The concept of the imperialist world system in today predominant sense of the extreme economic exploitation of periphery by center, creating a widening gap between rich and poor countries, was largely absent from the classical Marxist critique of capitalism. Rather this view had its genesis in the 1950s, especially with the publication fifty years ago of Paul Baran's Political Economy of Growth. Baran's work helped inspire Marxist dependency and world system theories. But it was the new way of looking at imperialism that was the core of Baran's contribution. A half-century later it is important to ask: What was this new approach and how did it differ from then prevailing notions? What further changes in our understanding of imperialism are now necessary in response to changed historical conditions since the mid-twentieth century?This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.


Understanding what affects software developer productivity can help organizations choose wise investments in their technical and social environment. But the research literature either focuses on what correlates with developer productivity in ecologically valid settings or focuses on what causes developer productivity in highly constrained settings. In this paper, we bridge the gap by studying software developers at Google through two analyses. In the first analysis, we use panel data with 39 productivity factors, finding that code quality, technical debt, infrastructure tools and support, team communication, goals and priorities, and organizational change and process are all causally linked to self-reported developer productivity. In the second analysis, we use a lagged panel analysis to strengthen our causal claims. We find that increases in perceived code quality tend to be followed by increased perceived developer productivity, but not vice versa, providing the strongest evidence to date that code quality affects individual developer productivity.


A subset of skeletal myoblasts undergo apoptosis rather than differentiation when cultured in differentiation media (DM: absence of growth factors). While the muscle regulatory transcription factor MyoD is known to control the process of differentiation, our lab has recently discovered that MyoD is also controlling the apoptotic process in response to culture in DM by direct up-regulation of the pro-apoptotic Bcl2 family member PUMA. We similarly discovered that MyoD plays a role in the increased expression of PUMA and apoptosis in response to the DNA damaging agent, etoposide. This led to the hypothesis that culture in DM may lead to stalled replication forks during DNA synthesis that are "recognized" as DNA damage. We are testing our hypothesis by determining if culture in DM results in the activation of pathways known to respond to DNA damage. We have determined that p38, p53, and c-abl are all up-regulated in response to culture in DM. Next, we will determine the significance of MyoD to the increased expression of these molecules.


Objective: To compare the effect of the anterior versus posterior surgical approach combined with debridement, bone grafting and instrumentations for the patients with multi-segments spinal tuberculosis.
Methods: 98 patients with multi-segments spinal tuberculosis in our hospital from September 2015 to October 2017 were collected into this study, including 50 patients in the control group with the anterior surgery and 48 patients in the observed group with the posterior operation. The results of clinical efficacy, the bleeding volume, the operation time, the hospital stay, the incidence of complications, the serum values of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR),C reactive protein (CRP) and Cobb's angle were compared between the control group and observed group.
Results: The total efficacy rate of patients in the control and observed group were respectively 92.0% and 95.836% (P>0.05). After the surgery, the hospital stay and the incidence of complications in the observed group were less than the control group (P<0.05). The serum values of ESR, CRP and Cobb's angle after surgery in both groups were lower than before treatment (P<0.05), and the serum values of ESR, CRP and Cobb's angle after surgery in the observed groups were lower than the control group (P<0.05).
Conclusion: It's suggested that posterior surgical approach decrease the complications, improve the clinical symptoms and kyphosis of patients with multi-segments spinal tuberculosis, which is worthy to be clinically popularized.


A series of 150 consecutive cases of liver trauma reveals a mortality of 8.3% for penetrating trauma and 47.7% for blunt trauma. A progressive increase in mortality was noted for increasing numbers of associated organ injuries. The magnitude of the operative procedure for the repair of the liver injury was not a significant factor in determining mortality. The mortality has dropped by a factor of 3.6 from the first ten years (1955 to 1964) to the last five years (1965 to 1969) of the study. There were 29 "salvageable" losses, eight due to management and technical error and 21 due to a missed diagnosis. Since 1967 there have been no "salvageable" losses. Blood loss and brain injury were significant factors in the number of total deaths. Pulmonary problems and abscess formation comprised the majority of complications.


The St. Lawrence Seaway links central regions of North America to the Atlantic Ocean via the Great Lakes navigation system. Harmful non-indigenous aquatic invasive species have increasingly been introduced into the Great Lakes largely through the ballast water of inbound ships involved in international commerce. A variety of solutions have been proposed, with some advocating closure of the St. Lawrence Seaway to international shipping. Historically, it was an important artery linking grain surplus regions in Canada and the United States with international markets. However, during the past two decades the Seaway's role has diminished as a grain transport artery. The objective of this paper is to develop an increased understanding of this decline and to offer thoughts regarding the likely reversal of the forces that may have caused it. Analysis indicates declining imports by selected world regions and domestic transportation legislation is central to the decline.


Cardiovascular death remains the leading cause of mortality in type-2 diabetes mellitus, in which a high prevalence of vascular calcification (VC) is a significant risk factor. VC contributes to cardiovascular burden, with many diabetic sufferers succumbing to cardiac disease and stroke. Research indicates that key proteins observed in circulation, namely receptor-activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), interact with each other to regulate the calcification process. Whilst it is clear that RANKL promotes VC, in part via endothelial paracrine signalling, the precise role of TRAIL in this context remains undefined. Nonetheless, recent studies suggest a protective role for TRAIL in a vascular setting. Thus, we hypothesised that TRAIL inhibits VC via attenuation of RANKL-induced pro-calcific signalling. We also considered the individual effects of RANKL and TRAIL in the presence of relevant pathological stimuli (inflammation, hyperglycemia), and investigated how TRAIL may interfere with key pro-calcific pathways in the vasculature from a mechanistic perspective.

Human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) and smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) were cultured in mono- and co-culture formats, the latter approximating the paracrine signalling axis of the vasculature. Both cell types were routinely exposed to RANKL +/- TRAIL. Following analysis of a wide range of VC-related indices, it was found that TRAIL co-incubation robustly attenuated RANKL-induced endothelial paracrine signalling, thereby preventing calcification in the underlying smooth muscle. Under inflammatory and hyperglycemic conditions, RANKL contributed to the promotion of pro-calcific signalling, whilst TRAIL exhibited a protective influence on vascular cells. Furthermore, it was found that RANKL induced non-canonical NF- κB signalling and oxidative stress in the promotion of VC, whilst TRAIL exerted its protective influence via anti-oxidant effects and attenuation of the non-canonical NF-κB pathway. This data therefore yields valuable mechanistic information on VC pathogenesis, and on the potential therapeutic value of TRAIL in this context.


This paper starts out from the optimistic assumption that the basic policies for environmental economic development are known but uncertainties surround the speed of their adoption. In many developing countries the key obstacle is poor governance: consequently, renewable resources continue to be mined, non-renewable resources are depleted irresponsibly, and reductions in pollution intensity lag. Recent research identifies resource abundance as an important cause of policy failure. This is because the primary sector remains large in relation to GDP so that differences in the scale of natural resource rents (and in their socio-economic linkages) condition macro policy in important ways. Most developing countries are resource-rich, a condition that engenders predatory political states that deploy resource rents in ways that cumulatively distort the economy so it falls into a staple trap, which undermines economic growth and environmentally sustainable policies. Sound macroeconomic policy is critical to the success of microeconomic measures like much of environmental policy, a fact often neglected by environmental reformers. There are two implications of this. First, in the long term, improved governance will enhance environmentally sustainable management of: renewable resources (by taking account of the total economic value of resources); finite resources (guided by the need to maintain genuine saving); and the global pollution sinks (by flattening the environmental Kuznets curve). Second, until such improvements occur, environmental policies are likely to underperform unless they are adapted to take account of flawed macro policies. Environmental reformers therefore need to support efforts by the international financial institutions to improve macroeconomic management.


Ab initio calculations of the melting properties of copper in the pressure range 0-100 GPa are reported. The ab initio total energies and ionic forces of systems representing solid and liquid copper are calculated using the projector augmented wave implementation of density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation for exchange-correlation energy. An initial approximation to the melting curve is obtained using an empirical reference system based on the embedded-atom model, points on the curve being determined by simulations in which solid and liquid coexist. The approximate melting curve so obtained is corrected using calculated free energy differences between the reference and ab initio system. It is shown that for system-size errors to be rendered negligible in this scheme, careful tuning of the reference system to reproduce ab initio energies is essential. The final melting curve is in satisfactory agreement with extrapolated experimental data available up to 20 GPa, and supports the validity of previous calculations of the melting curve up to 100 GPa.


Abstract This paper exploits policy discontinuities at U.S. state borders to examine the effect of R&D investments on innovative projects. We examine the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) State Match program, which offers noncompetitive grants to federally awarded SBIR Phase I projects that are eligible to compete for Phase II. Results from SBIR activity (2002–2010) indicate heterogeneous treatment effects. Notably, the positive differential effects are moderated by firms within the science and health fields and with less previous SBIR success. The State Match effectively stabilized Phase II trends in contrast to neighboring states that experienced greater declines from the concurrent recession.


The concept of abstract art as "world language" became famous after documenta II (1959). Abstract art was considered as universally comprehensible and independent of cultural, political or historical contexts. However, this was never explicitly tested empirically. If these assumptions were true, there should be higher intersubjective coherence in perceiving abstract paintings compared to representational art. In order to test this hypothesis, the authors recorded the eye-movements of 38 participants and collected information on their cognitive and emotional evaluations. The results suggest that the concept of abstract art as a universal language was not confirmed and needs to be revised.


In this paper the necessity for a simulation platform capable of modelling existing and novel wholesale electricity market architectures, such that their ability to accommodate significant volumes of distributed generation may be investigated, is explained. Research that has used agent-based simulation to investigate features of electricity markets in the past is reviewed and the outcomes of the work described. Extensions and additions to the capabilities of the simulators used in previous research, required for application specifically to highly distributed power systems, are identified along with the issues perceived likely to prove most challenging. Details of the unique approach being taken in the development of a simulator are given and the aims of some initial experimentation specified


Uterine fibroids are quite common in women of the reproductive age group and as such commonly encountered in pregnancy. Though majority of these cases are asymptomatic, some are prone to developing complications and may end up having adverse outcomes in pregnancy. Management of these women with uterine fibroids presents its own chal -lenges, especially in low-resource setting as in sub-Saharan Africa, where the condition is rife. Adequate management of these women, be it pregnant or nonpregnant, improves their quality of life.


To the Editor: T otal pancreatectomy (TP) with islet autotransplantation (IAT) to treat chronic pancreatitis (CP) was first performed at the University of Minnesota in 1977. As of 2007, nearly 20 centers had performed TP-IAT with generally good outcomes in terms of pain relief and preservation of A-cell function, as summarized in a recent review. The addition of IAT to TP to maintain some insulin secretory capacity can prevent or minimize the otherwise inevitable postpancreatectomy diabetes mellitus, including in children. Minimally invasive approaches for the TP could decrease the morbidity associated with a laparotomy wound and theoretically decrease postoperative pain and hospital stay. Reports of laparoscopic pancreatic surgery have been limited to partial pancreatic resections (distal pancreatectomy, enucleations, and Whipple pancreaticoduodenectomy), with or without robotic assistance.A laparoscopic approach to TP has not been described before this report. The ability to safely do a TP in such a minimally invasive manner has potential to reducemorbidity and improve outcomes. In this report, we describe how we did a robot-assisted laparoscopic TP and IAT for a patient with painful CP.


Purpose: Dose painting is useful in prescribing dose based on the biological information and in correcting the hot/cold spot from previously delivered fractions in adaptive therapy. The feasibility of planning and delivering of voxel‐based dose painting plan in TomoTherapy system using a complementary dose approach is studied. Methods: The current intensity modulated radiotherapy(IMRT)treatment planning aiming at uniform target coverage, is not readily adaptable to dose painting that requires voxel‐based prescription. TomoTherapy Optimizer is modified to read a complementary dose from disk. The complementary dose converts the voxel based prescription into the uniform target coverage. Four dose painting plans are created on a phantom for evaluation. The plans are delivered to the phantom with film measurement to verify the deliverability and accuracy. Results: The conformity of plans to prescriptions is found to be exceptional. The difference between 1% volume and 99% volume for quality volume histogram (Q1‐Q99) is around 0.017 for simple plans and 0.1 for complex plans. Since the prescription become a uniform target prescription with complementary dose, the conformity index for the combined dose can be evaluated with conventional metrics. The D1‐D99 is around 1Gy for simple plan and 5.5Gy for complex plan with combined prescribed dose at 80Gy. Although the dose paint plan prescribes maximum dose of 80Gy, the delivery time for most plan is almost the same as the plan with uniform 60Gy prescription. The dose painting plans are delivered to a phantom with TomoTherapy system and the film measured dose showed excellent agreement with planned dose. Conclusions: This study shows the TomoTherapy system is capable of creating and delivery voxel based dose painting plan accurately. The authors are current and former employees of TomoTherapy Inc.


The aim of this study was to evaluate arginase activity and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in the tissues of the cardiac and skeletal muscle and liver of lambs with white muscle disease (WMD). The cardiac and skeletal muscle and liver tissues were obtained from 8 lambs with WMD and 9 apparently healthy lambs. The diagnosis of WMD was made with the detection of hyaline degeneration upon histopathological examination. A significant increase in arginase activity in the cardiac and skeletal muscle and liver tissues and a significant decrease in AST levels in the cardiac muscle were detected in the WMD group compared to the control group. It was concluded that increased arginase activity in cardiac and skeletal muscle and liver may enhance polyamine synthesis for the repair of cardiac and skeletal muscle injuries in lambs with WMD and that AST in the cardiac muscle might decrease due to the cardiac muscle injury.


This paper questions the likely benefits of globalization for Luanda by considering how global political and economic forces affect the lives of its 3.4 million inhabitants. Most live in informal, self-constructed settlements which lack basic infrastructure and services. Most receive little benefit from the nation's oil and diamond exports, while many have had their livelihoods eroded by the collapse of the local economy and the contraction of the state. The paper also describes how the city has always been shaped by external forces - as a port serving the slave trade or colonial export agriculture - and what the role of external forces has been in creating and perpetuating the long-running civil war. International organizations have criticized the state for not creating basic conditions of development but in fact rarely provide funds to help it do so. The key globalization issue for Luanda (and Angola) is not how to ensure a more effective trickle-down of benefits from export-led growth, but how more people can be productively engaged in the development process. In relation to this, the paper describes the growing role of civil society within Luanda and how, with appropriate support, this can help achieve the broader development objective.


Highly connected street networks increase accessibility for multimodal transport, but their effects on the efficiency of still-dominant vehicular traffic is rarely addressed. As interest increases in transforming typical suburban developments from car-oriented to multimodal environments, the effects of redesigned street networks in the period before the expected mode shift need to be clarified. This paper addresses the effects of enhanced connectivity on traffic operations and uses part of the West Valley City, Utah, network as the potential transit-oriented development (TOD). Because the predicted traffic demand for 2040 requires modifications to this network, the question is whether enhanced connectivity as a TOD-supportive approach can accommodate that demand and replace the traditional street widening solution. Twelve scenarios were modeled and evaluated: the existing state, five scenarios with different levels of street connectivity, five street-widening scenarios, and a scenario with reduced speed areas based on traffic-calming practices. Macro- and microsimulation models were used iteratively to build, calibrate, and evaluate the modeled scenarios. The results at the intersection, corridor, and network levels showed that enhanced street connectivity represented a competitive alternative to the traditional capacity expansion approaches that usually involve street widening. As connectivity increased, the network designs with enhanced connectivity accommodated more traffic than the designs with street widening and therefore opened new routes and provided a better dispersion of intrazonal traffic. New scenarios that encompass changes in mode split are proposed for future research efforts.


The author hypothesizes that the underreporting of mental illness in Tutuila, American Samoa, is a direct result of the social system, which provides a means of "curing" emotional disorder by family group process and shamanistic ritual, by making the disorder less disruptive, and by absolving the affected individual of personal guilt.


The advent of blood recirculating devices and cardiovascular implants (e.g. ventricular assist devices and prosthetic heart valves) has motivated research efforts towards a better understanding of blood damage, hemolysis, and chronic platelet activation that these devices induce. Because of the latter, patients with these classes of implants still develop thromboembolic complications that expose them to a greater risk of cardioembolic stroke and mandate life-long anticoagulant drug regimen with its inherent risks.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


A thermal-mechanical coupled finite element model has been presented to predict residual and thermal stresses during different stages of stud welding. The finite study was carried out using three-dimensional models. To enhance the accuracy of the numerical solution material properties including physical, thermal and mechanical properties supposed to be temperature-dependent. After the temperature distributions as a result of welding were calculated, thermal and residual stress values obtained. Residual stresses are attributed to the elasto-plastic response of the object towards the transient thermal stresses generated by the welding. After all temperature values reach the room temperature, the residual stresses decrease to a small value.


A study was conducted, first, to compare the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), reticulo-rumens and intestinal capacities (relative to body weight) of ram lambs from six Turkish sheep breeds: Turkish Merino (TM, Anatolia Merino), Akkaraman (AK), Kovorcok (KV), Awassi (AW), Karayaka (KY) and Morkaraman (MK), and second, to examine the influence of sheep breed on the pH of the digesta in the various segments (rumen, jejunum and caecum) of the GIT. Six ram lambs from each breed were slaughtered at 40.2 ± 0.80 kg liveweight. Lambs from the AK breed had a heavier GIT weight than the AW, KY or MK breeds. The weight of the full stomach was higher in AK lambs compared with the other lambs, except for KV lambs, while the relative weight of the empty stomachs was heavier in MK ram lambs than in TM, AW and KY lambs. The AK lambs had the highest relative empty intestinal weight. The relative weight of empty intestines was heavier in KV lambs than in KY lambs. The pH of the rumen content was higher in TM and AK lambs compared with KY and MK lambs, while the pH of the caecum content of KV lambs was higher than those of KY and MK lambs. In conclusion, significant differences were found among the six breeds in terms of some variables that were studied, although a higher proportional GIT weight in the fat-tail breeds such as the MK, AK and AW was not reflected in all components or in the pH of the GIT content.


Under changes to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) colleges were granted permission, but are not required, to notify parents whose students who violate alcohol policies. This was intended to be a new solution to an old problem. This study investigated the predictors of parental notification policies, practices, and beliefs. A quantitative approach was used employing on-line and mail surveys sent to a stratified sample of chief student affairs officers (CSAOs) at Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) listed in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System that confer baccalaureate degrees. A 60% response rate, was obtained. Using factor and reliability analyses, the data suggested that student affairs administrators discern between three conceptual perspectives in regard to parental notification; parents right to be involved, students' benefit of parental notification policies, and IHEs' legal responsibilities to protect students. Logistic regression analyses indicated that three variables predicted that an IHE would have a parental notification policy alone; the IHE being located in the northeastern part of the country compared to the western region, the belief that such policies benefit students, the belief alcohol use was a problem, and public IHEs scoring high on the legal responsibilities scale. Logistic regression also suggested that the first three variables listed above in addition to the IHE being private predicted that an IHE would have a parental notification practice or policy. Multiple linear regression analyses suggested that scores on the parents' right to be involved and students' benefit of policy scales were predictors for the belief that IHEs should notify parents for alcohol violations and the belief that the respondent's own IHE should have a parental notification policy. The data indicated that theories of policy formation or legal relationships between colleges and students do not completely explain the development of parental notification policies. Each can add some to the understanding of these policies, but the perspectives of parents and students must also be explored.


A compilation of new and published palaeomagnetic data from the Scottish Caledonides allows construction of Apparent Polar Wander Paths (APWPs) for the Grampian Highlands, Midland Valley and Southern Uplands terranes. Geological incompatibilities between terranes are the result of predominantly palaeolongitudinal movements prior to late Silurian times. A common late Silurian-early Devonian 'corner' in each APWP suggests the terranes to have docked (to within the errors of the individual determinations) by this time.


The particular case of software seems to have stretched the patent-copyright divide to the point of breakage. Inspite of being traditionally excluded from patent, software is an obvious case of a single creation that embodies both expression and innovation, and so strong arguments exist for software to be both copyrightable and patentable material. The legal profession has looked carefully at the patentability of software over the past 15 years or so, both from a fully legal perspective, and using economic-type arguments. But we are still waiting for the economics profession per se to set to work on this issue. Here, I shall go through some of the most well known arguments surrounding the protection of software, and then put forward a personal opinion as to what theoretical economists are likely to add, if and when they include this important question on their research agendas.


The study examined socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, level of education and place of location) associated with waste disposal behaviour. This was with a view to assessing the roles played by these variables on waste disposal practices among residents in Southwestern, Nigeria. The study used primary data collected through a cross-sectional survey design. The study population comprised residents in Ife Central, Ibadan Northwest and Lagos Mainland LGAs in Southwestern, Nigeria. This study sample consisted of 1200 residents comprising 687 males and 513 females selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Their age ranged between 15 to 76 years with a mean age of 24.49 years (SD = 8.51). Two standardized psychological scales were used to collect data in the study. The Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ) was used to collect information on the socio- demographic background of the participants while the Waste Disposal Behaviour Scale (WDBS) was used to collect data on the participants' solid waste disposal practices. Data collected were analyzed using frequency counts, mean, standard deviation and ANOVA. The result showed that there was no significant influence of gender on waste disposal behaviour (F = 0.028, p .05). The results also showed that there was no influence of education on waste disposal behaviour (F = 1.54 , p >.05). The results showed that residents from Ibadan Northwest LGA reported better waste disposal behaviour (M= 54.80 ; SD = 8.34) than those residents in Lagos Mainland LGA (M =53.55 ; SD = 8.07) and Ife Central LGA. The study however, recommended that effective waste management system could be achieved through urban renewal programme as reported from the findings.


U.S. state childcare parentage laws, that is, laws designating parents for custody, visitation, parental responsibility allocation, parental decisionmaking and/or support purposes, have evolved dramatically in the past half century. The (r)evolution is due to major changes in both reproductive technologies and human conduct. Yet the (r)evolution is incomplete.

The (r)evolution is especially incomplete in Illinois. Recent statutory amendments in Illinois chiefly reflect the work of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) in its 2000 model Uniform Parentage Act, not its 2017 model Uniform Parentage Act (2017 UPA). The latter better addresses the effects on childcare parentage of the changes in both reproductive technologies and human conduct. As well, the latest Illinois statutes do not reflect the NCCUSL's 2018 model Uniform Nonparent Child Custody and Visitation Act which also address the changes in the ways in which U.S. families are formed and reformed by expecting and existing legal parents. Finally, the 2019 draft of the American Law Institute (ALI) Restatement of the Law on Children and the Law has only recently been available to Illinois lawmakers.

Any (r)evolution in Illinois childcare parentage laws should not be fully fueled by the NCCUSL or ALI pronouncements. While a few other states have substantially embraced the 2017 UPA, it embodies certain public policy choices over which lawmakers can quite reasonably differ. As well, the 2017 UPA presents significant constitutional challenges.

Parentage law (r)evolution in Illinois is chiefly the responsibility of the General Assembly. When asked to develop broad childcare parentage norms, the Illinois Supreme Court unanimously deferred, finding the complex issues merit broad "policy debate" in the General Assembly.

Illinois legislators will be challenged when contemplating new parentage laws. The laudable goals of promoting certainty, recognizing the import of blood ties, furthering childrens' best interests, respecting family members' wishes, protecting parental rights, and enhancing public welfare often cannot be simultaneously pursued. Yet the General Assembly must act. Neither Congress nor the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to demand soon more national uniformity on parentage. Thus, as with many other family law matters (like marriage dissolution, heirs in probate, and standing to sue in tort), lawmaking on childcare parentage will substantially remain for state lawmakers.

This paper first briefly notes some recent significant changes in technology and human conduct impacting legal parentage. Then it examines the federal constitutional boundaries on U.S. state childcare parent laws. Next it explores the diverse array of models, statutes and precedents on childcare parentage now operating outside of Illinois. Then it looks at current Illinois parental childcare laws. Finally, the paper elaborates on some of the key questions facing Illinois legislators when considering new childcare parentage norms.


A decade ago, in Clinical Legal Education and the Public Interest in Intellectual Property Law, I described with my faculty colleagues our motivations for launching a public interest intellectual property law clinic at the American University Washington College of Law. That article introduced our goals and framework for a pioneering clinic framed around a variety of live-client student representations performed under close faculty supervision, weekly case rounds focusing on issues experienced directly by the students in their representations, and a seminar built around a year-long lawyering simulation addressing the public interest dimensions of intellectual property. In that article, we chronicled one live-client student representation in the copyright policy area, the Copyright Office's 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act's exemption proceedings, to illustrate our effort to help students better understand the interaction of theory, doctrine, and practice in the dynamic field of intellectual property law.

In this essay, I reflect on developments in the decade since publication of that piece and explore the growth and maturing of the new community of law school intellectual property law clinics. I find that in most respects these new clinics stand comfortably on shoulders of the pioneers of the clinical legal education movement. The founders of the early clinical programs were responding to the social ferment and legal rights explosion of the 1960s. They envisioned the clinical method as much more than merely a way to enrich legal education with professional and skills training. They also saw it as a means of encouraging law schools to attend to the legal needs of the disenfranchised and to engage students in the pursuit and understanding of social justice. In the last decade, the IP clinical community has matured to serve the very same access to justice goals. The new clinics are strong voices in the IP realm for the public interest, consumer and civil liberties communities. The IP clinic community has also expanded and inspired much needed access to pro-bono IP and related legal services for underserved communities of creators, non-profits, small businesses, and start-up entities.


Hybridization of global and local search algorithms is a well-established technique for enhancing the efficiency of search algorithms. Hybridizing estimation of distribution algorithms (EDAs) has been repeatedly shown to produce better performance than either the global or local search algorithm alone. The hierarchical Bayesian optimization algorithm (hBOA) is an advanced EDA which has previously been shown to benefit from hybridization with a local searcher. This paper examines the effects of combining hBOA with a deterministic hill climber (DHC). Experiments reveal that allowing DHC to find the local optima makes model building and decision making much easier for hBOA. This reduces the minimum population size required to find the global optimum, which substantially improves overall performance.


Under the prevailing land‐leasehold system, the Hong Kong government is thought to be the dominant supplier of land for housing development and for economic transformation. These characteristics make Hong Kong a "property state," to use a concept developed by Anne Haila. However, the protection of private property rights has long been a core value in the city. As a result, private developers and investors have endeavored to build up their own land banks, enabling private‐profit‐oriented entities to dominate the land supply market for housing development. This article supplements previous works on land monopoly in Hong Kong. While previous works focused mainly on the role of the property lobby in the disposal of new land by the government, this article offers another perspective on land monopoly, based on the case of underutilized land resources in the New Territories of Hong Kong. By focusing on growth coalitions and the projects that they introduce to boost growth and enhance land values, this article provides insight into the political economy of urban development in Hong Kong. In light of the soaring property prices in the city, the Hong Kong government planned to open up the suburbs to affordable housing; yet, the government's initiative has been hindered by the strong opposition of the owners of suburban land (including brownfield sites and abandoned agricultural land). In this article, we argue that these landowners with vested land interests are anti‐growth coalitions rather than pro‐growth coalitions. We demonstrate how the city's growth machine is subverted by the hoarding of land in the suburbs by a small group of people.


This paper examines the dynamic equilibrium relationship between a group of macroeconomic variables and the Nigerian Stock Exchange index, using Johansen's (1991) vector error correction model. The macroeconomic variables investigated include the industrial production index, the consumer price index, money supply, oil prices and treasury bill rate. The estimation of the vector error correction model was done under two alternative definitions of money supply: M1 and M2. The results show that a cointegrating relation exists among macroeconomic variables. The cointegration relationship is consistent with earlier studies, unlike the signs of some of the variables, which are inconsistent with earlier studies.


While the Texas Department of Transportation and other transportation planning organizations may seem to be succeeding at their mission on at least some levels, whether or not that mission is the best thing for the state and local communities remains to be seen. This report examines how TxDOT engages with the public, their intentions with that engagement, and the effects of that engagement on the planning process and the implementation of transportation solutions. Understanding how transportation objectives on a local scale correspond to those on a state scale is fundamental to this examination. Ultimately recommendations are provided with the aim of improving public involvement in the transportation planning process.


We investigate the non-adiabaticity of current-induced domain wall motion by time resolved analysis of thermally activated domain wall motion between two metastable states within a Co/Pt multilayer wire with a strong uniaxial perpendicular anisotropy. By measuring the dwell times for which the domain wall remains in one state, we deduce the non-adiabaticity factor β using two independent approaches: (i) the dependence of the dwell times on the injected current and (ii) the current-field equivalency. The comparison of the results allows us to gauge their reliability and the observed differences highlight the importance of the two dimensional (2D) nature of the domain wall.


Social Anxiety Disorder is among the most widely studied psychiatric conditions. However, the role of attentional and emotional processes in the maintenance of the condition is still not well-established. This study addressed the impact of individual differences in Social Anxiety, by examining the effects of perceptual load and stimulus valence when processing faces vs objects, here used as distractors, within a letter-search task. In addition to RT and accuracy on the letter search task, heart rate, and skin conductance during the task and participants' self-report emotional evaluation were assessed to help interpret performance effects. Results suggest that distractor stimuli that are either threatening or faces impair performance of high SA participants. Results demonstrate a hypervigilance for threatening faces in SA but indicate that this happens primarily when cognitive resources are available, that is, under low perceptual load.


Large-scale structure surveys allow us to constrain cosmology through the growth of structure and the expansion history. Together with Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) measurements from the early Universe, the standard ?CDM with general relativity has become a concordance model that explains the origin and evolution of our Universe for over thirteen billion years. However, recent analyses reveal hints of tension between the early and late time Universe observables. The tension could point to newphysics beyond ?CDM, but could also be due to unknown systematic biases. Improving the precision and accuracy of cosmological measurements could be the key to a revolutionary new discovery about gravity on cosmological scales or about the nature dark energy. The challenges of cosmology in this era is to broadly explore and control possible systematics that could limit science from on going Stage III and future Stage IV surveys. In this thesis, we investigate astrophysical systematics of intrinsic alignment (IA) and the baryonic physics that would contaminate the weak lensing observables. Intrinsic alignment of galaxies arise under the effect of their local gravitational field. This effect mimics the shear correlation and introduces a systematic bias in the measured weak lensing signal.We carried out IA analyses using ? 8000 redMaPPer clusters. There are two types of alignment withinthe one-halo scale: the alignment of the central galaxy with respect to the host halo shape and the radial alignment of satellite galaxies toward the halo center. For the central galaxy alignment, the mean misalignment angle between the central and cluster major axes is measured to be ? 35? (random alignments give 45?). The satellite galaxy alignment is a more subtle effect. We concluded that no net radial alignment signal is detected across the entire sample based on the re-Gaussianization shapes (the most conservative measurements). We also studied the dependence of IA signal on a total of 17 cluster and galaxy related properties in a concordant framework to properly account for parameterdegeneracies. With several predictors identified for central and satellite alignments inside galaxy clusters, our results suggest that small-scale IA is a complicated phenomenon potentially involving multiple relevant physical processes during galaxy and cluster formation and evolution history.The modification of the matter distribution due to baryonic physics is a non-negligible source of uncertainty for precision cosmology. Using various sets of hydrodynamical simulations, we investigated the effect of baryons on the matter power spectrum as functions of wavenumber frequency and redshift. We developed methodology to model the effect of baryons on weak lensing cosmic shearobservables through the principal component analysis (PCA). We constructed mock cosmic shear observables with contamination from different hydrodynamical scenarios, and then performed PCA on the contaminated mock observable vectors. The resulting principal component (PC) modes are then form a set of efficient bases to span uncertainties of baryons in the observable data vector space.Overall, our results suggest that the effects of baryonic physics on cosmic shear power spectra can beefficiently captured and mitigated using a few linear combinations of PC modes. Small-scale information in galaxy surveys has substantial statistical power to improve cosmological constraints, but conventional cosmological analyses discard this information to avoid biased inferenceon parameters due to lack of good astrophysical models for it. The continued developments on astrophysical modeling techniques in advance with better statistical quality of data will be essential in the new era of precision cosmology.


Procurement of NHS primary care buildings was reserved for the DH working
through PCTs until LIFT was introduced. The DH anticipated that LIFT would
effectively mobilise private sector finance and expertise in improving the quality of buildings. But LIFT's suitability to achieve this is questioned on grounds that it uses market mechanisms that may fail when applied in health. This case-study explored with people directly involved in LIFT their views and experience of how it helped them in procuring desired buildings. It was driven by desire to understand whether and how contextual factors and mechanisms in LIFT supported staff
efforts, hoping the findings would influence DH officials in revising the guidance to make LIFT effective.
Evidence was primarily collected through in-depth interviews with 25 informants drawn at two PCTs, the LiftCo and LIFT buildings. Data from interviews was
complemented by documentary analysis and tours to make observations at four LIFT buildings. The data was coded for analysis in NVivo. The key findings were organized into four analytical categories aligned with the research questions for interpretation to generate relevant answers.
The study revealed that the important factors for progress in LIFT involved
commitment of PCT boards; engaging PCT managers in strategic decisions and empowering them in influencing governance issues. Progress may be enhanced through DH officials encouraging increased collaboration between LIFT partners and promoting contractor competition in service delivery. Barriers to progress included the LiftCo over-prioritising efficiency, hiring of contractors lacking experience in health, and the DH not sufficiently supporting PCT managers in increasing their capacity to make LIFT effective. Informants believed LIFT could improve procurement provided ways of addressing the barriers were explored.
LIFT outcomes are a result of factors in its contexts influenced by policy-makers and decisions taken by operational staff. Recommendations are offered for these constituents in LIFT and for future research. DH officials should get feedback on practicalities of LIFT guidance by engaging PCT managers in making strategic decisions and empowering them in translating their experiences into actions. This
could make LIFT effective and reduce the risks that were highlighted.


Young Sharur is the scion of a merchant family in the city of Gibil, loyal - he thinks - to his city's god, Engibil, and to that god's human deputies. But like his fellows in Gibil, Sharur is less interested in gods than in progress in invention and trade. Then, on a routine trading expedition, he learns that the gods of the other cities, resentful of Engibil's relaxed attitude toward his people, are uniting to punish Gibil and squelch the growing power of human creativity, epitomized by the city-state's easygoing ways. Now only Sharur's wits can save the city from the aroused divinities...and he's going to need all the inventiveness he can muster.


The present study investigated the effects of acute morphine treatment and of naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal on Substance P (SP) concentrations in microdissected regions of the guinea-pig brain. Guinea-pigs, which were treated with a single dose of morphine sulphate (15mg/kg s.c.), received naloxone hydrochloride (15mg/kg s.c.) after 2h. Control animals received injections of saline, saline and naloxone, or morphine and saline. Locomotor and behavioural activities were measured throughout the experiments. Animals were killed 0.5h after naloxone administration, brains were removed and SP-like immunoreactivity (SP-LI) was measured in microdissected regions using radioimmunoassay. Morphine significantly increased the concentration of SP-LI in the central nucleus of the amygdala, but reduced SP-LI overall in the mesencephalon. Guinea-pigs pretreated with morphine and then given naloxone to precipitate withdrawal showed no change in SP-LI concentrations in any brain region, compared with control animals, despite an increase in locomotor activity and other behaviours characteristic of opioid withdrawal in guinea-pigs.


Random processes are ubiquitous in the natural world as well as in man-made environments. While classical random walks may behave highly complex or even chaotic, there outcome can, in principle, always be predicted from the parameters of the system and the initial conditions. In the realm of quantum mechanics, however, this is not possible as the underlying wave mechanics leads to intrinsically indeterministic outcomes. Moreover, if multiple indistinguishable particles are subjected to such a quantum random walk, their exchange symmetry causes quantum interference, thereby enriching the dynamics of the system even further. In this work, quantum random walks of pairs of indistinguishable photons, the quanta of light, are investigated. Networks of coupled optical waveguides are chosen as the experimental platform of choice, offering a high degree of coherence and versatility. In these photonic lattices, light propagates along one spatial dimension, whereas the individual waveguides are connected by evanescent coupling in the transverse dimensions. In particular, it is investigated how the various degrees of freedom, which are available in such photonic lattices, affect the trajectories in the quantum walks and their complexity. It is shown how the facilitation of both transverse dimensions allows for much richer quantum walks with properties unencountered in planar arrangements. But even if just a single transverse dimension is available, the coupling properties of the lattice along this dimension are a potent degree of freedom, which can be used to manipulate the quantum walk. Finally, an experimental technique is developed which enables a convenient characterisation of the expected quantum walk in an arbitrary waveguide lattice by classical light. The thesis concludes with a summary of the results and an outlook onto further developments in the field.


Dry season resulted in lower availability of ruminant feeds with subsequent effects on reduction of sheep productivity; therefore nutritive supplement may be required. The objective of this experiment was to study the effect of supplementation of catalytic substrate consisting of gelatinized sago, ammonium sulfate, Co and Zn on the sheep rumen characteristics and its microbial population. Forty lambs with an average live weight of 13 kg were divided into 8 blocks to test 5 feeding treatments. The treatments were feeding low quality forage without supplement (R1), R1 plus catalytic supplement at 10% of ration (R2), 20% (R3), 30% (R4) and a positive control treatment (R0 = R1 + soybean meal). Parameter measurements included rumen pH, ammonia, VFA and microbial population. It was observed that the rumen pH ranging from 6,06 (R1), 6,15 (R2), 6,45 (R4), 6,58 (R3) and 6,85 (R0). The rumen concentrations of ammonia were 5,83 mM (R3), 6,01 mM (R4), 6,35 mM (R2), 8,30 mM (R0) and 9,36 mM (R1) with total volatile fatty acid concentration ranging from 154, 88 mM (R1), 163,70 mM (R2), 180,89 mM (R0), 188,79 mM (R4) and 194,71 mM (R3). Population of rumen bacteri for R3 was 6,09 x 109 cell/ml, which was greater than RO (5,57 x 109 cell/ml), R1 (4,36 x 109 cell/ml), R2 (4,15 x 109 cell/ml), R4 (5,60 x 109 cell/ml), while protozoa R3 (2,59 x 106 cell/ml), was lower than RO (3,51 x 106 cell/ml) R1 (5,49 x 106 cell/ml) R2 (5,61 x 106 cell/ml) R4 (3,31 x 106 cell/ml). Catalytic supplement at 20% of ration (R3) resulted in a normal rumen concentration of ammonia and pH, and increased VFA concentration. It was concluded that catalytic supplement at 20% of ration was the appropriate level for optimal rumen characteristics. Key words : catalytic supplement, minerals, microbes, rumen, sheep


Abstract Athlete development can be described through transitions that mark turning phases throughout athletes' careers. Our authors explored media data to unpack the career developments of two prominent world champion boxers from their early lives to world championship status. Employing thematic analysis, five themes were identified: (1) weathering hardships of early life (subthemes: the rough life of an innercity kid; abject poverty in war-torn Philippines), (2) entry into sport (subthemes: groomed to fight; boxing to escape poverty), (3) amateur experience (subthemes: Olympic medallist en route to the pros; struggling amateur with dreams of greatness), (4) launching a professional career (impressive American prospect; a charismatic unpolished slugger) and (5) capturing a world title (subthemes: the much-anticipated world champion; the unexpected world champion). This exploration augments our understanding of how two world-renowned boxers' career developments were represented through sport media and interpreted by the researchers, suggesting parallel pathways for future career boxers and those who work with them.


Subglacial materials play an important role in glacier dynamics. High pore-pressure, high porosity (dilatant) tills can contribute to high basal motion rates by deforming. Amplitude Variation with Angle (AVA) analysis of seismic reflection data uses the relationship between basal reflectivity and reflection incidence angle to characterize the subglacial material. This technique can distinguish between dilatant tills and less-porous, non-deforming (dewatered) tills due to their distinctive reflectivity curves. However, noise from crevasses and glacier geometry effects can complicate reflectivity calculations, which require a source amplitude derived from the bed reflection multiple. We use a forward model to produce synthetic seismic records, including datasets with and without visible bed reflection multiples. The synthetic data are used to test source amplitude inversion and crossing angle analysis, which are amplitude analysis techniques that do not require absolute reflectivity calculations. We find that these alternative methods can distinguish subglacial till types, as long as reflections from crevasses do not obscure the bed reflection. The forward model can be used as a planning tool for seismic surveys on glaciers, as it can predict AVA success or failure based on crevasse geometries from remote sensing data and glacier bed geometry from radar or from a worst-case-scenario assumption of glacier bed shape. Applying lessons from the forward model, we perform AVA on a seismic dataset collected from Taku Glacier in Southeast Alaska in March 2016. Taku Glacier is a valley glacier thought to overlay thick sediment deposits. It has been the subject of numerous studies focusing on its ice-sediment interactions. Our analysis indicates that Taku Glacier overlies unconsolidated tills with porosity values greater than 33%, though because of uncertainties due to the lack of a bed reflection multiple, it is possible that the tills are not dilatant.


Ankle distraction is an alternative to ankle arthrodesis or total ankle arthroplasty in younger patients with arthritis. Ankle distraction involves the use of external fixation to mechanically unload the ankle joint, which allows for stable, congruent range of motion in the setting of decreased mechanical loading, potentially promoting cartilage repair. Adjunct surgical procedures are frequently done to address lower-extremity malalignment, ankle equinus contractures, and impinging tibiotalar osteophytes. Patients can bear full weight during the treatment course. The distraction frame frequently uses a hinge, and patients are encouraged to do daily range-of-motion exercises. Although the initial goal of the procedure is to delay arthrodesis, many patients achieve lasting clinical benefits, obviating the need for total ankle arthroplasty or fusion. Complications associated with external fixation are common, and patients should be counseled that clinical improvements occur slowly and often are not achieved until at least 1 year after frame removal.


The Li-ion battery represents one of the most important and most technically challenging components of electric vehicles. The cathode is one of the three key components (i.e., cathode, anode, and electrolyte) of the Li-ion battery and determines the battery quality. The demand for higher energy density, lower cost, and environmentally friendly batteries makes Li-rich layered oxides xLi2MnO3$(1 x)LiMO2 (LR-NMC) among the most attractive candidates for future cathode materials. In this review, we discuss the state-of-theart research activities related to LR-NMC materials, including their structures, mechanisms of high capacity and large voltage, challenges, and strategies that have been studied to improve their performances. Finally, we conclude with some personal perspectives for the future development of LR-NMC materials.


Egg of Layer chicken is one of the main income and protein sources at Kampung Unggas in North Lombok. Kampung Unggas is Village which produce and supply egg for Three Gili as tourist destination in Lombok Island. They are Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air. Farmers in Kampung Unggas are used several antibiotics for treating infections in poultry. The use of antimicrobials in chicken farm in Lombok Island can facilitate the antimicrobial resistant. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is not a recent phenomenon, but it is rising concern for both public and animal health [1].Chicken farmers in the study region are mostly family run and they don't have good bio security and sanitation procedure. Knowledge of farmer on antimicrobials resistance are very low and they are often kept free ranged among other animals and people. This means that the risk of contamination to food and water from bacteria and other pathogen infected poultry is high. Many farmers in Kampung unggas have other poultry, mostly ducks, in the same enclosure as their Chickens. The closeness between many different animals and humans as well as the short distance to temperate water, without cleaning or buffering stages, is a concern both in disease transmission and antibiotic resistance development [2].In Indonesia, study on 35 sampels of broiler meat and chicken meat from 9 distric in Bogor showed that prevalence E. coli 97.4% from broiler meat and 71.1% chicken meat resistance with Ampisilin, Enrofloksasin, Teterasiklin, Eritromisin, Streptomisin, Gentamisin, Kloramfenikol, Sefatotin, Trimetoprim-Sulfametoksasol, Nalidixid Acid [3]. According by [4] from 66 layer chicken 44% and from 35 broiler chicken 97.1% E. coli  resistance with Oxytetracycline Hydrochloride, Chloramphenicol, Dihydrosreptomycin, Sulfadimethoxine Kanamycine and Aminobenzyl-penicillin.Based on thus facts, it is very important to know prevalence and antimicrobial resistance on bacterial strains  isolated from Layer chicken and knowledge of antibiotic resistance among farmers on Poultry Village in North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia for effective medical treatment of humans and poultry. Further, knowing the reasons for chicken farmers to treat their animals and which types of antibiotics chosen can facilitate prevention of antimicrobial resistance development.


Attenuation, fading, distortion, and interference have been age long problems faced by radio communication engineers. These problems arose due to the imperfect nature of the communication channel. Each attempt to solve the problem creates additional cost, resulting from increased complexity in the design or increased RF power requirement. The diversity technique presented in this article is aimed at solving the problem of signal fading and poor reception of radio signals. The results of the previous studies have presented space diversity as a powerful tool for combating signal fading in a radio broadcast station whose studio and transmitting stations are located in a different geographical location, by connecting multiple antennas at both the transmit and the receive ends. Matlab was used to verify the relationship between antenna heights and coverage distance in line of sight transmission. The results were in total compliance with the attenuation square law which states that signal strength is inversely proportional to distance. Key Words : Space-Diversity Technique, MIMO, Signal Fading, Antennas, Simulation.


Natural selection theory predicts that similar ecological pressures can result in similar
phenotypes evolving in distantly related species through a process known as convergent
evolution. Although there are many described cases of species adaptively evolving similar
phenotypes in response to the same habitats (i.e., "ecomorphs"), this is not a universal
outcome of natural selection. Liolaemus lizards embody an exceptional example of
adaptive radiation where, thus far, studies have not identified any evidence of
ecomorphological evolution. Why some lineages display such signals of convergent
evolution while others do not remains an open question. Here, shape was more accurately
quantified by using geometric morphometrics (as opposed to the linear measures of
morphology used previously) to address the question of whether Liolaemus lizards have
undergone convergent evolution in body morphology and to conduct phylogenetic
modelling to quantify patterns and rates of multivariate morphological evolution in this
radiation. Further to this, the effect of diet and parity mode on morphology were explored.
The morphometric analysis produced three principal component (PC) axes that explained
over 10% of variance. Each axis captures different changes in shape; PC1 shows a
reduction in relative head size when the body becomes wider and more elongated and
vice versa. PC2 shows changes in the width of the body, with little change in the length
of the body and of changes in the head. PC3 shows lengthening in the posterior of the
body while there is a pinching towards the front of the body and an increase in relative
head size and vice versa. Results generally showed no significant separation in body
shape between microhabitat groups, and thus suggest ecomorphs are not present. Diet and
parity groups were significantly separated, however, not when phylogeny was included
in the analyses. Phylogenetic macroevolutionary analyses were used to develop an
understanding of the evolution of biodiversity. OU models of evolution were found to be
the best fitting evolutionary models in explanation of the evolution of shape within
Liolaemus when BM, OU, δ and κ models were fit. Phenotypic rate variation showed
some increases in rate of evolution on PC1 whereas PC2 and PC3 showed decreases.
PGLS showed a significant relationship between SVL and PC1 and for SVL and PC2
when microhabitat, parity and diet were included. Pairwise comparisons showed a
significant difference between insectivorous and herbivorous species for SVL and PC1
open-ground shrubs and open ground species for SVL and PC2. The best fitting model
9
for PC1 and PC2 included microhabitat and diet, but not parity, for PC3 the best fitting
model included diet and parity, but not microhabitat. Results suggest the lack of an
ecomorphological relationship could be a consequence of other ecological factors
exerting a stronger pressure on the evolution of morphology or that the adaptations are
present but methodologies are not appropriate to identify them.


A series of alternating copolymers composed of boron diiminate were synthesized with variable connection points to the comonomer units. All polymers had aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties, and their films presented diverse colors from green to orange depending on the type of comonomer such as fluorene and bithiophene and the connection points. From mechanistic studies, it was found that the charge transfer character was varied in the emission properties of the polymers. Theoretical investigation proposed that boron diiminate worked as a strong electron-acceptor in the excited state when the comonomers were connected to one or both the phenyl groups on the nitrogen atoms. In contrast, when the comonomers were linked at the phenyl groups on the carbon atoms in the boron-containing six-membered ring, a weak electron-donating property was induced. This is the first example, to the best of our knowledge, to tune the luminescence properties with AIE-active conjugated polymers without changing the chemical components.


This paper proposes a new wealth-dependent utility function for the intertemporal consumption and portfolio problem, in which the subsistance (bliss) consumption level is a function of wealth. Ratchet effects obtain when higher wealth increases the subsistance consumption level; blasé behavior occurs when higher wealth reduces it. We have three contributions: (i) we identify closed-form solutions for optimal consumption and portfolio rules; (ii) we use the optimal rules to estimate the model using aggregate portfolio data, and (iii) we derive and discuss the pricing implications of our results. Our estimates are consistent with blasé behavior and counter-cyclical risk aversion. JEL classification: G11, G12.


Variations of eclipse arrival times have recently been detected in several post-common envelope binaries consisting of a white dwarf and a main-sequence companion star. The generally favored explanation for these timing variations is the gravitational pull of one or more circumbinary substellar objects periodically moving the center of mass of the host binary. Using the new extreme-AO instrument SPHERE, we image the prototype eclipsing post-common envelope binary V471 Tau in search of the brown dwarf that is believed to be responsible for variations in its eclipse arrival times. We report that an unprecedented contrast of Δ m H = 12.1 ?> at a separation of 260 mas was achieved, but resulted in a non-detection. This implies that there is no brown dwarf present in the system unless it is 3 mag fainter than predicted by evolutionary track models, and provides damaging evidence against the circumbinary interpretation of eclipse timing variations. In the case of V471 Tau, a more consistent explanation is offered with the Applegate mechanism, in which these variations are prescribed to changes in the quadrupole moment within the main-sequence star.


The number of people worldwide living with end-stage renal disease is increasing. Arteriovenous fistulas are the preferred method of vascular access in patients who will require hemodialysis. As the number of patients with arteriovenous fistulas grows, the role of physicians who intervene who maintain and salvage these fistulas will grow in importance. This review aims to familiarize practitioners with the rationale for arteriovenous fistula creation, the detection of fistula dysfunction, and the state of the art on fistula maintenance and preservation. Current controversies are briefly reviewed.


The FAPRI-ISU 2011 World Agricultural Outlook presents projections of world agricultural production, consumption, and trade under average weather patterns, existing farm policy, and policy commitments under current trade agreements and custom unions. These projections are intended for use by farmers, U.S. Congress, government agencies and officials, agribusinesses, and others who do medium-range and long-term planning. This outlook introduces a fertilizer model and a cellulosic ethanol model and presents an improved greenhouse gas emission accounting model. This allows FAPRI-ISU to include in its outlook projections of world fertilizer use by nutrient, by country, by commodity, and by year, and projections of greenhouse gas emissions by source, by country, and by year.


Several of northern California's coastal watersheds have been listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as requiring the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for non-point source pollution. One such case is the Navarro River watershed located in southern Mendocino County. The Navarro River was listed under the federal Clean Water Act Section 303(d) for the constituents of temperature and sediment. The Information Center for the Environment (ICE) at the University of California, Davis aided the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board in the development of the TMDLs and continues to assist with ongoing work in the Navarro River watershed and other North Coast watersheds. During the summer of 2000, hyperspectral imagery was collected for the entire Navarro River watershed (∼820 km 2 ) using the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) administered by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration. This imagery covers the spectral wavelength range from 400 to 2500 nm with spectral sampling of 10 nm, 224 contiguous channels, and a spatial resolution of 5 meters. Potential mass wasting sites were extracted from the AVIRIS imagery using various image processing techniques, such as the Tasseled Cap transformation, image segmentation and masking. Spectral unmixing algorithms were employed for mixed pixels (vegetation and soil) to determine the percentage of each material per pixel. Augmenting these data within a Geographic Information System (GIS), a digital elevation model was used to determine proximity to stream systems and hillslope position. This study focused on features in one sub-watershed, predominately on private timber lands: the North Fork of the Navarro River. The AVIRIS data analyzed for this area is of particular interest because it is one of the few sub-watersheds of the Navarro River complex that provides suitable spawning habitat for threatened coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ). Additionally, substantial fieldwork was performed in this sub-watershed to verify the spatial position and dimensions of identified mass-wasting sites. Of these approximately 1100 manually mapped and digitized mass-wasting sites, one-half were used for assessing commission and omission errors of features extracted from the AVIRIS imagery. The other sites were used to assess the accuracy of the terrain-based model SHALSTAB, which predicts landslide potential. Hyperspectral data do provide a means for the inventorying and monitoring of sediment delivery sites over large areas; however, the geometric and atmospheric corrections required to effectively process these data can be onerous. The utilization of hyperspectral imagery for watershed analysis is novel and holds great promise for future TMDL assessments, but it is not without limitations. The sheer volume of data, over 300 Gigabytes for the Navarro River watershed alone, can be overwhelming to an ill-equipped processing laboratory. Furthermore, comprehensive fieldwork is necessary for more advanced applications of spectral separability and identification. As hyperspectral data are incorporated into future watershed research programs, many of these benefits and limitations will be addressed. Although the identification of mass-wasting features was performed post-hoc for the Navarro River watershed, our research indicates that similar approaches can be used for other watersheds for a variety of purposes with success.


Background The incidence of nephrotoxicity among vancomycin-treated neonates has been reported to range from 2% to 20%. These widely varying estimates have led to confusion and controversy regarding the safety of vancomycin among neonates. Objective Evaluate the incidence of nephrotoxicity among neonates receiving vancomycin concomitantly with gentamicin. Design Retrospective observational cohort study using propensity score matching to provide covariate balance between neonates who did or did not receive vancomycin based on factors known to be related to the development of renal dysfunction. Setting Hospitals (n=22) throughout the Intermountain West, including a quaternary care children's hospital. Patients Neonates ≤44 postmenstrual weeks (median gestational age: 31 (IQR 28–36) weeks) receiving intravenous gentamicin with or without exposure to vancomycin from January 2006 to December 2012. Main outcome measures Nephrotoxicity based on the modified Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria for acute kidney injury (AKI) or serum creatinine concentration ≥1.5 mg/dL persisting for ≥48 h. Results The final cohort was comprised of 1066 neonates (533 receiving vancomycin and gentamicin vs 533 receiving gentamicin). In a propensity score-matched cohort that was well balanced across 16 covariates, AKI was not associated with vancomycin use (16 neonates receiving vancomycin vs 7 controls experienced AKI; OR 1.5; 95% CI 0.6 to 4.0). However, the presence of a patent ductus arteriosus, concomitant non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, ≥1 positive blood cultures, low birth weight and higher severity of illness and risk of mortality scores were associated with an increased risk of nephrotoxicity. Conclusions These results corroborate several earlier reports and much anecdotal evidence describing the infrequent occurrence of nephrotoxicity in neonates receiving concomitant vancomycin and gentamicin.


Many people manage their tasks using tools such as notebooks or personal task management applications in their smartphones. In fact, according to Microsoft's research, 78% of respondents in the United States currently have at least one task management app [1]. However, conventional task lists are sometimes troublesome because tasks usually need to be expressed in words. In addition, it takes time to understand tasks when they are described in words. However, it is known that a person can instantaneously process an image and has the ability to process many images at once [2][3]. Therefore, we propose a system called "PhoToDo" that enables people to use visual images to manage tasks. By using PhoToDo, users can instantly visualize all their tasks and efficiently manage them. In this paper, we propose and implement our system and show its effectiveness by conducting experimental tests.


We consider the problem of providing delay bounds to reserved traffic in high-speed input-queued switches. We assume that the matrix of bandwidth demands is known and we use the now standard approach of decomposing this matrix into a convex combination of permutation matrices. Our problem therefore reduces to the problem of constructing a schedule for these permutation matrices. In this paper we derive delay bounds for four algorithms that are based on probabilistic techniques. For each algorithm we first place tokens randomly in continuous time for each permutation matrix. If the nth token that appears corresponds to permutation matrix M/sub k/ then we schedule matrix M/sub k/ in the nth time slot. The algorithms differ in how the random token processes are defined. For two of the algorithms we are able to perform a derandomization so as to obtain deterministic schedules. We show through numerical computation that in many situations the resulting delay bounds are smaller than the previously best-known delay bounds of Chang, Chen, and Huang (1999).


Erroneous government-generated "data" is more problematic than it would appear. This book demonstrates how women's history has consistently been hidden and distorted by 200 years of official government statistics.
 Much of women's history has been hidden and filtered through unrealistic expectations and assumptions. Because U.S. government data about women's lives and occupations has been significantly inaccurate, these misrepresentations in statistical information have shaped the reality of women's lives. They also affect men and society as a whole: these numbers influence our investments, our property values, our representation in Congress, and even how we see our place in society. This book documents how U.S. federal government statistics have served to reveal and conceal facts about women in the United States. It reaches back to the late 1800s, when the U.S. Census Bureau first listed women's occupations, and forward to the present, when the U.S. government relies on nonprofit groups for statistics on abortion.
 Objective and accurate, When Women Didn't Count isn't focused on numbers and census results as much as on recognizing problems in data, exposing the hidden facets of government data, and using critical thinking when considering all seemingly authoritative sources. Readers will contemplate how the government decided that a "farmer's wife" could be a farmer, how the ongoing battle over abortion has been reflected in the numbers the government is allowed to keep and publish, the consequences of the Census Bureau "correcting" reports of women in unusual occupations in 1920, and why the official count of women-owned businesses dropped 20 percent in 1997.


The main aim of this paper is to examine whether high school student's personal indecisiveness and state-trait anxiety can be used to predict their indecision with regards to their careers. This study also investigates the effects of other factors, such as gender, school type, grade level, decision status and how much help they receive, on the career indecision of high school students. The study group consists of 319 students (197 female and 122 male) in high schools. Multiple Regression Analysis and t test were used to analyse the data. Together, exploratory indecisiveness scale scores and state anxiety scale scores accounted for a significant proportion of the variance (20%) of career indecision. Exploratory indecisiveness is shown to be the most powerful predictor of career indecision. It was found that career indecision scores and five sub-scale scores of the students varied significantly when decision status and school type were considered.


This paper analyses the transfer of standardized products by FDI between industrial countries, newly industrialized countries and developing countries. One focus of this study is the question whether local entrepreneurs can acquire knowledge as joint venture partners and utilize this knowlegde for an outgoing investment in a third country. This requires that the local entrepreneurs have access to product, production process and management know how. This paper proposses the hypothesis, that the transfer of simple, standardized products can be explained with the catching-up product cycle. In the empirical part, Japanese FDI in Taiwan are compared with Taiwanese FDI in China in the branches electric & electronic and automobile parts. Case studies supplement this research. There two major findings. Taiwanese-Japanese joint ventures are operating successfully in China. The Taiwanese side has acquired at least management know-how in co-operation with the Japanese.


In vitro maturation (IVM) is a technique used to induce immature oocytes collected in different periods of embryonic growth. The rates vary for immature oocytes collected from different clinical sources to potentially develop into embryos and achieve live birth. As an effective treatment method, IVM can be used to treat patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), ovarian hyperresponsiveness, and hyporesponsiveness, as well as to preserve the fertility of cancer patients. This technology has been used worldwide for the birth of thousands of healthy babies. The improvement in clinical IVM technology mainly focuses on the IVM medium and the optimization of the culture environment and operation process. At present, with the improvement in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) efficiency and culture systems, a natural cycle or mild stimulation may be more suitable for women receiving IVF treatments. A new treatment option was proposed to combine natural cycle/ mild stimulation IVF with IVM. In particular, the combination of mild stimulation IVF and IVM is not only expected to become a viable alternative to current standard treatments but may also become a potential option of first-line treatment.


Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility of fast 3-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) using compressed sensing (CS) in comparison with conventional navigator-triggered 3D-MRCP. Materials and Methods This retrospective study was approved by our institutional review board, and the requirement of informed consent was waived. A total of 84 patients (male-to-female ratio, 41:43; mean age, 47.3 ± 18.8 years) who underwent conventional 3D navigator-triggered T2-weighted MRCP using sampling perfection with application optimized contrasts (SPACE) and fast 3D MRCP using SPACE with high undersampling combined with CS reconstruction (CS SPACE; CS-MRCP) on a 3 T scanner were included. Among them, 28 patients additionally underwent 3D breath-hold CS-MRCP (BH-CS-MRCP) with 5.7% k-space sampling. Three board-certified radiologists then independently reviewed the examinations for bile duct and pancreatic duct visualization and overall image quality on a 5-point scale, and image sharpness and background suppression on a 4-point scale, with the higher score indicating better image quality. In addition, diagnostic performance for the detection of anatomic variation and diseases of the bile duct, and pancreatic disease were assessed on a per-patient basis in the subgroup of 28 patients who underwent conventional MRCP, CS-MRCP, and BH-CS-MRCP in the same manner. Results Mean acquisition times of conventional MRCP, CS-MRCP, and BH-CS-MRCP were 7 minutes (419.7 seconds), 3 minutes 47 seconds (227.0 seconds), and 16 seconds, respectively (P < 0.0001, in all comparisons). In all patients, CS-MRCP showed better image sharpness (3.54 ± 0.60 vs 3.37 ± 0.75, P = 0.04) and visualization of the common bile duct (4.55 ± 0.60 vs 4.39 ± 0.78, P = 0.034) and pancreatic duct (3.47 ± 1.22 vs 3.26 ± 1.32, P = 0.025), but lower background suppression (3.00 ± 0.54 vs 3.37 ± 0.58, P < 0.001) than conventional MRCP. Overall image quality was not significantly different between the 2 examinations (3.51 ± 0.95 vs 3.47 ± 1.09, P = 0.75). The number of indeterminate MRCP examinations for the anatomic variation and disease of the bile duct significantly decreased on CS-MRCP, from 16.7%–22.6% to 9.5%–11.9% and 8.4%–15.6% to 3.6%–8.4% in all readers (P = 0.003–0.03). In the 28 patients who underwent BH-CS-MRCP, better image quality was demonstrated than with conventional MRCP and CS-MRCP (4.10 ± 0.84 vs 3.44 ± 1.21 vs 3.50 ± 1.11, respectively, P = 0.002, 0.001). Sensitivities for detecting bile duct disease was 88.9% to 100% on both BH-CS-MRCP and conventional MRCP (P > 0.05), and for detecting pancreatic disease was 66.7% to 83.3% on BH-CS-MRCP and 50.0% to 72.2% on conventional MRCP (P = 0.002 in reader 1, 0.06–0.47 in readers 2–3). Conclusions Compressed sensing MRCP using incoherent undersampling combined with CS reconstruction provided comparable image quality to conventional MRCP while reducing the acquisition time to within a single breath-hold (16 seconds).


In this paper we present a template-based table structure matching using association graphs for handwritten/printed historical documents. The recognition of the table structure consisting of column and header information is the prerequisite for the subsequent row detection and handwritten text recognition used for information extraction. The table matching is done by detecting the maximum clique in an association graph, which represents the matching of the line information of the template and a document of interest. This allows for variations of widths and heights of rows and columns. The presented methodology is evaluated on historical register books (death records) of the Archive of the Diocese of Passau. The method shows a reliable detection of the structure of handwritten/printed tables with a mean cell match of 88.28%.


Planets are thought to form in the gas and dust disks around young stars. In particular, it has been proposed that giant planets can form through the gravitational instability of massive extended disks around intermediate-mass stars. However, we still lack direct observations to constrain this mechanism. We have spatially resolved the 8.6 and 11.2 $\mu$m emission of a massive protoplanetary disk seen edge on around an A star, Gomez's Hamburger (GoHam), using VISIR at the Very Large Telescope. A compact region situated at a projected distance of $350\pm50$ AU south of the central star is found to have a reduced emission.This asymmetry is fully consistent with the presence of a cold density structure, or clump, identified in earlier CO observations, and we derive physical characteristics consistent with those observations: a mass of 0.8-11.4 Jupiter masses (for a dust-to-gas mass ratio of 0.01), a radius of about 10$^2$ astronomical units, and a local density of about $10^{7}$ cm$^{-3}$. Based on this evidence, we argue that this clump, which we call GoHam b, is a promising candidate for a young protoplanet formed by gravitational instability that might be representative of the precursors of massive planets observed around A stars, such as HR 8799 or Beta pictoris. More detailed studies at high angular resolution are needed to better constrain the physical properties of this object to confirm this proposal.


Purpose: Active sport tourism is one of the fastest rising leisure segments. Considering the extensive growth of both the millennial and baby boomers generation in this sector, there are large-scale economic potentials for tourism practitioners. The aim of this study is to explore the characterics of baby boomers and millennial active sport tourists and to differentiate them by relevant factors. Methods: Applying a qualitative research design numerical data is collected by using online surveys about the characteristics, needs and motivations of baby boomer and millennial active sport tourists. Results: Significant differences were found between the groups regarding social-economic characteristics (gender, education level, marital status and income) and motivations. For millennials, 'Escaping from daily routine', 'Thrill & sensation', 'Overcoming challenges' and 'Adrenalin' appeared as relevant motivations. For baby boomers, 'Health' highlights as a principal motivation. Recommendations for professionals in the sector are suggested. Implications: Current study was considered to be important due to an extensive growth seen for both the millennial and baby boomers generation in the active sport tourism market and considering the fact that limited understanding of the characteristics, needs and motives was contradicting this enormous growth in the market. Differences were found between the millennial and the baby boomer active sport tourists.


Computational methods of some pressure-drop models for a gas-liquid cyclone separator of refrigeration system are analyzed. And different pressure-drop models of pneumatic tube concerning several types of cyclone separator were calculated and verified. The result shows that for a smooth wall cyclone separator' pressure drop, at the low concentration, the simple pressure drop model is sufficient. But when the wall is rough, it is better to use Barth and Muschelknautz model and the Stairmand model is more accurate to calculate the frictional factor.


Coarse-grained tasks are primarily based on Text classification, one of the earliest problems in NLP, and these tasks are done on document and sentence levels. Here, our goal is to identify the technical domain of a given Bangla text. In Coarse-grained technical domain classification, such a piece of the Bangla text provides information about specific Coarse-grained technical domains like Biochemistry (bioche), Communication Technology (com-tech), Computer Science (cse), Management (mgmt), Physics (phy) Etc. This paper uses a recent deep learning model called the Bangla Bidirectional Encoder Representations Transformers (Bangla BERT) mechanism to identify the domain of a given text. Bangla BERT (Bangla-Bert-Base) is a pretrained language model of the Bangla language. Later, we discuss the Bangla BERT accuracy and compare it with other models that solve the same problem.


To evaluate in routine hospital practice the clinical response to ertapenem in comparison with other parenteral antibiotics in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), clinical records from patients with severe CAP treated with ertapenem from July 2002 to June 2006 in seven Spanish hospitals were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were classified according to the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI). Each ertapenem-treated patient was matched with two patients in the same hospital treated with other antibiotics, according to age (difference <or=5 years), same PSI class and whether or not resident in a nursing home. Seventy-one patients treated with ertapenem and 131 matched controls were identified; 71 of the 202 patients came from nursing homes. A larger (p 0.0002) number of patients were treated with monotherapy in the ertapenem group. In total, 174 patients (86.1%) belonged to PSI classes IV-V; a higher (p <0.0001) PSI score was found in patients from nursing homes. The mean age was 80.5 years (75% of patients >76 years). Comorbidities were present in 193 patients (95.5%). No differences were found in median hospital stay (7 days for ertapenem vs. 10 days for comparators, p 0.066). A slightly higher clinical response rate was obtained for ertapenem vs. comparators (88.7% vs. 77.1%; p 0.0465; OR 2.25; 95% CI 0.99-5.12), with significant differences in clinical response in patients coming from nursing homes (95.8% ertapenem vs. 63.8% comparators; p 0.0034) but not in non-institutionalized patients (85.4% ertapenem vs. 84.5% comparators; p 0.929). The higher clinical response to ertapenem vs. comparators in severe CAP was due to its significantly higher efficacy in healthcare-associated CAP in patients coming from nursing homes.


Introduction: Internationally, newborn hearing screening is becoming part of standard neonatal healthcare service guidelines for the implementation of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) initiatives, including screening, diagnosis, data management and intervention. Data management includes the processes of data collection and storage thereof, as well as analysis and interpretation of data to guide the future planning, implementation and evaluation of EHDI programmes. There have been limited studies on data management in the South African EHDI context. Methods: The aim of this study was to determine the type of data management systems in use in South Africa and whether they allow for cross-disciplinary sharing and evaluation of the EHDI processes. A survey instrument on the management of EHDI data was developed and sent to HI HOPES referral agents in both public and private sectors. Results: A return rate of 80% was achieved, with 19 (59%) public sector and 13 (41%) private sector audiologists participating in the study. The data revealed that there was no uniform data management system in use nationally, and no consistent shared system within the public or private sectors. The majority of respondents (44%) used a paper-based system for data recording. No institutions were using data management systems that enabled sharing of information with other medical professionals. Conclusion: Data management and tracking of the pathway from screening to diagnosis to intervention is necessary to ensure quality care and outcomes for children identified with hearing loss. International studies reveal the importance of effective implementation of data management systems; however, to date these have focussed on developed country contexts. Data management challenges identified in this study reflect international challenges as well as challenges unique to a developing country context.


A novel, Gram-stain-positive bacterial strain, Mer 29717(T), was isolated from the branchia (gills) of a Japanese codling, Physiculus japonicus, collected from bottom waters of Suruga Bay in Shizuoka, Japan. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that this strain represents a distinct lineage within the family Dermacoccaceae and was related most closely to members of the genera Demetria and Yimella. It shared highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (95.1 %) with Yimella lutea YIM 45900(T). Strain Mer 29717(T) contained MK-8(H(2)) and MK-8(H(4)) as menaquinones, and iso-C(16 : 0), C(16 : 0), C(17 : 1) cis-9, C(17 : 0), C(18 : 1) cis-9 and C(19 : 1) cis-10 were the major cellular fatty acids. The cell-wall peptidoglycan of strain Mer 29717(T) was composed of l-Lys, d-Ser, l-Ser, Gly, d-Glu and d-Ala. Polar lipids were phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and one unidentified phospholipid. Mycolic acids were not detected. The G+C content of the DNA of strain Mer 29717(T) was 68 mol%. On the basis of differential chemotaxonomic, physiological and biochemical data, strain Mer 29717(T) is considered to represent a novel species of a new genus, for which the name Branchiibius hedensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Branchiibius hedensis is Mer 29717(T) ( = NBRC 106121(T)  = DSM 22951(T)).


This paper investigates the universal financial dynamics in two dominant stock markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, through an in-depth analysis of the cross-correlation matrix of price returns in Nigerian Stock Market (NSM) and Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), for the period 2009 to 2013. The strength of correlations between stocks is known to be higher in JSE than that of the NSM. The stock price dynamics in the NSM is important for modeling Nigerian derivatives in the future, and in the light of this, it is pertinent to note that the interactions of other stocks with the oil sector are weak, whereas the banking stocks have strong positive interactions with the other sectors in the stock exchange. For the JSE, it is the oil sector and beverages that have greater sectorial correlations, instead of the banks which have a weaker one in relation to other assets in the stock exchange.


This paper describes the development of a field portable gamma-ray spectroscopy system based on multielement CdTe detectors. A stack of multiple planar detector elements is used, with each individual element thin enough for good charge transport but with the outputs summed so that the full volume is used. The detector elements are CdTe diodes mounted on a thermoelectric cooler, providing low noise and good charge transport with relatively simple electronics. It is anticipated that the detector will have a resolution of < 1% FWHM at 662 keV with a volume of at least 0.5 cm/sup 3/ and that the approach will be suitable for production. To optimize the detector configuration, simulation software was developed and test devices fabricated. This paper will present simulation results and experimental data obtained using multielement detectors.


Objectives: To study the outcome indicators of a nutritional rehabilitation center and to assess its performance. Design: Retrospective case study. Period: One year period from Jan 2014 to Dec 2014. Methods: Data of 254 children aged between 6-59 months with severe acute malnutrition admitted in nutritional rehabilitation center at department of pediatrics, Gandhi hospital, was analyzed retrospectively. Identification and treatment of severe acute malnutrition was done according to world health organization recommendations. Results: The recovery rate, death rate, defaulter rate, mean (SD) weight gain & mean (SD) duration of stay in the nutritional rehabilitation center were 51.42%, 3.54%, 28.57%, 8g/kg/day, 14.2 days respectively. Conclusions: Nutritional rehabilitation centers are effective in management of severe malnutrition and also in decreasing the case fatality rates.


: Histologically atypical urothelium taken from bladder mucosa neighbouring transitional cell carcinoma showed similar, though less marked, DNA-changes as observed in the corresponding tumours. A definite increase in the number of non-diploid DNA-values was found in 6 (of 12 urothelial specimens. The clinical significance of urothelial DNA-changes is discussed.


In countries with prevalent family care and less developed care services, it is important to understand the ways families cope with the care needs of their frail family members as part of policy learning to make care systems more sustainable. Filial care is a vital element of family care, yet is significantly restrained by the involvement of carers in the labour market; unequal gender distribution of the care burden; and insufficient recognition of, and policy support, for family care. This article considered the issue of the sustainability of elderly care in a familialist country, Slovenia, by identifying the coping strategies families adopt for the provision of care. To this end, in-depth qualitative data based on a purposeful sample of 55 community-resident users of social home care services and their 55 family carers were used. We identified five external coping strategies: use of formal care services, use of extended family network, use of wider community network, cohabitation, and home adjustments. Among internal strategies, we detected work-related adjustments; abandoning leisure activities; abandoning vacations; establishing new routines; accepting and finding satisfaction in care; increased psychological distress, such as worries and overburdening; and some unmet care recipient needs. Very few strategies may be described as supported by policy actions, despite such support being essential for increasing the sustainability of the family-based care model.


Background: Most women are at greater risk for Gender based violence and its complications of reproductive health including sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDs, bleeding, uterine infection, obstetric fistula and birth complication. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the effects of violence against women on reproductive Health of women in Ataye Woreda Northern shoa, Ethiopia. Method: Facility based cross sectional study was under taken among women in reproductive age group who came to Ataye health center from December 10 to December 31, 2016. The study includes 388 participants with Quantitative methods were employed using structured questionnaires. Result: The finding indicates women face different types of violence even they die in that locality due to social norms and traditional beliefs. They didn't exposed what happened to them and most of them are violate by their intimate partner and the main cause of their violation is economic dependence on their husbands and being uneducated. Major types of violence committed in the study area are rape and abduction due to this women suffered from different types reproductive health problems. This study shows in the past 12 months there were 52 (13.4%) violation of women, from 388 participants of the study. From all the participants 44 (84.6%) had been affected with different types of reproductive health outcomes, such as 15 (34%) had bleeding related to abortion, and rape, 9 (20.5%) HIV/AIDS, 9 (20.5%) STI, 6 (13.6%) Vaginal infection, and about 5 (11.4%) had still birth. Conclusion: The magnitude of violence against women in the past 12 months in the study area is 13.4%. From the total 388 participants 11.3% of women suffered from reproductive health problems related to violence against women.