Introduction The aim of this scoping review was to examine and synthesise literature on adaptive equipment use for personal care and mobility after stroke. Method We searched databases including Medline, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL and Scopus to February 2016. Two authors independently screened 789 titles, identifying 28 studies for inclusion in the review. Results Findings were grouped into four themes: (1) stroke-specific impairments and consequences for equipment use and training; (2) meaning of equipment for people with stroke; (3) cost of equipment after stroke; and (4) conflicts between equipment provision and models of stroke rehabilitation. Conclusion The wide range of impairments after stroke increases complexity of how people use equipment. Nonetheless, training needs and the relationship between social context, identity and equipment use are increasingly better understood,. The findings highlight a tension between practice that seeks to re-train function by 'normal' movement without equipment and restoration of function by using compensation strategies involving use of equipment. However, there is no evidence that compensation strategies impede recovery of physical abilities. High-quality evidence about costs of equipment after stroke, which could inform policy decisions, is urgently needed.


The Northwest Indiana Coincident Index was developed by the School of Business and Economics at Indiana University Northwest. The monthly release provides a snapshot of the health of the economy for the region and a forecast for the next six months.


A magnetic-field-induced valence transition of Eu(Rh1−xIrx)2Si2 (x = 0.3) has been examined using soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements up to 39.3 T. At 9 K, the Eu valence number takes a value of 2.65 (±0.03) at 0 T and decreases abruptly to 2.33 (±0.03) at the transition around 22 T. Above the transition field, the magnetization of the Eu2+ component saturates, although the Van Vleck paramagnetism of the Eu3+ linearly increases and reaches 0.65 μB/Eu3+ at 39 T. The valence determined by XAS and the saturation value of the bulk magnetization are mutually consistent. It is found that the transition field determined by XMCD differs from that of the bulk magnetization. To interpret the discrepancy, we discuss the sample inhomogeneity and the effect of the surface state.


We construct an A∞-category D(C|B) from a given A∞-category C and its full subcategory B. The construction is similar to a particular case of Drinfeld's construction of the quotient of differential graded categories [Dri04]. We use D(C|B) to construct an A∞-functor of K-injective resolutions of a complex, when the ground ring is a field. The conventional derived category is obtained as the 0-th cohomology of the quotient of the differential graded category of complexes over acyclic complexes. This result follows also from Drinfeld's theory of quotients of differential graded categories [Dri04]. In [Dri04] Drinfeld reviews and develops Keller's construction of the quotient of differential graded categories [Kel99] and gives a new construction of the quotient. This construction consists of two parts. The first part replaces given pair B ⊂ C of a differential graded category C and its full subcategory B with another such pair B̃ ⊂ C̃, where C̃ is homotopically flat over the ground ring k (K-flat) [Dri04, Section 3.3], and there is a quasi-equivalence C̃ → C [Dri04, Section 2.3]. The first step is not needed, when C is already homotopically flat, for instance, when k is a field. In the second part a new differential graded category C/B is produced from a given pair B ⊂ C, by adding to C new morphisms εU : U → U of degree −1 for every object U of B, such that d(εU) = idU . In the present article we study an A∞-analogue of the second part of Drinfeld's construction. Namely, to a given pair B ⊂ C of an A∞-category C and its full subcategory B we associate another A∞-category D(C|B) via a construction related to the bar resolution of C. The A∞-category D(C|B) plays the role of the quotient of C over B in some cases, for instance, when k is a field. When C is a differential graded category, D(C|B) is precisely the category C/B constructed by Drinfeld [Dri04, Section 3.1]. Institute of Mathematics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 3 Tereshchenkivska st., Kyiv-4, 01601 MSP, Ukraine, email@example.com The research of V. L. was supported in part by grant 01.07/132 of State Fund for Fundamental Research of Ukraine Department of Algebra, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Kyiv Taras Shevchenko University, 64 Volodymyrska st., Kyiv, 01033, Ukraine, email@example.com


Interaction networks are central elements of ecological systems and have very complex structures. Historically, much effort has focused on niche-mediated processes to explain these structures, while an emerging consensus posits that both niche and neutral mechanisms simultaneously shape many features of ecological communities. However, the study of interaction networks still lacks a comprehensive neutral theory. Here we present a neutral model of predator-prey interactions and analyze the structural characteristics of the simulated networks. We find that connectance values (complexity) and complexity-diversity relationships of neutral networks are close to those observed in empirical bipartite networks. High nestedness and low modularity values observed in neutral networks fall in the range of those from empirical antagonist bipartite networks. Our results suggest that, as an alternative to niche-mediated processes that induce incompatibility between species ("niche forbidden links"), neutral processes create "neutral forbidden links" due to uneven species abundance distributions and the low probability of interaction between rare species. Neutral trophic networks must be seen as the missing endpoint of a continuum from niche to purely stochastic approaches of community organization.


While Uganda has made significant efforts in reducing the proportion of individuals and households living below the absolute poverty line, nearly 10 percent of the households continue to live in persistent or chronic poverty with significant differences across geographical areas. Of all households classified aspoor in 2009/10, nearly 49 percent were chronically poor households and as such the poor are not a homogenous group. Compared to 1992-99 period, households in Uganda were found to be more vulnerable to poverty in the period 2005/6-2009/10. These observed changes in the nature and patterns of poverty dynamics in Uganda require government to move away from universal poverty reduction interventions that continue to treat the poor as a homogenous group. Otherwise, Uganda's achievement of the first millennium development goal of halving extreme income poverty earlier than 2015 might not be sustainable.The paper also examines the drivers of income inequality and finds that education remains the key determinant of income inequality. At the same time, income differences between regions are narrowing suggesting an indication of regional convergence on average income. While government's fiscal targeting of the lagging areas and rural areas might explain the observed convergence in average income across geographical areas, there are other emerging development challenges that require further refinement for the current targeting. Access to public extension programs such as the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), which are intended to enhance agricultural production and productivity is skewed to well-to-do households and not evenly distributed across region. Similar observations are noted in terms of access to community infrastructure. There is also need to ensure that the benefit of economic growth reach the poorest in a way that expands their opportunities.


Three-dimensional (3D) printing, as one of the additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, is transforming the design and manufacture of products and components across a variety of disciplines, however, architectural design and the construction industry have only recently begun to adopt these technologies for construction purposes. AM is considered one of the core technological advances in the paradigm shift to Industry 4.0 (the fourth industrial revolution). This term used to describe digitization and automation of the manufacturing environment and is widely recognized as a disruptive technology that could transform architectural design and the construction industry. The potential advantages of 3D printing in the construction sector are significant. They include not only improved environmental and financial resource efficiencies, but also, the capacity to produce complex customized designs for aesthetic and structural applications. As the cost of building houses continues to rise, it is crucial to find innovative ways to build houses efficiently and cost effectively. The earliest records of 3D printing date back to the 1980's and many industries—from manufacturing to medicine—were early adopters of the technologies resulting in many significant technological advances in those sectors from organ printing to aircraft fabrication. Currently available 3D printing technologies can be adopted for building construction and this paper discusses the applications, advantages, limitations and future directions of 3D printing as a viable solution for affordable house construction with a focus on printing architectural freeform elements. 3D printing offers a new and innovative method of house construction. For this study, an analytical, as well as a numerical model were specifically designed for 3D printing. Previous studies conducted found that the construction of a 3D printed truss-like roof in a cement mixture with high-density polyethylene (HDPE), spanning the entire structure, was structurally feasible in the absence of steel reinforcements. These results led us to investigate the feasibility of 3D printing an entire house without the use of reinforcements. Investigations were also performed on comparing flat-roof and arch-roof structures and found that whilst maximum tensile stresses within flat-roof would cause the concrete truss structure to fail, the HDPE cement mix in an arch-roof structure had reduced the maximum tensile stresses to an acceptable range to withstand loadings. At the time of writing this paper, several 3D printing techniques could be adopted for the purposes of 3D printing an entire house, and the team believes that future adaptations of existing technologies and printing materials could eliminate the current limitations of 3D printing and become common practice in house construction.


From a historical point of view land has constantly been a resource connected to survival and power. The increased demand for land is explained by several forces such as an growing population, which leads to a higher consumption, an increased market demand for food, biofuels and natural resources. Rising oil prices and climate change have increased the demand for biofuels, which in turn leads towards an increased large-scale mono cropping in the agricultural business. The Critical Discourse Analsysis contributes to an understanding that land grabbing is connected with the market, politics and climate change, which have severe effects on local people's livilehood and on the environment in terms of water use, ecosystems and biodiversity. The norms and values at the international level stimulates the discourse of land grabbing, where profit and economic growth is considered to create opportunities and development. The problems that surround land grabbing could be explained through that land and natural resources are treated as commondities instead of collective assests for survival and livelihood.


Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Androgen ablation is the mainstay of treatment for advanced prostate cancer. This therapy is very effective in androgen-dependent cancer; however, these cancers eventually become androgen independent, rendering anti-androgen therapy ineffective. The exploration of novel modalities of treatment is therefore essential to improve the prognosis of this neoplasia. Telomeres are specialized heterochromatin structures that act as protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. Telomere maintenance in the majority of tumor cells is achieved by telomerase, a reverse transcriptase enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of further telomeric DNA. Telomerase is detected in the majority of prostate cancers, but not in normal or benign prostatic hyperplasia tissue. Moreover, the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene, the catalytic subunit of telomerase, is regulated by androgens as well as by different oncogenes including Her-2, Ras, c-Myc and Bcl-2, which seem to play an important role in prostate cancer progression. Thus, telomerase may represent a very good candidate for targeted therapy in prostate tumors. To inhibit telomere maintenance by telomerase, approaches that directly target either telomerase and telomeres or the telomerase regulatory mechanisms have been used. Moreover, strategies targeting telomerase-positive cells as a means to directly kill the tumor cells have been tested. This review summarizes the most promising results achieved by anti-telomerase strategy in different solid tumors. Most of the telomerase-associated therapies described here have proved very promising for the treatment of prostate cancer. On the basis of the good results obtained and considering the multigenic defects of human tumors, including prostate cancer, the combination of anti-telomerase strategies with conventional drugs and/or molecules capable of interfering with oncogenic pathways could efficiently improve the response of this neoplasia.


Biodegradation—the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms—is an important groundwater process that occurs naturally and is especially important for the in situ cleanup of contaminated groundwater. Pollutant biodegradation follows well-established principles that are summarized in this book. The first principle is that the microorganisms must grow and sustain themselves by oxidizing an electron-donor substrate (food) and transferring the electrons to an electron-acceptor substrate (respiration). This electron flow generates energy that the microorganisms use to fuel biomass synthesis. Most pollutants are either an electron acceptor or an electron donor, which means that their biotransformation can grow and sustain the microorganisms. Accordingly, it is critical to understand whether a pollutant is an electron donor or electron acceptor. This book systematically describes the biodegradation mechanisms for common organic pollutants in groundwater: The author identifies if the pollutant behaves as an electron donor or acceptor, and points out when special activation reactions are necessary to initiate biodegradation and put the pollutant into a chemical form that allows it to be an energy-yielding electron donor or acceptor. Special attention is given to organics derived from petroleum and those that have chlorine, fluorine, and nitro substituents.


Abstract—In today's world, electrical energy has become an indispensable component of all aspects of modern human life. Reliability, security and stability are the key aspects of any power system. Failure to meet any of these three aspects results into a great impediment to modern life. Modern power systems are being subjected to heavily stressed conditions leading to voltage stability problems. If the voltage stability problems are not mitigated properly through proper voltage stability assessment methods, cascading events may occur which may lead to voltage collapse or blackout events. Modern FACTS devices like STATCOM are one of the measures to overcome the blackout problems. As these devices are very costly, they must be installed properly at suitable locations, mostly at weak bus. Line voltage stability indices such as FVSI, Lmn and LQP play important role for identification of a weak bus. This paper presents evaluation of these line stability indices for the assessment of reliable information about the closeness of the power system to voltage collapse. PSAT is a user-friendly MATLAB toolbox, of which CPF is an important feature which has been extensively used for the placement of STATCOM to assess the stability. Novelty of the present research work lies in that the active and reactive load has been changed simultaneously at all the load buses under consideration. MATLAB code has been developed for the same and tested successfully on various standard IEEE test systems. The results for standard IEEE14 bus test system, specifically, are presented in this paper.


Pervious concrete is one of the relatively recent additions to the class of sustainable multifunctional cement-based materials. The material design of pervious concretes relies on trial-and-error-based approaches since the larger porosity and pore size requirements make a minimal porosity-based approach adopted for conventional concretes non-viable. This paper reviews a particle packing-based methodology for pervious concrete material design using a compaction index from compressible packing model of granular particles as the defining parameter. The pore structure features of the thus designed pervious concretes are characterised using well-accepted stereological and morphological methods. A three-dimensional reconstruction procedure, from two-dimensional starting images, used to develop material structures in which performance (permeability) prediction algorithms can be implemented is also reviewed. Permeability of these model structures have been predicted using a Stokes' solver and a Lattice Boltzmann scheme, and compared to the experimentally determined permeability. A stochastic Monte-Carlo simulation is used to quantify the influence of pore structure features on the permeability of pervious concretes.


Based on a massive Gallup study of 2 million people, this book shows 1) individuals how to cultivate their own career strengths and strengths, 2) managers how to capitalize the talents of their people, and 3) executives how to build an entire organization around the talents of each employee. By the principal author of the national bestseller "First, Break All the Rules. " "Most Americans do not know what their strengths are. When you ask them, they look at you with a blank stare, or they respond in terms of subject knowledge, which is the wrong answer." With this remark last year, Peter Drucker captured an enduring and unfortunate truth: most of us fail to build our lives around our strengths and talents. Instead, guided by our parents, by our teachers, by our managers and by psychology's fascination with pathology, we become experts in our weaknesses and spend our lives trying to paper over these cracks. Our talents remain in the background, like sundials in the shade. This book will right our skewed perspective. It will throw light on each person's unique set of strengths and talents and show him how to focus and perfect these strengths. At the heart of the book is the StrengthFinder Profile, the product of a twenty-five year, multimillion dollar effort to identify the most prevalent human talents. Gallup has conducted psychological profiles with over 2 million individuals--from the world's best teachers to the world's best hockey players, from great nurses to great insurance salespeople. This last year the data was meta-analysed and from all these interviews emerged thirty-four distinct talents or "themes." In this book we introduce these thirty-four themes and, using the StrengthsFinder Profile, reveal to each reader which of the thirty-four represent his or her most dominant. Here are just a few of the individual talent themes, of which there are countless possible combinations: Achiever: Your Achiever talent helps explain your drive. You feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end of the day you must rack up some numbers to feel good about yourself. Achiever is the power supply that causes you the set the pace and define the levels of productivity for your workgroup. Activator: "When can we start?" is the recurring question in your life. You believe that action is the best device for learning. You know that often you have to make a decision without every last bit of desirable information. This does not frighten you. Belief: If you possess strong Belief talent, you have certain core values that are Each copy of Now, Discover Your Strengths includes a unique access code to the Clifton Strengthsfinder assessment and website. This code is valid for one use only. If you have a problem with your code please visit strengthsfinder.com for help.


Objective: To describe social communication skills problems identified by individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) compared to significant other (SO) and clinician ratings; and associations between these skills and participation outcome measures. Design: Cohort study. Methods: Sixty individuals with TBI ≥ 1 year post-injury were administered measures of social communication, societal participation, social integration and life satisfaction. Clinicians and SOs rated the social communication skills of the subjects. Results: Subjects were able to identify social communication skills problems, associated with lower ratings of community integration and satisfaction with life. Males reported higher scores in social communication and social integration than females. SOs and clinicians identified more social skills problems than subjects. Conclusions: Persons with TBI experience social communication skills deficits, associated with decreased societal participation and life satisfaction. Further research is needed to determine efficacy of social communication skills treatment and association with improved participation and satisfaction with life.


.—On 12 points, with electric predator barriers, there were 0.84 duck nests per acre with a hatching rate of 60%. On 12 control points, there were 0.23 nests per acre with a hatching rate of 8%. On 9 islands where predators were removed, there were 851 nests in 1986 with 87% nest success. In 1984 and 1985, before predators were controlled, these islands contained 52 nests with 8% nest success. The management cost to produce hatched young on treated points was $7.13 compared with $0.33 for each hatched young on islands.


We compare quota-based salesforce compensation plans with the BLSS plan, i.e., the optimal curvilinear agency-theory-based compensation plans proposed in Basu, Lal, Srinivasan and Staelin (Basu, A. K., R. Lal, V. Srinivasan, R. Staelin. 1985. Salesforce compensation plans: An agency theoretic perspective. Marketing Sci. 4(Fall) 267--291.). A quota plan pays a fixed salary which is supplemented by commission income that is a prespecified fraction of the dollar sales that exceed the quota. For a salesforce comprised of multiple salespersons/territories, we consider a basic quota plan where the commission rate and salary remain the same across salespersons; however, quotas vary across salespersons/territories. Compared to the BLSS plan that is individually tailored to each salesperson/territory, the basic quota plan's total nonoptimality in profit has two components: (i) a shapeinduced nonoptimality arising from the fact that the quota-based plan does not have the same optimal shape as the curvilinear BLSS plan, and (ii) a heterogeneity-induced nonoptimality arising from the fact that the salary and commission rate in the basic quota plan are constrained to be the same across the salesforce. Our numerical experiments indicate that the total nonoptimality is merely about 1% for the parametric scenarios studied. The basic quota plan is simpler to implement than the BLSS plan. Furthermore, changes in business conditions in a territory, or the transfer of a salesperson from one territory to another, can be accommodated by changing only the quota, without having to change the salary and the commission rate structure. Such advantages, together with our result that the nonoptimality is slight, suggest that quota-based plans offer considerable potential as a salesforce compensation scheme.


Social insects display task-related division of labour. In some species, division of labour is related to differences in body size, and worker caste members display morphological adaptations suited for particular tasks. Bumble-bee workers (Bombus spp.) can vary in mass by eight- to tenfold within a single colony, which previous work has linked to division of labour. However, little is known about the proximate mechanism behind the production of this wide range of size variation within the worker caste. Here, we quantify the larval feeding in Bombus impatiens in different nest zones of increasing distance from the centre. There was a significant difference in the number of feedings per larva across zones, with a significant decrease in feeding rates as one moved outwards from the centre of the nest. Likewise, the diameter of the pupae in the peripheral zones was significantly smaller than that of pupae in the centre. Therefore, we conclude that the differential feeding of larvae within a nest, which leads to the size variation within the worker caste, is based on the location of brood clumps. Our work is consistent with the hypothesis that some larvae are 'forgotten', providing a possible first mechanism for the creation of size polymorphism in B. impatiens.


An improved algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) combined with tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy(TDLAS) is presented in this paper for determining two-dimensional (2D) distribution of H2O concentration and temperature in a simulated combustion flame. This work aims to simulate the reconstruction of spectroscopic measurements by a multi-view parallel-beam scanning geometry and analyze the effects of projection rays on reconstruction accuracy. It finally proves that reconstruction quality dramatically increases with the number of projection rays increasing until more than 180 for 20 × 20 grid, and after that point, the number of projection rays has little influence on reconstruction accuracy. It is clear that the temperature reconstruction results are more accurate than the water vapor concentration obtained by the traditional concentration calculation method. In the present study an innovative way to reduce the error of concentration reconstruction and improve the reconstruction quality greatly is also proposed, and the capability of this new method is evaluated by using appropriate assessment parameters. By using this new approach, not only the concentration reconstruction accuracy is greatly improved, but also a suitable parallel-beam arrangement is put forward for high reconstruction accuracy and simplicity of experimental validation. Finally, a bimodal structure of the combustion region is assumed to demonstrate the robustness and universality of the proposed method. Numerical investigation indicates that the proposed TDLAS tomographic algorithm is capable of detecting accurate temperature and concentration profiles. This feasible formula for reconstruction research is expected to resolve several key issues in practical combustion devices.


Background: Capsule endoscopy (CE) is a useful tool in evaluating small bowel pathologies. The experience regarding the diagnostic efficiency of OMOM capsule 2 (Jinshan Science and Technology Company, Chongqing, China) in tropical countries are limited. There is controversy regarding the use of capsule endoscopy in resource poor tropical countries. Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted during a 24 from January 2015 to December 2016. The aim was to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of OMOM capsule 2 (Jinshan Science and Technology Company, Chongqing, China) for various indications such as obscure GI bleed (OGIB), chronic diarrhea, and abdominal pain. A total of nineteen patients were included among which nine were for obscure GI bleed, one case of unexplained abdominal pain and remaining nine patients were for chronic diarrhea. Results: Abnormal findings were noted in six out of the nine patients (66.7%) with OGIB and chronic diarrhea respectively. Findings in patients presenting with OGIB included two cases of angioectasia, two cases of hookworm infestation, one case of small bowel ulcers and one case with two lesions which were angioectasia with jejunal ulcer. The remaining three cases had a normal study. CE findings in patients with chronic diarrhea were two cases of intestinal lymphangiectasia, one case with features suggestive of intestinal villous atrophy with scalloped valvulaeconniventes and later diagnosed as tropical sprue, on of celiac disease with persistent symptoms despite gluten free diet on CE had ulcero jejunitis. Crohns disease and strongyloidiasis were the other two cases diagnosed on CE. The remaining three patients out of the nine with chronic diarrhea had a no Only one patient was evaluated with CE for unexplained abdominal pain and was found to have nodular lesions in duodenum confirmed on histopathology as Brunner's gland hyperplasia with SOL in ileum probably due to extraneous impression. Further could not be done as patient refused further treatment. There were no complications noted in any of the nineteen patients Conclusion: The OMOM capsule 2 endoscopy system is safe and has similar diagnostic efficacy as the other capsule endoscopic systems currently in use among patients presenting with obscure GI bleed and chronic diarrhea.


This Element is about the creation and curation of social memory in pharaonic and Greco-Roman Egypt. Ancient, Classical, Medieval, and Ottoman sources attest to the horror that characterized catastrophic famines. Occurring infrequently and rarely reaching the canonical seven-years' length, famines appeared and disappeared like nightmares. Communities that remain aware of potentially recurring tragedies are often advantaged in their efforts to avert or ameliorate worst-case scenarios. For this and other reasons, pharaonic and Greco-Roman Egyptians preserved intergenerational memories of hunger and suffering. This Element begins with a consideration of the trajectories typical of severe Nilotic famines and the concept of social memory. It then argues that personal reflection and literature, prophecy, and an annual festival of remembrance functioned-at different times, and with varying degrees of success-to convince the well-fed that famines had the power to unseat established order and to render a comfortably familiar world unrecognizable.


High mobility group protein box-1 (HMGB1) is a nonhistone chromatin-related protein widely found in eukaryotic cells. It is involved in the transcription, replication and repair of DNA to maintain nuclear homeostasis. It participates in cell growth, differentiation and signal transduction. Recent studies showed that HMGB1 has a bidirectional regulatory effect on tumors by regulating TLR4/MYD88/NF-κB and RAGE/AMPK/mTOR signaling pathways. On one hand, it is highly expressed in a variety of tumors, promoting tumor proliferation and invasion, whilst on the other hand, it induces autophagy and apoptosis of tumor cells and stimulates tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes to produce anti-tumor immune response. At present, HMGB1 could be used as a target to regulate the drug-resistance and prognostication in cancer. Clinical applications of HMGB1 in cancer need further in-depth studies.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the efficacy of treating postviral olfactory loss with glucocorticoids, Ginkgo biloba, and mometasone furoate nasal spray.

DESIGN
Randomized trial.

SETTING
Academic research.

PATIENTS
Seventy-one patients who were diagnosed as having postviral olfactory loss.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
All patients underwent olfactory function tests, including the butanol threshold test (BTT) and the cross-cultural smell identification test (CCSIT), and follow-up tests were performed 4 weeks later. In the interim, 28 patients were treated with prednisolone for 2 weeks (monotherapy), and the other 43 patients were treated with prednisolone for 2 weeks plus G biloba for 4 weeks (combination therapy). All patients used mometasone nasal spray twice daily for 4 weeks.

RESULTS
Scores on the BTT and CCSIT significantly increased after treatment in both groups (P < .001 for both). The mean (SD) BTT score changes were 1.4 (2.2) in the monotherapy group and 2.2 (2.9) in the combination therapy group (P = .22). The mean (SD) CCSIT score changes were 0.9 (1.7) in the monotherapy group and 1.9 (2.7) in the combination therapy group (P = .11). On the BTT, the treatment response (defined as a score increase of > or =3) rates were 32% (9 of 28) in the monotherapy group and 37% (16 of 43) in the combination therapy group (P = .66), and the odds ratio was 1.25 (95% confidence interval, 0.46-3.42). On the CCSIT, the treatment response rates were 14% (4 of 28) in the monotherapy group and 33% (14 of 43) in the combination therapy group (P = .08), and the odds ratio was 2.89 (95% confidence interval, 0.84-9.97).

CONCLUSIONS
Olfactory function in patients with postviral olfactory loss was significantly improved by both treatment modalities. Although the treatment response was not statistically different between the monotherapy group and the combination therapy group, the addition of G biloba showed a tendency of greater efficacy in the treatment of postviral olfactory loss.


In this study, we successfully fabricated the Schottky junctions consisting of Pt electrode and high concentration Nb-doped (0.5 wt%) SrTiO3 (001) single crystal by sputtering process. The carrier concentrations of Nb-0.5wt%-doped SrTiO3 were determined as 1020 /cm3 order by Hall effect measurement. The electrical properties of junctions were investigated by measuring their current-voltage (I-V), capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics at temperature range from 80K to 400K. The hysteresis feature was observed that indicating the alteration of barrier height in junctions especially at lower temperature. The donor concentration and built-in potentials calculated from C-2-V data showed large discrepancy from Hall effect measurement indicating that the junctions deviate from the ideal Schottky diode model.


A battery is a quite complex and nonlinear system comprising interacting physical and chemical processes although it seems deceptively simple. State-of-charge (SOC), a parameter to describe how much energy battery has, is a key factor in battery management and its estimation is an important and challenging task. We develop an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) to achieve the goal. First in this paper, nonconventional input variables of the ANFIS are selected by three different correlation analysis techniques, linear correlation analysis (LCA), nonparametric correlation analysis (NCA) and partial correlation analysis (PCA). Next, the ANFIS model of five inputs and one output is presented. Takagi and Sugeno's fuzzy if-then rules are used. Then, number determination of training data pairs is discussed. Finally, hybrid learning algorithm combining the gradient method and the least squares estimate (LSE) is adopted to train the ANFIS. Predicted results obtained by the ANFIS are compared with measured results, verifying presented ANFIS. For contrast, a three-layer feedforward back-propagation (BP) artificial neural network (ANN) is presented to estimate SOC. Compared with the BP ANN model, the ANFIS obtains better prediction performance when interpolating. Comparisons of the two approaches have highlighted the potential of ANFIS in modeling and prediction of the behavior of complex nonlinear dynamic systems.


This cross-sectional study examined the extent, nature and risk factors of workplace violence in the road passenger transport sector in Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique. A random sample of 504 participants was selected from a population of 2 618 registered bus, minibus, and taxi drivers/conductors. The results indicated that workplace violence, psychological as well as physical, is highly prevalent among drivers/conductors, with 77% reporting ever being abused and 64% reporting being abused during the past 12 months. Particularly vulnerable groups comprised illiterate employees, bus drivers/conductors, employees with long experience, and those holding a supervisory position. In addition, a high workload was associated with an increased likelihood of exposure to workplace violence in the road passenger transport sector. This article discusses the implications of the findings for possible interventions and further research.


We propose a scheme to measure the parity of two distant qubits, while ensuring that losses on the quantum channel between them does not destroy coherences within the parity subspaces. This capability enables deterministic preparation of highly entangled qubit states whose fidelity is not limited by the transmission loss. The key observation is that for a probe electromagnetic field in a particular quantum state, namely a superposition of two coherent states of opposite phases, the transmission loss stochastically applies a near-unitary back-action on the probe state. This leads to a parity measurement protocol where the main effect of the transmission losses is a decrease in the measurement strength. By repeating the non-destructive (weak) parity measurement, one achieves a high-fidelity entanglement in spite of a significant transmission loss.


Abstract. Data from 38 Argo profiling floats are used to describe the intermediate Mediterranean currents for the period October 2003–January 2010. These floats were programmed to execute 5-day cycles, to drift at a neutral parking depth of 350 m and measure temperature and salinity profiles from either 700 or 2000 m up to the surface. At the end of each cycle the floats remained at the sea surface for about 6 h, enough time to be localised and transmit the data to the Argos satellite system. The Argos positions were used to determine the float surface and intermediate displacements. At the surface, the float motion was approximated by a linear displacement and inertial motion. Intermediate velocities estimates were used to investigate the Mediterranean circulation at 350 m, to compute the pseudo-Eulerian statistics and to study the influence of bathymetry on the intermediate currents. Maximum speeds, as large as 33 cm/s, were found northeast of the Balearic Islands (western basin) and in the Ierapetra eddy (eastern basin). Typical speeds in the main along-slope currents (Liguro-Provencal-Catalan, Algerian and Libyo-Egyptian Currents) were ~20 cm/s. In the central and western part of Mediterranean basin, the pseudo-Eulerian statistics show typical intermediate circulation pathways which can be related to the motion of Levantine Intermediate Water. In general our results agree with the qualitative intermediate circulation schemes proposed in the literature, except in the southern Ionian where we found westward-flowing intermediate currents. Fluctuating currents appeared to be usually larger than the mean flow. Intermediate currents were found to be essentially parallel to the isobaths over most of the areas characterized by strong bathymetry gradients, in particular, in the vicinity of the continental slopes.


In one of his few major oversights, Darwin failed to appreciate that male-male competition and sexual selection can continue even after copulation has begun. The postcopulatory equivalents of both direct male-male battles (sperm competition) and female choice (cryptic female choice) occur within the female's body. Recognition of this hidden, but intense, sexual competition provides new insights into a variety of fields. These include the hyperdiverse and paradoxically elaborate morphology of both sperm and male genitalia, the equally puzzling and elaborate morphology of nongenitalic male structures that are specialized to grasp and stimulate females, powerful manipulative effects of substances in male semen on female reproductive physiology, paradoxical male courtship behavior that occurs after copulation has already begun, variability in parental investments, and the puzzlingly complex and diverse interactions between sperm and female products that surround animal eggs and between male gametophytes and female tissues in flowering plants. Many bizarre traits are involved, including male genitalia that are designed to explode or fall apart during copulation leaving behind parts within the female, male genitalia that "sing " during copulation, potent seminal products that invade the female's body cavity and her nervous system to influence her behavior, and a virtual Kama Sutra of courtship behavior performed after rather than before genital coupling, including male-female dialogues during copulation.


During the last years a new laser beam scanning system for heat treatment of metals with high power diode lasers was developed. The new external scanning optics is an optional tool, that can be used with common standard high power diode lasers (focal distance ≥ 300 mm). It works with high power diode lasers in the multi-kilowatt range up to 5 kilowatt laser power. The new system opens the door to a wide field of applications, that were not possible before. Heat treatment of metal surfaces with a track width of more than 50 mm at once is one of the capabilities.Furthermore different approaches were gone to make the handling of the system more easier for the user. Real-time temperature control with cycle times in the range of microseconds ensures a reproducible hardening result even for complex 3D-shaped parts with difficult heat flow conditions. The latest status of the developments and examples are presented.During the last years a new laser beam scanning system for heat treatment of metals with high power diode lasers was developed. The new external scanning optics is an optional tool, that can be used with common standard high power diode lasers (focal distance ≥ 300 mm). It works with high power diode lasers in the multi-kilowatt range up to 5 kilowatt laser power. The new system opens the door to a wide field of applications, that were not possible before. Heat treatment of metal surfaces with a track width of more than 50 mm at once is one of the capabilities.Furthermore different approaches were gone to make the handling of the system more easier for the user. Real-time temperature control with cycle times in the range of microseconds ensures a reproducible hardening result even for complex 3D-shaped parts with difficult heat flow conditions. The latest status of the developments and examples are presented.


This paper explores the contested geographies of Irish democratic political cultures in the 1790s. It positions Irish democratic political cultures in relation to Atlantic flows and circulations of radical ideas and political experience. It argues that this can foreground forms of subaltern agency and identity that have frequently been marginalized in different traditions of Irish historiography. The paper develops these arguments through a discussion of the relations of the United Irishmen to debates on slavery and anti-slavery. Through exploring the influence of the ex-slave and abolitionist Olaudah Equiano on these debates it foregrounds the relations between the United Irishmen and the blackAtlantic. The paper examines the limits of some of the United Irishmen's democratic politics. It argues that the articulations of liberty and equality by Irish sailors in mutinies in the late 1790s dislocated some of the narrow notions of democratic community and politics associated with the United Irishmen.


Experiments on steady state bacterial cultures have uncovered several quantitative regularities at the system level. These include, first, the exponential growth of cell size with time and the balanced growth of intracellular chemicals between cell birth and division, which are puzzling given the nonlinear and decentralized chemical dynamics in the cell. We model a cell as a set of chemical populations undergoing nonlinear mass action kinetics in a container whose volume is a linear function of the chemical populations. This turns out to be a special class of dynamical system that generically has attractors in which all populations grow exponentially with time at the same rate. This explains exponential balanced growth of bacterial cells without invoking any regulatory mechanisms and suggests that this could be a robust property of protocells as well. Second, we consider the hypothesis that cells commit themselves to division when a certain internal chemical population reaches a threshold of N molecules. We show that this hypothesis leads to a simple explanation of some of the variability observed across cells in a bacterial culture. In particular it reproduces the adder property of cell size fluctuations observed recently in E. coli, the observed correlations between interdivision time, birth volume and added volume in a generation, and the observed scale of the fluctuations (CV ~ 10-30%) when N lies between 10 and 100. Third, upon including a suitable regulatory mechanism that optimizes the growth rate of the cell, the model reproduces the observed bacterial growth laws including the dependence of the growth rate and ribosomal protein fraction on the medium. Thus, the models provide a framework for unifying diverse aspects of bacterial growth physiology under one roof. They also suggest new questions for experimental and theoretical enquiry.


Design of gate-level monolithic three-dimensional integrated circuits (3-D ICs) requires 3-D placement, 3-D clock-tree synthesis, 3-D routing and monolithic inter-layer via insertion, 3-D timing and power optimization, and so on. Until now, however, various research on gate-level monolithic 3-D ICs focused on analysis of wirelength, power consumption, performance, thermal characteristics, etc. based on a design methodology using 2-D placement, uniform location scaling, z-directional partitioning, and 2-D planar legalization. However, the design of gate-level monolithic 3-D IC layouts requires more sophisticated 3-D algorithms to generate high-quality layouts. In this paper, we propose a legalization algorithm for the design of multi-tier gate-level monolithic 3-D ICs. The algorithm performs planar and z-directional legalization in an interleaved fashion to perform native 3-D legalization. We compare the proposed algorithm with a legalization algorithm being used in the literature and show that the proposed algorithm achieves shorter wirelength with almost no density constraint violation.


This paper presents and analyzes novel data selective normalized adaptive filtering algorithms with two data reuses. The algorithms [the set-membership binormalized LMS (SM-BN-DRLMS) algorithms] are derived using the concept of set-membership filtering (SMF). These algorithms can be regarded as generalizations of the previously proposed set-membership NLMS (SM-NLMS) algorithm. They include two constraint sets in order to construct a space of feasible solutions for the coefficient updates. The algorithms include data-dependent step sizes that provide fast convergence and low-excess mean-squared error (MSE). Convergence analyzes in the mean squared sense are presented, and closed-form expressions are given for both white and colored input signals. Simulation results show good performance of the algorithms in terms of convergence speed, final misadjustment, and reduced computational complexity.


Modern intensive agriculture relies heavily on pesticides to control weeds, pathogens and insect pests. Forecasting and managing the impact of pests and pesticides on crop production is challenging. Since pest control tactics not only affect the target pest, but also initiate feedbacks within the field community, proper modelling of pest management requires functions in at least two trophic levels. To respond to this challenge, we integrated a process‐based insect population dynamics model and a process‐based crop model. The coupled model was then used to simulate eight field trials on five different sites across the US, testing the efficacy of five different pesticides against six different pests as well as the yield response. The results showed that the model performed robustly on different sites (five plots across the US) and under different climatic conditions (8 years spanning a period from 1985 to 2014). For armyworm and black cutworm, the simulated yields per hectare, the number of insects per plant and the response to insecticide treatments closely matched the reported numbers. For the European corn borer, the number of insects per plant differed slightly between simulated and field data, but the response to the insecticide treatment showed an adequate match. Simulations for the bean leaf beetle and stalk borer yielded similar results. The comparison between simulated and measured adult potato leafhopper numbers revealed that even though numbers did not match exactly in two of three years, they were in the same range, and the measured and simulated impacts were almost identical for all three used insecticides. Synthesis and applications. The novel coupled crop‐insect model EPIC‐GILSYM realistically simulates two trophic levels (insects and plants), their interactions, and the effect crop management has on both levels. It has been successfully tested against field trial data collected in eight different years on five plots in different parts of the US. With careful calibration and validation to other sites and climates, it may become a valuable tool in the assessment of insect pest impacts and appropriate control measures.


When modeling sound propagation through the uppermost layers of the ocean, the presence of bubble clouds cannot be ignored. Their existence can convert a range-independent sound propagation problem into a range-dependent one. Measurements show that strong changes in sound speed and attenuation are produced by the presence of swarms of microbubbles which can be depicted as patchy clouds superimposed on a very weak background layer. While models suitable for use in acoustic calculations are available for the homogeneous bubble layer (which results from long time averages of the total bubble population), no similar parameterizations are available for the more realistic inhomogeneous bubble layer. Based on available information and within the framework of a classification scheme for bubble plumes proposed by Monahan, a model for the range and depth dependence of the bubbly environment is developed to fill this void. This model, which generates a possible realization of the bubbly environment, is then used to calculate the frequency-dependent change in the sound speed and attenuation induced by the presence of the bubble plumes. Time evolution is not addressed in this work.


The upper extremity (UE) is comprised of its associated muscles, nerves, and vessels, organized into anatomical compartments.[1] The muscles cross joints to provide tone, maintain dynamic joint stability, and perform dynamic functions of the entire extremity. In addition, the arterties and veins provide nourishment and remove waste, and the nerves provide the motor and sensory innervations.[1]


Orientation: Among the numerous factors affecting small and medium enterprises' (SMEs) ability to access funding, financial literacy or the lack thereof continues to rank high. The below-average levels of financial literacy among entrepreneurs inevitably restrict their access to finance, thereby adding to the already soaring rate of small business failure.Research purpose: The main research objective of this article is to determine the underlying financial literacy-financial access relationship among SMEs in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in South Africa.Motivation of the study: Understanding the relationship between financial literacy and financial access among small businesses is imperative as they are key players in economic development. Empirical literature outlining this relationship is sparse. Therefore, the study made an original empirical contribution to the financial literacy-financial access nexus in the metropolitan.Research design, approach and method: A quantitative descriptive research design was followed. The survey method was used to gather data, where structured questionnaires were distributed to the respondents. The study considered a targeted population of 5609 registered SMEs in Ekurhuleni with a sample size of 384 prospective participants. A total of 310 responses were obtained from the owners and managers of SMEs in the municipality. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to compute all statitical analyses for the study. Descriptive statistics were used to establish the SMEs' financial literacy and financial access relationship. Data were analysed using factor analysis, regression analysis and correlation analysis.Main findings: Entrepreneurs in Ekurhuleni were found to have a limited understanding of basic financial concepts implying low levels of financial knowledge. Additionally, the study established that financial access was significantly challenging for most SMEs. The findings further revealed a positive relationship between financial literacy and financial access.Practical managerial/ implications: The knowledge from this article may assist entrepreneurs and financial institutions in bridging the financial literacy gap, thereby increasing the likelihood of accessing funding by SMEs. It may also assist in influencing the development and implementation of micro and macroeconomics policies to raise financial literacy levels and leniency from financing sources towards SMEs.


The importance of vocabulary, its types, selection criteria, size and depth, and teaching principles were found unclear. The present article seeks to respond to such challenge. To achieve the mentioned goals, we did a systematic review to previously related studies and theories. The results showed that the vocabulary was found to be more functional as a basis for communication, a reflection of social reality, emotion booster, and academic ability predictor. It also revealed that its contribution to the basic language skills varied. Finally, the principles of teaching vocabulary, size and depth, and teaching and learning vocabulary materials (TLVMs) appeared to be associated with student's vocabulary mastery.

Keywords: vocabulary teaching; principles; vocabulary importance; breadth and depth


Background Optimal dosing of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) induction therapy in kidney transplantation is not well defined. The impact of dosing from variations in dose rounding or single dose limits has not been studied. Methods This retrospective study of 242 adult renal transplant recipients receiving rATG induction and steroid-sparing maintenance therapy evaluates the effect of small changes in rATG induction dosing. The local protocol calls for four doses of rATG 1.5 mg/kg, approximated to the nearest 25 mg and limited to a max of 150 mg. Patients were stratified by total rATG dose received 5 to 6 mg/kg (n=151) and 6 mg/kg (n=91) or more. Incidence of biopsy-proven acute rejection, patient and graft survival, and allograft function were examined. Results Baseline and transplantation characteristics were similar between groups except for differences in mean weight (SD) (81 [17.3] vs. 76.3 [15.6]) and cumulative rATG dose received (451.8 [96.2] vs. 481.1 [93]) for patients in the 5- to 6-mg/kg group and 6-mg/kg or more group, respectively. Patients who received more rATG showed a significantly lower incidence of biopsy-proven acute rejection at last follow-up 11% (32/151) vs. 21.2% (10/91) among those who received only 5 to 6 mg/kg (P<0.042). Renal function (mean serum creatinine level) was similar at both 90 days and time of last follow-up. Safety review of leukopenia or thrombocytopenia did not differ. Conclusion Small changes in total rATG induction administered seem to significantly impact the incidence of rejection. Adequate rATG dosing is associated with improved rejection-free graft survival and should be achieved for all patients; doses should be rounded up when appropriate or additional doses should be administered if necessary.


The U.S. Approach to the Indian Sub-Continent Asymmetries dominate South Asia, explaining much of the region's tension, and complicating the U.S. approach to its major powers, India and Pakistan. Disparities in geographic size, population, military capability, and economic markets leave the Pakistanis feeling inferior to India and reinforce India's view of itself as an emerging major power. For much of the last five decades, South Asia was of episodic strategic interest to the United States. The region's strategic value was measured almost solely in terms of the Cold War struggle with the Soviet Union and varied with the mercurial cycles of U.S.-Soviet geopolitical competition. Even at the height of the region's relevance for U.S. global policy, in the 1950s and again in the 1980s, the link between Washington and South Asia was never comfortable. The region's two key powers, India and Pakistan, were on opposite sides of the Cold War struggle. In the 1970s and 1980s, India was among the most important of the Soviet Union's Third World allies, while Pakistan's security orientation was consistently pro-Western. This presented an awkward problem for the United States. The world's largest democracy and non-sectarian nation (therefore a seemingly natural ally), India, led the "non-aligned" movement and became alienated from the United States, while Pakistan, a nation with little natural political affinity with America, saw its strategic connection improve even as its government became increasingly autocratic and Islamic under General Zia ul Haq. The importance of Afghanistan as a factor in Pakistan's strategic prominence for U.S. policy makers throughout the 1980s cannot be overstated. The Soviet invasion in 1979 marked a turning point in U.S. strategic policy for Southwest Asia, and the Persian Gulf. Not since the days of John Foster Dulles' "Northern Tier" strategy was Pakistan so prominent as a U.S. regional surrogate with a disproportionately large share of U.S. security assistance. During this critical period, Islamabad's leaders were left with the impression that Pakistan's covert nuclear weapons program would not be a serious impediment to close relations with the United States. All of this reassured them vis-a-vis India. With the collapse of the Soviet position in Afghanistan and Moscow's eventual withdrawal, Pakistan's preferential treatment ended. Legislative prohibitions on U.S. assistance (brought about through the Pressler amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act) triggered by U.S. concerns over Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, essentially halted economic and military aid after 1990. Pakistan regarded this as a betrayal. Pakistan's perception that the U.S. had abandoned it was particularly powerful in light of Afghanistan. Pakistan's willingness to allow its territory to be used as a conduit for U.S. weapons to the Mujahidin not only created the perception of a lasting closeness with the United States, it also exacted large long-term social, economic, and political costs, including refugee waves, Islamic extremism, terrorism and narcotics production on a large scale. U.S. support for Pakistan has ceased as these problems have become worse, compounding the country's ability to cope with them. The New Context of South Asian Security South Asia is the only region where three nuclear competing powers share frontiers and a recent history of four wars. Their rivalries have fueled conventional and unconventional arms races, unrestrained by arms control regimes. Moreover, the USSR, China, and the United States have involved India and Pakistan in their own rivalries, as well as having been brought into the Indo-Pakistani disputes. Moscow was New Delhi's constant patron; Beijing assisted Islamabad and the U.S. position fluctuated. Finally, the uncertainties of the post-Cold War world, increasing domestic discontent, and politically weak governments exacerbate a tendency of India and Pakistan to incite separatist movements on each other's territory Indian meddling in Sindh and Pakistani involvement in Punjab and in Kashmir. …


The differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) was used to study the curing reaction of low toxic UF resin with poplar, birch, larch powder in different pH value. The results showed that the effect of different wood flour and its pH value on the curing reaction of UF resin was not the same. Along with the increase of the pH, the peak temperature and the onset temperature was raised; the peak temperature and the onset temperature of poplar was higher than that of the birch. The tempera- ture of the curing reaction of UF resin modified by melamine was higher than the UF resin without modification.


Science and mathematics are currently underrepresented in the computational creativity (CC) community. We discuss why the CC community should apply their work to mathematical and scientific domains, and argue that this would be mutually beneficial for the domains in question. We identify a key challenge in Automated Reasoning – that it has not achieved widespread adoption by mathematicians; and one in Automated Scientific Discovery – the need for communicability of automatically generated scientific knowledge. We recommend that CC researchers help to address these two challenges by: (i) applying systems based on cognitive mechanisms to scientific and mathematical domains; (ii) employing experience in building and evaluating interactive systems to this context; and (iii) using expertise in automatically producing framing functionality to enhance the communicability of automatically generated scientific knowledge.


Temporal metacognition (TMC) is defined as the ability to consciously self-regulate cognitive focus on the past, the present, and the future by utilizing metacognitive skills, emotions, knowledge, and experience. TMC stems conceptually from the idea of a balanced time perspective — the ability to switch between time horizons — and it builds upon the major theories of metacognition. We validated the German version of the Temporal Metacognition Scale (TMCS) translated from the Polish original with n = 226 native German speakers. Confirmatory Factor Analysis supported the three-factor model obtained in the original Polish version with the following subscales: Metacognitive Temporal Control, Cognitive Reconstruction of the Past, and Goal-Oriented Metatemporal Interconnectedness. All three scales yielded acceptable internal consistency. Their correlations with the subscales of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, Deviation from the Balanced Time Perspective, and other conceptually related psychological constructs, such as personality traits, well-being, experiencing emotions, and other features of metacognition, provide evidence for the validity of the German version of the TMCS.


The correspondence of Jens Jensen (1860–1951) and Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) reveals an important relationship in the history of landscape architecture and architecture. The collected letters, dated from 1912 to 1943, reflect a passionate difference of opinion regarding design, education and pedagogy, practice, lifestyle, moral values, and despite the contradictions, a mutual regard that was sustained by their animated conversation. This paper selects those letters of Jensen, Wright, and other players in their drama that illuminate the history of two unusual schools of design: Jensen's Clearing in Door County, Wisconsin and Wright's Taliesin Fellowship in Spring Green, Wisconsin and Scottsdale, Arizona. The reader may wonder, which Master called the other "Prima Donna?"


The structure and the development of the clearing and settlement industry have long been paid attention by national and international regulators. Given the key role of clearing and settlement for the growth, the integrity and the integration of capital markets, regulators are deeply concerned with the competition and the stability issues raised both by recent mergers involving securities markets infrastructure institutions (i.e. Central Security Depository - CSD) and by the increasingly fading distinction among intermediaries (i.e. banks acting as global custodians) and CSDs. The present study deals with these issues after focusing on the structural changes and the competitive dynamics in the industry, as well as on the regulatory initiatives already implemented or which might be carried out. The paper discusses the analogies in the competition involving global custodians and CSDs, on one hand, and issuer CSDs and investor CSDs, on the other hand. The analysis clarifies also the dynamic leading the issuer CSD to a hold a dominant position, in spite of the arrangement of links between CSDs aimed at improving the settlement of cross-border transactions. The focal conclusion stemming from the discussion is that the access to the core services provided by CSDs bears many similarities either to the access to natural monopolies in network industries or to the pricing strategies in platform industries, depending on whether a vertical view or a "getting on board both sides" view may be adopted. Under the former view, interactions between the post trading infrastructure, on one side, and issuers and intermediaries, respectively, on the other sides are separately modelled: therefore, the prescriptions of the access regulation could be regarded as a useful tool. Under the second view, the post trading infrastructure, either because of consolidation or contractual agreements with the trading structure, interacts with issuers and investors/intermediaries simultaneously: therefore, the setting of the platform industry may be appropriate. In the real world, the platform industry scheme may be referred to equities and other securities that trade mainly on exchanges and whose settlement occurs on the CSD chosen by the stock exchange (or CCP) which normally is also the issuer CSD. For securities that trade mostly on OTC markets, such as bond and government securities, given the existence of competitive pressures on the "issuer side" of the CSD business, the CSD may be considered as interacting with each side of the market separately and the access regulation may be regarded as the most suitable tool. In any case, regulation of prices should be coupled with the removal of the barriers, relating to differing legal, tax and regulatory frameworks, which prevent the development of an efficient Europe-wide clearing and settlement infrastructure (as extensively pointed out by the Giovannini reports). Moreover in order to grant the level playing field among CSDs, price regulation needs to be homogeneously implemented on an international basis, requiring therefore coordination among national regulators.


Effective foreground detection in dynamic scenes is a challenging task in computer vision applications. In this paper, we propose a novel background modeling method to tackle this problem. First, we propose a second-order center-symmetric local derivative pattern (CS-LDP) which extracts more detail information compared with the first-order center-symmetric local binary pattern (CS-LBP). Then by concatenating the CS-LBP and CS-LDP histograms, a new hybrid histogram feature is presented. The length of this histogram is much shorter than the local binary pattern (LBP) histogram. Based on this hybrid feature, a novel background modeling method is proposed where the pixel process is modeled with a group of adaptive hybrid histograms. The major advantage of our method is its low complexity. Experiments on three challenging sequences demonstrate that the proposed method is effective and fast, producing comparable results to state-of-art algorithm while reducing the computation time greatly.


We report the findings from a hypothetical discrete choice experiment (DCE) examining UK consumer attitudes for food produced using agricultural production methods currently prohibited in the UK i.e., hormone implants in beef; Ractopamine in pig feed; chlorine washed chicken; and Atrazine pesticide. Our results reveal that on average the public have very negative values for these forms of agricultural production methods. We also find that respondents highly value food products that observe EU food safety standards. Our willingness to pay estimates show that the positive values for food safety are frequently greater than negative values placed on the food production methods examined. Similarly, UK country of origin was highly valued but organic production was not valued as highly. These results clearly indicate that the only attribute that is negatively valued across all DCE are the production methods that are currently not allowed within the EU or UK.


is still unclear though how this complex topology of brain systems arises, and which factors play an important role in determining the final topology. An important distinction between complex and complicated systems is that complex systems derive their final structure from a process of self-organization rather than from a pre-defined blueprint. The complex structure of adult brain networks is very likely an emergent feature of growing and developing neural networks, that shape their structure under influence of trophic, geometric and activity dependent factors. Most likely, some of these factors that operate during development are under genetic control, since topological features of adult brain networks have a strong herit-ability (Smit et al., 2008, 2010). However, any genes involved can only guide general principles of network growth; we have vastly more synapses in our brain than we have genes to specify them. One way to study the mechanisms involved in the emergence of complex brain networks is to use model systems. Graph theoretical analysis of neural networks cultured in multi-electrode arrays has shown that such networks evolve from a random initial topology to a typical small-world network characterized by short path lengths and high clustering (Bettencourt et al., 2007; Srinivas et al., 2007). In vitro studies confirm the self-organizing properties of developing neural networks, but do not allow direct identification of the causal mechanisms. In a computational model of interconnected units consisting of logistic functions, activity dependent rewiring


think it is safe to say that, at an academic conference, most people would not pick that position as their first option—it's like being asked to discuss how to prepare meatloaf at a conference on new trends in the culinary arts. That said, with respect to the current law in the United States, I don't completely shy away from the position. To be clear, my position is not that the current state of affairs is perfect. There are real challenges facing brand owners, challenges that I—and Microsoft—truly understand. Microsoft is an online service provider, and our online services, such as Bing, Skype, OneDrive, Office 365 and Xbox Live, are both important lines of business and valuable services that hundreds of millions of customers around the world rely on every day. At the same time, Microsoft owns some of the world's most valuable brands and is a victim of substantial online infringement. Our infringement battles run the gamut from pirated and counterfeit software to counterfeit hardware, such as computer peripherals and game consoles. The damage caused by these infringements is estimated to be in the billions of dollars annually. Moreover, Microsoft expects our acquisition of Nokia's phone business to only increase our counterfeiting and IP enforcement challenges. 2 As my background demonstrates, I understand the importance of effective enforcement for brands, and the challenges brands face in getting the job done. For that reason, I believe that we should carefully consider all reasonable proposals that would protect against consumer harm and enable trademark owners to more effectively protect their brands from commercial threats. But before turning to legislative solutions that disrupt the current legal regime, I think we must consider two big picture questions: (1) What have been the results of the current regime? Are platforms being rewarded for good behavior and held liable for bad? Are there


The majority of Indigenous peoples in Canada are now living in urban centres. Following the publication of the Final Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in 1996, academics and policy makers were encouraged to further research the heterogeneous experiences and realities of urban Indigenous peoples living in Canadian cities. This thesis responds to this call and seeks to explore the social geographies and lived experiences of urban Metis peoples, a segment of the urban Indigenous population that has to date been largely left out of the literature. This work relates specifically to Metis living in Ottawa, representing the first study of its kind in eastern Canada. Although Ottawa is not a traditional Metis community and is located outside of the traditional Metis Homeland, the city does represent an important Metis meeting place and space where various understandings of Metis identity from across the country come into contact with one another. The ways in which urban Metis identities are formed and maintained, the movement and strategies Metis peoples utilize to create a sense of place and home, and the ways in which individuals and the community at large come into contact with power at the municipal level are explored at length. Utilizing Henri Lefevbre and Iris Marion Young's concepts of right to the city and unassimilated otherness, this thesis argues that urban Metis peoples in Ottawa merit greater recognition primarily through the creation of a permanent fixture, such as a Metis house, within the city's urban landscape.


This paper reports on a case study in which six engineering teachers in a Masters program of machine engineering worked with a critical friend from a university based centre of teaching and learning in order to develop their scholarship of teaching. The research question that framed the study became: 'what do engineering teachers learn, in terms of developing a scholarship of teaching, from working and reflecting together with a critical friend?' The results give insights into how the collaboration with the critical friend and with each other caused the engineering teachers to (re)think their values, beliefs and professional practice as teachers. As this study illustrates, uncovering the knowledge behind an action, framing and reframing problems of practice and formulating ideas for future actions can ultimately guide teachers in refining their practice and, in so doing, develop their scholarship of teaching.


In this study, the household labour supply is modelled as a discrete choice problem assuming that preference for leisure and consumption can be described by a quadratic utility function which allows for non-convexities in the budget set. We assess behavioural responses to the significant changes in the tax-benefit system during 2001-2002 in Luxembourg. Only moderate impact is found, on average, on the efficiency of the economy as measured by the labour supply effects. The impact is indeed concentrated on richer single women. These increase significantly their labour force, which more than doubles the non-behavioural effect of the tax reform on disposable income and boosts the gains in well-being for that part of population.


Phosphatase of regenerating liver (PRL) is frequently overexpressed in various malignant cancers and is known to be a driver of malignancy. Here, we demonstrated that PRL overexpression causes mitotic errors that accompany spindle misorientation and aneuploidy, which are intimately associated with cancer progression. Mechanistic analyses of this phenomenon revealed dysregulation of the energy sensor kinase, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), in PRL-induced mitotic errors. Specifically, immunofluorescence analysis showed that levels of phosphorylated AMPK (P-AMPK), an activated form of AMPK, at the kinetochore were reduced by PRL expression. Moreover, artificial activation of AMPK using chemical activators, such as A769662 and AICAR, in PRL-expressing cells restored P-AMPK signals at the kinetochore and normalized spindle orientation. Collectively, these results indicate the crucial importance of the activation of kinetochore-localized AMPK in the normal progression of mitosis, which is specifically perturbed by PRL overexpression.Key words: cancer, AMPK, PRL, kinetochore, mitotic errors.


Objective : To assess the level of awareness and adherence of patients to dietary recommendations in the management of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs). Methods : This cross-sectional study included CVD patients on medical visits at the cardiology unit of Ngaoundere Regional Hospital. Well informed and consenting participants filled a pre-tested questionnaire on dietary knowledge and practice. Results : 129 patients were retained in this study out of 151 enrolled. 58.9% of participants knew that the consumption of vegetables is beneficial for their status. Fruit consumption recorded the same level of awareness. All other dietary variables studied revealed less than 50% level of awareness among participants. Concerning recommended dietary practices, 73.64% of participants consumed oils rich in saturated fatty acids. Meat and fish consumption were recorded at 62.01% and 65.12% respectively, with a 94.57% preference to red meat consumption. Almost 19.38% of the study population consumed eggs more than 3 times per week, 31.78% and 41.09% consumed vegetables and fruits at least thrice and twice a week respectively. The overall mean adherence to the studied cardiovascular disease dietary recommendations was 38.31%, with only fish, vegetable and tea/coffee recommendations recording adherences of 50% and above. Conclusion : The findings demonstrate a low level of awareness and adherence to dietary recommendations in the management of CVDs, thus the need for the strengthening of health promotion programs and improvement of the nutritional advices in our context.


The growth of amorphous carbon films via deposition is investigated using molecular dynamics simulation with a modified Tersoff potential. The impact energy of carbon atoms ranges from 1 to 50 eV and the temperature of the diamond substrate is 300 K. The effects of the incident energy on the growth dynamics and film structure are studied in a detail. Simulation results show that the mobility of surface atoms in the cascade region is enhanced by impacting energetic carbon ions, especially at moderate energy, which favors the growth of denser and smoother films with better adhesion to the substrate. Our results agree qualitatively with the experimental observation.


What we have most to dread, is the almost irrecoverable debasement of our minds by looking off from God, living without him, without a due regard to his presence and providence, and idolizing ourselves and the world, considering other things as proper agents and causes; whereas, strictly speaking, there is but one cause, but one sole agent in universal nature. --Joseph Priestley, Illustrations of Philosophical Necessity NO QUESTION IN COLERIDGE STUDIES HAS RESISTED RESOLUTION MORE effectively than the question of the Christianity of "The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere." Contemporary readers often feel that no theological paradigm survives the nightmarish ironies of Coleridge's tale, of course, but that very feeling requires some assumption about the text's theological investments, so the issue of the poem's religious outlook remains a pertinent one. It is an issue that I will reconsider here by invoking Coleridge's Unitarianism. Critics tend to hurry the poet past his Unitarian period, convinced that the glib optimism of Joseph Priestley could accommodate neither Coleridge's "visionary" interests nor his responsiveness to injustice and suffering. I What troubles me about that conviction is that it seems so thoroughly at odds with the historical record. For in 1797-1798 Coleridge was still zealously engaged in the Unitarian cause: preaching to Unitarian congregations, corresponding with Unitarian ministers on theological questions, and revising his doctrinaire Religious Musings. He renounced his candidacy for the vacant ministry at Shrewsbury not on doctrinal grounds but simply because the Wedgwood legacy allowed him to act on his aversion to ministerial routine. (2) In turning from Coleridge to "The Rime," moreover, we turn from a devout Unitarian to a conversion narrative organized around Christian motifs from the moment Coleridge introduces Crucifixion imagery into it. Is there no connection between the poet's religious beliefs and the poem's religious speculations? There is indeed, critics reply, but they defend the connection by denying or misrepresenting Coleridge's Unitarianism. For Robert Penn Warren, Coleridge's mythmaking reformulates the orthodox Fall occasioned by Original Sin, in the process ignoring Unitarian and Necessitarian doctrine. (3) For James Boulger, conversely, "The Rime" depends crucially on Necessity, but on a version of Necessity more reminiscent of Hume than Priestley. (4) Jerome McGann advocates reclaiming "The Rime" for historical understanding by looking not to Coleridge's Unitarianism but his interest in Higher Critical hermeneutics. (5) With William Empson, we at last encounter outright insistence on the Unitarianism of "The Rime," thankfully." Yet we also encounter a reconstruction of Coleridge's Unitarian faith so tendentious as to create more problems than it resolves. My effort to negotiate these contending positions will appeal to the Unitarian convictions expressed in Coleridge's own letters and prose writings and Priestley's theological treatises. My essay will concede Warren's claim that "The Rime" celebrates the One Life, but then argue that the poem displays a typically Unitarian disinterest in Original Sin and the loss of Eden. I will agree with Boulger, against Warren, that the idea of Necessity shapes Coleridge's narrative profoundly, but I will also argue that Coleridge's conception of Necessity is providential rather than skeptical. While accepting McGann's case for a historicist "Rime," with the Mariner as a figure of superstition, I will ignore the marginal glosses tie privileges arid concentrate instead on the 1798 text. My concern with "The Rime" as a Unitarian theodicy, finally, marks the divergence of my argument from Empson's reading. By looking narrowly at the poet's distaste for notions of a hereditary guilt demanding expiation, Empson concludes that Coleridge's Unitarianism disallowed the redemptive rationale of pain and evil--and there I cannot agree. …


Computers, information and communication technology (ICT) are more and more involved in the education process. Students should learn to use information technologies (IT) in a suitable, effective way, and when learning any subject they should be capable to implement computer facilities and thus develop their learning methods. Competitions are an excellent tool to achieve these goals. Competitions play an important role as a source of inspiration and innovation - youngsters are attracted by competitions, they get easier involved in such an activity, more willingly discuss and become more active. IT contests may be a key to the potential of new knowledge and an attractive way of binding up technology and education.

Interest in competitions essentially depends on problems. Really, choosing and developing interesting tasks (problems) is one of the most important issues bringing students into competitions. Attraction, invention, tricks, surprise should be desirable features of each problem presented to competitors. The problems have to be carefully selected, taking into account the different aspects of each problem. IT competitions should encourage students to think about computer science and to understand what it can be.

Introduction to computers, learning by using ICT are the actions aimed at solution and analysis of particular problems. Before starting IT competitions, tasks must be planned very carefully and based on some theoretical analysis. The main attention is paid to develop some criteria for creating as well as selecting tasks.

The history of the Lithuanian IT competition named ''Beaver'' started on October 21, 2004. Approximately 3500 students from about 150 comprehensive schools were involved in it. Afterwards, the workshop of participants from several foreign countries was held and building of a framework of the international ``Beaver'' competition was started. The paper deals with theoretical and practical issues of developing new kinds of competition in IT in Lithuania, called ``Beaver''.


For most of us advances in digital technology have made our lives easier, by providing access to information and services whenever and wherever we want. In a perfect world this should be true for Survivors of domestic violence, with technology providing access to domestic violence support services at a time and place that is convenient to the Survivor, thereby arousing less suspicion from their partner.
Unfortunately the technologies Survivors are using to access help and support (i.e. mobile phones and Internet browsers) are recording a trail of "electronic footprints" which can be followed; consequently Survivors are being prevented from accessing the services that have been provided to help them. Related research shows that intimate partner cyber stalking represents a genuine threat to Survivors, with a proven link between the stalking behaviour and the controlling / abusive behaviours common to cases of domestic violence.
The aim of this research was to improve the ability of Survivors to access domestic violence support services. This has been divided into two objectives, the first objective is to make the services more accessible (easier to find and more targeted in the information they provide), the second objective was to give Survivors the tools they require to erase their electronic footprints so that they can access support services safely (and thereby be more willing to use the services provided).
To achieve these objectives the project looked at existing support services, carried out a survey of Survivors to find out what they needed from the services, identified the issues with existing Internet and mobile phone technologies and proposes new and innovative solutions to help Survivors access the services they need.
In this document we present a case study based on our work with the Angelou Centre, this case study serves as the core of our research, in which we outline the technology issues facing survivors and present number of technology solutions that can be used to address these issues. The technology requirement of each survivor and each organisation providing domestic violence services is unique, so the proposed solutions presented in this document are intended to be used individually or in combination as is most appropriate for the survivor and / or organisation providing the service.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease for which no preventative or disease-modifying treatments currently exist. Pathological hallmarks include amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyper-phosphorylated tau protein. Evidence suggests that both pathologies are self-propagating once established. However, the lag time between neuropathological changes in the brain and the onset of even subtle clinical symptomatology means that patients are often diagnosed late when pathology, and neurodegeneration secondary to these changes, may have been established for several years. Complex pathological pathways associated with susceptibility to AD and changes that occur downstream of the neuropathologic process further contribute to the challenging endeavour of developing novel disease-modifying therapy. Recognising this complexity, effective management of AD must include reliable screening and early diagnosis in combination with effective therapeutic management of the pathological processes. Roche and Genentech are committed to addressing these unmet needs through developing a comprehensive portfolio of diagnostics and novel therapies. Beginning with the most scientifically supported targets, this approach includes two targeted amyloid-β monoclonal antibody therapies, crenezumab and gantenerumab, and an anti-tau monoclonal antibody, RO7105705, as well as a robust biomarker platform to aid in the early identification of people at risk or in the early stages of AD. Identification and implementation of diagnostic tools will support the enrolment of patients into clinical trials; furthermore, these tools should also support evaluation of the clinical efficacy and safety profile of the novel therapeutic agents tested in these trials. This review discusses the therapeutic agents currently under clinical development.


This essay considers the role that Copts played in the Arab Spring revolution in Egypt and the way in which the political changes of the time affected Coptic interest representation in the Egyptian state. Copts, the indigenous Christians of Egypt, were eager participants in the protests that brought down former president Hosni Mubarak. However, their enthusiasm for a new era was dampened by the inability of lay Coptic movements to challenge the status quo in a way favorable to Coptic interests. Dissent against the management of security under the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces ( scaf) led Copts toward cautious optimism when Muhammad Morsi was elected president in 2012. However, the transition to democracy in Egypt as laid out by the Islamist government ultimately squandered the goodwill of Egyptian Christians and contributed to their disillusionment with the democratic idea. The result has been the further polarization of Egyptian society in ways which have deepened cleavages between Christians and the Islamist movement and rendered more ambiguous the role of the church and lay movements in representing Coptic interests.


State-of-the-art CMOS technology relies on the integration of multi-layer high-k/metal gate stacks in order to achieve high capacitance density while fulfilling the requirements in terms of gate leakage current density, interface state density, channel mobility, threshold voltage and reliability. Conventional SiOx/HfO2 gate dielectric stacks are capable of meeting the performance targets of current technology nodes and have been shown to possess sufficient short-term scalability, but solutions providing enhanced long-term scalability are actively researched, mostly via integration of higher-k oxides or high-k interfacial layers. This paper provides an overview of recent research efforts in this area, focusing on integration of high-k interfacial layers. We then analyze the potential scalability improvement which can be obtained through integration of thulium silicate as interfacial layer and summarize the main results supporting its applicability to future technology nodes.


Temporal-to-spatial mode demultiplexing routes non-simultaneous events
 of the same spatial mode to distinct output trajectories. This
 technique has now been widely adopted, because it gives access to
 higher-number multi-photon states when exploiting solid-state quantum
 emitters. However, implementations so far have required an
 always-increasing number of active elements and are therefore rapidly
 facing resource constraints. Here, we propose and demonstrate a
 demultiplexing approach that uses only a single active element for
 routing to, in principle, an arbitrary number of outputs. We employ
 our device in combination with a high-efficiency single-photon source
 based on a quantum dot, and measure up to eight demultiplexed highly
 indistinguishable single photons. We discuss the practical limitations
 of our approach, and describe in which conditions it can be used to
 demultiplex, e.g., tens of outputs. Our scheme thus provides a path
 for the preparation of resource-efficient larger-scale multi-photon
 sources.


Reflection seismic data for petroleum exploration have improved resolution of the rift structure of the US Atlantic margin. Previously conjectural features are not clearly seen and additional features have been recognized. Our best data are from the Long Island-George's Bank area. Generally, the geologic elements visible, looking landward, are: (1) a belt of block-faulted oceanic crust that merges into a wedge of synrift sediments, (2) a basement ridge 10-15 km wide with maximum relief of 1.5 km, at a depth generally below 9 km, under the East Coast Magnetic Anomaly (ECMA), (3) a very wide zone of rising basement, structurally bland except for a major hinge near the updip edge of the ECMA, (4) an updip zone of complicated rift-stage faults with basinward-dipping listric faults, which visibly sole at approx. 14 km, and common listric counter-regional faults, and (5) a major unconformity, the base of the drift sequence, with rift-stage structures extensively peneplaned. Graben fill is 2-stage and includes earlier highly rotated beds separated by an unconformity from mildly deformed sediments. Downdip, the major unconformity at the base of the drift sequence becomes a strong, continuous reflector that downlaps the landward edge of oceanic crust.


Recently, probabilistic methods and statistical learning theory have been shown to provide approximate solutions to \diAEcult" control problems. Unfortunately, the number of samples required in order to guarantee stringent performance levels may be prohibitively large. This paper introduces bootstrap learning methods and the concept of stopping times to drastically reduce the bound on the number of samples required to achieve a performance level. We then apply these results to obtain more eAEcient algorithms which probabilistically guarantee stability and robustness levels when designing controllers for uncertain systems.


The aim of this paper is to present a new approach to fault area estimation for high-speed relaying using feedforward neural networks. The suggested framework makes use of neurocomputing technology and pattern-recognition concepts. In contrast to conventional algorithms, our neural fault area estimator (NFAE) determines the fault area directly. This approach leads to very short propagation times and reliable classification results. Important attributes of artificial neural networks (ANNs) are their ability to learn nonlinear functions and their large input error tolerance. The obtained results indicate that these characteristics still result in reliable behaviour even if nonideal (real-world) effects pertain. A comparison of classification quality with conventional algorithms by simulating certain faults on a parallel transmission line shows the approaches advanced capability for protective relaying.


Studies were conducted in Gathwariga catchment, Kenya with the aim of evaluating farmers' perception about the impact of legume cover crops (LCC) on soil erosion control. A sensitization workshop involving the farmers was held to discuss the benefits of using LCC for erosion control after which the farmers opted for the following treatments: pure stand of maize ( Zea mays ) (T1), maize intercropped with Mucuna pruriens (T2), maize plus Vicia benghalensis (T3) and maize plus Lablab purpureus (T4). All the farmers indicated that plots previously planted with LCC provided post-harvest cover to the soil almost 7 months after planting which was crucial in controlling erosion during the on-set of subsequent rains when the ground is bare. The post-harvest percent cover taken at the beginning of the subsequent season was 0, 43.2, 9.0, and 11.4% for T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. T1 had 9, 2 and 2.5 times more soil loss than T2, T3 and T4 respectively. The eroded sediments had higher concentrations of plant nutrient elements than the 'field soil'. A follow up visit showed that 84% of the farmers planted mucuna as a sole crop to control erosion in degraded areas, one used mucuna as an intercrop with cassava, two decided to plant mucuna on relatively flat areas for seed multiplication while one farmer had grown mucuna to reclaim a gully. International Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development Vol. 5 2004: 176-186


THE MOST exhausting activity in the practice of an ophthalmologist is to persuade persons to read the normal line of the visual test chart. Complicated operations and intricate diagnostic problems sometimes seem next to nothing in comparison; but why this keen interest? Examination of the visual acuity is classified as a subjective test, but in certain circumstances the answers are as sure as objective results. The moment the patient is brought to read the normal line, it is proved with the exactitude of an objective method that the visual acuity of the examined person is normal, and the whole test then changes from a doubtful to an exact one. This result is worth while. The next question to be discussed is, of course, the normal value for the visual acuity. Ability to recognize letters of 5 minute angle is generally recognized as normal, corresponding to a visual acuity of 1.0