake of the Betting and Gaming Act (1961) offered the leisure industry access to a new and lucrative market. While many major players in the leisure industry of the early 1960s adopted commercial bingo as an adjunct to their offerings the Mecca dancing group adopted a strategy that made bingo so particularly their own that the brand rapidly became known as the bingo and dancing group with Eric Morley of Mecca referred to in the popular press as 'Mr Bingo'. This paper provides a case study of the Mecca group as it moved into commercial gambling, rapidly increased its size and profitability, saw off competition in commercial gambling from larger companies and finally succumbed to a lucrative takeover in 1970.


Yttrium iron garnet (YIG, Y3Fe5O12) was examined up to 74 GPa and 1800 K using synchrotron x-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell. At room temperature, YIG remained in the garnet phase until abrupt amorphization occurred at 51 GPa, consistent with earlier studies. Upon laser heating up to 1800 K, the material transformed to a single-phase orthorhombic GdFeO3-type perovskite of composition (Y0.75Fe0.25)FeO3. No evidence of decomposition of the sample was observed. Both the room-temperature amorphization and high-temperature transformation to the perovskite structure are consistent with the behaviour of other rare earth oxide garnets. The perovskite sample was compressed between 28–74 GPa with annealing to 1450–1650 K every 3–5 GPa. Between 46 and 50 GPa, a 6.8% volume discontinuity was observed without any accompanying change in the number or intensity of diffraction peaks. This is indicative of a high-spin to low-spin electronic transition in Fe3+, likely in the octahedrally coordinated B-site of the perovskite. The volume change of the inferred spin transition is consistent with those observed in other rare earth ferric iron perovskites at high pressures.


Author(s): Kang, ZB; Prokudin, A; Sun, P; Yuan, F | Abstract: © 2016 American Physical Society. We study the transverse-momentum-dependent (TMD) evolution of the Collins azimuthal asymmetries in e+e- annihilations and semi-inclusive hadron production in deep inelastic scattering processes. All the relevant coefficients are calculated up to the next-to-leading-logarithmic-order accuracy. By applying the TMD evolution at the approximate next-to-leading-logarithmic order in the Collins-Soper-Sterman formalism, we extract transversity distributions for u and d quarks and Collins fragmentation functions from current experimental data by a global analysis of the Collins asymmetries in back-to-back dihadron productions in e+e- annihilations measured by BELLE and BABAR collaborations and semi-inclusive hadron production in deep inelastic scattering data from HERMES, COMPASS, and JLab HALL A experiments. The impact of the evolution effects and the relevant theoretical uncertainties are discussed. We further discuss the TMD interpretation for our results and illustrate the unpolarized quark distribution, transversity distribution, unpolarized quark fragmentation, and Collins fragmentation functions depending on the transverse momentum and the hard momentum scale. We make detailed predictions for future experiments and discuss their impact.


With the application of sensor networks in industrial, commercial, and medical areas, sensor operating system should be revisited to handle dependability problem. In this paper, we present a novel component-based sensor operating system, MTOS (Micro-Transformers Operating System), which supports adaptive dynamic reconfiguration for resource-constrained sensor nodes to achieve dependability. Through error-driven reconfiguration and change-driven reconfiguration, MTOS can push a system into a stable state in which errors can be recovered with minimized side effects and changes can be safely made without interruption of normal services. The experimental results show that our approach can improve the dependability efficiently.


Generally itembanks are inaccessible to students. Current use of itembanks focus on the teacher as having responsibility to organise questions (place them in pools, associate them with course content) and make them available/deliver them to students. This limits students to the teachers perspective and to the questions that the teacher has made available. As the practice of itembanking increases it may be appropriate to encourage students to use questions from pools not directly prepared by their teacher. A mechanism for searching across itembanks and sharing recommendations with peers would be of help in facilitating this. We describe QuestionBuddy, a collaborative filter based question portal for students, built to study student usage of, and attitudes to, such a system.


The results of experimental studies of the interaction modes of communication on the window of a multimode waveguide resonator with a short train are presented. The experimentally determined dependence of the mode coupling parameters of the plume and windows due to the loop resonator. Based on these experiments, the model of the process of energy transfer from mode to mode in the microwave compressor with the output power fluctuations in the transformation of the resonator box with a train. Model describing a relation between the parameters of output pulses and the parameters of the compressor device mode coupling, which qualitatively agrees well with experimental data.


A latest Mid-Pennsylvanian (early Cantabrian) tree-fern forest is reported from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The fossil forest is rooted below the Point Aconi coal seam of the Sydney Mines Formation at Cranberry Head. The tree-ferns are preserved in the deposits of a coastal plain, subject to brackish incursions. They were constructed of psaronid-type trunks and massive pecopterid fronds, and locally intergrew with sigillarian lycopsids, neuropterid pteridosperms, and calamiteans. Basal stump diameter measurements, including the root mantle, range from 12 to 89 cm, indicating that the ferns were mostly large forest trees, rather than shrubs. Stump distribution measurements on palaeosols indicate that localized patches of tree-fern-dominated forest attained densities of c. 3850 trees per hectare when scaled up to standard forestry units, much denser than typical Mid-Pennsylvanian lycopsid forests. Tree-ferns dominantly grew in aggrading floodbasin settings, and a few of the largest trees show evidence for post-burial regeneration. Being approximately coeval with the late Mid-Pennsylvanian extinction event, which resulted in tree-fern forests rising to dominate tropical lowlands for the first time, the Cranberry Head fossil forests provide insight into community composition and structure during a critical phase of ecosystem reorganization.


From the 1990s onward, collective apologies for historical injustices proliferated in political arenas across the globe, usually in response to intense activism by wronged parties or their descendants. Addressing this turn to symbolic reconciliation, I ask how such apologies might realign relationships between the Crown, indigenous communities, and settler society, with particular focus on apologies for the stolen generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children forcibly removed from their families in Australia, and on Treaty of Waitangi settlements in Aotearoa New Zealand. Interpretations of collective apologies as purely calculable, impossible, or self-interested transactions are rejected. Instead, I regard apologies as a powerful mode of discourse capable not only of acknowledging wrongdoing on the part of State authorities, but also of generating new forms of historical consciousness and collective identity within settler society. However, the extent of settler engagement in the politics of collective apologies varies greatly between Australia and New Zealand.


To elucidate the influence of acidity regulators on stability using a soymilk colloidal dispersion system, a viscous model was constructed, and its effectiveness was verified. When the pH of soymilk was reduced using ascorbic acid, the apparent viscosity of all soymilk increased significantly at approximately pH 5.8-5.9; this was found to be a universal phenomenon in the soymilk colloidal dispersion system. When the pH decreased after addition of six types of acidity regulators to soymilk, the apparent viscosity behaviors of the samples were similar. Assuming that the bulkiness of the aggregate was proportional to the hydrogen ion concentration in the high pH range, calculations were made by applying the extended equation obtained from the viscosity equation of Einstein and the Krieger-Dougherty equation. A negative correlation was confirmed with the parameter hc representing the degree of bulkiness of the aggregate and the parameter Kc representing the degree of filling state of the gigantic aggregate. Moreover, the macroscopic aggregation behavior was similar, even if the internal structure of the isolated aggregates dif fered depending on dif ferences in the crosslinking mechanism. Because of the correlations between parameters, this system for soymilk processing may have industrial applications.


Information and communication technology (ICT) is a veritable tool for sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria. This paper analyzed the factors that influenced ICT use by women research scientists in the Universities of Agriculture in Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 40 respondents per university from a population of 300 women research scientists across the three universities. This gave a total of 120 women scientists for the study. Data were generated using questionnaire and presented with descriptive statistics and Logit regression. Major findings show that the mean age of the respondents was 40 years 77% were married with mean household size of 4 persons, while a good number (46%) possessed MSc degree. The respondents spent between 1-4 hours in accessing ICT while, Global System of Mobile Communication (x = 3.49) and use of modem (x=3.27) were most preferred channels of ICTs used. Respondents' educational level (0.190), primary assignment (0.151), year of working experience (0.097) and training on ICT (0.315) were significant and positively related to ICT uptake, at 1% level of probability. Respondents' major challenges in accessing ICT were time (x =3.27), Network error (x= 3.08) and too many family problems (x= 3.08) respectively. The study recommends that researchers should restructure their work schedule to accommodate ICT practice and use in order to enhance ICT use.


This study compared two suppression systems in Quebec and Sweden: a centralized wildfire agency working with remote fires in Quebec, and a decentralized fire suppression system in Sweden, with each municipality responsible for extinguishing fires in their community. Their management approaches reflect differences in population density and land area. To understand these study areas, this study collected 25 variables, from eight national databases, that describe suppression cost, area burned, and financial efficiency for fires in 1998-2015. Descriptive analysis (histograms and frequency distributions) compared the two areas, revealing that Sweden had more fires (39,146 versus 11,211), that burned less area (0.92 ha versus 115.6 ha on average), with a lower protection cost (CAD548/ fire versus CAD10,151/ fire), and better efficiency than Quebec. Excluding fires <0.1 ha, the Swedish fires cost less to extinguish per area burned (an average of CAD839/ ha, annually, versus CAD1,860/ ha) and had a lower cost per area protected (an annual average of CAD0.04/ ha versus CAD0.52/ ha). Due to remote fire transportation needs, Quebec used more aircraft, but employed fewer people per fire. Quebec typically sent four people to the fire, while Sweden typically sent six.

To understand how firefighting agencies can suppress fires effectively and efficiently, linear models statistically evaluated the effect of suppression effort (personnel, aircraft), while controlling for climate, vegetation, remoteness, and location. Multiple lognormal models were evaluated using Akaike Information Criteria. Visual inspection of residual plots confirmed homoscedasticity, linearity, and normality assumptions. Each model used 9-16 significant variables to explain the variance and likeliness of cost (F(23,1549)=3275, p<0.001, R2 = 97.96%, AIC = 14.73), area burned (F(43,975)=210.6, p<0.001, R2 = 89.85%, AIC = 2786), and efficiency (F(23,1549)=3866, p<0.001, R2 = 98.26%, AIC = 14.73). Aircraft hours contributed more to the cost than person hours (0.59% versus 0.30% increase in cost, given a one percent increase in hours worked, p<0.001). However, person hours decreased area burned more than aircraft hours (-0.66% versus -0.31% change in area burned per one percent increase in hours worked, p<0.001). With a lower cost and larger decrease in area burned, it was more efficient (less cost per area burned) to use people than aircraft (0.30% versus 0.59% increase in cost per area burned given one percentage increase of hours worked, p<0.001). A larger, fulltime crew had a bigger impact on decreasing area burned than did temporary helpers (-0.41% versus -0.31% decrease in area burned given a percentage increase of people working, p<0.01). Therefore, the best way to suppress a fire quickly, cheaply, and efficiently is for a strong, initial attack with larger, fulltime crews.


Abstract The Yeoman and Herald formations of the Late Ordovician Red River succession of southeastern Saskatchewan comprise two carbonate–evaporite cycles in the epicontinental Williston Basin. Although these units possess an overall 'layer-cake' aspect across a broad area, thickness variations in the Herald Formation show that accumulation was affected by syndepositional flexure, differential subsidence, and displacement of basement faults thought to have been oriented orthogonally NE–SW and NW–SE. The dolomudstones and anhydrites of the Lake Alma and Coronach members host a variety of synsedimentary deformation features—seismites—interpreted to have been induced by earthquakes generated by movements of these faults, and the low-energy, subaqueous environmental setting was conducive to their preservation. Individual deformed intervals are <0.2 m thick. Folds and small-scale pinch-and-swell structures indicate plastic behaviour of both carbonate and evaporite sediment under compression and shear stress. Brittle failure of stiffer material from compression or extension is shown by microfaults, cracks, disrupted layers, pseudo-intraclasts, breccias and cataclastites. Dikelets in interlaminated dolomudstone and anhydrite record cyclically elevated pore pressure that caused dewatering and shrinkage with concomitant fluidization and injection of carbonate mud and primary granular gypsum. Enterolithic anhydrite exhibits compressed vertical dikes that likely represent injection of granular gypsum. Clay-filled shear-vein arrays occur rarely in dolomudstone. Seismites are absent in bioturbated limestones except for one horizon of molar-tooth structure. The different kinds of seismites are related to the varying rheology caused by the primary nature of the carbonate and evaporite sediment plus modifications due to deformation-induced dewatering, early diagenesis, and confinement under shallow burial, as well as earthquake magnitude. A minimum shaking intensity of MM=VI was probably required, meaning that events of lesser magnitude were not recorded. Some seismite-bearing horizons can be correlated across the study region. Within the limitations of core control, their geographic distribution varies, probably in relation to the basement faults. Seismites thus serve as proxy signals of syndepositional tectonic activity but also point to components of the basement structural fabric that, if reactivated later, might induce fracture porosity or influence subsurface fluid flow. Syndepositional tectonism undoubtedly had a much more profound influence on many successions than is presently thought, and its effects are more widespread than currently appreciated.


Most contemporary conversations about the future of employment tend to focus on technological trends. However, in order to support forward-facing planning and avoid blind spots, it is critical to understand a range of trends, with various levels of maturity, and how they might interact over time. This report outlines 31 broad trends that could impact the future of Canada's labour market over the next 10-15 years. These trends have the potential to influence future skills demand in either positive or negative ways - and sometimes both. This report is not a prediction of the future or a deep analysis of any one trend, but instead reveals a complex picture. It aims to spark exploratory and imaginative thinking, and push readers to ask themselves 'what if?' What if Canada sees a rise in wildfires, floods and mudslides? What if cases of mental health issues associated with technology use continue to multiply? What if artificial intelligence (AI) becomes capable of performing creative tasks? This report explores 31 broad trends such as these, while imagining the possible implications for Canada and its labour market in the year 2030 and beyond. The goal of this report is to challenge leaders from all sectors - including policymakers, educators and employers - to cast their net wide when considering multiple trends, from the weaker signals of change to those that are in the limelight. This also includes contemplating the potential for different trends to interact in ways that are not always so obvious.


Resistance to anoikis is a prerequisite for tumor metastasis. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) allows tumor cells to evade anoikis. The wound-healing regulatory transcription factor Grainyhead-like 2 (GRHL2) suppresses/reverses EMT, accompanied by suppression of the cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype and by resensitization to anoikis. Here, the effects of GRHL2 upon intracellular metabolism in the context of reversion of the EMT/CSC phenotype, with a view toward understanding how these effects promote anoikis sensitivity, were investigated. EMT enhanced mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. Although this was accompanied by higher accumulation of superoxide, the overall level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) declined, due to decreased hydrogen peroxide. Glutamate dehydrogenase 1 (GLUD1) expression increased in EMT, and this increase, via the product α-ketoglutarate (α-KG), was important for suppressing hydrogen peroxide and protecting against anoikis. GRHL2 suppressed GLUD1 gene expression, decreased α-KG, increased ROS, and sensitized cells to anoikis. Implications: These results demonstrate a mechanistic role for GRHL2 in promoting anoikis through metabolic alterations. Mol Cancer Res; 14(6); 528–38. ©2016 AACR.


The human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) enhancer-promoter is virtually inactive in normal human diploid fibroblasts, but active in human fibroblasts with a deletion in the short arm of one chromosome 11 (del-11 cells). Since the HPV-16 enhancer with the simian virus 40 promoter is active in both cell types, the target for chromosome 11-regulated HPV-expression is likely to be located in the HPV-16 early promoter region (nucleotides 57 to 112). We show here that DNA-protein complexes formed with an HPV-16 promoter fragment are quantitatively different in del-11 cell and diploid cell extracts. This quantitative difference detected in band shift experiments disappeared upon mutation of the HPV-16 TATAAAA box to TATTTAT. This mutation also strongly reduced the activity of the HPV-16 enhancer-promoter in del-11 cells. These results indicate that TATA-binding proteins are involved in the chromosome 11-mediated regulation of HPV-16 gene expression.


studies Abstract: Collection, characterization, and protection of genetic resources are among the high-priority issues of increasing importance throughout the world, especially for the breeding and release of novel cultivars. To understand and describe the characteristics of germplasm, the morphological status of genetic resources must accurately represent their agricultural applications. In this study, the genotypes of melon in Kyrgyzstan were collected by visiting several regions and contacting farmers. The genetic diversity of 35 Kyrgyz and 13 Turkish melon accessions was characterized based on the corresponding phenotypes. The morphological characterizations were largely based on the IPGR and, to some extent, UPOV standards. The genotypes from the collections of both countries were separated into three main clusters using the ward method. It was demonstrated that among the 40 morphological parameters, the fruit-related characteristics contributed most significantly to the separation of genotypes in the PCA analysis, and the results of the PCA analysis also validated the cluster analysis. According to the squared eigenvalues, the accessions Kg-G and C-09 were observed to be the clos-est related genotypes, whereas the accessions Kav-3 and YYU-13 were the most distantly related. Accessions YYÜ-22, C-02, and C-03 were observed to have the heaviest fruits, Manas-6 and Os-02 were observed to have the highest fruit flesh thickness, and C-08 was determined to have the highest SSC contents among all the accessions. It was observed that the characteristics of melon fruits from both countries differed


We characterize how film thickness affects the thermo-mechanical response of free-standing nanofilms composed of a thermoset polymer, diglycidyl ether of Bisphenol A (DGEBA) with 3,3′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (33DDS), via molecular dynamics. We find that the glass transition temperature, Young's modulus, and yield stress of the films decrease with decreasing thickness with the later two properties deviating from their bulk values at slightly larger thicknesses. The relative role of (i) intrinsic size effects, (ii) changes in quench depth (T – Tg), and (iii) variability in curing degree, on the depression of mechanical response of ultrathin films, are quantified. We find that intrinsic size effects contribute over 60% of the total change in mechanical response for the entire range of thicknesses studied.


In the project a new metadata set "XMetaDiss" for online university theses and dissertations (ETDs) is being developed. This metadata set is supposed to relieve the set "MetaDiss". XMetaDiss is based on DCMI of 2004 and will be used in Germany for interchange of metadata and corresponding full text of online university theses and dissertations (ETDs). The potential of XMetaDiss consists in the use for an automatic compiling-process of metadata by OAI protocol, the targeted compatibility with the NDLTD set ETD-MS, the use of hierarchical patterns and the simple transformation potential by means of XSLT into other metadata formats. The embedding within an international framework points to a high acceptance of a new metadata format for ETDs, corresponding to the state of the art.


Background: In this paper, we consider music education in a broad sense–not merely pertaining to the development of exceptional levels of artistry in talented performers, but also to notions of musical listening and appreciation enjoyed by the casual listener. Purpose: This review cannot be exhaustive, but aims to illustrate what we already know about the neuroscience of how music is perceived, appreciated, learned and performed, and the implications that this knowledge has for music education in this broadly defined sense. Design and methods: Extant studies from across the fields of neuroscience, psychology, education and music were surveyed using mainstream Internet databases (e.g., PubMed), as well as specific Internet cites promoting interdisciplinary exchange among musicians and scientists (e.g., Music and Science Online: http://www.science.rcm.ac.uk). The result is a review of some 50 studies from across this relatively young field. Conclusions: To date, examples of tangible, practical advice from neuroscience that can be applied directly to musical learning and performance are relatively scant. However, the field is growing rapidly, and collaborations between musicians and scientists are becoming more common. We argue that the scope for neuroscience research to inform and shape musical education is ripe for development, particularly when musicians and scientists work together to address questions of musical relevance with scientific rigour.


This paper considers disassembly sequencing problems subjected to sequence dependent disassembly costs. In practice, the methods for dealing with such problems rely mainly on metaheuristic and heuristic methods, which intrinsically generate suboptimum solutions. Exact methods are NP-hard and therefore unsuitable to most of the practical problems. Nevertheless, it is useful to have exact methods available that can be applied in order to check, at least medium sized problems, to what extent the heuristically obtained solutions deviate from the optimum solution. The existing exact approaches, which are based on integer linear programming (ILP), become unmanageable, even for the cases of modest product complexity. To alleviate this problem to some extent, the iterative method that has been proposed by Lambert (2006) is applied here. This method is based on repeatedly solving a binary integer linear programming (BILP) problem instead of an ILP problem. The method appears to converge sufficiently quickly to be valuable for dealing with medium sized problems. We then use the iterative method for the validation of a new heuristic method that is also proposed in this paper. Finally, both the heuristic and the iterative BILP methods are implemented on a cellphone from practice consisting of 25 components that are represented, according to a set of precedence relationships, via a disassembly precedence graph.


Abstract Study Hypothesis: Direct physician observation of advanced life support (ALS) personnel is rare in a demographically diverse state. Study Population: Twenty ALS agencies from throughout Arizona. Methods: A board-certified emergency physician performed on-site interviews with the emergency medical services (EMS) supervisor of each agency to approximate the number of days per year that physicians observe ALS personnel in the field. Results: Only 11 agencies (55%) reported that physicians ever observed ALS personnel. Among all agencies, an estimated total of 84 observer-days occurred per year. The agencies staffed a total of 86 ALS units, resulting in an estimated 0.98 observer-days/unit/year (84/86). On the average, it took 3.4 ALS personnel to staff a given unit over time and the probability that an ALS provider would be on a unit on any given day was 0.29 (1/3.4). The probability of a given provider being observed during one year was approximately 0.29 (0.98 x 0.29). Thus, on the average, an ALS provider would be observed by a physician approximately once every 3.5 years (1/0.29). Among urban agencies, the "average" ALS provider would be observed once every 2.9 years. This compared to a likelihood of in-field observation of only once every 6.7 years for non-urban providers (p = .036). Conclusions: The skills of ALS providers in Arizona are observed by a physician in the field very infrequently. Although an uncommon occurrence in urban agencies, observation of non-urban ALS personnel occurs even less frequently. In addition, nearly one-half of the agencies surveyed never had a physician-observer. Although a variety of skills evaluation methods exist, it remains unclear whether any method is as useful as direct observation. Future investigations are needed to evaluate whether in-field physician observation impacts skills, patient care, or outcome in EMS systems.


Abstract Participatory action research is a process in which researchers operate as full collaborators with members of an organization (stakeholders) in linking theory and research to acceptable and effective practice. Schools are being charged to use this approach to address the challenges of developing system-level interventions for many of their current problematic areas, such as family-school partnerships with economically disadvantaged and culturally and linguistically diverse families. Participatory action research is a means for school psychologists, as participatory researchers, to provide leadership for collaborative research within schools for the development of system-level interventions. A case study is described in which a school psychologist served as the participatory researcher in an action research process for the development of a family-school partnership program in a Chapter I, ethnically and linguistically diverse elementary school. The outcomes indicated that the participatory action research process resulted in the design and implementation of a research-based family-school partnership program that was culturally specific, was acceptable to stakeholders (parents and teachers), and had the potential for sustainability. Participatory action research is a viable means for school psychologists to provide leadership in developing research-based, effective and acceptable system-level interventions in their schools.


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES
The literature reports many variations of Poland syndrome, which is a congenital disorder and a rare condition. The associated features are extremely variable, including alterations in the ipsilateral thorax and upper extremity and other malformations. This is used to designate the condition as Poland sequence (PS) because a sequence is a primary defect with a secondary cascade of structural changes. It is generally accepted that it is characterized as pathognomonic by absence/aplasia of the sternocostal aspect of the pectoralis major muscle of one side. Because it is considered a rare disease, and the incidence is low, we aimed to determine the features in all patients diagnosed at our institution to analyze the patterns and outcomes. We also revised the diagnosis according to the new classification proposed by Romanini et al to facilitate future treatments as well as to propose an improvement in the assessment and initial behavior when PS is suspected.

METHODS
We performed a retrospective study using our database from 1988. We identified 66 patients with a clinical diagnosis of PS in the Pediatric Plastic Surgery Unit of Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona. We analyzed the medical charts, records, photographs, and imaging information to gather all the epidemiological information and clinical history, as well as the treatments received to analyze our experience with these patients. We used the TBN classification of Romanini et al, adding an S if there was upper extremity involvement (TBNS).We also conducted a systematic review consulting the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Plus, Scopus, Web of Science, and Europe PMC.

RESULTS
Among the 66 patients, 27 were men, and 39 were women. The right side was affected in 51 patients (77.3%) (19 men and 32 women). In a total of 37 patients (56.1%; 16 men and 21 women), there was no upper extremity involvement. We found 40 cases with other associations, with scoliosis being the most common. Before 2007, the team performed surgery in 1 male patient and 4 female patients; after 2007, the actual team has performed reconstruction in 8 male patients and 16 female patients. In the female patients, the average volume of breast implants was 252.5 cc, and the average volume for fat grafting was 103.5 cc on the side affected with PS. There is a wide range of chest-breast clinical involvement, which was why we decided to readdress all the imaging and clinical history to classify the patients using a new classification system to learn how to optimally treat these cases in the future. In female patients, we used Romanini's TBN classification and added an S for upper extremity involvement; the T1B1N1S0 was the most frequently observed classification. Owing to the sample size and the disparity in sex distribution, we also reassessed publications in PubMed, Cochrane Plus, Scopus, Web of Science, and Europe PMC with more than 5 cases; we found that there were a total of 1600 patients with PS in the literature and that the distribution was almost 50% for men and women, including the patients in our study (611 women, 561 men).

CONCLUSIONS
We propose to include the presence of upper extremity involvement in Romanini's TBN classification (TBNS) for optimal management of these patients and use a standard number and profile for image documentation presurgery and postsurgery. We found that in the literature the ratio of men and women with PS was not 2 to 3:1, but 1:1. The most frequent phenotype of PS was T1B1N1S0 (hypoplasia or aplasia of the pectoralis muscles and soft tissue/breast hypoplasia/nipple-areolar complex with dislocation of <2 cm / absence of upper extremity involvement). There was no relationship between the side involved and patients' sex for the severity of the deformity and between the severity of the thoracic involvement and ipsilateral upper extremity association. In the literature, there are several plastic reconstruction methods available ranging from standard implants to microsurgery techniques. The selected procedure depends on the phenotype, patients' needs and expectations, availability of surgery in the hospital, and surgeons' criteria; thus, surgery has to be personalized while providing a match related to the risk/benefit, taking into account the degree of functional impairment. Since the author started her practice in the hospital in 2007, the timing for procedures has been proposed at the end of adolescence with 2 consecutive appointments without changes in the breast-thorax measures. The procedure performed has included implant use with lipofilling, yielding no major complications and a high rate of satisfaction during a maximum of 10 years of follow-up.


In order to face the population ageing problem, most countries with PAYG systems introduced pension reforms during the last twenty years. However, in many cases these reforms are considered as insufficient to guarantee the pension sustainability; in other cases, the pension sustainability is achieved through the introduction of drastic reforms and, thus, at the expense of a dramatic reduction in the well-being of current and future generations. The objective of this article is to show that the non-sustainability of PAYG systems and, consequently, the necessity to introduce drastic pension reforms, is explained by the fact that in countries with PAYG systems pensions have not been computed according to appropriate rules. In particular, we show that the sustainability of the pension system is guaranteed if (i) pension benefits are computed using actuarial principles, (ii) the implicit rate of return on contributions is the same for each retiree and equal to the average wage bill growth rate, and (iii) pension reserves are remunerated at a risk-free interest rate equal to the average wage bill growth rate. These conditions allow a PAYG system to face any demographic shock, such as an increase in life expectancy and a transitory increase in fertility rates (baby boom) followed by a transitory reduction in fertility rates (baby boost).


The time course of the basal level of the thyrotropic hormone (b TSH) and its concentration after thyroliberin (TRH) stimulation was studied in 28 patients with diffuse toxic goiter suffering from severe thyrotoxicosis before the onset of drug therapy, directly before operation, early and long after the operation. The TRH test was shown as a diagnostic test of efficacy of drug therapy. A higher level of b TTH with a lowered reaction to TRH in the first 6 mos. after operation was of compensatory nature requiring no substitution therapy. The restoration of the endocrine axis hypothalamus-pituitary gland-thyroid was noted 1 year after the operation.


The purpose of this study was to test reports that size and arrangement manipulations of weight plates (i.e., inducing a size–weight illusion [SWI]) effect athletic weightlifting performance. The participants were 72 experienced, weight-trained collegiate American football players. Across three weeks, each athlete performed three different repetitions-to-fatigue bench press tests (NFL-225, SWI-225, and SWI-215). A multiple regression revealed a positive association between participants' strength relative to the test load and repetitions for NFL-225 and SWI-215, but no association with SWI-225. To explore these results, players were ranked into quartiles based on their one-repetition maximum relative to 102.27 kg (225 lb), and a 3 × 4 repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted. The primary finding was a significant Test Condition × Quartile interaction (p = .004). Bonferroni-corrected pairwise comparisons revealed that Quartile 4 (those with lowest strength relative to test load) completed more repetitions for SWI-225 compared with NFL-225 (p = .049). These results suggest that alternate weight plate arrangements may be beneficial for those whose bench press load is near the lifter's one-repetition maximum. However, variations of the SWI do not appear to affect the performance of repetitions-to-fatigue bench press tests for the majority of collegiate American football players.


Low field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to study the effect of different contents and types of resistant starch (RS) on dough quality. Inverse recovery (IR) sequence was used to acquire the sample's NMR relaxation data during dough proofing. Firmness and stickiness were measured by a Texture Analyzer. An increasing trend of firmness and stickiness was observed as the content of resistant starch was increased in the dough. Data showed the appropriate RS content of adding was 5%(g/g). From magnetic resonance image (MRI), the moisture migration and distribution were quite uniform after 1~2h proofing during proofing process. This study showed the advantage of NMR technology, and this method could be used for the development of dough-based products containing RS in food industry.


Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is one of the first solid tumor types in which a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib, has become standard of care for patients with advanced disease. Although imatinib yields antitumor activity in the vast majority of patients, it is likely that all patients eventually experience progressive disease given enough time. In recent years, major progress has been made in the elucidation of mechanisms conferring resistance to imatinib that result in progressive disease. Insight into these resistance mechanisms has already resulted in the availability of strategies that can be applied in cases of progressive disease and it is likely that more approaches will be defined in the next years. Additionally, it can be anticipated that in the near future treatment will be guided according to factors determining sensitivity to imatinib. This review focuses on the factors inducing imatinib resistance that have been elucidated so far, the currently available and potential novel treatment options for patients with progressive disease, and how insight into resistance mechanisms may allow individualized treatment in the near future for patients with advanced GISTs.


Aim: To analyze of shape, amplitude of CMAP of both median and ulnar in normal population and to analyze the anatomical innervations of small muscles of hand in normal cadavers. Methods: This was retrospective observational study Department of Physical Medicine &Rehabilitation (PMR), Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India for 1 year. 100 normal subjects (32 males and 68 females) were include in this study. Motor conduction studies of both median and ulnar nerves were done for the included subjects. NCV machine was used to conduct the tests. Analysis of the shape of CMAP, amplitude and distal latency were performed. Results: The mean amplitude of median nerve (11.74 mv) was significantly higher than that of the ulnar nerve (10.92 mv).The mean DL of the median nerve (3.92 msec) was significantly longer than that of the ulnar nerve (3.07 msec). Mean DL of median nerve was significantly longer in those with dome shaped CMAP rather than those with double peaked CMAP. Mean DL of ulnar nerve was significantly longer in those with dome shaped CMAP rather than those with double peaked CMAP. The APB received nerve supply from the median nerve in 85% of the specimens and double innervations from both median and ulnar nerves in 15% of the specimens. Flexor pollicis brevis (FPB) received nerve supply from the median nerve alone in 43% of the specimens and from the ulnar nerve alone in 12% of the specimens. FBP received innervations from both nerves median and ulnar in 45% of specimens. Abductor digiti minimi (ADM) muscle received one branch from deep branch of the ulnar nerve in 87% of the specimens and from superficial branches of the ulnar nerve in 13% of the specimens. Simultaneous branches from the deep branch of the ulnar nerve to 3rd lumbrical muscle (77% of the specimens) and to 4th lumbrical muscles (100% of the specimens) and to the palmar interossei in all the specimens. Conclusion: The configuration of the CMAP of the median nerve is mostly dome, whereas that of the ulnar is mostly double peaked. Variability in the pattern of innervations of the small muscle of the hand could be a possible etiological factor.


The H-abstraction reaction between fluorine atom and deuterated acetonitrile (CD3CN) is highly exothermic and the resulting deuterium fluoride (DF) molecule is formed with a significant amount of energy that requires several picoseconds to relax into the solvent environment. Previous empirical valence bond (EVB) modelling work (D. R. Glowacki, et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2015, 143, 044120) showed that reproducing the experimental relaxation timescale is quite sensitive to the potential energy surface (PES) used, and the physical effects responsible for cooling were not fully clear. Here, we study the rate of cooling on two new carefully designed PESs, and by comparison to behaviour on other PESs, this provides additional insight into these effects. The first PES is a MMFF (Merck Molecular Force Field) based covalent-ionic two-state EVB model constructed utilizing the valence-bond resonance structures of DF, which is shown to give a good description of the PES for interaction of hydrogen fluoride through hydrogen bonding with one acetonitrile molecule, but performs relatively poorly in predicting the vibrational relaxation rate in bulk solvent. The second new PES uses the polarizable AMOEBA force field formalism, and describes both the DF-acetonitrile dimer PES and the rate of vibrational cooling very well, with good computational efficiency. Comparison of those PESs shows that as well as a good description of the non-bonded interactions in the DF-acetonitrile dimer, successful prediction of cooling dynamics requires a good description of many-body effects involving the supramolecular complex formed by DF, the H-bonded CD3CN and nearby solvent molecules.


Land tenure is high on the international development agenda. A key notion in these policy debates is tenure security, which is portrayed crucial for economic growth, poverty reduction, social cohesion and governance. A gap exists, however, between conceptions of tenure security in critical development literature and its practice within land policies.

With this research, I demonstrate the complexities of the notion and the ambiguities of policies established around it. Taking the example of Malagasy land policy process, I ask how tenure security has been conceived, practiced and maintained. I 'study through' the policy process (Wedel and Feldman 2005), relying on concepts of policy narratives (Roe 1991), assemblages (Li 2007) and power (Gaventa 2006). I adopt qualitative, temporal and nested research approaches. I combine research from global, national and local levels, drawing on observations, semi-structured interviews and document analysis, attending to the stories of social actors linked to the policy.

The Malagasy land policy was structured around the conceptions and practices of recognition and registration of legitimate tenure rights by decentralised authorities. The policy has, however, faced institutional, operational and social challenges. By questioning the state authority and control over land, it has also become an arena for power plays. Hence, the policy has generated unintended consequences in terms of tenure security and failed to win widespread support. The research findings highlight the importance of considering tenure security in land policy from multiple perspectives throughout the process and by attending to its inherently political nature. I conclude that tenure security is an institutional matter influenced by authority, political, social, cultural, and power relations between actors at different levels. Consequently, policies should go beyond the blueprint solutions of recognition and registration of tenure rights.

Key words: Land, tenure security, policy process, policy narratives, assemblage, power, Madagascar


A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that Americans in 2016 spent an estimated $380 billion on low back and neck pain, as well as on joint and limb pain, and other musculoskeletal disorders—the highest expenditure of any health condition. Mar 3, 2020 [13] Source: Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker An Examination of Surprise Medical Bills and Proposals to Protect Consumers from Them


Background: Menstruation is a normal physiological phenomenon for females still it is associated with some degree of sufferings & embarrassment. In spite of relative openness in the society, the menstrual hygienic practices have not changed much. Objectives: To study the menstrual pattern, disorders & hygiene practices among Adolescent girls of Mahila College in Bhavnagar City. Materials & Method: Present cross-sectional study was conducted among 68 adolescents from Mrs. N.C.Gandhi & Mrs. B.V.Gandhi Mahila Arts & Commerce College, Bhavnagar city. Information was obtained in a self administered questionnaire in a local language related to menstruation after verbal consent. Once the girls have finished filling up the Performa, open discussion & health education was given to the adolescents regarding menstruation & myths related to it. Results: The mean age of menarche was 14.5. Most of the girls (85.3%) had the prior information about menstruation & the most common source of information was from family members (mother & sister) & least common was school teacher. The most common menstrual pattern was >30/3-5 days. Dysmenorrhea was the main menstrual problem reported by them (66.2 %). 66.2 % girls used old plain cloth as menstrual absorbent. Conclusion: Menstrual problems particularly dysmenorrhea is common among adolescent girls. In most of the girls' menstrual hygiene practices found to be poor. So the teachers, family members, health educators & media play very important role in improving menstrual hygiene in adolescence, so there won't be any misconception to adolescent girls regarding menstrual hygiene. [Solanki H et al NJIRM 2012; 3(4): 24-27]


To explore the preparation method and characters of a new gold nanoshells on maganese-zinc ferrite (Mno.5Zno.5Fe2O4@Au) composite nanoparticles. Mno.5Zno.5Fe2O4@Au nanoparticles with core/shell structure were synthesized by reduction of Au3+ with trisodium citrate in the presence of Mno.5Zno.5Fe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MZF-NPs) prepared by improved co-preciption with the character of superparamagnetism and detected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and Marven laser particle size analyzer.Thermodynamic test was used to observe temperature change of various doses of Mno.5Zno.5Fe2O4@Au nanoparticles. The cytotoxicity of the Mno.5Zno.5Fe2O4@Au composite nanoparticles in vitro was tested by the MTT assay. The therapeutic effect of Mno.5Zno.5Fe2O4@Au composite nanoparticles combined with magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) on human glioma cells were evaluated in vitro by an MTT assay.The results indicated that the Mno.5Zno.5Fe2O4@Au composite nanoparticles were prepared successfully. The core/shell particles were spherical with exact average diameter of them was 66.9nm.EDS showed each Mno.5Zno.5Fe2O4@Au nanoparticle contained Mn, Zn, Fe, O and Au elements, and this proved Au had successfully attached to Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4.The result of thermodynamic test showed that Mno.5Zno.5Fe2O4@Au composite nanoparticles could serve as a heating source under alternating magnetic field (AMF) exposure leading to reach their steady temperature (40-45°C). Moreover, Mno.5Zno.5Fe2O4@Au composite nanoparticles didn't show cytotoxicity in vitro. The therapeutic result reveals that Mno.5Zno.5Fe2O4@Au composite nanoparticles can significantly inhibit the growth of glioma cells.The conclusion was that the self-prepared Mno.5Zno.5Fe2O4@Au composite nanoparticles had strong magnetic responsiveness and good power absorption capabilities in the high frequency AMF,then they could suggested to be useful for glioma hyperthemia. Mno.5Zno.5Fe2O4 @Au composite nanoparticles can not only be directed to tumor region in a given magnetic field more exactly but also produce marked thermotherapy.


A simple thermally-controlled superconducting switch was developed for switching low-level low-frequency signals. The device was fabricated and tested using different materials for superconductor, control line, and insulating layer. Refractory materials yielded the best combination of performance and ruggedness. Switching speeds of 1 MHz and control currents of 0.3 mA were achieved.<<ETX>>


"Lost and found in translation" explores gaps in communication and mistranslations between languages and cultural identities. My art practice has evolved from traditional printmaking in Shanghai to installations and screenprints as a student in the U.S., to my doctoral work which draws from my research and my experiences and encounters in London. My research centres on three generations of Chinese artists who brought their own culture to bear on the experience of living and making work in the West. The first generation was led by Xu Beihong in the 1920s. The second generation was led by Xu Bing, Ai Weiwei and Tan Dun, who lived together in New York in the 1980s. The third generation, which includes myself, Yang Yuanyuan and Liu Yefu, were born in the 1990s and 2000s and studied abroad. This generation uses multiple media, including social media, in a globalized art world where their identity as "Chinese" artists is less central. My own artwork is located also in the context of contemporary artists who use text in their work, such as Jenny Holzer and Jens Haaning. When facing the clash of cultural and linguistic environments, my aim is to find a balance between inclusive and exclusive language systems. What seems to be "lost" in translation can be used creatively in art practice, through hybridized forms and often through humour, to "find" new meanings for myself, and hopefully for the audiences of my work.


The purpose of this book is to provide the Western reader with a positive understanding of Islam, of its origins, its history and its beliefs; but it is hoped that there may also be something of value in it for the Muslim reader. It is based on the belief that Muhammad was a prophet chosen by God for a particular task, and also that God was behind the spread of Islam throughout the world. At the same time, this book accepts the main principles of the western intellectual outlook, including its historical criticism; and consequently departs from some of the traditional ideas of Muslims about the history of their religion. Contents include coverage of the beginnings of Islam, the political history of the Islamic world, the teachings of the Qur'an, Islamic theology and the role of Islam in the modern world.


This report summarises the views and ideas expressed during a workshop to design a system to offset for the residual impacts of terrestrial development on ecosystem service provision. The event involved 33 participants from a wide range of organisations. It was organised by the Natural Capital Initiative; an independent forum for discussion of policy and practice aligned with the ecosystem approach.
'Biodiversity offsetting' means the delivery of measurable conservation outcomes to compensate for the residual ecological impacts of development. It applies where all means of avoiding impacts, and reducing their severity, have been utilised. Biodiversity offsets can potentially be applied to development in terrestrial, freshwater, coastal or marine environments. They can take the form of 'case by case' (site‐specific) offsets, habitat or species banking, or can proceed via in lieu fees. Increased biodiversity offsetting could be a contributor to the protection and enhancement of UK biodiversity, especially at sites not already protected by law for their biodiversity value. The reports of the earlier two workshops in the Natural Capital Initiative's 'Towards no net loss, and beyond' series should be consulted for further discussion regarding hohow a system, or systems, of biodiversity offsetting might be implemented in the UK.
Whilst many countries have developed biodiversity offsetting schemes, notably Australia, the United States and Germany, offsetting for the impacts of terrestrial development on the provision of ecosystem services (the benefits that people gain from the environment) is less well developed. Some examples do exist but these are few. The aim of the Natural Capital Initiative in convening this workshop was to explore an emerging area of discussion, providing a synopsis of key issues for policy‐makers to inform thinking on this topic.
Key messages were derived from the workshop:
1.
Developing offsets for ecosystem service provision should not be at the expense of the short‐term delivery of mechanisms to increase the use of biodiversity offsetting. Current knowledge and data are sufficient to allow biodiversity offsetting to begin in the UK.
2.
Once biodiversity offsetting schemes have been implemented in the UK, monitored and evaluated, these could be extended to encompass ecosystem services explicitly.
3.
Greater research is needed to increase scientific understanding of the complex relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services specifically in the UK context, as well as how to manage, monitor and restore ecosystem service provision.
4.
The data which exist in the UK are not sufficient to allow comprehensive offsetting for ecosystem services. Data collection must be augmented to encompass ecosystem services, and existing data brought together.
5.
The capacity of stakeholders, including local authorities, to deliver ecosystem service offsetting must be improved. Guidance should be developed to support those delivering ecosystem service offsets.
6.
Strengthened policy frameworks and guidance could help to stimulate schemes for effective compensation for the residual impacts of development on ecosystem services. A degree of flexibility should remain, however, in order to enable business to innovate.
7.
Communication across a range of stakeholders will be important to ensure the delivery of schemes to offset ecosystem service provision.
Each of the key messages is described on Pages 11 to 14. These are not listed in any order of priority.


Agriculture and agricultural extension service are facing numerous problems in present times when good solutions are not easy to find. Providing of agricultural extension service is important foreign-political instrument of a state which has stimulates the development of agricultural production. Agricultural extension service must provide effective link between holdings-producers, agricultural research and other sources of information. Agricultural extension agents must be aware of psycho-social and social aspects of group action and individual counselling. Therefore, one of priorities in agricultural development of our country is rising of the level of extension operation and establishment of extension service based on modern principles. This is the reason why in this paper, some of the traits of the genesis of extension services were indicated, as well as types of extension services and models of the organization, financing and human resources at disposal and structuring of these resources according to main characteristics, for the purpose of modernization and agricultural and rural development.


Many railway construction and maintenance machines have large masses and perform repetitive working cycles with frequent stops that require precise positioning. For these reasons, a hydraulic propulsion system is a convenient choice. Common existing solutions make use of valve-controlled hydraulic circuits where inefficient fluid throttling takes place. Most of the time, dissipative braking is realized resulting in a remarkable quantity of available energy being wasted (up to 36 kJ of kinetic energy is available in the reference application). Additionally, the machine's automated positioning is a critical aspect. On some commercialized solutions, an overshoot of the desired final position is commonplace requiring a reverse motion in order to match the location of the desired working point. This is a negative characteristic as it introduces unnecessary fuel consumption and slows down productivity. Moreover, consideration of the limited adhesion in the wheel/rail interface is of critical importance. The propulsion system needs to be capable of differentiating the tractive or the braking torques between the driven axles. To this end, the paper proposes and analyzes a displacement-controlled (DC) propulsion system for a railway maintenance machine. The target is the removal of the fluid throttling mentioned above by defining an efficient hydraulic system. The ability to recover energy via regenerative breaking becomes a key process in improving the global machine efficiency. Simultaneously, an implementable control strategy is required for the proposed architecture to prevent overshoot of the desired position while stopping. To that end, this paper presents the mathematical model of the proposed layout used to simulate the system's behavior in order to confirm proper functioning. This work concludes with a discussion and definition of future improvements.