Australian Rules football is one of Australia's most popular sports for both spectators and participants. For women who play in this team, the sport offers a unique outlet within which to engage in a women-only space, in a physical, full-contact pursuit, and in what ostensibly remains a 'male' sport. When women in this team play Australian Rules football they interact in ways that other social spaces neither demand nor offer. As a domain largely defined by female same-sex sociality, women's Australian Rules football is a social and cultural space that offers a unique set of circumstances within which to explore women's same-sex bonds. I use this sport to explore the homosocial dynamics that take place amongst women in such a space, drawing on Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Sharon Marcus, Henriette Gunkel and Nancy Finley to build on the theoretical discourses of 'homosociality' and 'intragender relations'. Further, I use Brian Pronger's work to explore the sportscape of a women's Australian Rules football team. In drawing on these theoretical frameworks, I analyse the intersections of embodiment, physicality, gender and space for women who play in this Australian Rules football team, pointing to the implications of women's same-sex sociality more broadly. Using a visual methodology and drawing on the work of Gerry Bloustein and Gillian Rose, I investigate what we might 'picture'- both literally and metaphorically, when we draw on visual imagery in sports and gender research. Specifically I use what I term 'photo projects' and photo elicitation interviews and, through analysis of photographs created by eight women in one Australian Rules football team, I engage in an in-depth analysis of what this social, physical, gendered, sexualised space means for women who play. Building on homosociality as a framework for theorising women's same sex bonds that may be applied not only in this field but to female homosocial spaces more generally, I question what this women's Australian Rules football team tells us about gender, embodiment and physicality. What does it mean for gender when women engage in a sport so deeply entrenched in masculinity and maleness and how do the women in this team negotiate this experience? Exploring what a visual methodology has to offer gender and sports sociology research I question what we might see through a visual methodology that non-visual methods do not have the scope to elucidate. Further I contribute to research on visual methodologies through the development of complimentary research methods, including photo projects and a staged training session, both mechanisms for engaging subjects in generating visual data for the study. Through research into this sportscape I demonstrate how space is constructed as physical as well as imaginary. In doing so I build on Pronger's work, exploring the mobility and transience of the sportscape and the resonance of such for women who play football. Lastly, through engaging with this sportscape and women's experiences of this sportscape I look at how women are impacted by and simultaneously impact on the sportscape. Research into this women's Australian Rules football team illuminates this sportscape as a useful sociological field for engaging with the intersections of gender, embodiment and physicality. Further, by demonstrating the different ways that female homosocial bonds manifest, this thesis contributes new ways of thinking about intragender relations in sport sociology.


Most fibro-osseous lesions are radiographic findings observed as radiopaque and radiolucent images, usually asymptomatic. Objective: To study the contribution of radiographic characteristics associated with cemento-osseous dysplasias to the differential diagnosis with other more severe and invasive pathologies. Materials and methods: In this study, 254 radiopaque and radiolucent images were analyzed, detected in orthopantomographies, performed in the first consultation, compatible with cemento-osseous dysplasias. Results: Lesions with irregularly shaped edges present a significantly higher proportion when associated with teeth. As the size of the lesions increases, the likelihood that their shape is irregular increases. Conclusions: The similarity of these pathologies with other lesions imposes the need to make a differential diagnosis taking into account the clinical history, radiographic and histological characteristics of these lesions for a correct treatment and monitoring of the patient. Clinical relevance: It is essential that the dentist is familiar with the diagnosis of these lesions found on routine radiographs, for a correct therapeutic approach.


Personal view p 1221

My wife is Scottish, making my children half Scottish, I'm a graduate of Edinburgh Medical School and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, I breathe more deeply when I'm in Scotland, the bagpipes make me weep, and often "My heart is in the Highlands a-chasing of the deer," but I fear that—viewed from Edinburgh—the British Medical Journal could become the English Medical Journal in devolving Britain.

"It already is," say some Scots, although ironically the BMJ is the best read publication among Scottish general practitioners, while it comes third to two free newspapers in England (confirming in my mind the superior taste of the Scots). The view of the BMJ from Cardiff may not see it as quite so foreign, but the Welsh regret that many interesting health innovations in Wales don't make it into the BMJ . The doctors in Northern Ireland are perhaps too used to being forgotten to complain and, I suspect, enjoy the 20 miles of cold sea that separate them from the mainland of Britain. But the BMJ wants to be useful to doctors in all parts of what is currently called the United Kingdom, …


A glycoprotein was selectively enriched in the supernatant (Fraction b) obtained by alcohol and trichloroacetic acid fractionation of digitonin extracts from blood of patients with neoplastic diseases and of control subjects. Subsequent chromatography with concanavalin A:Sepharose separated a concanavalin A-reactive fraction from a concanavalin A-nonreactive one. In sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis, the fractions from both malignant origin as well as control subjects appeared as single bands showing the same mobility. They were identical with the band obtained from commercial alpha 1-acid glycoprotein. In Fraction b of malignant origin, greatly increased amounts of the alpha 1-acid glycoprotein from malignant cases (AGPM) were found as compared to alpha 1-acid glycoprotein from controls (AGPC). Furthermore, AGPC had a higher glycine content than did AGPM. The electrofocusing pattern of AGPM showed additional bands between pH 3.7 and 4.4, whereas AGPC and commercial alpha 1-acid glycoprotein focused between pH 3.2 and 3.8. In contrast to AGPC and to a commercial alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, AGPM is characterized by a chromophoric group with maximal absorbance at 400 nm. It could be detached by treatment with 6 M guanidine hydrochloride thus indicating a noncovalent binding. The spectral data on the separated chromophore at pH 0.5 agreed with that of a 6,7-substituted pteridine. After detachment with reducing agents, a pteridine in its 7,8-dihydro form was indicated by spectral analysis.


Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are complex multi-layer structures whose operating characteristics are highly sensitive to variations in layer thickness and composition. They contain an active region of one or more quantum wells sandwiched between highly reflecting mirrors. Non-destructive optical characterisation techniques including reflectance spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry and photomodulated reflectance have been used to examine these structures and various components of them. In addition, the relatively novel technique of photomodulated spectroscopic ellipsometry has been examined in comparison with photomodulated reflectance in the characterisation of bulk, multi-layer and quantum well material. The distributed Bragg reflectors of VCSELs provide the high reflectance required over a selected wavelength range. Optical measurements were used to determine important information concerning layer thicknesses and compositions, which were confirmed with X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The techniques were also used to provide important information concerning growth and uniformity, which could be readily applied for feedback to growers or for device fabrication. Novel reflectance and photomodulated reflectance measurements made on a range of laser structures designed to operate over a range of wavelengths from 650 nm to 1 ?m were used to examine the characteristics of the reflectors and the active region of the lasers. The cavity mode observed clearly indicates the lasing wavelength, and the interaction of the cavity and quantum well has been interpreted using new lineshapes. The cavity mode and quantum well resonance observed in photomodulated reflectance has been shown to provide a clear indication of where devices can be fabricated successfully from non-uniform material. The identification of the cavity and quantum well features has also enabled important information concerning the changes in structure and therefore in device performance with temperature and pressure. Measurements have also been able to provide important information to explain the variation in performance of some devices.


Managing design is still considered a challenge and few design and construction companies apply Lean and BIM in an integrated manner to support it. The interactions of Lean and BIM have been explored for more than 10 years. Despite this, most of the practical and theoretical discussions have focused on BIM capabilities' and features' contributions to Lean goals and techniques. Therefore, this paper aims to explore and discuss Lean contributions to BIM processes, which is still missing in the analysed context. Initial findings of an ongoing research project on exploring Lean and BIM synergies in the UK are presented. The investigation adopts case study as its research strategy, while exploring the potential implementation of Lean into the BIM-based clash management in highways design. The paper contributes to knowledge by determining how Lean could reduce waste and increase value of a clash detection and resolution process. The results indicate that Lean can contribute to the BIM processes, beyond the BIM capabilities and features, to support BIM process improvements. The wide range of intervention opportunities in BIM processes from a Lean perspective needs further investigation for Lean to have a firmer place in BIM discussions.


Women who were screened by primary health workers who used visual inspection with acetic acid were less likely to die of cervical cancer, a large Indian study has found.

The research, which looked at the effectiveness of acetic acid screening by primary health workers in reducing cervical cancer mortality, found that the method could actively reduce cervical cancer mortality by nearly one third. The results were presented at the 49th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago at the beginning of June.

The study involved 150 000 women in India aged 35-64 years who were randomly assigned to screening with acetic acid by primary health workers (75 360 women) or no screening (76 178 women) and were followed for 12 years. Women in …


Introduction: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is an endemic parasitic disease in Iran. The residual unpleasant scar of this disease could be a potentially serious psychological threat to the patients. Based on the results of our previous study on the efficacy of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) in the treatment of CL, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of topical 5% TCA cream in the treatment of papulonodular leishmaniasis lesions. Methods: In this case series study, among the patients who were referred to skin disease and leishmaniasis research center(SDLRC), 16 patients with positive direct smear for leishmaniasis were randomly selected for treatment with 5% TCA cream or, twice a day for 8 weeks or up to complete healing(epithelization)of the lesions. At the end of the treatment period, the response rate was assessed as complete cure, partial cure or treatment failure. The size of the scar was measured 6 months after complete epithelization of the lesions. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 12. Results: The mean area of the lesions was 38.81 ± 81.9 mm 2 before the treatment, and 3.6 ± 9.1 mm 2 at 6 month follow up period. Complete cure was achieved in 1 patient (6.3%) at week 2, in 13 patients (86.7%) at week 7, and in all patients at week 8. There was no serious reaction in none of the patients. Only one patient had mild erythema at week 2 and edema at the application site at week 5 which completely was resolved within 2 weeks. Conclusion: Our results showed complete cure in all cases at week 8 without any serious side effects. Considering the efficacy of TCA in decreasing the size of the residual scar and its low cost compared to other treatments, 5% TCA cream could be considered as an alternative modality for intralesional glucantime in the treatment of CL. Further assessment as a double blind randomized clinical trial is warranted.


Study objectives: Few studies have analysed the rates and correlates of physical activity in economically and geographically diverse populations. Objectives were to examine: (1) urban-rural differences in physical activity by several demographic, geographical, environmental, and psychosocial variables, (2) patterns in environmental and policy factors across urban-rural setting and socioeconomic groups, (3) socioeconomic differences in physical activity across the same set of variables, and (4) possible correlations of these patterns with meeting of physical activity recommendations. Design: A cross sectional study with an over sampling of lower income adults was conducted in 1999–2000. Setting: United States. Participants: 1818 United States adults. Main results: Lower income residents were less likely than higher income residents to meet physical activity recommendations. Rural residents were least likely to meet recommendations; suburban residents were most likely to meet recommendations. Suburban, higher income residents were more than twice as likely to meet recommendations than rural, lower income residents. Significant differences across income levels and urban/rural areas were found for those reporting neighbourhood streets, parks, and malls as places to exercise; fear of injury, being in poor health, or dislike as barriers to exercise and those reporting encouragement from relatives as social support for exercise. Evidence of a positive dose-response relation emerged between number of places to exercise and likelihood to meet recommendations for physical activity. Conclusions: Both income level and urban rural status were important predictors of adults' likelihood to meet physical activity recommendations. In addition, environmental variables vary in importance across socioeconomic status and urban-rural areas.


The current research related to the formulation of the floating matrix tablets planned to enhance the drug bioavailability, extend the gastric residence time and reduce the side effects of irritating drugs, which are attained after oral administration. Gum arabic, sodium alginate, carrageenan, corn starch, gum guar, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), and polyacrylates were different types of matrix-forming polymers studied. As the type of matrix former the relative importance of drug diffusion, polymer swelling tablet erosion for the resulting release patterns varied significantly. The tablets eroded upon contact with the release medium. The purpose of this article is to evaluate modern technology used in the development of floating drug delivery system as well as summarizes the applications the advantages and disadvantages, characterization, estimation methods and future potential, principle of floating drug delivery system for floating tablets.


Fraser syndrome (FS MIM 219000) is a rare, heterogeneous congenital malformation disorder characterized by cryptophthalmos, syndactyly and urogenital defects. The entity is named after George Fraser who described two unrelated patients with the same congenital malformation disorder consisting of cryptophthalmos, ear anomalies, genital anomalies and syndactyly. More than 250 cases have thus far been reported in the literature. Robin Winter had speculated that FS is the human equivalent of the murine blebbing mutants in which mutations at five loci give the same phenotype as FS. Mutations in two human genes are known to cause FS and there are three further candidate genes. FRAS1, the first locus identified, encodes an Extracellular Matrix (ECM) protein whose domain structure suggests a structural role within the ECM as well as in cell signalling. There are several genes similar to FRAS1 in the human genome. These are called FREM1-3 (Fras-Related-Extracellular-Matrixl-3). In patients with FS, missense mutations have recently been identified in a second gene, FREM2. The other FREM genes have not been associated with FS as yet. Mutations in Grip! have been identified in eye blebbing (eb) mutants. To date, no GRIP1 mutations have been identified in FS patients. Clinical data and DNA samples were collected from 59 affected individuals from 25 consanguineous and 15 non-consanguineous families. Evaluation of the clinical findings in this group revealed a higher frequency of abnormalities of the skull, larynx, umbilicus, urinary tract and anus, whereas mental retardation and cleft lip/ palate were less often observed than previously reported. Mutation analysis of the genes known or suspected to be involved in FS resulted in the identification of six FRAS1 mutations and two FREM2 mutations. Linkage analysis in consanguineous families indicated further evidence of linkage to FRAS1, FREM2, FREM1 and GRIP1. Genotype-phenotype analysis revealed that skull ossification defects, umbilical, urinary tract, and anorectal abnormalities were more frequently reported in patients with a FRAS1 mutation than in all other FS patients. Based on these results the existing diagnostic criteria were re evaluated and the definition of new diagnostic criteria for FS is suggested here along with a discussion of the findings.


The paper estimates the key determinants of compensation for head football coaches in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (the former D-IA) during the years 2006- 2010. Coaching compensation is regressed on variables capturing a coach's personal characteristics, productivity, and institutional characteristics. The results yield seven important explanatory variables. Four are coach specific: BCS ranking, recruiting success, lifetime winning percentage, and years of experience. The remaining three are institutional: football revenue, enrollment, and graduation rate. No estimate of a compensation function for a head football coach has appeared previously in the literature.


Objective To examine the association between practice percentage coding of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in primary care with risk of subsequent hospitalisations and death. Design Retrospective cohort study using linked electronic healthcare records. Setting 637 general practitioner (GP) practices in England. Participants 167 208 patients with CKD stages 3–5 identified by 2 measures of estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, separated by at least 90 days, excluding those with coded initiation of renal replacement therapy. Main outcome measures Hospitalisations with cardiovascular (CV) events, heart failure (HF), acute kidney injury (AKI) and all-cause mortality Results Participants were followed for (median) 3.8 years for hospital outcomes and 4.3 years for deaths. Rates of hospitalisations with CV events and HF were lower in practices with higher percentage CKD coding. Trends of a small reduction in AKI but no substantial change in rate of deaths were also observed as CKD coding increased. Compared with patients in the median performing practice (74% coded), patients in practices coding 55% of CKD cases had a higher rate of CV hospitalisations (HR 1.061 (95% CI 1.015 to 1.109)) and HF hospitalisations (HR 1.097 (95% CI 1.013 to 1.187)) and patients in practices coding 88% of CKD cases had a reduced rate of CV hospitalisations (HR 0.957 (95% CI 0.920 to 0.996)) and HF hospitalisations (HR 0.918 (95% CI 0.855 to 0.985)). We estimate that 9.0% of CV hospitalisations and 16.0% of HF hospitalisations could be prevented by improving practice CKD coding from 55% to 88%. Prescription of antihypertensives was the most dominant predictor of a reduction in hospitalisation rates for patients with CKD, followed by albuminuria testing and use of statins. Conclusions Higher levels of CKD coding by GP practices were associated with lower rates of CV and HF events, which may be driven by increased use of antihypertensives and regular albuminuria testing, although residual confounding cannot be ruled out.


This paper discusses how firms in Turkey have used audit reports of companies like Deloitte as a "costly signaling" instrument. The paper shows that the firms integrating into the global economy during 1990s were in intense competition to find global business partners. The need to do "business with strangers" created a new challenge for this firms: Broadcasting strong signals proving the capacity of being a reliable, long-standing business partner. When the partnerships were formed in smaller business circles, these signals were produced by face-to-face social interactions. But when the entrepreneurs cooperate/negotiate with firms from different national and cultural backgrounds, audit reports from prestigious companies became a universal signal about the firms' reliability. To illustrate the transformation in this "signaling" process, we conduct in-depth interviews with the managers of auditing firms, entrepreneurs and did an archival study on many resources of the period.


The [2+2] photocycloaddition is a powerful but underused synthetic route to
cyclobutanes. The underuse of this reaction can stem from unreliable yields, which can,
in part, be attributed to secondary photoreactions of the desired product. The first part of
this thesis describes investigations into new methods of trapping out primary
photoproducts before secondary photoreactions can take place. Lithium borohydride
was demonstrated as a successful trapping agent in intramolecular [2+2] enone-olefin
photocycloadditions. Eight ketone products from the [2+2] photocycloaddition of
vinylogous esters were trapped as their analogous alcohols, in moderate to good yields
(27-83%). Without the conditions, the ketones were all afforded in lower yields (0-50%). This is the first example of the addition of a reducing agent to trap out products
during the [2+2] photocycloaddition. Initial investigations into other trapping agents and
trapping the products from other [2+2] photocycloadditions are discussed.
Selective modification of proteins is a sought after goal in chemical biology. The
second part of this thesis describes the use of bromomaleimide to selectively and
reversibly label cysteine in small molecule substrates as thiomaleimides. Addition of a
second thiol to the thiomaleimides can afford dithiosuccinimides, or addition of three
equivalents of potassium carbonate in methanol can afford dehydroalanine motifs.
Cysteine can be added to dibromomaleimide to afford bromothiomaleimides and
dithiomaleimides. The thiomaleimides are photoactive and can be quantitatively
dimerised to head-to-head trans adducts, or conjugated with a variety of olefins and
alkynes. The regio- and diastereochemical outcomes of these reactions are discussed.
The cyclobutanes thus formed render the modification irreversible to reductive
conditions. The absorptions of thiomaleimides and their suitability for protein
modification are considered very useful (>360 nm). A [2+2] photocycloaddition of
styrene to RNAP sub-unit H was successful with good conversions, demonstrating the
first use of this reaction to modify proteins.


Abstract This field study was aimed at shedding light on the magnitude of children's specific trauma related responses in the context of ongoing massive missile attacks that took place along Israel's northern border resulting in their forced evacuation. During the second week of the 17-day massive attacks, the respondents, 604 adolescents from grades 7 to 11, completed a three-part questionnaire assessing (a) post-traumatic stress disorder-related symptoms, (b) general stress responses, and (c) help-seeking/support received. They also completed the Self-control Schedule (Rosenbaum, 1980). Only 6.3% of the respondents met all three PTSD related symptom criteria. An additional 51.2% met some of the PTSD-related criteria. Despite the underlying general stress response of crisis, vulnerability, and physical symptoms, sense of coping appeared dominant; these students adjusted well, under the circumstances. Although the respondents were separated from their parents at the time of the crisis, parents emerged as the most approached and most valued source of support, followed by friends. Self-control was found to be associated with higher intensity of stress response.


The rapidly increasing demands for wireless wideband services and the recent advances in the design and implementation of mobile terminal devices with Internet-based service providing capabilities expedite the introduction of fourth generation (4G) wireless communications systems
in the international wireless market. These systems are expected to ensure increased data rates and quality of service in an anytime anywhere basis. Wireless systems that utilize multiple antennas at the transmitter and/or receiver as well as space-time signal processing techniques play a fundamental role in accomplishing the demands imposed by 4G wireless communications systems. Well-known multiple-antenna systems that enable simple implementations are space diversity receivers (SDRs). By properly combining the multiple received replicas of the transmitted signal, SDRs are capable of effectively mitigating the detrimental effects of multipath fading, known as small-scale fading (SSF), that is inherent in wireless channels.

SDRs are theoretically known to improve wireless system's performance compared with conventional single-antenna receivers. This improvement requires that the SSF channels among multiple receiver's antennas are statistically independent. However, in practical implementations, due to several parameters such as for example the small distance among the receiver's multiple branches, SSF channels are arbitrarily correlated. This doctoral dissertation presents a theoretical performance study of SDRs operating over arbitrarily correlated SSF channels.

Although numerous scientific papers deal with correlated SSF channel modeling and the impact of correlated SSF on the performance of SDRs, their vast majority, which utilizes the statistical properties of multivariate distributions for studying SDRs' performance, is restricted to special
forms of fading correlation and conventional SDR techniques. This happens mainly due the fact that there is a lack of simple mathematical expressions for the statistical properties of multivariate distributions with arbitrarily correlated random variables (RVs) in the literature.

Within the framework of this dissertation, firstly, the previously proposed mathematical expressions for the most prevalent statistical properties of the multivariate Rayleigh, Nakagami-m, Weibull and generalized Gamma (ΓG) distributions with various forms of correlation are summarized. Moreover, their capabilities of being utilized for the performance study of SDRs operating over correlated SSF are described. Next, by presenting a new methodology for generating arbitrarily correlated and not necessarily identically distributed (ID) ΓG RVs that is based on arbitrarily correlated Gaussian RVs and the special class of Householder matrices for tridiagonalizing the correlation matrix (CM) of Gaussian RVs, a closed-form upper bound expression for the joint probability density function (PDF) and an analytical upper bound expression in infinite series form for the joint cumulative distribution function (CDF) of arbitrarily correlated and not necessarily ID ΓG RVs are derived. The proposed upper bounds contain several known mathematical expressions for the joint PDF and CDF as special cases. In addition, by approximating the CM of arbitrarily correlated Gaussian RVs with the special class of Green's matrices, a closed-form approximate expression for the joint PDF and an analytical approximate expression in infinite series form for the joint CDF of arbitrarily correlated and not necessarily ID ΓG RVs are obtained. Furthermore, analytical expressions in infinite series form for the most prevalent statistical properties of the trivariate ΓG distribution with an arbitrary CM and not necessarily ID RVs as well as of the multivariate ΓG distribution with a constant CM and not necessarily ID RVs are presented.

The proposed analytic mathematical expressions of all forms for the PDF and CDF of the multivariate ΓG distribution are used for the performance study of selection diversity (SD), maximal-ratio diversity (MRD), and switch-and-examine diversity (SED) receivers over various arbitrarily correlated SSF channels. Firstly, analytical upper bound expressions for the outage probability (OP), average symbol error probability (ASEP) for several modulation formats, and average channel capacity (ACC) in Shannon's sense of SD receivers operating over arbitrarily correlated and not necessarily ID ΓG fading are derived. Moreover, analytical expressions for the
same performance criteria of triple-branch SD receivers as well as analytical approximate expressions for the performance criteria of multibranch SD receivers are presented. Next, by obtaining new analytic mathematical expressions in infinite series form for the most prevalent statistical properties of the sum of any number of arbitrarily correlated and ID Gamma RVs,
analytical expressions for the OP, ASEP for several modulation formats, and ACC in Shannon's sense of multibranch MRD receivers operating over arbitrarily correlated and ID Nakagami-m fading are derived. For the same fading conditions, analytical expressions in infinite series form for the OP and ASEP for several modulation formats of multibranch SED receivers are presented.

The tightness of the proposed upper bounds for the performance criteria of multibranch SD, MRD, and SED receivers in various arbitrarily correlated SSF environments, the correctness of the analytical expressions for the same criteria, and the accuracy of the proposed approximations
for them are studied in depth through comparisons between numerically evaluated results for the expressions and equivalent results obtained by means of computer simulations that were implemented for this purpose.


The assessment of left ventricular (LV) function in the setting of mitral stenosis (MS) has been critically examined for decades. Accurate assessment of aberrations in diastolic function is important as these subjects often present with signs and symptoms of heart failure and pulmonary congestion that cannot be solely explained by the severity of mechanical obstruction. Echocardiographic evaluation of diastolic dysfunction includes an evaluation of reduced LV compliance, diminished restoring forces, and enhanced stiffness, which are challenging in the setting of MS owing to altered hemodynamic loading. Conventional echocardiographic and Doppler measures offer limited information. Novel assessments employing speckle tracking echocardiography are relatively less studied. A more comprehensive assessment including clinical evaluation, identification of concomitant disorders, and comorbidities is particularly warranted in older subjects with degenerative MS to suspect diastolic dysfunction and arrive at optimal medical therapy or intervention. This review provides an overview of etiological, pathophysiological, echocardiographic, and invasive assessment of diastolic dysfunction in the setting of MS, with specific focus on strengths and limitations of available echocardiographic and Doppler techniques.


Consider a network of N decentralized computing agents collaboratively solving a nonconvex stochastic composite problem. In this work, we propose a single-loop algorithm, called DEEPSTORM, that achieves optimal sample complexity for this setting. Unlike double-loop algorithms that require a large batch size to compute the (stochastic) gradient once in a while, DEEPSTORM uses a small batch size, creating advantages in occasions such as streaming data and online learning. This is the first method achieving optimal sample complexity for decentralized nonconvex stochastic composite problems, requiring O(1) batch size. We conduct convergence analysis for DEEPSTORM with both constant and diminishing step sizes. Additionally, under proper initialization and a small enough desired solution error, we show that DEEPSTORM with a constant step size achieves a network-independent sample complexity, with an additional linear speed-up with respect to N over centralized methods. All codes are made available at https://github.com/gmancino/DEEPSTORM.


We study the debated contribution from thermally pulsing asymptotic-giant-branch (TP-AGB) stars in evolutionary population synthesis models. We investigate the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of a sample of 51 spectroscopically confirmed, high-z (1.3 < zspec < 2.7), galaxies using three evolutionary population synthesis models with strong, mild and light TP-AGB. Our sample is the largest of spectroscopically confirmed galaxies on which such models are tested so far. Galaxies were selected as passive, but we model them using a variety of star formation histories in order not to be dependent on this pre-selection. We find that the observed SEDs are best fitted with a significant contribution of TP-AGB stars or with substantial dust attenuation. Without including reddening, TP-AGB-strong models perform better and deliver solutions consistent within 1σ from the best-fitted ones in the vast majority of cases. Including reddening, all models perform similarly. Using independent constraints from observations in the mid- and far-IR, we show that low/negligible dust attenuation, i.e. E(B − V) ≲ 0.05, should be preferred for the SEDs of passively selected galaxies. Given that TP-AGB-light models give systematically older ages for passive galaxies, we suggest number counts of passive galaxies at higher redshifts as a further test to discriminate among stellar population models.


The oligopeptides microcystins and nodularins are the most common and abundant cyanotoxins present in diverse water systems. They cause different illnesses in animal and humans, sometimes leading to death, and are responsible for severe environmental problems. Here we demonstrate that both microcystin-LR and N. spumigena nodularin (Nod) significantly enhance the early spontaneous adherence of peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) over the concentration range 10(-11)-10(-9) M. However, neither of them affect significantly the late spontaneous adherence or the early or late PMN-stimulated adherence (when cells are treated with formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine). Since PMN adherence is a key step in the immune response, our data clearly indicate for the first time the immunomodulatory capacity of cyanopeptide toxins. The low concentrations at which the adherence modulation occurs are similar to the physiological concentrations for natural mammalian peptide hormones. Such concentrations are well below those recommended by other authors and World Health Organization in terms of risk assessment as safe for drinking water (8x10(-10) to 10(-9) M).


SIR, -Our experience of transcervical endometrial resection for menorrhagia as an alternative to hysterectomy is similar to that of Drs Adam L Magos and Ralf Baumann and Professor Sir Alexander C Turnbull.' We have treated 17 women (mean age 39 5, range 34-45) and followed them up for four to eight months postoperatively. They were treated with danazol 800 mg daily for one month to attenuate the endometrium before resection. Amenorrhoea was successfully induced in all but two of the 13 women who did not wish their periods to continue. The failures occurred at the start of the series when our experience was inevitably limited. One of the two was satisfied with diminished periods, which began eight weeks after resection, and the other is to have a hysterectomy. Serum gonadotrophin concentrations measured immediately before and after danazol treatment and at four months after resection (table) seemed to confirm that amenorrhoea was due to the endometrial ablation rather than coincidental ovarian failure in this group of perimenopausal women.


The structural damage of mortar caused by simulated crack was evaluated using embedded PZT sensor combining with dynamic electromechanical impedance technique. The influence of embedded PZT sensors layout on detecting structural damage induced by the simulated cracks was also investigated. The results indicate that with increasing the simulated crack depth, the impedance real part of PZT sensors shift leftwards accompanying with the appearance of new peaks in the spectra. When more simulated cracks occur, the shift of the impedance curve becomes more obvious, and the amounts of new peaks in the impedance spectra also increase. RMSD indices of the structures with PZT sensors embedded in them with different layout can show the structural incipient damage clearly. With increasing more simulated cracks in the mortar structures, RMSD values of the structures with different PZT sensors layout become larger, under the same depth, RMSD indices of the structures with PZT sensor embedded transversely and horizontally in them show the increasing trend.


This study aimed to explore the relationship between participating in a learning experience and the ensuing changes in confidence. A self-selected group of General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) entered a five-year, part-time postgraduate master's training programme in restorative dentistry. Confidence in communication with patients and technical skills were measured at the start of the programme by questionnaire and at the conclusion of the programme by questionnaire and personal interview. A total of 72 clinicians started the programme; 27% (n = 20) completed the master's degree. Assessment of confidence revealed a spread from 4/10 to 10/10 for communication with patients and clinical skills in restorative dentistry before the programme started. A total of 15% (n = 11) volunteered for interview. Analysis of qualitative data revealed (i) a perceived increase in confidence from all clinicians; (ii) a perceived greater ability to treat patients; (iii) an increase in treatment options being offered to patients; (iv) a perceived increase in treatment uptake by patients; and (v) greater job opportunities. The study showed a positive relationship between the learning experience and the perceived increase in confidence of clinicians. The increase in confidence manifested itself in better communication and clinical skills.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether there exist differential nasalance measures for consonant-vowel-consonant syllables consisting of different pressure consonants articulated by Marathi-speaking children with and without repaired cleft lip and palate.

PARTICIPANTS
Ten Marathi-speaking children with repaired cleft palate between the ages of 5 and 12 years formed the experimental group. The control group consisted of 10 age- and sex-matched children with no clefts and no history of any hearing, speech, or voice disorder.

METHODS AND MATERIALS
The Kay Elemetrics nasometer model 6200-2 (IBM-PC version) was used for obtaining nasalance measurements. Speech material consisted of eight Marathi monosyllabic words consisting of the pressure consonants in the initial position. The correlation between perceptual judgments of nasality and the instrumental measures was studied by computing the Phi coefficient.

RESULTS
Results indicate that there exist differential mean nasalance scores for the syllables with different pressure consonants articulated by Marathi-speaking subjects with repaired cleft lip and palate and those without cleft lip and palate. Correlation coefficient computed between the instrumental measures and the perceptual judgments of nasality indicates moderate correlation between the two measures.

CONCLUSIONS
Presence of differential nasalance scores may have diagnostic and therapeutic implications. Results also emphasize the need to evaluate nasal resonance in stimuli other than the traditional ones.


Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) in patient of essential hypertension is a high risk factor for both mother and child. From July 1959 to June 1991 there were 52,898 deliveries after the 28th week of gestation in our hospital, among whom essential hypertension occurred in 2.5% and 337 cases were superimposed by PIH with an incidence of 25.9%. There was a perinatal fetal mortality rate of 117.6/1000 in those 337 cases. A scoring system for perinatal fetal prognosis was worked out. The clinical criteria consist of: preexisting diastolic blood pressure, the highest diastolic pressure during pregnancy, proteinuria and the time of onset of PIH. A perinatal survival rate of 75.0% was obtained in those patients with preexisting diastolic pressure lower than 14.8 kPa (110 mmHg). A perinatal survival rate of more than 98.0% may be expected of those patients developing P I H after the 36th week of gestation. When the score is more than 8, the patient could usually get a living baby. If the score is less than 7, it is important to treat P I H effectively, terminate pregnancy at an appropriate time and keep the baby in the intensive care unit.


This paper analyzes the important, yet often ignored, link between capital adjustment and the choice of fuels used by manufacturing firms. A novel econometric framework, which explicitly incorporates heterogeneous fuel-using capital stocks in the estimation of optimal fuel choice, is applied to a large panel of Irish manufacturing firms. The econometric estimates show a significant variation in the optimal response of capital to changing fuel prices across different fuel-using technologies. For all the technologies, significant costs to capital adjustment are found. The costs are much larger compared with earlier estimates of adjustment costs based on lagged values of output and fuel prices. The findings imply that the path to full adjustment of capital stocks in response to changing fuel prices may be much longer than was previously thought.


— The task of face recognition has been actively researched in recent years. This paper provides an up-to-date review of major human face recognition research. We first present an overview of face recognition and its applications. Then, a literature review of the most recent face recognition techniques is presented. Description and limitations of face databases which are used to test the performance of these face recognition algorithms are given. A brief summary of the face recognition vendor test (FRVT) 2002, a large scale evaluation of automatic face recognition technology, and its conclusions are also given. Finally, we give a summary of the research results.


The value that electric companies assign to the reliability of their electric power supply is a key factor for efficient decision making, since it is a permanent task they face both in their operations and planning activities. This value depends on variables that are not easily observable; for this reason, the calculation of these costs strictly require the application of methodologies mainly built on proxy estimations with which the economic and the social impact can be reasonably inferred, when segments of users face an outage or interruption of public electric supply service. This impact, expressed in monetary terms, is known as the Cost of Energy Not Supplied (CENS). Besides establishing proxy variables to obtain CENS, the proposed methodology is applied to estimate the impact of programmed interruptions occurrence on the Ecuadorian electric system, on the basis of the Gross Domestic Product by productive sector and on the evaluation of the level of preparation of those sectors. The CENS values found are applied to Ecuador in planning research of the electric sector both on mid and long-range terms.


This thesis is devoted to the formulation and implications of the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The work is divided into two main parts. In the first part we develop rigorous theorems for the density-potential mapping in quantum many-body systems on a lattice. We prove the uniqueness of the TDDFT map and demonstrate that a given density is v-representable if the initial many-body state and the density satisfy certain well defined conditions. In particular, we show that for a system evolving from its ground state any density with a continuous second time derivative is v-representable. Then the lattice TDDFT formulation is extended to cover system of interacting lattice electrons strongly coupled to cavity photons.We prove that under some mathematical conditions the electron-photon wave function is a unique functional of the electronic density and the expectation value of the photonic coordinate. Then we further generalize the ground state v representability theorem to include the ground state of a general lattice electron-photon Hamiltonian.


OF DISSERTATION STUDIES OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS SPREADING OVER HIGH ENERGY SURFACES Spreading plays an important role in coating, lubrication, printing and etc. During the spreading process, a liquid thin film forms prior to the expansion of a liquid drop. This thin film is called a precursor film. It not only changes the spreading mechanism, but impacts the wettability of a liquid. Early studies on the precursor films showed the films were stacked in a terraced structure, and the radius of each layer of the films was proportional to the square root of time. Optical techniques such as ellipsometry, X-ray diffraction and X-ray reflectivity solved the conformations of liquid molecules at the interfaces. However, the conformations of the interfacial molecules have rarely been correlated with their positions at the interface. In addition, the properties of the precursor films have not been fully studied yet. In this dissertation, two kinds of organic compounds, hexatriacontane (C36) and 1butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([Bmim][Cl]), are proposed to be spread over octadecyltrichlorosilane partially degraded (OTSpd) patterned surfaces. Once organic molecules flow over such OTSpd surfaces, the liquids are limited within the patterned area. Characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), the structures and chemical identities and the formation mechanism of the precursor films are resolved thereafter. The precursor films formed by both compounds, C36 and [Bmim][Cl], were observed in a bilayer structure in that the molecules close to the solid substrate had different orientation from the molecules close to the air. They were called parallel layers and standing-up layers, respectively. The parallel layers of C36 formed prior to the standing-up layers through the vapor phase transport. In addition, the parallel layers were found more stable thermodynamically and the standing-up layers were more stable mechanically. The frictional study of C36 showed the standing-up layers could hold 0.49GPa pressure. The orientation of [Bmim][Cl] molecules were impacted by the polarities of the solid substrates. The achievements in this dissertation not only resolve the properties of the precursor films of two organic compounds, but provide a general method for the further studies of the precursor films.


Sialorphin is an exocrine and endocrine signaling mediator, which has been identified by a genomic approach. It is synthesized predominantly in the submandibular gland and prostate of adult rats in response to androgen steroids and is released locally and systemically in response to stress. We now demonstrate that the cell surface molecule to which sialorphin binds in vivo in the rat kidney is the membrane-anchored neutral endopeptidase (neprilysin; NEP, EC 22.214.171.124). NEP plays an important role in nervous and peripheral tissues, as it turns off several peptide-signaling events at the cell surface. We show that sialorphin prevents spinal and renal NEP from breaking down its two physiologically relevant substrates, substance P and Met-enkephalin in vitro. Sialorphin inhibited the breakdown of substance P with an IC50 of 0.4–1 μM and behaved as a competitive inhibitor. In vivo, i.v. sialorphin elicited potent antinociceptive responses in two behavioral rat models of injury-induced acute and tonic pain, the pin-pain test and formalin test. The analgesia induced by 100–200 μg/kg doses of sialorphin required the activation of μ- and δ-opioid receptors, consistent with the involvement of endogenous opioid receptors in enkephalinergic transmission. We conclude that sialorphin protects endogenous enkephalins released after nociceptive stimuli by inhibiting NEP in vivo. Sialorphin is a natural systemically active regulator of NEP activity. Furthermore, our study provides evidence that it is a physiological modulator of pain perception after injury and might be the progenitor of a new class of therapeutic molecules.


Recently, a few protocols for synchronizing the nodes of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to a common time frame have been proposed with the goal of maximizing the accuracy and minimizing the power utilization. Thus far, the performance of the existing protocols for time synchronization is assessed only through computer simulations and experiments without using any rigorous analytical metrics. The goal of this paper is to fill up this gap by deriving the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for the clock offset in one of the most popular synchronization algorithms, namely timing-sync protocol for sensor networks (TPSN), assuming commonly used exponential and Gaussian delay models, respectively. Furthermore, this paper proposes novel and practical clock skew estimators requiring no prior information of the fixed portion of delays, which makes the TPSN algorithm very suitable to synchronization in light of its power efficiency constraint.


This paper examines the low-frequency noise properties of millimeter-wave GaAs and InP Schottky diodes. Measurements of diodes fabricated using both HEMT and HBT epitaxy will be presented. These noise measurements should enable the development of accurate models useful in the analysis and design of MMIC components.


Author(s): LePort, Aurora Krystal | Advisor(s): Stark, Craig E.L. | Abstract: Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM) is a newly discovered memory phenomenon entailing the prodigious and accurate recall of autobiographical events and the days/dates on which they occurred. The motivation of this dissertation research is to elucidate potential behavioral, cognitive and neural features supporting HSAM. Specifically, experiment I provides a descriptive background of HSAM in terms of its accuracy and its specificity to the recollection of autobiographical information. Moreover, a foundation for neuroanatomical correlates of HSAM is built; Neuroanatomical differences are featured and a discussion of their relationship to autobiographical memory is made. Experiment II expands upon encoding and retrieval processes of HSAM participants and also provides a behavioral basis for HSAM. The rate at which HSAM participants forget is elucidated, the proclivity for HSAM participants to be superior learners is touched upon, and the quality of autobiographical details recalled from very recent to very remote events is established. A behavioral foundation for HSAM is constructed through the elucidation of a link between compulsive behaviors (i.e. rumination) expressed by HSAM participants and the consistency of autobiographical details recalled over time. Experiment III explores the possibility of enhanced cognitive mechanisms (other than autobiographical memory) supporting HSAM. A variety of cognitive mechanisms, implicated by the literature in their contribution to memory, are tested. Weaved into this experiment is an autobiographical memory test of their experience participating in the cognitive battery itself. Observation of their recollection reveals further insight into the type of autobiographical information HSAM is restricted to. Experiment IV builds upon neuroanatomical findings of experiment I and furthers our understanding of possible neural underpinnings of HSAM; Resting-state functional connectivity of the Default Mode Network (i.e. regions involved in autobiographical recollection) and circuitry involved in the pathophysiology of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are observed. Overall, this work provides a first step towards understanding the bases of HSAM. By studying Olympians of human recall, HSAM has provided a new opportunity to better understand human memory capacity and the way in which autobiographical memory functions.


Significance Within the life span of an individual, animals adapt to their environment by adjusting their developmental programs dynamically. This phenotypic plasticity is highly specific to the lifestyle of an organism and represents a mechanism which may form the forefront of adaption to new environmental conditions. However, the implementation of the mechanism on the molecular level is not well understood. Here, we show that two taxonomic restricted or orphan genes are modulating the Wnt-signaling pathway in Hydra and that their expression depends on temperature and bacterial colonization. Our results demonstrate that environmental cues can be linked to developmental processes by the regulation of orphan genes that modulate conserved signaling pathways. Animal development has traditionally been viewed as an autonomous process directed by the host genome. But, in many animals, biotic and abiotic cues, like temperature and bacterial colonizers, provide signals for multiple developmental steps. Hydra offers unique features to encode these complex interactions of developmental processes with biotic and abiotic factors, and we used it here to investigate the impact of bacterial colonizers and temperature on the pattern formation process. In Hydra, formation of the head organizer involves the canonical Wnt pathway. Treatment with alsterpaullone (ALP) results in acquiring characteristics of the head organizer in the body column. Intriguingly, germfree Hydra polyps are significantly more sensitive to ALP compared to control polyps. In addition to microbes, β-catenin–dependent pattern formation is also affected by temperature. Gene expression analyses led to the identification of two small secreted peptides, named Eco1 and Eco2, being up-regulated in the response to both Curvibacter sp., the main bacterial colonizer of Hydra, and low temperatures. Loss-of-function experiments revealed that Eco peptides are involved in the regulation of pattern formation and have an antagonistic function to Wnt signaling in Hydra.


Bronchial Asthma is one of the distressing ailments of the present time and is notable for its episodic and chronic course which influences the entire human race & it is a sickness of the human respiratory framework where the aviation routes get restricted. This limiting causes side effects, for example, wheezing, windedness, chest snugness, and hacking, which answer bronchodilators. Kunjal Kriya is the most straightforward technique among all types of Dhouti. The cleaning up of the whole track beginning from the mouth to the stomach related way toward the start of the small digestion tracts, that is mouth, and throat. Asthmatics might notice huge globs of mucus in the ousted water; the solid reflex from the pyloric valve will release bodily fluid discharges from the bronchial cylinders. Kunjal Kriya is suggested as a protected technique during an assault, as the strong activity of the vagus nerve delivers fit in the respiratory framework. Every day Kunjal Kriya is suggested for asthmatics under the arrangement of prepared instructors. In this review study, the author focused to rule out the mode of action of Kunjal Kriya in Upper Respiratory Tract Infections w.s.r. to Bronchial Asthma.


Fatal cases of mercury poisoning are reported very rarely. They are difficult to recognize because of a small number of specific symptoms. Most cases reported in the literature relate to suicidal or accidental poisoning with mercury. Cases of deliberate homicidal administration of mercury are uncommon. We present a fatal case of a woman who was hospitalized twice because of gastrointestinal symptoms which were later overlapped with signs of the central nervous system damage. After 6 years, findings indicated chronic poisoning with mercury.


Built around a cost-effective embedded Linux system, OpenVLC1.0 is an open source, flexible, software-defined, and low-cost platform for research in Visible Light Communication (VLC) Networks. OpenVLC1.0 consists of simple electronic hardware for optical transmission and reception, and of software implementation that runs the MAC layer, part of the PHY layer, and offers an interface to Internet protocols. We have designed and developed a printed circuit board (OpenVLC1.0 cape) that implements a flexible optical front-end. Researchers can plug the cape into the main Beaglebone board and swiftly build and prototype innovative PHY and MAC protocols using the software implementation (OpenVLC1.0 driver). In this work, we provide preliminary measurement results that demonstrate the flexibility of the platform in a few but yet representative scenarios.


Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) is the second most common renal cell carcinoma (RCC) that can be further subdivided into type 1 (PRCC1) and type 2 (PRCC2) RCCs based on histological and genetic features. PRCC2 is often more aggressive than PRCC1. While integrin-associated protein complexes mediate tumorigenesis and metastases in many types of cancers it is not known whether integrin-mediated signaling impacts PRCC and differs between PRCC1 and PRCC2. In this study, we combined the analysis of five PRCC gene expression datasets derived from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) by using integrative bioinformatics pipelines. We found 1475 differentially expressed genes among which 37 genes were associated with integrin pathways. In comparison with PRCC1, PRCC2 cases showed upregulated expression of α5-integrin (ITGA5) whereas the expression of α6- (ITGA6) and β8-integrins (ITGB8) was downregulated. Because PRCC2 occurs more frequently in men, the meta-analysis was extended to explore the gender effects. This analysis revealed 8 genes but none of them was related to integrin pathways suggesting that other mechanisms than integrin-mediated signaling underlie the observed gender differences in the pathogenicity of PRCC2.


Digitalization has reshaped the relationship between companies and their customers and users. Customers and users increasingly serve a dual role. They are not only consumers but also producers, creating content and data. They are a value-creating workforce, functioning as "digital laborers." Under the current U.S. international tax system, the presence of digital laborers in a country does not grant that country taxing rights over income stemming directly from those digital laborers' content and data creation. As a result, what are essentially the same business activities—workforces creating products and performing services for a company—are taxed differently when they are performed by digital laborers rather than a traditional workforce. This inconsistency and the accompanying outcome that countries cannot tax corporate income arising from extensive business activities within their borders has led to cries that the current system is unfair.

Recent reforms addressing this outcome, including digital services taxes and proposals granting taxing authority over residual profits to market jurisdictions, most notably the OECD Pillar One Blueprint, share a common weakness. They do not recognize the function of digital laborers as producers in the modern economy. As a result, they overturn the theory of source-based taxation as a taxing right granted to the country of production, not the country of consumption, as well as introduce major structural changes to the international tax system—all to correct an unfairness that can be remedied under the system's current theoretical framework and structure.

This Article rejects the notion that these major theoretical and structural changes are necessary or even an appropriate method to allow digital laborers' home countries to tax income directly related to their work. Instead, the international tax system should recognize digital laborers' role as a new type of workforce for companies and, accordingly, allow their home countries to tax income related to their work under the existing application of the source principle and with more incremental structural reforms. In addition to minimizing disruption in international tax law, this approach brings a return of coherence and a sense of fairness by taxing equivalent economic activities equivalently.


Dysregulation of mesolimbic dopamine transmission is implicated in a number of psychiatric illnesses characterised by disruption of reward processing and goal-directed behaviour, including schizophrenia, drug addiction and impulse control disorders associated with chronic use of dopamine agonists. Amphetamine sensitization (AS) has been proposed to model the development of this aberrant dopamine signalling and the subsequent dysregulation of incentive motivational processes. However, in humans the effects of AS on the dopamine-sensitive neural circuitry associated with reward processing remains unclear. Here we describe the effects of acute amphetamine administration, following a sensitising dosage regime, on blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal in dopaminoceptive brain regions during a rewarded gambling task performed by healthy volunteers. Using a randomised, double-blind, parallel-groups design, we found clear evidence for sensitization to the subjective effects of the drug, while rewarded reaction times were unchanged. Repeated amphetamine exposure was associated with reduced dorsal striatal BOLD signal during decision making, but enhanced ventromedial caudate activity during reward anticipation. The amygdala BOLD response to reward outcomes was blunted following repeated amphetamine exposure. Positive correlations between subjective sensitization and changes in anticipation- and outcome-related BOLD signal were seen for the caudate nucleus and amygdala, respectively. These data show for the first time in humans that AS changes the functional impact of acute stimulant exposure on the processing of reward-related information within dopaminoceptive regions. Our findings accord with pathophysiological models which implicate aberrant dopaminergic modulation of striatal and amygdala activity in psychosis and drug-related compulsive disorders.


The successful demonstration of resonant infrared laser ablation and deposition of intact polymers and thermally labile organic molecules raises complex questions about the thermo dynamics of the process. Here we present results of resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (RIR-MAPLE) of luminescent dendrimers, successfully deposited as thin films using cryogenic matrices of chloroform and toluene and analyzed by atomic-force microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance of the films. The properties of the two matrices have definite effects on the dynamics of the ablation process, resulting in relatively rough films with little damage to the dendrimer for the chloroform matrix, and smoother films with more structural damage to the dendrimer in the case of the toluene matrix. Thermodynamic modeling suggests that RIR-MAPLE in the chloroform matrix proceeds via explosive vaporization, while the ablation process from the toluene matrix is normal boiling and vaporization.


In this paper, ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithms are proposed for reservoir operation. Through a collection of cooperative agents called ants, the near-optimum solution to the reservoir operation can be effectively achieved. To apply ACO algorithms, the problem is approached by considering a finite horizon with a time series of inflow, classifying the reservoir volume to several intervals, and deciding for releases at each period with respect to a predefined optimality criterion. Three alternative formulations of ACO algorithms for reservoir operation are presented using a single reservoir, deterministic, finite-horizon problem and applied to the Dez reservoir in Iran. It is concluded that the ant colony system global-best algorithm provides better and comparable results with known global optimum results. Application of the model to a two-reservoir problem reveals its potential for being extended to multi-reservoir problems. As any direct search method, the model is quite sensitive to setup parameters, hence fine tuning of the parameters is recommended.


Disney animated feature film is a big global entertainment arena. This paper analyzes multiple animated Disney classic movies based on the subject of women's representation. These films are interesting to study because the targeted audience is children, and the stereotypical patterns that these Disney classic films portray may play an important role in their lives. It was found that the character development in the Disney animation films, focuses on giving the primary or the central character more pervasive roles, especially in cases where they are considered the female gender. However, they are gender role concerns in the Disney films that should be analyzed. One of the major results of this research was that Disney fails in the case of the representation matrix, especially when 8 of the most successful and popular films are analyzed. In the eight films studied, it was found that 63.3% of the characters were in the form of males while 36.6% were females. The analysis of films in Disney in the study has been done by focusing on the physical trade, the personality, behavior, and the occupation of the gender implicated in specific character development. The overall conclusion from this study provides that older movies contain more stereotypical traits, while new films are trying to break the stereotypes against female characters. However, the films still portray the female constant need for support and assistance.


Style transfer aims to render the content of a given image in the graphical/artistic style of another image. The fundamental concept underlying Neural Style Transfer (NST) is to interpret style as a distribution in the feature space of a Convolutional Neural Network, such that a desired style can be achieved by matching its feature distribution. We show that most current implementations of that concept have important theoretical and practical limitations, as they only partially align the feature distributions. We propose a novel approach that matches the distributions more precisely, thus reproducing the desired style more faithfully, while still being computationally efficient. Specifically, we adapt the dual form of Central Moment Discrepancy (CMD), as recently proposed for domain adaptation, to minimize the difference between the target style and the feature distribution of the output image. The dual interpretation of this metric explicitly matches all higher-order centralized moments and is therefore a natural extension of existing NST methods that only take into account the first and second moments. Our experiments confirm that the strong theoretical properties also translate to visually better style transfer, and better disentangle style from semantic image content.


Blockchain technology is now hitting the mainstream. With the advent of enterprise blockchains, smart contracts, and corporate cryptocurrencies, countless human interactions, legitimate and illegitimate, are being and will be recorded permanently — and visibly — into distributed digital ledgers. Mass surveillance of day-to-day transactions will never have been easier.

This article is the first to analyze blockchain protocols within the Fourth Amendment framework. Blockchain's open, shared digital architecture challenges us to reassess two core premises of modern Fourth Amendment doctrine: that a "reasonable expectation of privacy" upholds the Amendment's promise of a right to be "secure" against "unreasonable searches," and that "a reasonable expectation of privacy" is tantamount to total secrecy. The article argues that these current doctrines rest on physical-world analogies that do not hold in blockchain's unique digital space. Blockchain's architecture particularly unsettles the physical-world rationales that underpin received Fourth Amendment distinctions such as public/non-public and content/non-content, as well as the third-party and false friend doctrines.

Instead, this article argues that blockchain can create security against unreasonable searches, within the Amendment's meaning, even for data that are shared or public. The key is control, not secrecy. The article weaves together a focused technical analysis of blockchain's architecture and a careful assessment of current Fourth Amendment jurisprudence and historical context. It builds on scholarly critiques of current Fourth Amendment doctrine, and reveals the surprising connections between blockchain's philosophical goals and Fourth Amendment theory, showing that blockchain's open distributed architecture does the work in digital space that privacy does in the physical world to advance Fourth Amendment values such as security, control of information, expression, and personal autonomy. The article also evaluates textualist approaches to blockchain, concluding that blockchain data are an "effect," subject to trespassory searches under the Supreme Court's rubric in United States v. Jones. Finally, the article proposes an analytical framework for Fourth Amendment protections for distributed ledgers — corresponding to the levels to which blockchain users evince control of their data — that is grounded in text and theory and that is administratively practicable for courts.


From 1840 to 1900, midwestern Americans experienced firsthand the profound economic, cultural, and structural changes that transformed the nation from a premodern, agrarian state to one that was urban, industrial, and economically interdependent. Midwestern commercial farmers found themselves at the heart of these changes. Their actions and reactions led to the formation of a distinctive and particularly democratic consumer ethos, which is still being played out today. By focusing on the consumer behavior of midwestern farmers, "Sowing the American Dream" provides illustrative examples of how Americans came to terms with the economic and ideological changes that swirled around them. From the formation of the Grange to the advent of mail-order catalogs, the buying patterns of rural midwesterners set the stage for the coming century. Carefully documenting the rise and fall of the powerful purchasing cooperatives, David Blanke explains the shifting trends in collective consumerism, which ultimately resulted in a significant change in the way that midwestern consumers pursued their own regional identity, community, and independence.


Regional variation in state orientations toward politics has long been a feature of the USA. Yet, while this regional variation has received a great deal of empirical scrutiny at the aggregate level, finding clear and distinct differences in the adoption and implementation of policies across the states based on their dominant political subculture, there has been far less empirical scrutiny given to the underlying foundation of these policy differences—namely shared individual-level orientations toward politics. Here we briefly discuss the empirical evidence supporting the major classification of US political subcultures, that offered by Daniel Elazar. We then explore mass preferences regarding what types of personality traits are seen as most desirable for political candidates to hold—an important dimension in US presidential politics—finding clear regional variation across Elazar's individualistic, moralistic and traditionalistic cultures.


Abstract Two partial skeletons of baleen whales have been recovered from Coastal Plain deposits of South Carolina. One specimen, from the lower Pliocene Goose Creek Limestone, consists of a partial skull (including mandibles) and some incomplete ribs; the other was collected from Pleistocene-Holocene mud and includes numerous post-cranial elements in addition to fragmentary premaxillae and maxillae. These whale skeletons preserve compelling fossil/sub-fossil evidence, in the form of bite marks and shed/embedded teeth, that the elasmobranchs Galeocerdo cuvier, Carcharhinus falciformis, C. longimanus, C. obscurus, and C. plumbeus fed on cetacean carcasses.


Multiagent induction chemotherapy leads to high response rates in multiple myeloma. The phase III Southwest Oncology Group trial involving 525 patients established lenalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (RVD) as a preferred induction regimen; in this trial, RVD demonstrated an overall response rate of 81.5%, with 15.7% of responses complete responses (CR), and 27.8% very good partial responses (VGPR).[1] Nonetheless, autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) still is and will remain a mainstay of therapy, with 6,300 transplants done in the United States for myeloma in 2013.[2] Phase III trials continue to support the use of high-dose chemotherapy over conventional therapy, even with novel agents.


Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the most common type of diabetes which is triggered by various factors such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, dietary habits and inheritance. With respect to geographic variation of diabetes prevalence, it is important to know the risk factors regionally. Methods: As a case-control study, we looked for important risk factors of diabetes in our region. This study consisted of 400 individuals in case group and 400 individuals in control group. All these anthropometric measurements were calculated by standard methods. Blood samples taken from two groups were studied for TG, FBS, Cholesterol and HbA1c. Data are reported as the Mean±SD. P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: There was no significant difference between two groups about mean age and sex ratio. Statistically significant difference were found for central obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and positive family history of diabetes in both groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that central obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, PCOS and positive family history of diabetes are important risk factors of diabetes mellitus in Shiraz. In concordance with the results of this study, screening programme for that risk factor of diabetes in this region is suggested.


Magnetic interactions between a star and a close-in planet are postulated to be a source of enhanced emissions and to play a role in the secular evolution of the orbital system. Close-in planets generally orbit in the sub-alfvénic region of the stellar wind, which leads to efficient transfers of energy and angular momentum between the star and the planet. We model the magnetic interactions occurring in close-in star–planet systems with three-dimensional, global, compressible magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations of a planet orbiting in a self-consistent stellar wind. We focus on the cases of magnetized planets and explore three representative magnetic configurations. The Poynting flux originating from the magnetic interactions is an energy source for enhanced emissions in star–planet systems. Our results suggest a simple geometrical explanation for ubiquitous on/off enhanced emissions associated with close-in planets, and confirm that the Poynting fluxes can reach powers of the order of 1019 W. Close-in planets are also shown to migrate due to magnetic torques for sufficiently strong stellar wind magnetic fields. The topology of the interaction significantly modifies the shape of the magnetic obstacle that leads to magnetic torques. As a consequence, the torques can vary by at least an order of magnitude as the magnetic topology of the interaction varies.


Automated essay scoring (AES) has become a valuable tool in educational settings, providing efficient and objective evaluations of student essays. However, the majority of AES systems have primarily focused on native English speakers, leaving a critical gap in the evaluation of non-native speakers' writing skills. This research addresses this gap by exploring the effectiveness of automated essay-scoring methods specifically designed for non-native speakers. The study acknowledges the unique challenges posed by variations in language proficiency, cultural differences, and linguistic complexities when assessing non-native speakers' writing abilities. This work focuses on the automated student assessment prize and Khon Kaen University academic English language test dataset and presents an approach that leverages variants of the long short-term memory network model to learn features and compare results with the Kappa coefficient. The findings demonstrate that the proposed framework and approach, which involve joint learning of different essay representations, yield significant benefits and achieve results comparable to state-of-the-art deep learning models. These results suggest that the novel text representation proposed in this paper holds promise as a new and effective choice for assessing the writing tasks of non-native speakers. The result of this study can apply to advance educational assessment practices and promote equitable opportunities for language learners worldwide by enhancing the evaluation process for non-native speakers


Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of malnutrition among adult hospitalised patients in three South African public hospitals and to determine the availability of nutrition-related quality indicators at ward and institutional level. Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional, multi-centre study was used to determine the prevalence of malnutrition, whilst a descriptive exploratory design was used to determine the use of nutrition-related quality indicators for the identification and treatment of malnutrition. A total of 141 adult hospitalised patients in three public hospitals in an urban setting participated. Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), body mass index (BMI), and malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST) were used to determine the prevalence of malnutrition or malnutrition risk. A Hospital Nutrition Review Tool (HNRT) determined the use of nutrition-related quality indicators. Results: The overall malnutrition risk according to MUST was 72.3% (48.2% high risk and 24.1% medium risk), whilst 45.4% were malnourished based on MUAC. No routine nutritional screening was conducted in any of the wards to identify patients at nutritional risk. The majority of nurses reported inadequate training or knowledge to calculate patients' BMI or percentage weight loss, or to perform nutritional screening. Conclusion: Both malnutrition prevalence and malnutrition risk among adult hospitalised patients are high in the public sector. Inadequate resources may lead to delays in malnutrition identification and appropriate nutritional intervention, which may adversely affect both the patient and the institution. This study contributes to baseline data on adult malnutrition in the South African public hospital setting.


We have previously described a surface oligosaccharide antigen (epitope C) present in fresh isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and in variants grown in subcutaneous chambers, but poorly formed by variants repeatedly subcultured in vitro. We have now investigated the presence of antibodies to epitope C in sera from normal individuals and from patients with gonorrhoea. Sera were analysed by Western blotting and ELISA, and compared with a pool of sera from normal individuals with no known history of gonorrhoea. Antigenic extracts and monoclonal antibody to the C epitope were used for competition and inhibition studies. Only the sera from patients contained antibodies to epitope C. Antibodies to several other gonococcal antigens were found in sera from patients, and also in normal sera. Collectively, the results indicate that epitope C is expressed in humans, that patients with gonorrhoea develop antibodies to it, and that such antibodies are absent in sera of normal individuals.


State of the art of hand prosthetics is divided between simple and reliable gripper-like systems and sophisticate hi-tech poly-articular hands which tend to be complex both in their design and for the patient to operate. In this paper, we introduce the idea of decoding different movement intentions of the patient using the dynamic frequency content of the control signals in a natural way. We move a step further showing how this idea can be embedded in the mechanics of an underactuated soft hand by using only passive damping components. In particular we devise a method to design the hand hardware to obtain a given desired motion. This method, that we call of the dynamic synergies, builds on the theory of linear descriptor systems, and is based on the division of the hand movement in a slow and a fast components. We use this method to evolve the design of the Pisa/IIT SoftHand in a prototype prosthesis which, while still having 19 degrees of freedom and just one motor, can move along two different synergistic directions of motion (and combinations of the two), to perform either a pinch or a power grasp. Preliminary experimental results are presented, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed design.


Absence from work costs American companies more than $40 billion annually. Absenteeism control programs can be cost effective, but relatively few companies in the U.S. seem to have comprehensive programs. Key elements in a comprehensive program include return to work opportunities, careful job design, standards for expected times off, clear administrative responsibility for communicating with absent employees and health care providers, and an effective information system. Perhaps the most important factor in a successful program is employee centered management and a corporate philosophy that views employees as assets. The occupational health nurse is ideally suited by education, knowledge, and job function to lead the design and management of a comprehensive absenteeism control program.


The reductive amination of (-)-2-carene-3-aldehyde, prepared in two steps from (-)-perillaldehyde, furnished 2-carene-based allylamines. tert-Butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) or carbobenzyloxy (Cbz) protection of the resulting amines, followed by stereoselective dihydroxylation in highly stereospecific reactions with OsO4 and subsequent deprotection, resulted in N-benzylaminodiols, which were transformed to primary and tertiary aminodiols. The reactions of the N-benzyl- and N-(1-phenylethyl)-substituted derivatives with formaldehyde led to highly regioselective ring closure, resulting in carane-fused 1,3-oxazines. The aminodiols and their 1,3-oxazine derivatives were applied as chiral catalysts in the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes. The best (R) enantioselectivity was observed in the case of the N-((R)-1-phenylethyl)-substituted aminodiol, whereas the opposite chiral direction was preferred when the 1,3-oxazines were applied. Through the use of molecular modelling at an ab initio level, this phenomenon was interpreted in terms of competing reaction pathways. Molecular modelling at the RHF/LANL2DZ level of theory was successfully applied for a mechanism-based interpretation of the stereochemical outcome of the reactions leading to the development of further 1,3-oxazine-based ligands, which display excellent (S) enantioselectivity (95 and 98 % ee) in the examined transformation.


Aims Three doctoral theses by Aronson (1990), Hylen (1991) and Ljunggren (1992) drew different conclusions regarding the ideological development of the Swedish Conservative (Moderate) party during the 20th century until the 1980s. This study investigates the party programs from 1904 to 2011/2013 with regard to the party's most fundamental perception of reality in terms of a collectivistic versus individualistic view of society and a pessimistic versus optimistic view of man. Results Two important leaps on the pathway from an initially clearly conservative collectivistic and pessimistic towards a liberal individualistic and optimistic standpoint were observed. The two leaps occurred in the programs of 1969 and 2011/2013. The 2011/2013 program is exclusively liberal in this basic sense. Conclusions This study strengthens Hylen's conclusion in 1991 that the party had moved in a liberal direction over a long time period already in the 1980s, and suggests that this process continued after Hylen defended his thesis. (Less)


Thanks to their good electronic conductivity and their low solubility in cryolite melts, nickel ferrites are considered to be among the most suitable ceramic materials that could be used as inert anodes in the electrowinning of aluminium. In this work, electrodes composed of single phased and stoichiometric nickel ferrite NixFe3-xO4 (0≤x<1) have been studied by electrochemical techniques (linear voltammetry and potentiostatic electrolysis) in a molten cryolite mixture at 960°C. The aim was to understand the oxidation reactions susceptible to take place inside the material under anodic polarization and oxygen evolution. Ex situ characterization of the electrodes by SEM-EDX and microprobe analysis allows proposing a degradation mechanism of the pure nickel ferrites: the formation of haematite Fe2O3 at the grain boundaries was evidenced and it resulted in a slow degradation. The influence of the Ni content in the ceramic phase was investigated, and it was shown that rich-Ni compositions exhibit a better resistance to corrosion.


Modern philosophy finds it difficult to give a satisfactory picture of the place of minds in the world. In "Mind and World", based on the 1991 John Locke Lectures, John McDowell offers his diagnosis of this difficulty and points to a cure. He illustrates a major problem of modern philosophy - the insidious persistence of dualism - in his discussion of empirical thought. Much as we would like to conceive empirical thought as rationally grounded in experience, pitfalls await anyone who tries to articulate this position, and McDowell exposes these traps by exploiting the work of contemporary philosophers from Wilfrid Sellars to Donald Davidson. These difficulties, he contends, reflect an understandable - but surmountable - failure to see how we might integrate what Sellars calls "the logical space of reasons" into the natural world. What underlies this impasse is a conception of nature that has certain attractions for the modern age, a conception that McDowell proposes to put aside, thus circumventing these philosophical difficulties. By returning to a pre-modern conception of nature but retaining the intellectual advance of modernity that has mistakenly been viewed as dislodging it, he makes room for a fully satisfying conception of experience as a rational openness to independent reality. This approach also overcomes other obstacles that impede a generally satisfying understanding of how we are placed in the world.


Collaborative construction frameworks have been developed in the United Kingdom (UK) to create longer term relationships between clients and suppliers in order to improve project outcomes. Research undertaken into highways maintenance set within a major county council has confirmed that such collaborative procurement methods can improve time, cost and quality of construction projects. Building upon this and examining the same single case, this research aims to develop a performance model through identification of performance drivers in the whole project delivery process including pre and post contract phases. A priori performance model based on operational and sociological constructs was proposed and then checked by a pilot study. Factor analysis and central tendency statistics from the questionnaires as well as content analysis from the interview transcripts were conducted. It was confirmed that long term relationships, financial and non-financial incentives and stronger communication are the sociological behaviour factors driving performance. The interviews also established that key performance indicators (KPIs) can be used as an operational measure to improve performance. With the posteriori performance model, client project managers can effectively collaboratively manage contractor performance through procurement measures including use of longer term and KPIs for the contract so that the expected project outcomes can be achieved. The findings also make significant contribution to construction framework procurement theory by identifying the interrelated sociological and operational performance drivers. This study is set predominantly in the field of highways civil engineering. It is suggested that building based projects or other projects that share characteristics are grouped together and used for further research of the phenomena discovered.


A new technique for adaptive beam forming based on the Davies cascade array configuration [11] is presented. First of all it is shown that an n-element linear array can be reconfigured as a number of subarrays of two elements each. This two-element array is capable of steering one null in an arbitrary direction while maintaining a desired gain in some other prespecified look direction. To adaptively perform this function at any cascade stage, the inverse of a (2 × 2) correlation matrix of the signal vector at a subarray is computed and substituted in the expression for the constrained optimum weight vector. Similar processing is performed at subsequent stages of the cascade configuration. At each stage of adaptation a noise source contributing maximum power at that stage is nulled out. Simulation studies carried out verify the validity of this approach and demonstrate the fast convergence property of the proposed technique.


The dual toxicity/essentiality of copper forces cells to maintain a tightly regulated homeostasis for this metal in all living organisms, from bacteria to humans. Consequently, many genes have previously been reported to participate in copper detoxification in bacteria. Myxococcus xanthus, a prokaryote, encodes many proteins involved in copper homeostasis that are differentially regulated by this metal. A σ factor of the ECF (extracytoplasmic function) family, CorE, has been found to regulate the expression of the multicopper oxidase cuoB, the P1B-type ATPases copA and copB, and a gene encoding a protein with a heavy-metal-associated domain. Characterization of CorE has revealed that it requires copper to bind DNA in vitro. Genes regulated by CorE exhibit a characteristic expression profile, with a peak at 2 h after copper addition. Expression rapidly decreases thereafter to basal levels, although the metal is still present in the medium, indicating that the activity of CorE is modulated by a process of activation and inactivation. The use of monovalent and divalent metals to mimic Cu(I) and Cu(II), respectively, and of additives that favor the formation of the two redox states of this metal, has revealed that CorE is activated by Cu(II) and inactivated by Cu(I). The activation/inactivation properties of CorE reside in a Cys-rich domain located at the C terminus of the protein. Point mutations at these residues have allowed the identification of several Cys involved in the activation and inactivation of CorE. Based on these data, along with comparative genomic studies, a new group of ECF σ factors is proposed, which not only clearly differs mechanistically from the other σ factors so far characterized, but also from other metal regulators.


During neonatal life, Ig diversity is limited in many respects. The absence of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) expression with the consequent lack of nontemplated addition during the neonatal period, coupled with the predominant usage of a single D H reading frame (RF), leads to severe limitations of diversity in the CDR3 region of Ig heavy (H) chains. The neonatal Ig H chain repertoire is also characterized by restricted V H usage, with predominant expression of certain V H segments, such as V H 81x, that are rarely evident during adult life. In this report, we examine the effect of enforced TdT expression on the neonatal repertoire of V H 81xDJ H rearrangements. We find that TdT synthesis abrogates D H RF bias during the fetal/neonatal period through a Ig-receptor-independent mechanism. These findings suggest that D H RF bias during neonatal life is determined largely by homology-directed joining. We also find that TdT synthesis alters the selection of productively rearranged V H 81xDJ H alleles in the neonatal spleen through a Ig-receptor-dependent mechanism. Analysis of predicted CDR3 amino acid sequences indicates that positive selection of V H 81x-encoded H chains is correlated with the presence of a consensus sequence immediately adjacent to the V H segment. These data support the hypothesis that the CDR3 region is critical in determining the ability of V H 81x-encoded H chains to form functional receptors that support positive selection of B lymphocytes. Together, our results demonstrate that TdT can indirectly influence the Ig repertoire by influencing both receptor-dependent and receptor-independent selection processes. The Journal of Immunology, 1998, 161: 6657–6663.


Ball grid array (BGA) package styles use solder balls as electrical interconnects between packages and application boards. Solder balls are rigid and tend to fracture under thermal fatigue and/or shock loading. Metalized polymer spheres (MPS) offer a more compliant interconnect, compared to solder balls, thereby increasing the thermal cycling fatigue life. A reduction in thermal and electrical performance may be expected for MPS interconnects as a result of its higher thermal and electrical resistances. A 5% and an 8% increase in MPS thermal resistance was measured for a carrier array ball grid array (CABGA) package and a plastic ball grid array (PBGA) package, respectively, compared to eutectic solder balls. However, this small reduction was offset by large gains in the solder joint life. A 1.6 times increase in the mean thermal fatigue life was measured for a CABGA using MPS interconnects compared to eutectic solder balls. A first-order model showed that eutectic solder balls provide greater process margins, compared to MPS interconnects, due to the ball collapse during reflow.


The success of long-duration missions will depend on resource recovery and the self-sustainability of life support technologies. Current technologies used on the International Space Station (ISS) utilize chemical and mechanical processes, such as filtration, to recover potable water from urine produced by crewmembers. Such technologies have significantly reduced the need for water resupply through closed-loop resource recovery and recycling. Harvesting the important components of urine requires selectivity, whether through the use of membranes or other physical barriers, or by chemical or biological processes. Given the chemical composition of urine, the downstream benefits of urine processing for resource recovery will be critical for many aspects of life support, such as food production and the synthesis of biofuels. This paper discusses the beneficial components of urine and their potential applications, and the challenges associated with using urine for nutrient recycling for space application.


The cost of acquiring, managing, and maintaining ICT infrastructure is one of the main factors that hinder educational institutions in Sub-Saharan countries to adopt and implement eLearning. Recently, cloud computing has emerged as a new computing paradigm for delivering cost effective computing services that can be used to harness eLearning. However, the adoption of cloud computing in higher education in Sub-Saharan countries is very low. Although there are many factors that may influence educational institutions to adopt cloud services, cost effectiveness is often a key factor. Far too little is known on how much the use of cloud computing can be cost effective in delivering eLearning services. This paper compares the cost of hosting eLearning services between on-premise and cloud-hosted approaches in higher education, taking Tanzania as a case study. The study found that institutions can significantly reduce the cost of eLearning implementation by adopting a cloud-hosted approach. The findings of this study serve as a base for educational institutions seeking cost effective alternatives to implement eLearning in developing countries.


A method for indicating size, shape and location of a region within a digital picture the picture being divided into a set of blocks. A value for at least one size parameter, which is indicative of a number of the blocks within said region is defined, and a value for at least one shape evolution parameter, which is indicative of a selection order of the blocks in said region is selected. Then preferably the values for said at least one size parameter and said at least one shape evolution parameter are encoded into a bitstream of a video sequence in order to indicate size, shape and location of the region within the picture.