The determination of free fatty acids (FFAs) in milk is of importance for quality control, legislative purposes, authentication and product development. We present herein a liquid chromatography–high resolution mass spectrometry method for the direct determination of FFAs in milk. The method involves mild sample preparation, avoids time-consuming derivatization and allows the direct quantification of twenty-two FFAs in a 10-min single run. It was validated and applied in thirteen cow milk and seven goat milk samples. Saturated fatty acids C16:0, C18:0 and unsaturated C18:1 (n-9) were found to be the major components of milk FFAs at concentrations of 33.1 ± 8.2 μg/mL, 16.5 ± 5.3 μg/mL and 14.8 ± 3.8 μg/mL, respectively, in cow milk and at concentrations of 22.8 ± 1.8 μg/mL, 12.7 ± 2.8 μg/mL and 13.3 ± 0.3 μg/mL, respectively, in goat milk. Other saturated and unsaturated FFAs were found in significantly lower quantities. Saturated fatty acids C6:0, C8:0 and C10:0 were found in higher quantities in goat milk than in cow milk. The levels of the important (for human health) odd-chain FFAs C15:0 and C17:0 were estimated in cow and goat milk.


Chapter 1 The traditional thermal Mannich reaction is unsuitable for preparing polymerizable N-methylene amino substituted acrylamides and methacrylamides. Herein we provide a facile multi-gram high yield synthesis of these monomeric precursors to stimuli-responsive polymers by addition of acrylamide and methacrylamide onto in situ generated or freshly isolated methylene Schiff base (iminium) salts. The synthetic methodology developed in synthesizing building blocks for smart polymers is described in context with the chemical literature. An Experimental section describes gram-scale syntheses of monomers. Parts of this chapter were published in Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 2018, 16, 4108–4116.
Chapter 2 Begins with an introduction to Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT). The previously elusive N-[cycloamino)methyl]acrylamides monomer class prepared in Chapter 1 is subjected to the first controlled/living polymerizations, which gave water-soluble well-defined polyacrylamide triblock copolymers. . An Experimental section describes the RAFT procedures in detail from poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) macro-RAFT. Parts of this chapter were published were published in J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym Chem. 2017, 55, 2123–2128.
Chapter 3 Begins with an introduction to Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) and an overview of the literature on Polymerization Induced Self-Assembly (PISA), and controlled/living dispersion polymerizations in the benign polymerization medium, supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). The results and discussion presented are yet to be published; describing the first PISA in scCO2 to give higher order non-spherical objects, namely rods and vesicles. PISA in scCO2 was implemented using ATRP of benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) using a dispersion polymerization from poly(dimethylsiloxane, DMS) bromide macroinitiator. Giant rods and vesicles up to 30 µm in length were produced at the highest degrees of polymerization and the highest solids content.%%%%2020-10-15


Objective To provide an automatic method for segmentation and diameter measurement of type B aortic dissection (TBAD). Materials and Methods Aortic computed tomography angiographic images from 139 patients with TBAD were consecutively collected. We implemented a deep learning method based on a three-dimensional (3D) deep convolutional neural (CNN) network, which realizes automatic segmentation and measurement of the entire aorta (EA), true lumen (TL), and false lumen (FL). The accuracy, stability, and measurement time were compared between deep learning and manual methods. The intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of the manual method was also evaluated. Results The mean dice coefficient scores were 0.958, 0.961, and 0.932 for EA, TL, and FL, respectively. There was a linear relationship between the reference standard and measurement by the manual and deep learning method (r = 0.964 and 0.991, respectively). The average measurement error of the deep learning method was less than that of the manual method (EA, 1.64% vs. 4.13%; TL, 2.46% vs. 11.67%; FL, 2.50% vs. 8.02%). Bland-Altman plots revealed that the deviations of the diameters between the deep learning method and the reference standard were −0.042 mm (−3.412 to 3.330 mm), −0.376 mm (−3.328 to 2.577 mm), and 0.026 mm (−3.040 to 3.092 mm) for EA, TL, and FL, respectively. For the manual method, the corresponding deviations were −0.166 mm (−1.419 to 1.086 mm), −0.050 mm (−0.970 to 1.070 mm), and −0.085 mm (−1.010 to 0.084 mm). Intra- and inter-observer differences were found in measurements with the manual method, but not with the deep learning method. The measurement time with the deep learning method was markedly shorter than with the manual method (21.7 ± 1.1 vs. 82.5 ± 16.1 minutes, p < 0.001). Conclusion The performance of efficient segmentation and diameter measurement of TBADs based on the 3D deep CNN was both accurate and stable. This method is promising for evaluating aortic morphology automatically and alleviating the workload of radiologists in the near future.


Class I molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are expressed on the cell surface of almost all nucleated mammalian cells. Their main function is to transport and present peptides, derived from intracellularly degraded proteins, to cytotoxic T cells (CTL). They are also directly involved in the process leading to maturation and selection of a functional CD8+ T cell repertoire. MHC class I molecules consist of a highly polymorphic membrane spanning heavy chain of approximately 45 kD that is non-covalently associated with a light chain, beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m). Class I molecules bind peptides, usually 8-11 amino acids in length. The majority of the class I-bound peptides are generated in the cytosol and are subsequently translocated into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through the ATP-dependent transporter associated with antigen processing 1/2 (TAP1/2). Here, we provide an up-to-date review summarizing the most essential parts relating to MHC class I-mediated antigen processing, presentation and T cell selection. A particular emphasis is devoted to the structure of MHC class I molecule, and MHC class I-bound peptides.


The aim of the study: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of critical thinking education on nursing students' problem-solving skills. Materials and method: This study was conducted with 93 nursing students, 49 in the control group and 44 in the education group. The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory and the Problem-solving Inventory were administered to them before and after 12 weeks of critical thinking education. Results: The education group's mean critical thinking score was 253.61 on the pretest and 268.72 on the posttest. This increase was statistically significant (p < .001). The posttest mean score of the control group fell to 258.18 on the posttest after a pretest mean score of 260.79, and this difference was statistically significant (p < .001). According to the posttest results, the problem-solving skills of education group increased significantly (p < .001), while the control group's score fell significantly (p < .001). Conclusion: This study determined that critical thinking education improves problem-solving skills.


Nephrectomy is the cornerstone therapy for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and continued refinement of the procedure through research may enhance patient outcomes. A national nephrectomy registry may provide the key information needed to assess the procedure at a national level. The aim of this study was to review nephrectomy data available at a population-based level in Australia and to benchmark these data against data from the rest of the world as an examination of the national nephrectomy registry model. A PubMed search identified records pertaining to RCC nephrectomy in Australia. A similar search identified records relating to established nephrectomy registries internationally and other surgical registries of clinical importance. These records were reviewed to address the stated aims of this article. Population-based data within Australia for nephrectomy were lacking. Key issues identified were the difficulty in benchmarking outcomes and no ongoing monitoring of trends. The care centralization debate, which questions whether small-volume centers provide comparable outcomes to high-volume centers, is ongoing. Patterns of adherence and the effectiveness of existing protocols are uncertain. A review of established international registries demonstrated that the registry model can effectively address issues comparable to those identified in the Australian literature. A national nephrectomy registry could address deficiencies identified in a given nation's nephrectomy field. The model is supported by evidence from international examples and will provide the population-based data needed for studies. Scope exists for possible integration with other registries to develop a more encompassing urological or surgical registry. Need remains for further exploration of the feasibility and practicalities of initiating such a registry including a minimum data set, outcome indicators, and auditing of data.


In this paper, we generalize the lossless coded side information problem from the three-node network of Ahlswede and Körner to more general network scenarios. We derive inner and outer bounds on the achievable rate region in the general network scenario and show that they are tight for some families of networks. Our approach demonstrates how solutions to canonical source coding problems can be used to derive bounds for more complex networks and reveals an interesting connection between networks with side information, successive refinement, and network coding.


This article explicates how different approaches to teaching history can enforce diverse strategies for dealing with uncertainty. Descriptions of three types of historical pedagogy are analysed as three kinds of modelling systems derived from Juri Lotman's theory of semiotics of culture: myth-type modelling, scientific modelling, and play-type modelling. The paper argues that the connection between pedagogical approaches and uncertainty, as an experience that occurs at the limits of knowledge, can be modelled as the relation between a semiotic system and its boundary. The nature of this relation can differ depending on how the division between the internal and external space of the semiotic entity is perceived. Different types of modelling systems establish distinct patterns in order to deal with the indeterminacy of the borderland area. In the process of learning, these patterns can be viewed as semiotic strategies that various pedagogical approaches enforce when arriving at the limits of knowledge and facing the situation of indeterminacy that can cause students to experience uncertainty. Three different strategies are discussed in the context of history education: avoiding uncertainty in the case of the collective memory approach, addressing uncertainty in the case of the disciplinary approach, and accepting uncertainty in the case of the post-modern approach to teaching history.


Here, we have found that type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2) is present in rat aorta media and that there is a circadian variation in the D2 expression. The D2 mRNA was approximately 4-fold higher at 0900 h than at 2100 h, and the activity was approximately 6-fold higher at noon than at 2100 h. The increase in aorta media D2 activity is preceded by the increase in its mRNA. The increase in D2 mRNA and activity in the circadian variation was reduced by the administration of prazosin, an alpha1-adrenergic antagonist, and propranolol, a beta- adrenergic antagonist. Furthermore, phenylephrine, an alpha1-adrenergic agonist, and isoproterenol, a beta-adrenergic agonist, caused a significant increase in D2 mRNA and activity. In the hypothyroid rats, aorta mediae D2 mRNA at both 0900 and 2100 h were not significantly different when compared with those in the euthyroid rats. On the other hand, aorta mediae D2 activity at both 1200 and 2100 h in the hypothyroid rats were approximately 2-fold higher. From these results, we suggest that D2 activity of rat aorta media is increased by both alpha1- and beta-adrenergic stimulation, at least partly, at the pretranslational level. We also suggest that both alpha1- and beta-adrenergic mechanisms may be involved, at least partly, in the circadian variation of the activity. In the hypothyroid state, the aorta media D2 activity is increased mainly by the posttranslational mechanism, and the similar circadian variation of the D2 expression is present as in the euthyroid state.


Purpose: The depletion of conventional energy sources with a constantly growing energy demand requires a new approach to our energy policy and in a wider approach, a new social and economical development policy. The article presents the determinants and directions of development of utilisation of renewable energy sources in the West Pomerania province. Approach/Methodology/Design: The study was based on secondary data, i.e., quantitative data available for the renewable energy sector in Poland and West Pomerania province and the analysis of available literature. The theoretical issues were determined based on the analysis of available literature on the regional development and renewable energy. The research methods used in the study included a critical analysis of the literature, comparative analysis and secondary data analysis. Findings: There is a growing interest in renewable energy source due to increasing environmental pollution, depletion of conventional energy sources, regular increase in prices of energy resources and constantly increasing energy demand. A new, competitive regional economy can be formed with the energy obtained from the renewable sources. Practical Implications: The analysis and evaluation carried out in the article shows that a key factor affecting the development of this sector is an active participation of the local government and resources provided by the European funds. The results can be used to develop a long-term strategy on the development of the renewable energy sources including the programs to counteract the negative effects of utilisation of conventional energy sources. Originality/Value: The proposed solutions are to contribute to the development of renewable energy in the studied area.


5G networks will be a key enabler for the Internet of Things by providing a platform to connect a massive number of devices with heterogeneous sets of network quality requirements. In this environment, 5G network operators will have to solve the complex challenge of managing network services for diverse customer sectors (such as automotive, health or energy) with different requirements throughout their lifecycle. In this paper, we present current state of our work on automating part of the network service lifecycle management using knowledge management- and decision support techniques. We also present our ongoing implementation steps for such management function in 5G networks.


Accelerated renovascular hypertension produces optic nerve changes ranging from optic disc edema to optic atrophy. To elucidate the pathogenesis of hypertensive optic neuropathy, the optic nerves from 12 monkeys (23 eyes) with accelerated renovascular systemic hypertension were studied by electron and light microscopy. Within 21 months, the animals demonstrated the entire spectrum of pathologic changes. In the optic nerves with optic disc edema, the prelaminar optic nerve exhibited vasoconstriction with subsequent axonal hydropic swelling, axolemma disruption, and glial swelling. In retrolaminar myelinated optic nerve, vasoconstriction was more severe, with endothelial swelling and pericytic degeneration resulting in intramyelinic vacuoles and glial swelling. Optic disc edema appeared to result from axonal hydropic swelling secondary to ischemic infarct, followed by loss of axons and gliosis in the prelaminar optic nerve. The retrolaminar myelinated nerve showed prominent microglial reaction and eventual atrophy of axons and glia. Ischemia seemed to play a major role in hypertensive optic neuropathy, which represents anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.


This thesis presents numerical simulations of the ablation of galaxies and stellar disks. A sub-grid turbulence model is used to improve the accuracy of the results. Firstly simulations of galactic ram pressure stripping are presented. A spherically symmetric galactic halo is subjected to a wind of a number of different Mach numbers, both with and without the turbulence model. The initial, instantaneous stripping is unaffected by the use of the turbulence model. The turbulence model leads to significantly greater levels of long term ablation, which is more consistent with what simple analytic calculations indicate, showing that the continual Kelvin-Helmholtz stripping plays a significant role in the ram pressure stripping and this is hidden by the finite resolution of simulations without turbulence models.

Secondly the turbulence model is applied to galactic disk simulations. In high Mach number (∼ 15) rotating disks the turbulence generated from the internal stresses in the disk causes it to become unstable and erroneously expand in the z direction. This is not the case for lower Mach number disks, such as dwarf disk galaxies. Further developments are needed in turbulence modelling if disk galaxies are to be simulated in this way.

Finally inviscid simulations of the interaction of a supernova remnant on a stellar disk are presented. The supernova remnant is simulated hydrodynamically as opposed to using analytical approximations which represents an improvement on previous models. A number of inclination angles of the disk are considered which is not possible with previous two dimensional simulations. Mass loss rates are calculated and compared to other competing processes. Similarly to disk galaxies, the inclination angle only has a large effect on the evolution when the disk is close to edge on. Edge on disks develop an asymmetry when the ablation period is less than the rotation period of the disk. Contamination of the disk with supernova material is also investigate and is found to be low (about one part in 200, 000 in the highest case), consistent with previous results.


OBJECTIVE
Describe benign lesions arising from the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) that presented as masses in the external auditory canal (EAC).

STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective case series of two academic medical centers.

PATIENTS
Six patients with lesions emanating from the TMJ that presented as EAC masses. Lesions included pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS), nodular fasciitis, foramen of Huschke herniation with salivary fistula, fibroepithelial polyp, superficial angiomyxoma, and giant cell tumor (GCT).

INTERVENTION
Surgical resection.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Tumor control, TMJ function, and hearing.

RESULTS
All patients presented with hearing loss, TMJ pain, and otalgia. Three patients with EAC occluding masses developed entrapment cholesteatoma between the mass and tympanic membrane. Following surgical resection, four patients were free of disease. The patient with PVNS has a stable remnant at 3 years follow up and the patient with giant cell tumor is under active surveillance. Hearing improved in three patients, remained stable in one patient, and worsened in two patients. All had resolution of their TMJ and ear pain.

CONCLUSIONS
EAC masses of uncertain origin should be imaged preoperatively to exclude lesions best not biopsied (e.g., encephalocele, facial nerve schwannoma, paraganglioma). In the differential of EAC masses, lesions emanating from the TMJ need to be considered, especially for those based anteriorly. Understanding the extent of TMJ involvement is crucial for surgical planning which optimizes outcome. Goals for therapy are to control the underlying disease process, restore patency of the EAC, improve hearing, and preserve function of TMJ.


BACKGROUND
Crystalloids, nonprotein colloids (NPCs), and albumin are used for many indications. The use of the least costly agent in situations where these products are clinically interchangeable can reduce health care costs.

OBJECTIVES
To characterize the prescribing of albumin and NPC. To evaluate the appropriateness and cost implications of their use.

METHODS
An observational study conducted in 15 academic health centers from April 11 through May 6, 1994, to assess the appropriateness of albumin and NPC use, based on "model" consensus-derived indication guidelines.

RESULTS
A total of 969 case report forms were evaluated. Albumin and NPCs were administered in 83% and 17% of the cases, respectively. Albumin and NPCs were administered mostly in the intensive care (50%) or operating room (31%) settings. The most common prescribers of these products were surgeons (45%) and anesthesiologists (20%). In 87% of cases, albumin or NPC was administered to reach a defined end point (eg, to achieve a target physiological state or to resolve a pathophysiological condition). Only one albumin recipient experienced an adverse event; no adverse events were noted with NPC administration. Approximately $203,000 was spent on albumin and NPC therapy for the 969 cases; $49,702 (24%) was spent on appropriate administrations, $124,939 (62%) on inappropriate administrations, and $28,014 (14%) on unevaluated indications.

CONCLUSIONS
Evaluated against model guidelines, most of the albumin and NPC use in the study was found to be inappropriate. The need for institutions to define and implement guidelines that focus on the cost-efficient use of these agents is recommended in an increasingly cost-conscious health care environment.


We estimate the effect of international trade on average labour productivity across countries. Our empirical approach relies on a summary measure of trade that, we argue, is preferable to the one conventionally used on both theoretical and empirical grounds. In contrast to the marginally significant and non-robust effects of trade on productivity found previously, our estimates are highly significant and robust even when we include institutional quality and geographic factors in the empirical analysis. We also examine the channels through which trade and institutional quality affect average labour productivity. Our finding is that trade works through labour efficiency, while institutional quality works through physical and human capital accumulation. We conclude with an exploratory analysis of the role of trade policies for average labour productivity.


Today there are fifty-six ethnic groups living in China, which are collectedly known as "The Chinese Nation" (Zhonghua Minzu), and these hold abundant traditional musical resources with long histories. The China Conservatory of Music, Beijing, is a musical institution specializing in Chinese traditional music education. Among the faculty of our conservatory are several well-known experts who focus on the development of basic musical knowledge and practice of Chinese traditional music, including its theory and analysis, its morphology, and its history, as well as special issues of research of Chinese traditional music. While these subjects interact, they also form the basis of an educational model. Owing to the efforts of many over several generations, we have built a distinctive educational system of Chinese traditional music. This curriculum in traditional music now stands out more clearly as a counterpoint to the recently developed curriculum in Western music history.


The metabolic capabilities and regulatory networks of bacteria have been optimized by evolution in response to selective pressures present in each species' native ecological niche. In a new environment, however, the same bacteria may grow poorly due to regulatory constraints or biochemical deficiencies. Adaptation to such conditions can proceed through the acquisition of new cellular functionality due to gain of function mutations or via modulation of cellular networks. Using selection experiments on transposon-mutagenized libraries of bacteria, we illustrate that even under conditions of extreme nutrient limitation, substantial adaptation can be achieved solely through loss of function mutations, which rewire the metabolism of the cell without gain of enzymatic or sensory function. A systematic analysis of similar experiments under more than 100 conditions reveals that adaptive loss of function mutations exist for many environmental challenges. Drawing on a wealth of examples from published articles, we detail the range of mechanisms through which loss-of-function mutations can generate such beneficial regulatory changes, without the need for rare, specific mutations to fine-tune enzymatic activities or network connections. The high rate at which loss-of-function mutations occur suggests that null mutations play an underappreciated role in the early stages of adaption of bacterial populations to new environments.


Nowadays knowledge-intensive collaborative work is performed by distributed teams of
end-users. Collaboration Environments (CEs) enable such collaborative work by providing a
variety of affordances, i.e., through applications, processes and artifacts. These affordances
need to be continuously adjusted in order to support the needs of end-users in emergent
collaboration situations. A context-based adaptive shared workspace CE automatically
adjusts its affordances based on context representation and adaptation knowledge.
Such an automatic adaptation poses challenges for the end-users: they may not notice an
adaptation, or may not be able to understand the cause and effect of the adaptation. Also,
since no system is perfect, an adaptation may not fit the needs of the end-users in a
collaboration situation. Therefore, an end-user affected by the adaptation may feel the need
to make an exception from the adaptation. Another affected end-user may be happy with
the original adaptation and may not understand the exception. This may lead to a social
conflict among the affected end-users. Since an Adaptation Policy translates the team's
agreed-upon collaboration strategies into the adaptation of the CE, the end-users can best
evaluate the quality of the adaptation in-situ. Moreover, the end-users, after evaluating the
adaptation, may feel the need to modify/delete an erroneous Adaptation Policy or to define
a new Adaptation Policy.
This thesis takes the end-users' viewpoint on context-based adaptation of a shared
workspace CE. It identifies four research problems to be solved. The research problems are
adaptation intelligibility, end-users' control over adaptation, adaptation evaluation, and
Adaptation Policy evolution.
This thesis proposes the sensemaking process model, which guides the end-users' activities
of making sense of the adaptation by solving the above research problems. A context-based
adaptive shared workspace CE is extended by the application support functions for providing
the execution support for the sensemaking process. The results of two pluralistic usability
walkthrough experiments show that the end-users can use the application support functions
and consider them beneficial.
In this thesis it is shown that the end-users can evaluate and modify the adaptive behavior of
the shared workspace CE. Therefore, this thesis enables future research to evaluate the
usage and efficiency of adaptations.


The wire drive pulse-echo system has been extensively used to excite and measure modes of vibration of thin rectangular plates. The frequency spectra of different modes have been investigated as a function of the material elastic moduli and the plate geometry. Most of the work was carried out on isotropic materials. For square plates a wide selection of materials were used. These were made isotropic in their in-plane dimensions where the displacements are taking place. The range of rnaterials enabled the dependence on Poisson's ratio to be investigated. A method of determining the value of Poisson's ratio resulted from this investigation. Certain modes are controlled principally by the shear modulus. Of these the fundamental has two nodal lines across the plate surface. One of them, which has nodes at the corners, (the Lame mode) is uniquely a pure shear mode where the diagonal is a full wave length. One controlled by the Young's modulus has been found. The precise harmonic relationship of the Lame mode series in square and rectangular plates was established. Use of the Rayleigh-Lamb equation has extended the theoretical support. The low order modes were followed over a wide range of sides ratios. Two fundamental types of modes have been recognised; These are the longitudinal modes where the frequency is controlled by the length of the plate only and the 2~f product has an asymptotic value approaching the rod velocity. The other type is the in-plane flexural modes (in effect a flexurally vibrating bar where the -2/w is the geometrical parameter). Where possible the experimental work was related to theory. Other modes controlled by the width dimension of the plate were followed. Anisotropic materials having rolled sheet elastic symmetry were investigated in terms of the appropriate theory. The work has been extended to examine materials from welds in steel plates.


Objective
Predicting neurocognitive and functional outcomes in stroke is an important clinical task, especially in rehabilitation settings. We assessed acute predictors of cognitive and functional outcomes 6 months after mild to moderate stroke.

Methods
We conducted a retrospective analysis of acute clinical data and 6-month follow-up telephone interviews for 498 mild to moderate stroke patients. Predictors were sociodemographic variables, the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), basic physical measures, the Mesulam Cancellation Test, the Short Blessed Test (SBT), Trails A/B, and the Boston Naming Test. The outcome variables were the Communication, Memory and Thinking, ADL/IADLs, and Participation subscales from the Stroke Impact Scale. We conducted four hierarchical multiple regression analyses with demographic variables and the NIHSS score entered into the first step, followed by physical variables in the second step, and neuropsychological variables in the final step.

Results
Physical variables explained more variance in ADL/IADLs and Participation outcomes than in Communication and Memory and Thinking outcomes, while cognitive predictors exhibited the opposite trend. The SBT was the only significant independent predictor of Communication and Memory and Thinking (p's < .001), while the NIHSS was the only measure that significantly predicted ADL/IADLs (p < .001) and Participation (p = .002). Poorer performance on screening measures predicted worse cognitive and functional outcomes 6 months post-stroke.

Conclusions
These results support the clinical utility of administering brief screening instruments during acute recovery from mild to moderate stroke. Neuropsychologists should prioritize performance on screening measures assessing acute neurologic status and cognitive dysfunction when making recommendations for post-stroke rehabilitation.


IntroductionTeenage pregnancy remains a major social and public health challenge in developing countries especially sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where prevalence rates are still increasing. Even if considerable effort has been made over the years to study determining factors of teenage pregnancy in SSA, few studies have looked at the trends and associated factors over a longer period. Furthermore, no known study has focussed on both individual and contextual factors influencing teenage pregnancy in Zambia. This study, thus sought to fill this gap in knowledge by simultaneously investigating trends of teenage pregnancy and early motherhood as well as its individual and contextual determining factors. MethodsA total pooled weighted sample of 10,010 teenagers (in the age group 15 to 19) from four waves of the Zambia Demographic and Health Surveys (ZDHS) were extracted. Using bivariate analysis, we investigated the trends of teenage pregnancy between 2001 and 2018. Separate multilevel logistic regression models were fitted on pooled teenage pregnancy data in relation to several individual and contextual level factors. Both fixed and random effects were produced. Parameter estimates were produced using Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) Methods in BRMS.ResultsResults show that the trends of teenage pregnancy in Zambia have shown an overall decrease of 2% between 2001 and 2018. Almost all the socioeconomic and demographic variables were consistently associated with teenage pregnancy (p < 0.001) in a bivariate analysis across the four ZDHS waves. In multilevel analysis, the odds of being pregnant were higher for teenagers who were aged between 18 and 19 years (AOR = 2.57, 95% CI: 2.20-2.98), employed (AOR= 1.24, 95% CI: 1.06-1.46) married (AOR =8.33, 95% CI: 6.84-10.26) and those with knowledge of fertile period (AOR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.43-2.00). On the other hand, being in higher wealth quintile, 15-17 years of age, exposure to family planning messages and delayed sexual debut were associated with decreased odds of early teenage pregnancy. ConclusionThe study shows that early pregnancy remains a social and public health challenge in Zambia as the country has seen little decrease in the prevalence over the years under consideration. Factors associated with teenage pregnancy and early motherhood include age, marital status, and employment, knowledge of fertility period, wealth quintile, sexual debut and exposure to mass-media family planning messaging. Concerted effort must be made to improve literacy levels, reduce poverty and enhance sexual health promotion through the mass media in view of cultural norms, which may prevent parents and children from discussion sexual education topics thus exacerbate the vice.


Many companies today are either undergoing drastic organizational changes or are faced with the prospect of having to make these changes in the near future. The need for change may arise from internal sources--growth in the size of the company, the problem of aging--or, more frequently, from external sources: changes in the nature of markets, in the technology of the industry, or even cultural beliefs about the "proper" rewards of work and behavior for employers and employees. This book is concerned with the process of change by which organizations achieve their purposes and meet the needs of their individual and group contributors. Lawrence's study is centered on a medium-sized supermarket chain in which several important management functions were being shifted from the home office to newly created store managers. The origin and reasoning behind these organizational changes, the methods of introducing them, the process of shifting the roles of key individuals, and the consequences of the changes are considered in detail. The author's inquiry proceeds from four essential research questions: What is the nature of the basic behavior patterns in this organization? What are the key factors involved in changing those patters? Did significant measurement change occur? If so, how was it accomplished. This volume, first published in 1958, broke new ground in devising techniques to measure changes in behavior patterns of individuals, in focusing attention on the behavior patterns of individuals at the management levels of an organization, and in clarifying the stubborn facts of human behavior involved in changing administrative patterns. The book will be of continuing interest to managers and administrators concerned with making key changes in customary supervisory practices and to sociologists for the way the book addresses the general issue of the conflicts between the shifting demands of large organizations and the integrity of the individual. The new 1990 introduction by the author nicely illustrates his belief that the process of organizational change remains a central issue for American society.


The World's Poultry Science Journal is indebted to Prof J.A. Castello, Prof D.K. Flock, Dr M. Tixier-Boichard, Dr S. Cherepanov and Dr Jiangxia Zheng for the translations of these summaries.


To investigate how high-ability students With learning disabilities succeed in postsecondary academic environments, 12 young adults with disabilities who were successful at the university level were studied. Extensive interviews with these young adults provided examples of the problems faced by high-ability students with learning disabilities, as well as the specific compensation strategies the used to address and overcome these problems. Four of the participants had been identified as having a learning disability in elementary school; six were identified in junior or senior high school; and two were not diagnosed until college. The participants believed that having a learning disability was considered by elementary or secondary school personnel as synonymous with below-average ability. They reported that content remediation, rather than instruction in compensatory strategies, was usually provided in elementary and secondary school learning disability programs. In this article, the compensation strategies used by academically gifted students who succeeded in college are discussed. These include: study strategies, cognitive/learning strategies. compensatory supports, environmental accommodations, opportunities for counseling, self-advocacy, and the development of an individual plan incorporating a focus on metacognition and executive functions.


Purpose: There is a well-established relationship between hearing loss and psychological symptoms. To ensure audiological rehabilitation is provided appropriately for older adults with comorbid psychological symptoms, a greater understanding of their preferences and experiences is needed. This study sought to understand experiences of hearing loss and audiological rehabilitation from the perspective of older adults with comorbid psychological symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, psychosis).Design: A qualitative study using in-depth semistructured interviews was conducted with older adults who had attended audiological rehabilitation within the last year and scored above established cutoffs on measures of depression, anxiety, and psychosis. A thematic analysis generated themes that related to participants' experiences of hearing loss and audiological rehabilitation.Results: Participants included 14 older adults (eight men and six women) with an average age of 70.5 years (SD = 4.45, range: 64–80) who received hearing aids or a cochlear implant. Three major themes emerged from the analysis of participant interviews. "The cumulative impact of hearing loss and psychological symptoms" theme describes the two-way, additive relationship between hearing ability and psychological symptoms. "The experience of loss throughout hearing loss and audiological rehabilitation" captures subjective losses, the impact they have, and how participants cope with them. In contrast, "The experience of gain throughout hearing loss and audiological rehabilitation" describes the participants' reported gains, their related impacts, and coping strategies.Conclusions: The experiences of participants revealed that the presence of comorbid psychological symptoms can influence the experience of hearing loss and audiological rehabilitation. These findings have implications for how audiological rehabilitation is provided to ensure optimal outcomes for adults with hearing loss and comorbid psychological symptoms.Supplemental Material S1. Sampling matrix containing number of participants fulfilling criteria (gender, age, hearing device, psychological symptoms) to obtain maximum variation sampling.Supplemental Material S2. Interview topic guide containing initial and follow-up open-ended questions.Laird, E. C., Bennett, R. J., Barr, C. M., & Bryant, C. A. (2020). Experiences of hearing loss and audiological rehabilitation for older adults with comorbid psychological symptoms: A qualitative study. American Journal of Audiology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJA-19-00123


Background— Cardiac resynchronization therapy improves mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure (HF) with wide QRS complex and diminished left ventricular (LV) function, but response is variable.

Methods and Results— The Speckle Tracking Assisted Resynchronization Therapy for Electrode Region (STARTER) was a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial testing the hypothesis that an incremental benefit to cardiac resynchronization therapy would be gained by echo-guided (EG) transvenous LV lead placement versus a routine fluoroscopic approach. EG LV lead placement was attempted at the site of latest time to peak radial strain by speckle tracking echocardiography. The prespecified primary end point was first HF hospitalization or death. Of 187 New York Heart Association class II to IV patients with HF (62% ischemic; ejection fraction 26±6%; QRS 159±27 ms), 110 were randomized to EG and 77 to routine strategies. Primary events included 30 deaths and 37 HF hospitalizations over 1.8 years. Using intention-to-treat, patients randomized to an EG strategy had a significantly more favorable event-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.28–0.82; P =0.006). Exact or adjacent concordance of LV lead with latest site could be achieved in 85% of the EG group and occurred fortuitously in 66% of controls ( P =0.010) and was associated with an improvement in event-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.22–0.71; P =0.002).

Conclusions— A strategy of EG LV lead placement for cardiac resynchronization therapy improved patient outcomes by reducing the combined risk of death or HF hospitalizations and has implications for delivery of cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Clinical Trial Registration— URL: . Unique identifier: [NCT00156390][1].

 [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=CLINTRIALGOV&access_num=NCT00156390&atom=%2Fcirchf%2F6%2F3%2F427.atom


After a wireless sensor network (WSN) is deployed, sensor nodes are usually left unattended for a long period of time. There is an inevitable devolution of the connected coverage of the WSN due to battery exhaustion of sensor nodes, intended physical destruction attacks on sensor nodes, unpredictable node movement by physical means like wind, and so on. It is, therefore, critical that the base station (BS) learns in real time how well the WSN performs the given sensing task (i.e., what is the current connected coverage) under a dynamically changing network topology. In this paper, we propose a coverage inference protocol (CIP), which can provide the BS an accurate and in-time measurement of the current connected coverage in an energy-efficient way. Especially, we show that the scheme called BOND, which our CIP requires to be implemented on each sensor node, enables each node to locally self-detect whether it is a boundary node with the minimal communication and computational overhead. The BOND can also be exploited to seamlessly integrate multiple functionalities with low overhead. Moreover, we devise extensions to CIP that can tolerate location errors and actively predict the change of the connected coverage based on residual energy of sensor nodes.


In this paper, a multiple-access spread-spectrum communication system using binary frequency shift keying (BFSK) or M -ary frequency shift keying (MFSK), and noncoherent demodulation is considered. In contrast to previous work typically assuming that the FSK tones are non-overlapping after direct-sequence (DS) spreading, here we consider a spread spectrum multiple access (SSMA) system under the assumption that the DS spread signals of different FSK tones are only orthogonal over the information symbol duration. Consequently, the frequency band of a spread FSK tone may be fully or partially overlapping with the other spread signals. An estimate of the variance of the multiple-access interference is obtained by assuming that the phase angles and time delays of the received signals are mutually independent random variables, provided that random signature sequences are employed for spreading. On the basis of the above assumptions, the bit error rate (BER) of our direct-sequence, spread-spectrum multiple-access (DS-SSMA) and that of our hybrid direct-sequence, slow frequency-hopping spread-spectrum multiple access (DS-SFH SSMA) systems using FSK modulation is analyzed, when the channel impairments are constituted by a combination of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and multiple-access interference. From our analysis and the numerical results, we concluded that, for a given system bandwidth and for a certain value of M , the system's BER performance can be optimized by controlling the amount of overlapping, and that the systems with optimized overlapping outperformed the systems using no overlapping.


In this paper both the mechanistic and kinetic aspects of furfural formation from pentoses in aqueous acidic media have been reviewed. Based on the reviewed literature, a comprehensive reaction mechanism has been proposed consisting of more than one route, all starting from acyclic xylose, and involving alternately 1,2-enolization, β-elimination or isomerization via 1,2-hydride shift as key steps. Those studies that employ combined acid–base catalysts, soluble halide salts and trivalent cations in aqueous solutions appear to be most promising. Next, a detailed overview is presented of the results of kinetic studies on furfural formation from pentoses and furfural disappearance in aqueous acidic media. Although these results span over a very wide range of both experimental conditions and different kinetic models employed, an attempt has been made to present the published kinetic data in such a manner that it allows a global comparison. Since even in those cases where the reaction conditions seemed to be comparable, the reported kinetic constants often agree merely in the order of magnitude, thus, the validity of most of the data presented here is restricted to the specific conditions as used by each author. Additionally, a very concise overview is included of research on direct furfural production from lignocellulosic materials. In conclusion, the intricate set of reactions accompanying furfural formation from pentoses, although appearing well established in some aspects, is yet to be fully unraveled, especially with regard to the complex set of side and loss reactions seemingly involving largely unknown reaction intermediates. Such uncertainties are reflected in the contradictory kinetic models exploited and kinetic data presented in the literature, which still prevent a common and coherent interpretation.


Abstract. The Yangtze River Delta and North China Plain are experiencing serious land subsidence development and are also the areas that have undergone the fastest urbanization. Rapid urban development inevitably requires more water resources. However, China is a country with small per capita water resources, nonuniform distribution of water resources, and over-exploitation of groundwater – all of which are critical factors contributing to the potential for a land subsidence disaster. In addition, land subsidence has brought about elevation loss, damaged buildings, decreased safety of rail transit projects, lowered land value, and other huge economic losses and potential safety hazards in China. In this paper, Beijing, a typical northern Chinese city deficient in water, is taken as an example to explore (a) the problems of urban development, utilization of water resources, and land subsidence development; (b) the harm and influence of land subsidence hazards on urban construction; and (c) the relationship between urban development and land subsidence. Based on the results, the author has predicted the trend of urban development and land subsidence in Beijing and puts forward her viewpoints and suggestions.


We consider the planar point location problem from the perspective of expected search time. We are given a planar polygonal subdivision S and for each polygon of the subdivision the probability that a query point lies within this polygon. The goal is to compute a search structure to determine which cell of the subdivision contains a given query point, so as to minimize the expected search time. This is a generalization of the classical problem of computing an optimal binary search tree for one-dimensional keys. In the one-dimensional case it has long been known that the entropy H of the distribution is the dominant term in the lower bound on the expected-case search time, and further there exist search trees achieving expected search times of at most H+2. Prior to this work, there has been no known structure for planar point location with an expected search time better than 2H, and this result required strong assumptions on the nature of the query point distribution. Here we present a data structure whose expected search time is nearly equal to the entropy lower bound, namely H+o(H). The result holds for any polygonal subdivision in which the number of sides of each of the polygonal cells is bounded, and there are no assumptions on the query distribution within each cell. We extend these results to subdivisions with convex cells, assuming a uniform query distribution within each cell.


This paper discusses the value of an International Repository of Chromosomal Abnormalities and Variants as a means of communication and case finding. A further case of 9p- is described. The clinical and cytogenetic findings confirm the existence of a clinical entity which in many respects is the opposite of the 9p trisomy syndrome.


Abstract Objective: As a component of healthcare reform, payers, hospital administrators, and physicians are looking for ways to reduce hospital expenditures and improve efficiency. The economic benefit of a reduced hospital stay must be weighed against the cost of the treatment or process necessary to achieve the reduced length of stay (LOS). The objective of this paper was to estimate the potential economic benefit of a reduction in inpatient hospital LOS for a common type of admission, community acquired pneumonia (CAP). Research design and methods: Data for this study were from the CAP hospital admissions selected from the 2006 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) National Inpatient Sample (NIS). Potential savings associated with a 1 day reduction in CAP LOS were estimated using three methods: (1) average cost, (2) weighted-average incremental cost of an additional day, and (3) weighted-average predicted mean costs from regression models which were used to estimate incremental cost adjusting for hospitalization characteristics. Main outcome measures: Cost per day of CAP hospitalization. Results: A total of 1,471,295 CAP admissions qualified for the analysis. The cost for each day of reduction in LOS in 2009 US dollars was $2273, $2373, and $2319 for the three methods: simple average, incremental, and regression, respectively. Subgroup analysis and regression analysis indicated higher costs were identified: in patients who died in the hospital, had hospital stays in the Northeast or West, and in large hospitals. Longer CAP hospitalizations had a higher cost per additional day. Limitations include those typically associated with the use of administrative claims (e.g., lack of clinical detail, issues related to diagnosis coding). Conclusions: Eliminating a day during the course of a CAP admission is potentially worth $2273–2373 in economic benefits (2009 dollars). As we strive for greater efficiency in healthcare delivery, changes in processes and/or improved diagnostics or treatments may potentially achieve a reduction in the length of stay. The cost of such changes or improvements must be weighed against the economic benefit of a shorter hospitalization.


The allelopathic effect of Prymnesium parvum (Prymnesiophyta), which produces tox- ins with haemolytic, ichthyotoxic and cytotoxic properties, was investigated on a natural plankton community. Under controlled conditions, 3 laboratory bioassays were performed by adding cell-free filtrate from a P. parvum culture into different size fractions (<150, <100 and 20 to 150 µm) of a nat- ural Baltic Sea plankton community. The effect of P. parvum cell-free filtrate was determined by mea- suring chlorophyll a, cell numbers (phytoplankton, ciliates, bacteria), carbon ( 14 C) uptake by phyto- plankton and the incorporation of 3 H-leucine by bacteria. P. parvum cell-free filtrate affected the whole phytoplankton community, resulting in a decrease in both chlorophyll a and carbon uptake. Furthermore, the plankton groups present in the community exhibited different sensitivity to the cell- free filtrate. While growth of cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates was inhibited, that of diatoms and ciliates was not only completely suppressed, but no cells were present at the end of the experiment in the bottles with P. parvum filtrate. In all experiments, therefore, cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates were the most resistant groups, which led to their dominance in the treatments with filtrate compared to controls. Bacterial production was also negatively affected by P. parvum filtrate. The results show that compounds released by P. parvum induce changes in the plankton community structure, killing other members of the marine food-web, especially other phytoplankton (allelopathy), and suggest that secreted compounds of P. parvum are inhibitory to potential grazers (ciliates). It is proposed that allelopathy is an important process in the ecology of P. parvum.


Though fatigue appears a constant of this pandemic year, I argue that we may not all be living the same pandemic. I highlight the non-belonging of most racialized and colonized peoples to a world where flourishing is taken for granted as norm. To think this, I use the term "weariness." I want to evoke, wearing out, wearing down, as well as the medical concept of weathering. Drawing on Césaire, Fanon, Hartman, Scott, and Spillers, my concept of weariness articulates an exhausting and enduring experience—the eroding, grating, and crumbling of racialized flesh—through repetitive colonial duration, not simply for a year, but over a longue durée. I read this as a wounding that needs to be thought not simply in terms of health outcomes and disease, but in terms of affective experience and dismembered possibility.


This study explores the utilization of information accidentally accessible in the environment when solving a problem. It contrasts the spontaneous use with the prompted use of such information, i.e. it investigates the relationship between the degree of a priori confidence in the relevance of the information and its efficient use. Three degrees are considered close pragmatic distance (explicit hint to use it), intermediate (no instructions), and far pragmatic distance (discouraging its utilization claiming that it is irrelevant). The results are surprising: in this particular case the hint has a negative effect inhibiting the correct solution of the problem, while the far condition has a positive effect. These results are explained within the dynamic theory of context in terms of the performance of two different mechanisms used in the DUAL cognitive architecture strategic vs. automatic retrieval.


Thomas Piketty's book Les hauts revenus en France au XXe siecle is based on a systematic examination of administrative data dating back to the creation of income tax in 1914. In it, Piketty provides an original analysis of the evolution of income distribution in France over the twentieth century and the role played by the taxation of income. Falling squarely in the tradition of the pioneering work on the history of inequality in the United States undertaken fifty years ago by Simon Kuznets, the book is discussed in a series of brief articles by Francois Bourguignon and Gilles Postel-Vinay. In the final article, Piketty responds to their comments.


This paper outlines the development of a data-driven, fine pitch component placement machine, PPA-A, which is an integrated robotic workcell developed for attaching fine pitch integrated circuit components to printed circuit boards. In particular, the objectives for the machine are reviewed, and an overview of the solution is given. Problems encountered during the development are discussed, and details of the algorithms developed to solve these problems are given. These problems relate to achieving very precise placement of components, and are solved by novel calibration and execution schemes.<<ETX>>


Bonding degradation at interface is one of main damage forms of composites, especially under fatigue loading. Interfacial bonding degradation of FRC under two-stage tension loading is studied, which is base for variable-amplitude cyclic loading existing widely in actual engineering. Based on the shear-lag model and considered the asymmetry of interfacial damage, the mechanical governing equations of fiber and matrix are established and related solutions are obtained firstly. Two kinds of loading models are chosen, one is low-high alternate loading, and the other is low early and high late loading. By the aid of the Paris law and the energy release theory, a relationship between debond rate and cycle number is established. Then the interfacial debonding is simulated under the two-stage tension loading. The rules of the crack growth are analyzed for low-high two-stage loadings. It is found that stress amplitude has great influence on interfacial debonding under two-stage loading. Low stress amplitude in a certain range can postpone interfacial bonding degradation. And interfacial damage extent is greater than that under constant-amplitude fatigue loading. Present study is helpful for analyzing the fatigue damage of engineering materials and structures.


ABSTRACT Background and Purpose A tubeless PCNL can reduce postoperative pain, the need for analgesics, hospital stay, and postoperative urinary leakage. However, perioperative or delayed bleeding remains the primary postoperative concern. We demonstrate a simple and cost-effective method to develop a clear nephrostomy tract after completion of a tubeless PCNL. Materials and Methods Four consecutive patients with renal calculi >3cm underwent a tubeless PCNL. We used a 24 Fr nephroscope and a 24 Fr transurethral resectoscope. Intraoperative urologist-directed percutaneous renal access was performed under fluoroscopy. After calculi removal, active bleeders were identified via a clear Amplatz renal sheath. The sheath provided excellent visualization of the nephrostomy tract for the detection of bleeders and surrounding structures. Bleeders were electrocauterized using a roller barrel electrode. During extraction of the renal sheath, the surgeon can confirm hemostasis in the tract and apply intermittent suction. Results Bleeding primarily originated from the torn calyeceal mucosa and the parenchyma. Tract electrocauterization was successful. All patients had mild hematuria, which resolved within two days. The average hemoglobin decrease was 1.65g/dL (0.8-2.1) and no patients required a transfusion. No perioperative complications occurred. On postoperative day 2, the patients could ambulate without a Foley catheter. During three months of follow-up, delayed bleeding or percutaneous urine leakage did not occur. Conclusions Electrocauterization with a roller barrel electrode and a clear Amplatz renal sheath is an effective method to obtain hemostasis after completion of a PCNL. Our technique is cost-effective and readily adapted without the need for additional instruments.


Because of growing concern about the impact of emissions from the transport sector on global climate change, vehicle energy consumption is a factor of great interest to network planners. In addition, drivers are interested in reducing energy consumption and, thus, fuel costs. However, traditional models of vehicle energy consumption have neglected an important factor: road grade. This assumption has traditionally been supported by the idea that the energy consumed because of the road grade would be reflected in changes in speed and acceleration, but a demonstration of this on an aggregate network in a city of a realistic size has been difficult to show. This work demonstrated the impact of road grade on networkwide vehicle energy consumption by the integration of energy consumption equations based on road load equations, elevation data available from the Google Elevation advanced programming interface, and a dynamic traffic assignment model to capture the effect of user route choice. This work quantified the impact of the energy consumed because of road grades on two city networks, and the results indicate that the effects of grades should not be excluded from evaluations of vehicle energy consumption. In addition, the effects of eco-routing, in which drivers choose the shortest path that consumes the least amount of energy, were explored. The results for the city networks indicate that if drivers do not account for grades, they might choose a route that actually increases vehicle energy consumption. The proposed modeling tool is scalable and easily adaptable to different cities.


In this article we utilize the time respondents require to answer a self-administered online stated preference survey. While the effects of response time have been previously explored, this article proposes a different approach that explicitly recognizes the highly equivocal relationship between response time and respondents' choices. In particular, we attempt to disentangle preference, variance and processing heterogeneity and explore whether response time helps to explain these three types of heterogeneity. For this, we divide the data (ordered by response time) into approximately equal-sized subsets, and then derive different class membership probabilities for each subset. We estimate a large number of candidate models and subsequently conduct a frequentist-based model averaging approach using information criteria to derive weights of evidence for each model. Our findings show a clear link between response time and utility coefficients, error variance and processing strategies. Our results thus emphasize the importance of considering response time when modeling stated choice data.


: Based on the main tasks of hygienic support of balanced diet of the population, we consider different issues of disinfection contribution in:food safety, prevention of the emergence and dissemination of relevant infectious and noninfectious diseases, quality disruption of foodstuffs under various biological pathogens (bacteria, protozoa, helminthes, arthropods, rodents), which are the causative agents of human disease vectors or natural reservoirs of pathogens. The need to involve the disinfection competence in ensuring the safety and security of canned food, as well as the products long-term storage is stressed. Paper deals with factors, key for effectiveness of disinfection and, therefore, epidemiological and hygienic safety of the equipment and facilities, food industries and food service. We consider the need to take into account advantageous properties and shortcomings of some groups of disinfectants in terms both of microbicidal effectiveness and of their toxic safety, compatibility with the materials of processed objects, ease of use, etc. The focus is made on the need to select some disinfection technology in terms of the primary objective and current conditions taking the type and attributes of the relevant biological pathogens into account.


Objective: To review the chemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical efficacy, tolerability, dosage, and administration of omadacycline, a new tetracycline antibiotic. Data Sources: A literature search through PubMed, Google Scholar, and clinicaltrials.gov was conducted (2008 to October 2018) using the search terms omadacycline and PTK-0796. Abstracts presented at recent conferences, prescribing information and information from the FDA and the manufacturer's website were reviewed. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Preclinical data and published phase 1, 2, and 3 studies were evaluated. Data Synthesis: Omadacycline displays in vitro activity against a wide range of bacteria. Clinical trials have shown that omadacycline is noninferior to linezolid for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) and noninferior to moxifloxacin for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP). A loading dose of 200 mg intravenously (IV) once or 100 mg IV twice or 450 mg orally for two days is recommended followed by a maintenance dose of 100 mg IV or 300 mg orally once daily. No dosage adjustment is needed in patients with renal or hepatic impairment. Omadacycline is well tolerated, with nausea being a common adverse effect, but is associated with food and drug interactions. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: Omadacycline is active against staphylococci, including methicillin-resistant strains, and streptococci, including tetracycline-resistant strains, as well as atypical bacteria. Omadacycline provides clinicians with an additional parenteral and oral option for the treatment of adults with ABSSSI and CABP. Conclusion: Omadacycline is an alternative treatment option for ABSSSI and CABP.


Introduction. In patients with end-stage chronic renal failure (ESRD), renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is detected more often than in the general population. In order to improve the results of treatment of this category of patients, we conducted a retrospective analysis of our own experience. Materials and methods. In the period from 2010 to 2020, 26 patients undergoing hemodialysis underwent a nephrectomy for RСС in the State hospital № 52, Moscow Department of Health. To identify predictors of RCC, 100 patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment over the specified period were randomly selected as a control group. Results. Significant risk factors for RСС were only male (AOR 5.1; 95%CI 1.34-14.4; p=0.015) and acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD), (AOR 3.2; 95% CI 1.56-16.43; p=0.008). There was a bimodal increase in the frequency of RСС: in the first year after the start of hemodialysis and 5 years later. After nephrectomy, only in one case there was bleeding due to systemic hypocoagulation. Hyperkalemia was observed in 5 (19.2%) patients immediately after laparoscopic nephrectomy. Based on the TNM stage, the UICC nomogram (University of California Los Angeles Integrated Staging System) and the Leibovich score, a favorable cancer prognosis was observed in 17 (65.4%) patients. The median follow - up for patients after nephrectomy was 20 months (Q1-Q3: 8.5- 45 months), the minimum period was 2 months, and the maximum period was 72 months. In no case was there any progression of RCC. Conclusion. Male patients with ACDK are at high risk of developing RCC. After laparoscopic nephrectomy shown to control the level of potassium the blood. The vast majority of patients after surgical treatment have a favorable oncological prognosis and may be considered for kidney transplantation without an additional follow-up period.


FPGA interconnect traditionally dominates energy and delay, and designs such as low-swing interconnect have been proven to reduce the interconnect burden for low energy FPGAs. This paper presents an optimized low-swing interconnect for FPGAs operating in the sub-threshold region. We also address signal degradation along lengthy interconnect paths and examine strategies for inserting low-switching-threshold repeaters. A 130nm test chip implementing low-swing interconnect meshes with different circuit parameters is measured. The results show that optimization of the low-swing interconnect provides up to 60.2% lower energy-delay-product (EDP) than a straightforward, un-optimized low-swing design at VDD = 0.4V. Furthermore, the simulation results show that the optimized low-swing interconnect is 97.7% faster and 42.7% lower energy than a traditional uni-directional interconnect at VDD = 0.4V.


This article presents an analysis of the distribution and syntactic behavior of the English expression slash, as in John is a linguist slash musician. The interpretation of this 'effable slash' is largely equivalent to intersective and, but it differs from other connective devices like Latin cum, N–N compounding and the orthographic slash . A corpus study of American English finds that slash is productive in this use. Its syntactic properties confirm its status as coordinator, but it is distinguished from standard coordinators and and or, in that it imposes category restrictions on the conjuncts: it cannot coordinate full clauses or noun phrases with determiners. I propose that words like slash, period and quote form a class of 'effable punctuation' that entered the spoken language from writing. In sum, by incorporating slash into the grammar of English, I argue that slash is a rare example of innovation in a 'very closed' functional category.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate a course called 'Oral Presentation and Advanced Reading Skills' in higher education in Turkey. Subjects were 86 students from science and social sciences departments. Data was collected through responsive and holistic approaches. Results indicate that higher education learners consider a course on oral presentation skills as indispensable in higher education. Although highly motivated, exter- nal variables such as assessment, no sufficient amount of speaking skills during prior education in L2 may means to adopt a speaking anxiety in front of an audience. Results suggest a need for practicing speaking skills in small groups by employing peer evaluation techniques.


Approximate computing has emerged as a new design paradigm in wide variety error resilient applications to decrease the hardware cost in an acceptable deviation from the nominal output values. In this paper, a logic approximation technique is proposed which takes the advantage of error budget in error tolerant applications to achieve an approximation circuit with smaller area and latency. Moreover, a heuristic is proposed to prune the search space, which increases the scalability of the proposed technique. The results show 38.3% reduction in area and 26.6× speed up compared to the state-of-the-art approximation techniques.


the residents. The global session and tutor evaluation scores were 8 out of 10; 94% of the residents considered the themes treated during the sessions as adequate. 90% of the residents took the exam, 68% of them passed it. In the last 3 years the percentage of passed residents increased progressively to 81%. Conclusion(s): The session assistance and the exam participation were high. A progressive increase of passed exams was observed. Common sessions, assistance control and the final exam were well accepted. A unified way of teaching allowed us to achieve a more homogenous education and it was a great help in tutor mentoring and in warranting a standard formation. These results encourage us to apply and improve this teaching model in the future. Reference: 1. European Board of Anaesthesiology. Training Guidelines in Anaesthesia or the European Board of Anaesthesiology Reanimation and Intensive Care. Eur J Anaesth 2008;25: 528-30.


Abstract We study asymptotic growth of closed geodesies for various Riemannian metrics on a compact manifold which carries a metric of negative sectional curvature. Our approach makes use of both variational and dynamical description of geodesies and can be described as an asymptotic version of length-area method. We also obtain various inequalities between topological and measure-theoretic entropies of the geodesic flows for different metrics on the same manifold. Our method works especially well for any metric conformally equivalent to a metric of constant negative curvature. For a surface with negative Euler characteristics every Riemannian metric has this property due to a classical regularization theorem. This allows us to prove that every metric of non-constant curvature has strictly more close geodesies of length at most T for sufficiently large T then any metric of constant curvature of the same total area. In addition the common value of topological and measure-theoretic entropies for metrics of constant negative curvature with the fixed area separates the values of two entropies for other metrics with the same area.


In this work, we examine the polynomial invariants of the special Euclidean group in three dimensions, SE(3), in its action on multiple screw systems. We look at the problem of finding generating sets for these invariant subalgebras, and also briefly describe the invariants for the standard actions on R^n of both SE(3) and SO(3). The problem of the screw system action is then approached using SAGBI basis techniques, which are used to find invariants for the translational subaction of SE(3), including a full basis in the one and two-screw cases. These are then compared to the known invariants of the rotational subaction. In the one and two-screw cases, we successfully derive a full basis for the SE(3) invariants, while in the three-screw case, we suggest some possible lines of approach.


This is a book about the economic and social realities of a world that existed in the Middle East up to our days, seen through the Kaleidoscope of one important town - Jerusalem. The reconstruction of all the guilds that functioned during the Ottoman period draws on the untapped archives of the local court of Muslim Jerusalem (XVIth-XVIIIth centuries) - but it includes a plethora of information on the Christians and Jews of that town who actively participated in its economic life. About 50 different guilds are described: Goldsmiths and blacksmiths, tourist guides and undertakers, tailors and carpenters, soap makers and cotton weavers, beauticians and bookbinders. The modus operandi of each guild, and of the system as a whole, are analysed and presented for the first time as precursers of civil society. The book holds also 19 original documents - facsimiles plus translations - illustrating the activity of several central guilds.


ABSTRACT The Victorian Government requires councils to create a disability action plan or discuss inclusion in their council plan. Disability action plans aim to reduce barriers in accessing goods, services or facilities and to reduce discrimination. With public libraries in Victoria being managed by councils either individually or in a corporation, these action plans have the potential to directly impact on the community via library services. Using qualitative and quantitative document analysis, a total of 31 Victorian councils or library corporation disability action plans were analysed to understand what these plans saw as the action areas for libraries working with people with a disability. It was found that definitions of disability in these action plans broadly matched with the wider disability and libraries literature, with most councils in Victoria having an online action plan but comparatively few library corporations having the same. Libraries were largely discussed in relation to six theme areas (Access; Certification; Collections; Programming; Technology; and Training). An overall summary indicates that libraries involvement in council disability action plans is less detailed than in some library corporation action plans.


The rapid growth in computer graphics and digital cameras has resulted in computer users being able to easily produce digital images. As a result, the need to display and print digital images has increased. Nowadays, high-resolution display and printing devices are available to users. Therefore, high-resolution images are needed in order to produce high quality displayed images and high quality prints. However, since high-re solution images are not usually provided, there is a need to magnify the original images. Previous methods on magnifying images have the disadvantage that either the sharpness of the edges cannot be preserved or that some distinct artifacts are produced in the magnified image. In this paper, we present a novel method for doubling the size of images in which the sharpness of the edges is preserved without introducing distinct artifacts in the magnified images. The proposed method consists of two steps, first generation of an initial magnified image and then progressively refining this image to produce a high quality magnified image. The experimental results show that with the proposed method it is possible to produce magnified images of comparable, and in some cases superior, visual quality to those produced using previous methods.


We recently demonstrated that alloy composition can be used to fine tune the position of the Fermi level in Co1xFexS2 alloys leading to composition-controlled spin polarization and the ability to engineer high conduction electron spin polarizations of up to 85%. We present here a comprehensive experimental investigation of the structure, stoichiometry, magnetic, magnetotransport, and thermodynamic properties of bulk polycrystalline solid solutions of Co1xFexS2. These data are supplemented with direct measurements of the spin polarization at the Fermi level by point contact Andreev reflection PCAR and first principles electronic structure calculations. The compositions studied are in the range 0.0x0.30, the most relevant part of the phase space in terms of composition control over high spin polarization. By measuring the Fe doping dependence of the saturation magnetization, high field magnetoresistance, and anisotropic magnetoresistance, and combining them with PCAR, we are able to show that Fe doping first leads to a crossover from minority to majority spin polarization, followed by attainment of a highly spin polarized state for x0.07. The experimentally determined spin polarization can be tuned by alloy composition between 57%x=0 and +85%x=0.15. The evolution of the magnetic, transport, and thermodynamic properties with increasing Fe doping is discussed in terms of the composition dependence of the conduction electron spin polarization and the spin-dependent band structure.


Symmetry group methods are applied to obtain all explicit group-invariant radial solutions to a class of semilinear Schrodinger equations in dimensions n ≠ 1. Both focusing and defocusing cases of a power nonlinearity are considered, including the special case of the pseudo-conformal power p = 4/n relevant for critical dynamics. The methods involve, first, reduction of the Schrodinger equations to group-invariant semilinear complex 2nd order ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with respect to an optimal set of one-dimensional point symmetry groups, and second, use of inherited symmetries, hidden symmetries, and conditional symmetries to solve each ODE by quadratures. Through Noether's theorem, all conservation laws arising from these point symmetry groups are listed. Some group-invariant solutions are found to exist for values of n other than just positive integers, and in such cases an alternative two-dimensional form of the Schrodinger equations involving an extra modulation term with a parameter m =...


: Cohen syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by hypotonia, mental retardation, microcephalia, typical craniofacial features, myopia and chorioretinal dystrophy. The responsible gene has been mapped to chromosome 8q 22 (COH 1). Since it was described more than 100 patients have been reported. However, none of them has been associated with vascular rings. Our hospital has studied eight pediatric cases and 25% of them were related with vascular rings.


Adipose tissue-derived adipokines play important roles in controlling systemic insulin sensitivity and energy balance. Our recent efforts to identify novel metabolic mediators produced by adipose tissue have led to the discovery of a highly conserved family of secreted proteins, designated as C1q/TNF-related proteins 1–10 (CTRP1 to -10). However, physiological functions regulated by CTRPs are largely unknown. Here we provide the first in vivo functional characterization of CTRP3. We show that circulating levels of CTRP3 are inversely correlated with leptin levels; CTRP3 increases with fasting, decreases in diet-induced obese mice with high leptin levels, and increases in leptin-deficient ob/ob mice. A modest 3-fold elevation of plasma CTRP3 levels by recombinant protein administration is sufficient to lower glucose levels in normal and insulin-resistant ob/ob mice, without altering insulin or adiponectin levels. The glucose-lowering effect in mice is linked to activation of the Akt signaling pathway in liver and a marked suppression of hepatic gluconeogenic gene expression. Consistent with its effects in mice, CTRP3 acts directly and independently of insulin to regulate gluconeogenesis in cultured hepatocytes. In humans, alternative splicing generates two circulating CTRP3 isoforms differing in size and glycosylation pattern. The two human proteins form hetero-oligomers, an association that does not require interdisulfide bond formation and appears to protect the longer isoform from proteolytic cleavage. Recombinant human CTRP3 also reduces glucose output in hepatocytes by suppressing gluconeogenic enzyme expression. This study provides the first functional evidence linking CTRP3 to hepatic glucose metabolism and establishes CTRP3 as a novel adipokine.


BACKGROUND
Inappropriate use of antibiotics is a major clinical problem and public health concern. We developed and implemented a pilot hospitalist-delivered academic detailing intervention to improve the patterns of antibiotic prescribing for inpatients.

OBJECTIVE
To improve antibiotic prescribing patterns on the hospitalist service of an academic medical center.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Hospitalist practitioners were recruited to participate in this pre- and postintervention pilot study at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center (JHBMC). Public health principles for creating a conceptual framework based on behavioral change theory were used in developing the intervention.

METHODS
Antibiotic prescribing patterns of 17 hospitalist practitioners were retrospectively reviewed. Antimicrobial prescriptions were classified as appropriate, effective but inappropriate, or inappropriate. A profile was assembled for each hospitalist, and an academic detailing intervention session was arranged. The session reviewed inappropriate prescribing practices as well as current practice guidelines. After the detailing meeting, the prescribing patterns of the hospitalists were followed prospectively.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The main outcome measures were the proportions of antibiotics prescribed inappropriately before the intervention, during the detailing period, and after the intervention.

RESULTS
Seventeen hospitalist practitioners who participated in the study. A total of 247 prescriptions were reviewed in the preintervention and 129 prescriptions in the postintervention period. Prior to academic detailing, 43% (95% CI 37%-49%) of the prescriptions were appropriate and 57% (95% CI 51%-63%) were inappropriate. After the intervention, 74% (95% CI 65%-81%) of the prescriptions were appropriate and 26% (95% CI 19%-35%) were inappropriate; P < .0001.

CONCLUSIONS
A carefully planned and methodically executed intervention can result in behavior change, even among busy hospitalists. The academic detailing intervention, which included a practice-based learning component, improved antibiotic prescribing practices of hospitalists at JHBMC.


The influence of superimposed thermal buoyancy on hydrodynamic and thermal transport across a semicircular cylinder is investigated through numerical simulation. The cylinder is fixed in an unconfined medium and interacted with an incompressible and uniform incoming flow. Two different orientations of the cylinder are considered: one when the curved surface is exposed to the incoming flow and the other when the flat surface is facing the flow. The flow Reynolds number is varied from 50 to 150, keeping the Prandtl number fixed (Pr = 0.71). The effect of superimposed thermal buoyancy is brought about by varying the Richardson number in the range 0 ≤ Ri ≤ 2. The unsteady two-dimensional governing equations are solved by deploying a finite volume method based on the PISO (Pressure Implicit with Splitting of Operator) algorithm. The flow and heat transfer characteristics are analyzed with the streamline and isotherm patterns at various Reynolds and Richardson numbers. The dimensionless frequency of vortex shedding (Strouhal number), drag, lift and pressure coefficients, and Nusselt numbers are presented and discussed. Substantial differences in the global flow and heat transfer quantities are observed for the two different configurations of the obstacle chosen in the study. Additionally, intriguing effects of thermal buoyancy can be witnessed. It is established that heat transfer rate differs significantly under the superimposed thermal buoyancy condition for the two different orientations of the obstacle.


Both bulk rotation and local turbulence have been widely suggested to drive the fragmentation in collapsing cores that produces multiple star systems. Even when the two mechanisms predict different alignments for stellar spins and orbits, subsequent internal or external interactions can drive multiple systems toward or away from alignment, thus masking their formation processes. Here, we demonstrate that the geometrical and dynamical relationship between a binary system and its surrounding bulk envelope provide the crucial distinction between fragmentation models. We find that the circumstellar disks of the binary protostellar system L1551 IRS 5 are closely parallel, not just with each other but also with their surrounding flattened envelope. Measurements of the relative proper motion of the binary components spanning nearly 30 years indicate an orbital motion related to that of the envelope rotation. Eliminating orbital solutions whereby the circumstellar disks would be tidally truncated to sizes smaller than observed, the remaining solutions favor a circular or low-eccentricity orbit tilted by up to ∼25° from the circumstellar disks. Turbulence-driven fragmentation can generate local angular momentum to produce a coplanar binary system, but this would have no particular relationship to the system's surrounding envelope. Instead, the observed properties conform with predictions for rotationally driven fragmentation. If the fragments were produced at different heights or on opposite sides of the mid-plane in the flattened central region of a rotating core, the resulting protostars would then exhibit circumstellar disks parallel with the surrounding envelope but tilted from the orbital plane, as is observed.


Lake Poerua is a small, shallow lake that abuts the scarp of the Alpine Fault on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Radiocarbon dates from drowned podocarp trees on the lake floor, a sediment core from a rangefront alluvial fan, and living tree ring ages have been used to deduce the late Holocene history of the lake. Remnant drowned stumps of kahikatea ( Dacrycarpus dacrydioides) at 1.7–1.9 m water depth yield a preferred time-ofdeath age at 1766–1807 AD, while a dryland podocarp and kahikatea stumps at 2.4–2.6 m yield preferred time-of-death ages of ca. 1459–1626 AD. These age ranges are matched to, but offset from, the timings of Alpine Fault rupture events at ca. 1717 AD, and either ca. 1615 or 1430 AD. Alluvial fan detritus dated from a core into the toe of a rangefront alluvial fan, at an equivalent depth to the maximum depth of the modern lake (6.7 m), yields a calibrated age of AD 1223–1413. This age is similar to the timing of an earlier Alpine Fault rupture event at ca. 1230 AD ± 50 yr. Kahikatea trees growing on rangefront fans give ages of up to 270 yr, which is consistent with alluvial fan aggradation following the 1717 AD earthquake. The elevation levels of the lake and fan imply a causal and chronological link between lake-level rise and Alpine Fault rupture. The results of this study suggest that the growth of large, coalescing alluvial fans (Dry and Evans Creek fans) originating from landslides within the rangefront of the Alpine Fault and the rise in the level of Lake Poerua may occur within a decade or so of large Alpine Fault earthquakes that rupture adjacent to this area. These rises have in turn drowned lowland forests that fringed the lake. Radiocarbon chronologies built using OxCal show that a series of massive landscape changes beginning with fault rupture, followed by landsliding, fan sedimentation and lake expansion. However, drowned Kahikatea trees may be poor candidates for intimately dating these events, as they may be able to tolerate water for several decades after metre-scale lake level rises have occurred.


We previously reported that combination therapy with an α-glucosidase inhibitor (αGI) and a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor increased active glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels and decreased total glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) levels, compared with monotherapy, in non-diabetic men. However, the peptide YY (PYY), cholecystokinin (CCK), ghrelin, and obestatin levels in patients receiving a combination of αGIs and DPP-4 inhibitors have not been previously reported. We evaluated the effect of miglitol, vildagliptin, or their combination on these parameters. Miglitol and/or vildagliptin were administered according to four different intake schedules in eleven non-diabetic men (C: no drug, M: miglitol; V: vildagliptin, M+V: miglitol+vildagliptin). Blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, and 120 min after the start of breakfast. The plasma glucose, serum insulin, serum total PYY (PYY1-36 and PYY3-36), plasma CCK, plasma active ghrelin, and plasma obestatin levels were measured. The area under the curve (AUC) of the serum total PYY level in the M group was significantly greater than that in the C group, and the AUC of the serum total PYY level in the M+V group was significantly lower than that in the M group. The combination therapy did not change the AUC of the plasma CCK, plasma active ghrelin, plasma obestatin, and ghrelin/obestatin levels, compared with the control. The results of our study suggested that combination therapy with miglitol and vildagliptin had no effect on appetite regulation hormones, such as total PYY, CCK, active ghrelin, and obestatin, compared with the levels in the control group.


2, Abstract Background and aim: Today, the environmental pollution caused by fire-proof break producing factories is one of the critical and challenging issues in our country. Aerosols emission concentration of the factory stacks and determining of bag filters efficiency were aims of this study Methods : in this research, the concentration of emitting dust from 6 stacks related to Kaolin preparation, Calcinatory, Shamout, Specific mass, Extrude Furnace and Shuttle Furnace units were measured during 2006-2008. Also, the efficiency of bag filters of Kaolin preparation, Calcinatory, Shamut, Specific mass units were determined in 2008. Devices M9096 Particulate Sampling Train and DURAG model (D-RC 80) were used in this research. Results : the rates of dust concentrations in years 2006-9 in Kaolin unit were; 284, 112 and 12.5 mg/m3, in Shamout unit were; 120, 140 and 73 mg/m3, in Calcinatory were; 178, 179 and 173 mg/m3, in Specific Mass were; 291, 283 and 60 mg/m3, in Shuttle Furnace were; 14.7, 14.3 and 14.8 and in Extrude Furnace were; 12.6, 13.7 and 12.7 mg/m³. Efficiency of bag filters was 99.896% for Kaolin unit, 96.499% for Shamout unit, 92.348% for Calcinatory and 99.782% for Specific Mass unit. Conclusion : During 2006 and 2007 the rate of dust emission in Kaolin preparation, Calcinatory and Specific mass have exceeded than the national emission standard but in 2008, the rate of dust emission from Kaolin Preparation and Specific Mass units were extensively reduced to the lower than national emission standard limit due to proper maintenance and replacing of damaged parts in time. Efficiency of bag filters has been ideal in Kaolin unit and Specific Mass unit but it was low in Shamout and Calcinatory units.


In February of 2005, The American Psychiatric Association (APA), National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), and the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) released a statement publicly criticising the use of evidence-based research reviews for policy decisions affecting patients. Further, they argued against the use of evidence-based standards to guide reimbursement for healthcare services. We reviewed the statement and are concerned that many of the arguments are incorrect or misleading. In this note, we offer our responses by reproducing quotes from the APA-NAMI-NMHA statement and commenting on the merits of the arguments.

The statement suggests that clinical experience should be given great weight in evidence-based decisions. The statement argues:

"… true evidence-based approaches marry all available and appropriate scientific research with clinical experience to ensure treatments lead to the best possible outcomes."

We agree that clinical expertise is essential to discern which treatments supported by scientific evidence best match the needs and preferences of particular patients. In the best and most widely quoted definition of evidence-based medicine, Eddy states "Evidence-based medicine is the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values."1 However, clinical judgment is known to vary2 even among experts. Dr Eddy reports widely divergent estimates of breast cancer implant rupture rates by 58 experts (around 50% of experts estimate a 10% or lower implant rupture rate and 20% estimate a 75% or higher rupture rate with the rest scattered in between); he has reported similar findings for experts' judgment in other health conditions.

One of the reasons that evidence-based guidelines have come to replace strictly clinical judgment is that there is substantial evidence for regional variation in the application of medical care.3–,5 For example, Medicare spends nearly twice as much for each Southern California recipient in comparison to each recipient …


This research guide provides tips for getting started with research in Ethnic & Women's Studies and describes useful research tools and resources.


We present optical, infrared (IR) and radio observations of the powerful Fanaroff–Riley type II (FR II) radio source PKS 0347+05 (z = 0.3390), and demonstrate that it is a rare example of a radio-loud/radio-quiet double active galactic nucleus (AGN) system, comprising a weak-line radio galaxy (WLRG) separated by 25 kpc (in projection) from a Seyfert 1 nucleus at the same redshift. Our deep Gemini optical images show a highly disturbed morphology, with a warped dust lane crossing through the halo and nuclear regions of the radio galaxy host, tidal tails and a bridge connecting the radio galaxy to the Seyfert 1 nucleus. Spectral synthesis modelling of our Gemini optical spectrum of the radio galaxy shows evidence for a reddened young stellar population of age ≤100 Myr. Further evidence for recent star formation activity in this source is provided by the detection of strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon features in mid-IR Spitzer/IRS spectra. Together, these observations support a model in which both AGN have been triggered simultaneously in a major galaxy merger. However, despite the presence of a powerful FR II radio source, and the apparently plentiful supply of fuel provided by the merger, the nucleus of the radio galaxy shows only weak, low-ionization emission-line activity. We speculate that the fuel supply to nuclear regions of the radio galaxy has recently switched off (within the last ∼106 yr), but the information about the resulting decrease in nuclear AGN activity has yet to reach the extended lobes and hotspots of the FR II radio source. Based on this scenario, we derive a lower limit on the typical lifetimes of powerful, intermediate-redshift FR II radio sources of τFR II 5×106 yr. Overall, our observations emphasize that the fuelling of AGN activity in major galaxy mergers is likely to be highly intermittent.


The development of social work professional identity is characterized by internalization of the knowledge, skills, values, and mission of social work, and begins with and is shaped by the content, and interactions, as well as student experiences within the context of the social work education curricula. This Banded Dissertation comprising three products centers on the development of professional identity within undergraduate social work education. The first product is a qualitative study in which the author examined student perceptions of professional identity, student definitions and perceptions of how social work education shapes students' professional identity. Findings showed that intentional development of professional identity is essential for social work education; as such, field education has a significant role in professional identity development. The second product is a conceptual paper focusing on professional identity development in the context of field education. Utilizing symbolic interactionism as a theoretical framework, the paper examined factors affecting student professional identity development within the context of social work field education and discusses implications for field instructors and field education curricula. The third product is a presentation of product 2 at the Council on Social Work Education's 63rd Annual Program Meeting in October of 2017. This presentation outlined current research on professional identity development through the lens of symbolic interactionism, focusing on field education. The three products of this Banded Dissertation emphasize professional identity development as an essential function of social work education. This work has implications for social work educators seeking to develop curricula to assist students in their development of a strong professional identity.