This study explores the application of natural language processing techniques with text to speech synthesis for the Afaan Oromo language using the "Hidden Markov model" on 600 news datasets that were prepared in collaboration with linguists and experts of Afaan Oromo language. Speech synthesizers are the most essential in helping impaired people, in the teaching and learning process, for telecommunications and industries. The dataset was tested on a hidden Markov model algorithm. The synthesiser has two core components: training and testing phases. In this study, the subjective Mean Opinion Score (MOS) and objective Mel Cepstral Distortion (MCD) evaluation techniques are used. The subjective results obtained using the mean opinion score (MOS) are 4.3 and 4.1 in terms of intelligibility and naturalness of the synthesised speech, respectively. The objective result obtained using the mean opinion score is 6.8 out of 8 that is encouraging. Keywords— Hidden Markov model, Text to Speech, Afaan Oromoo.


Although there has been a shift from "compliance" (doctor-centered) to "adherence" and successively to "therapeutic alliance" (centered on the patient and the doctor-patient relationship), the basic concept remains complex and has multiple models of boarding. Many investigations have been made to determine the factors responsible for low compliance. However, the findings are inconsistent with respect to the effects of numerous variables, and lack practical interest, because they do not really clarify the reasons for non-compliance. The non-adherence cannot be correctly predicted by medication beliefs, chronic disease, and socio-demographics characteristics. Doctor may consider routinely inquiring about non-adherence, but he has to remember that he usually stays with superficial reasons of little practical utility. "The heart has reasons, which the reason cannot understand"; there are reasons (of the patients) that the reason (of the doctor) does not understand. Medication-taking decisions are not the subject of rational choices by patients, influenced only by the attributes of treatments and psychosocial, socio-demographic, and disease-related factors, etc. The more we delve into the reasons, the more we could understand why patients "do not want, do not know, or cannot" comply with our prescriptions. Knowing "reasons for reasons" can only be done by "tuning in" with the patient and with ourselves. If the patient feels that their voice is listened to carefully, they will begin to identify more clearly the meaning of each symptom and event related to their illness. Satisfaction with the doctor is the main reason why many patients comply with


Despite the high precision of laser, it remains challenging to control the laser-bone ablation without injuring the underlying critical structures. Providing an axial resolution on micrometre scale, OCT is a promising candidate for imaging microstructures beneath the bone surface and monitoring the ablation process. In this work, a bridge connecting these two technologies is established. A closed-loop control of laser-bone ablation under the monitoring with OCT has been successfully realised.


A dentist working in Community Dental Services (CDS) in the Northumberland Healthcare Trust of the NHS wanted to develop open source software to use in their clinics since most of the systems that they currently use are paper-based. The question was, what should the software look like? Here, where teeth are the easy part, oral health services are provided for patients with very complex or special needs or disabilities including autism, dementia and phobias. All NHS Trusts deliver these services and four Trusts with varying software systems agreed to second staff for half a day a week for six months to take part in the discovery. Co-design workshops were facilitated by the care analyst every second week and in alternate weeks staff were given tasks to do at their Trust clinics; observing, timing, collecting forms and data. Each Trust has its own version of every piece of management form. At first people act as though their document flow represents the pathways that should be "automated". Software specification in the NHS is often done by people without special skills or experience but persistent co-design delivered an agreed patient care pathway as well as an extended narrative for future software development.


In the water-polo game, acyclic movements are predominant, but during a match, the swimming technique, the covered distances and the swimming intensity are different, which indicates that a water-polo player must train with all three types of effort (aerobic, anaerobic lactacid and anaerobic alactacid ones).
Hypothesis of the research: knowing in real time the heart rate (HR) values during the training sessions allows the water-polo coaches to efficiently manage the effort, in order to reach the objectives established.
To validate this hypothesis, the following methods were used: test method, graphical method, statistical-mathematical method, etc. The test was administered to 4 athletes and consisted of freestyle swimming 3x (4x100m), with a 10-second break between repetitions and 5 minutes between series. Heart rate is monitored by means of the HOSAND GT.a telemetry system, which allows visualization of the group or individual sports performance and analysis of the HR curve and of the effort intensity within a training session. Hosand GT.a comprises: the TX200 transmitter wore by the athlete, together with a standard belt which measures the heart rate, the RX200 receiver, the SX200 box for synchronization and the SW200 software.
Athlete 1 starts with a HR of 94 beats/min, at the end of the warm-up the HR is 179 beats/min, after the first series the HR reaches 195 beats/min, after the second series the HR reaches 197 beats/min and after the third series it attains 196 beats/min, which corresponds to a work intensity close to 90%. HOSAND GT.a offers a personalized training and, at the same time, a monitoring in real time of the training, the heart rate contributing professionally to the improvement of the coached athlete's or team's performance.
Analyzing the data, the hypothesis has been validated and the research meets the interest of the Romanian Water-Polo Federation.


International Reporting Standards (IFRS) has become the required framework for most of the world financial market economies as of January 1, 2011. This includes, in a non-comprehensive listing, the many European Union countries - Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In the United States, US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) is still required. However, plans are presently in place by the SEC to abandon US GAAP and to adhere to IFRS requirements by as early as for the period ending December 31, 2014. As such, it is important to introduce IFRS accounting rules in the college curriculum and make it a major component of accounting classes. This case study takes a US GAAP Prepared Cash Flow Statement and, based on the facts of the case, requires students to prepare an IFRS-based Cash Flow Statement. The need to understand both US GAAP and IFRS rules is required to adequately address this case study, which is most suitable for an Intermediary Accounting, Accounting Theory and a Financial Statement Analysis class, as well as an Investment Finance course, at the graduate level.


Abstract Polymerization at the liquid–liquid interface has attracted much attention for synthesizing ultrathin polymer films for molecular sieving. However, it remains a major challenge to conduct this process outside the alkane–water interface since it not only suffers water‐caused side reactions but also is limited to water‐soluble monomers. Here, we report the interfacial polymerization at the alkane/ionic liquid interface (IP@AILI) where the ionic liquid acts as the universal solvent for diversified amines to synthesize task‐specific polyamide nanofilms. We propose that IP@AILI occurs when acyl chloride diffuses from the alkane into the ionic liquid instead of being triggered by the diffusion of amines as in the conventional alkane–water system, which is demonstrated by thermodynamic partitioning and kinetic monitoring. The prepared polyamide nanofilms with precisely adjustable pore sizes display unprecedented permeability and selectivity in various separation processes.


The present standard of care for B cell non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma includes the anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab. Although combination treatments with chemotherapy and rituximab improved the duration of remissions and overall survival in indolent B cell lymphoma, the disease is essentially incurable. Thus, new therapeutic approaches are needed. One such approach is active immunization. Given that rituximab depletes both malignant and normal B cells, it is expected to impair humoral immune responses in vaccinated patients. Hence, optimal vaccination strategies for rituximab‐treated patients require induction of effector T cells, which can be achieved by dendritic cell (DC) vaccines. We have demonstrated in a mouse model that chemotherapy combined with DC vaccines was therapeutically effective. However, efficacy was related to tumour size at the onset of treatment, decreasing in correlation with increasing tumour burdens. We therefore examined whether, in spite of its low efficacy in advanced disease, DC vaccination may synergize with anti‐CD20 antibodies to enhance therapy. Lymphoma‐bearing mice were treated with cyclophosphamide, anti‐CD20 antibodies and an intratumoral DC vaccine. Results clearly demonstrated the enhanced therapeutic effect of this combination treatment. Thus, under conditions of disseminated disease, when either anti‐CD20 antibody treatment or vaccination showed insufficient efficacy, their combination resulted in synergism that mediated long‐term survival. We demonstrated further that the combination of antibody and vaccine induced T cell‐mediated anti‐tumour immune responses with long‐term memory. Combination treatments including tumour cell‐loaded DC vaccines may therefore provide a strategy for enhancing therapy in rituximab‐treated patients.


We describe a modelling approach for orientation trajectories. The initial and final orientations of the object are taken as known and the problem of how the object will transition between the endpoints is considered. Orientations are represented as quaternions and mapped to a tangent space. The deviation from the geodesic connecting the endpoints is introduced and called the slerp residual. Modelling the slerp residuals substantially reduces the distortion caused by mapping to the tangent space. Bézier curves are used to compactly model the trajectories and provide a linkage to potential predictors. Data from an experiment to study human motion while reaching to perform a wide variety of grasps are considered. The orientation trajectories of the hand are modelled in several ways resulting in a simple yet interpretable model.


Software engineering tools are critical to the progress of software development, virtually defining the limits of what developers can accomplish. Each generation of tools is preceded by promises of shorter life cycles, greater productivity, greater portability and simplified maintenance. Unfortunately, these promises are often not realized, primarily because tool creators cannot overcome the difficulties associated with integrating tools into a cohesive environment one that is adaptable to both development and maintenance organizations. The paper discusses a list of considerations for managers when evaluating how well a tool fits the organisation's context. It considers integrated project support environments. >


In spite of the widespread use of oral poliovirus vaccine,
some countries have not achieved an optimal
control of poliomyelitis. According to Sabin, this fact is
due to a lack of immunization coverage of children
under one year of age. In this study, the relationship
between the general morbidity rate for polio and vaccination
coverage of children under one year of age, in
people protected by the Mexican Institute of Social
Security, is analyzed. There is a negative correlation
between these two variables: the Iesser the coverage,
the greater the rates. There is also a correlation between
the rate of polio and the rate of polio for the year
prior to each of the years of the study period. In a
multiple regression model, both the coverage and the
rate for the previous year were significantty correlated
with the rate of polio. In order to get an optimum control of this disease, it is advantageous to consider that it is not enought to increase the coverage but that this coverage must be opportune, i.e. in the first year of life


As Th1 and Th2 cytokines, IFN-gamma/alpha and IL-4 counterregulate diverse immune functions. In particular, IFN-gamma and IFN-alpha have been reported to markedly suppress the IL-4-induced IgE production and type II IgE receptor (FcepsilonRII/CD23) expression. Because modulation of IL-4R may be an important mechanism in the regulation of IL-4 response, we have investigated the effect of IFN-gamma/alpha on IL-4R expression and signal transduction mechanisms involved in this process. In human mononuclear cells and B cells isolated from tonsil or peripheral blood, IL-4 up-regulates IL-4R(alpha) expression at surface protein and mRNA levels, and the IL-4-induced IL-4R(alpha) is significantly down-regulated by both IFN-gamma and IFN-alpha to a similar extent. The inhibitory effects of IFN-gamma/alpha on the IL-4R mRNA expression require a lag period of about 8 h, and are sensitive to cycloheximide treatment, which suggests that the suppressive effect of IFNs on IL-4R gene expression is a secondary response requiring de novo synthesis of IFN-induced factors. Under such conditions that the inhibitory effects of IFNs are observed, IFNs do not affect the IL-4-induced STAT6 activation and IL-4R transcription, as analyzed by EMSA and nuclear run-on assays, respectively. Subsequently, mRNA stability studies have indicated that the action of IFN-gamma/alpha is primarily mediated by an accelerated decay of IL-4-induced IL-4R mRNA. Thus, it appears that, as already shown in the case of the IL-4-induced FcepsilonRII regulation, posttranscriptional inhibition of IL-4-inducible genes by mRNA destabilization is a common mechanism by which type I and II IFNs antagonize the IL-4 response in human immune cells.


It is of general interest to produce fermentable carbohydrates from plant biomass. However, obtaining monosaccharides requires some effort, due to the intricate structure of the cell wall lignocellulosic complex. The aim of this study was to apply a simple two-stage hydrolysis process, using only concentrated hydrochloric acid, to generate fermentable carbohydrates from L. rotundiflorus biomass. First and second stage acid concentrations were 32% and 42.6%. Total monosaccharide yields with respect to dry matter after the first stage, second stage, and the overall process, were 27.5%, 21.0% and 48.4%, respectively. Xylose was the main first stage carbohydrate in the hydrolysate, followed by glucose, arabinose, and galactose. After the second stage only glucose and a small amount of xylose were detected. The polysaccharide hydrolysis was eased by overall low lignin content. Some advantages of this method were the use of a single hydrolyzing agent and that most of the polysaccharides were hydrolyzed in reasonably high yields. The acceptable yield, relative simplicity, the use of most of the biomass along with the wide availability, low cost of the chemicals, and the ample supply of lupines, would facilitate the scaling of these laboratory studies to pilot and industrial levels.


Although IP multicast is an effective network primitive for best-effort, large-scale, multi-point communication, many multicast applications such as shared whiteboards, multi-player games and software distribution require reliable data delivery. Building services like reliable sequenced delivery on top of IP multicast has proven to be a hard problem. The enormous extent of network and end-system heterogeneity in multipoint communication exacerbates the design of scalable end-to-end reliable multicast protocols. In this paper, we propose a radical departure from the traditional end-to-end model for reliable multicast and instead propose a hybrid approach that leverages the successes of unicast reliability protocols such as TCP while retaining the efficiency of IP multicast for multi-point data delivery. Our approach splits a large heterogeneous reliable multicast session into a number of multicast data groups of co-located homogeneous participants. A collection of application-aware agents-reliable multicast proxies (RMX)-organizes these data groups into a spanning tree using an overlay network of TCP connections. Sources transmit data to their local group, and the RMX in that group forwards the data towards the rest of the data groups. RMX use detailed knowledge of application semantics to adapt to the effects of heterogeneity in the environment. To demonstrate the efficacy of our architecture, we have built a prototype implementation that can be customized for different kinds of applications.


OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the cost impact of an integrative medicine intervention on an inpatient oncology service.

STUDY DESIGN
This study used nonrandomized, nonequivalent groups. A baseline sample of inpatient oncology patients at Beth Israel Medical Center admitted to the medical oncology unit before implementation of the Urban Zen Initiative were compared with patients admitted after the Urban Zen Initiative was in place.

METHODS
The Urban Zen Initiative incorporated yoga therapy, holistic nursing techniques, and a "healing environment" into routine inpatient oncology care. Length of stay and medication use data were extracted from Beth Israel's decision support electronic database. We compared length of stay, total medication costs, and costs of as-needed medications for both groups: the baseline sample of inpatient oncology patients and patients exposed to the Urban Zen healing environment initiative.

RESULTS
We had complete cost data on 85 patients in our baseline group and 72 in our intervention group. We found no difference in length of stay between the 2 groups. We found a significant decrease in use of antiemetic, anxiolytic, and hypnotic medication costs as well as a decrease in total medication costs in the Urban Zen sample compared with the baseline group.

CONCLUSIONS
An integrative medicine approach including yoga therapy, holistic nursing, and a healing environment in the inpatient setting can decrease use of medications, resulting in substantial cost savings for hospitals in the care of oncology patients.


Chlamydomonas reinhardtii double mutant npq2 lor1 lacks the β,ε-carotenoids lutein and loroxanthin as well as all β,β-epoxycarotenoids derived from zeaxanthin (e.g. violaxanthin and neoxanthin). Thus, the only carotenoids present in the thylakoid membranes of the npq2 lor1 cells are β-carotene and zeaxanthin. The effect of these mutations on the photochemical apparatus assembly and function was investigated. In cells of the mutant strain, the content of photosystem-II (PSII) and PSI was similar to that of the wild type, but npq2 lor1 had a significantly smaller PSII light-harvesting Chl antenna size. In contrast, the Chl antenna size of PSI was not truncated in the mutant. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis qualitatively revealed the presence of all LHCII and LHCI apoproteins in the thylakoid membrane of the mutant. The results showed that some of the LHCII and most of the LHCI were assembled and functionally connected with PSII and PSI, respectively. Photon conversion efficiency measurements, based on the initial slope of the light-saturation curve of photosynthesis and on the yield of Chl a fluorescence in vivo, showed similar efficiencies. However, a significantly greater light-intensity was required for the saturation of photosynthesis in the mutant than in the wild type. It is concluded that zeaxanthin can successfully replace lutein and violaxanthin in the functional light-harvesting antenna of the npq2 lor1 mutant.


Recognition of reverberant speech constitutes a challenging problem for typical speech recognition systems. This is mainly due to the conventional short-term analysis/compensation techniques. In this paper, we present a feature extraction technique based on modeling long segments of temporal envelopes of the speech signal in narrow sub-bands using frequency domain linear prediction (FDLP). FDLP provides an all-pole approximation of the Hilbert envelope of the signal by linear prediction on cosine transform of the signal. We show that the FDLP modulation spectrum plays an important role in the robustness of the proposed feature extraction. Automatic speech recognition (ASR) experiments on speech data degraded with a number of room impulse responses (with varying degrees of distortion) show significant performance improvements for the proposed FDLP features when compared to other robust feature extraction techniques (average relative reduction of 40% in word error rate). Similar improvements are also obtained for far-field data which contain natural reverberation in background noise.


ABSTRACT New modes of journalism, such as testimony journalism, use the first-person to let members of marginalized communities tell their stories in their own words and increase the audience's affinity with them. However, the assumption that this strategy fosters audience affinity has not been empirically investigated. We build on findings from media psychology, demonstrating that the point of view (POV) from which a narrative is told affects engagement with the narrative and persuasion, and apply these insights to journalism studies and news reports. Using a factorial design in an online experiment (n = 924), we examined the effect of POV in a newspaper article on the experience of social presence of the article's protagonist, identification with him and attitude changes. As hypothesized, social presence was significantly stronger when reading a first-person article than a third-person article. Moreover, social presence mediated the effect of POV on identification. POV also indirectly affected support for policy and behavioral intentions through the mediation of social presence and identification. The findings suggest that the first-person POV heightens the experience of a real interaction with the protagonist. This effect occurs even when the first-person POV testimonial is part of a newspaper article written by a journalist.


We propose a simple technique to stabilize the optical output intensity of a fiber ring resonator. The electronic feedback circuit system, which consists of two voltage control oscillators, a phase comparator, and a low pass filter, is applied to the fiber ring resonator in order to compensate the optical phase shift in the ring loop. The reference electrical signal determines the operating condition of the fiber ring resonator for the desired optical output signal. The experimental results within the operating range agree well with the analytical results. The simulated performance of the proposed model is also compared with that of other existing models and shows significant improvement over them.


Nine cases of follicular lymphoma were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The morphological findings by this method emphasizes the heterogeneity of the cellular composition of the follicles, even in the cases not labelled as mixed type, and the degree to which the anatomy of a normal secondary follicle is mimicked. Large nonlymphoid cells, presumably dendritic, are present in the follicles. There are no differences in the surface features of the follicular and interfollicular lymphoid cells.


Social media has become an important part of the
lives of their hundreds of millions of users. Hackers
make use of the large target audience by sending
malicious content, often by hijacking existing accounts.
This phenomenon has caused widespread research on
how to detect hacked accounts, where different
approaches exist. This work sets out to analyze the
possibilities of including the reactions of hacked Twitter accounts' peers into a detection system. Based on a dataset of six million tweets crawled from Twitter over
the course of two years, we select a subset of tweets in
which users react to alleged hacks of other accounts. We
then gather and analyze the responses to those messages
to reconstruct the conversations made. A quantitative
analysis of these conversations shows that 30% of the
users that are allegedly being hacked reply to the
accusations, suggesting that these users acknowledge
that their account was hacked.


The Phase formation in the precursory powder, the particle size and the homogenization phase distribution have been investigated in this paper. Size of the powder particle has been reduced by a ball-milling process. The effects of the ball-milling on the characteristic of the powder have been studied by XRD. The modality and distribution of 2212, Ca2CuO3 and CuO in the powder were observed by SEM. Results show that the Ca2CuO3 particle ground was about 200nm in size. The precursory powder with the non-superconducting phases distributed uniformly in the mixture powder was obtained for Bi-2223 long tape.


This paper presents a bibliographic analysis of Nature articles based on altmetrics. We assess the concern degree of social users on the Nature articles through the coverage analysis of Twitter and Facebook by publication year and discipline. The social media impact of a Nature article is examined by evaluating the mention rates on Twitter and on Facebook. Moreover, the correlation between tweets and citations is analyzed by publication year, discipline and Twitter user type to explore factors affecting the correlation. The results show that Twitter users have a higher concern degree on Nature articles than Facebook users, and Nature articles have higher and faster-growing impact on Twitter than on Facebook. The results also show that tweets and citations are somewhat related, and they mostly measure different types of impact. In addition, the correlation between tweets and citations highly depends on publication year, discipline and Twitter user type.


An introduction to the subject of index numbers for statisticians, economists and numerate members of the public. The ideal accompanying text for students taking the Royal Statistical Society's Ordinary and Higher examinations and for members of the Government Statistical Service. As well as covering the essential basics of the subject, it will describe important applications with a focus on the modern Consumer Prices Index (CPI) which is arguably the most important Official Statistic in the UK - the monthly release of the CPI, including UK inflation, is a high profile and widely discussed news item.


The purpose of this experiment was to find what environment yeast produces the most ethanol so more biofuels could be made in replacement of corn fuels. To create our experiment, we made three separate mixtures of deionized water, sucrose, sodium phosphate, and yeast, and either added baking soda, vinegar or nothing to the mixtures. We used an ethanol sensor to gather results of how much ethanol each separate mixture produced. The yeast grew the most in the basic solution and did not grow well in the acidic solution. Our hypothesis was supported and proven correct at the end of the experiment.


There is a consensus that human and non-human subjects experience temporal distortions in many stages of their perceptual and decision-making systems. Similarly, intertemporal choice research has shown that decision-makers undervalue future outcomes relative to immediate ones. Here we combine techniques from information theory and artificial intelligence to show how both temporal distortions and intertemporal choice preferences can be explained as a consequence of the coding efficiency of sensorimotor representation. In particular, the model implies that interactions that constrain future behavior are perceived as being both longer in duration and more valuable. Furthermore, using simulations of artificial agents, we investigate how memory constraints enforce a renormalization of the perceived timescales. Our results show that qualitatively different discount functions, such as exponential and hyperbolic discounting, arise as a consequence of an agent's probabilistic model of the world.


We evaluated a Kalman filter (KF) approach to modeling the physiology of internal temperature viewed through "noisy" non-invasive observations of heart rate. Human core body temperature (Tcore) is an important measure of thermal state, e.g., hypo- or hyperthermia, but is difficult to measure using non-invasive wearable sensors. We estimated parameters for a discrete KF model from data collected during several Military training events and from distance runners (n=38). Model performance was evaluated in 25 physically-active subjects who participated in various laboratory and field studies involving exercise of 2-to-8 h duration at ambient temperatures of 20 to 40°C. Overall, the KF model's estimate of Tcore had a root mean square error of 0.30±0.13 ºC from the observed Tcore, and was within ± 0.5 ºC over 85% of the time. The benefit of the KF approach is that it requires only one input while current state of the art models typically require multiple inputs including individual anthropometrics, metabolic rate, clothing characteristics, and environmental conditions. This state estimation problem in computational physiology illustrates the potential for collaboration between the artificial intelligence and ambulatory physiological monitoring communities.


Computerized anatomical atlases play an important role in medical image analysis. While an atlas usually refers to a standard or mean image also called template, which presumably represents well a given population, it is not enough to characterize the observed population in detail. A template image should be learned jointly with the geometric variability of the shapes represented in the observations. These two quantities will in the sequel form the atlas of the corresponding population. The geometric variability is modeled as deformations of the template image so that it fits the observations. In this paper, we provide a detailed analysis of a new generative statistical model based on dense deformable templates that represents several tissue types observed in medical images. Our atlas contains both an estimation of probability maps of each tissue (called class) and the deformation metric. We use a stochastic algorithm for the estimation of the probabilistic atlas given a dataset. This atlas is then used for atlas‐based segmentation method to segment the new images. Experiments are shown on brain T1 MRI datasets. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Male Albino rats (90-100 g) were fed ad libitum (with limited periods of feeding) for 14 days. The diets were adjusted to a crude protein content of 10%. Powdered whole egg, fish meal, yeast and gelatine were used as protein sources. Additionally, one group of rats was fed a protein-free diet. On the 15th day of experiment the rats were fed a test diet at a level of 2 g per 100 g of body weight. 2 hrs after that the rats received 25 muCi of 3H glycine and 5 muCi of 14C-L-Leucine per 100 g of body weight administered by way of intragastric infusion. It was found that a large proportion of the radioactive amino acids were absorbed as early as after 0.5 hr. The highest rate of absorption was observed in animals fed dietary proteins of poor quality or a protein free diet, so that in animals receiving a gelatine diet or a protein-free diet only 68.4% or 56.4% of the administered amount of 14C activity were detected inside the gastro intestinal tract after 0.5 hr. Analogous data for the 3H activity were 52.4% and 25.3%. Maximum absorption occurred after 3-7 hrs. Following this the level of radioactivity in the intestinal contents again increased reaching a peak value after 14-24 hrs; in the case of 14C activity this peak value amounted to 25.4% of the administered dose in animals fed the gelatine diet and 32.8% in the group receiving the protein-free diet. It was established that the major proportion of the resecreted amount of 14C activity was present in leucine. Until 72 hrs after the intake of 14C activity the level of radioactivity was again found to decline, a processes which was induced by processes occurring in the large intestines. Moreover, evidence was obtained in confirmation of previous findings, indicating that the composition of faecal amino acids was constant and unaffected by dietary proteins.


This policy memo discusses economic reform in Russia and the role of the US government between 1992 and 1998. It begins by reviewing the general strategy of shock therapy in Eastern Europe, comparing it with what actually happened in Russia. It then highlights the shortcomings of US support for specific economic policies in Russia and the pressure exerted by the United States on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when the Fund was reluctant to provide new disbursements to Russia. The final section draws conclusions about US policy and offers recommendations for the future.


Purpose:  The purpose of this study is to find out demographic characteristics, clinical behavior and outcome of this neoplasm in North West Pakistan.
Study Design:  Retrospective Case series.
Place and Duration of Study:  Department of Ophthalmology, Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar Pakistan, from 2015 to 2019.
Methods:  All patients with Orbital Rhabdomyosarcoma consulting our department were registered and a self-designed proformawas used to document demography, clinical features, management, and follow-up of all cases. At the end of study, the data was analyzed using SPSS version 25 and result compiled.
Results:  Twelve patients with "Orbital Rhabdomyosarcoma" were included in the study with mean age of7.2 ± 1.6 years. Majority of patients presented with mass in upper lid with proptosis. On CT-Scan and/or MRI orbit proved that in seven (58.3%) cases the mass was occupying the superior orbit, in 3 (25%) cases inferior orbit and in 2 (16.6%) cases the tumor was advance enough to occupy the whole orbit.Biopsy showed embryonic type (66.7%), alveolar type (25%) and undifferentiated (8.3%). All patients received chemotherapy and radiotherapy with excision of tumor in 16.7% and exenteration in 41.7% patients. The course of follow-up extended from 7 to 24 months. Five (41.7%) patients felt well at the end of last follow-up and four (33.3%) developed recurrence. At the end of follow-up, 3 (25%) patients died of tumor.
Conclusion:  In North West Pakistan patients with Orbital Rhabdomyosarcoma present late and the prognosis is poor due to not following the proper protocol for follow-up.
Key Words:  Rhabdomyosarcoma, Orbital rhabdomyosarcoma, IRS Staging.


Sodium lidar observations of sporadic sodium layers (SSLs) during the past 3 years at a mid-latitude location (Hefei, China, 31.8 degrees N, 117.3 degrees E) are reported in this paper. From 64 SSL events detected in about 900 h of observation, an SSL occurrence rate of 1 event every 14 h at our location was obtained. This result, combined with previous studies, reveals that the SSL occurrence can be relatively frequent at some mid-latitude locations. Statistical analysis of main parameters for the 64 SSL events was performed. By examining the corresponding data from an ionosonde, a considerable correlation was found with a Pearson coefficient of 0.66 between seasonal variations of SSL and those of sporadic E (Es) during nighttime, which was in line with the research by Nagasawa and Abo (1995). From comparison between observations from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) lidar and from Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics (WIPM) lidar (Wuhan, China, 31 degrees N, 114 degrees E), the minimum horizontal range for some events was estimated to be over 500 km.


Advisory committees have cautioned that influenza vaccine-induced antibody declines more rapidly in the elderly, falling below seroprotective levels within 4 months. We conducted a literature review to assess this assertion. The articles that were included in this review reported antibody levels > or =4 months after influenza immunization in persons > or =60 years old, interpretable in the context of annual influenza vaccine-approval criteria (seroprotection/seroconversion) specified by the Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products (CPMP) for the elderly. The final review included 14 studies; 8 of which reported seroprotection rates. Seroprotection exceeding CPMP criteria was maintained > or =4 months after influenza immunization in all 8 of the studies reporting this for the H3N2 component and in 5 of the 7 studies reporting this for the H1N1 and B components. In determining whether CPMP criteria were met at season's end, primary antibody response appeared to be more relevant than secondary antibody decline. Both studies reporting seroprotection rates that failed CPMP criteria > or =4 months after influenza immunization for each of the H1N1 and B components had also reported failed seroprotection at 1 month after immunization. If initially achieved after immunization, seroprotection rates of 70%-100% were maintained not just at 4 months (2 studies) but also at 5 months (2 studies) and even at >6 months (4 studies), for the H3N2 and H1N1 vaccine components. Seroprotection rates appeared less consistent for the B vaccine component, throughout the postimmunization period. Seroconversion appears to vary substantially and inversely with preimmunization titers but not with age. In 2 of 6 studies reporting seroconversion alone, CPMP criteria were still met at 4 months. In the other 4 studies, the main reason for failure at 4 months was primary failure at 1 month. A total of 6 studies compared antibody persistence by age, and no consistent differences were found on that basis. The historic concern that the influenza vaccine-induced antibody response in the elderly declines more rapidly and below seroprotective levels within 4 months of immunization should be reconsidered.


Ample evidence shows that loneliness is related to low peer acceptance (Kingery et al., 2011; Vanhalst et al., 2014). This is in line with social needs theory which assumes that loneliness occurs when important social needs are not met, such as being accepted by peers (Weiss, 1973). This implies that low peer acceptance by itself may cause loneliness. However, this effect also may depend on the group in which low acceptance occurs. If an adolescent is disliked by other peers, feelings of social exclusion and loneliness may be stronger when these others are generally liked than when they are generally disliked. We examined this frog pond effect (Davis, 1966) of likability on loneliness. We also tested for optimal distinctiveness (Brewer, 1991) which posits that it matters how similar an adolescent is to others relative to how similar they are to each other. Higher heterogeneity among others' likeability may lead to less loneliness. We hypothesized that similarity between individual and group acceptance affects loneliness over and beyond the effect of low acceptance on loneliness. Participants were 945 adolescents (Mage = 14.27; SDage = 1.25; 49% boys) from 41 classrooms (grades 7 to 10) who completed peer ratings of likeability (-3 = very disliked; +3 = very well-liked) and self-reports of loneliness (LLCA; Marcoen, Goossens, & Caes, 1987). Likeability was the average rating received from classmates (M = 1.19; SD = .64; range -1.83 to +2.47). Loneliness scores ranged from 1 to 3.83 on a 4-point scale with higher scores indicating more loneliness (M = 1.39; SD = .46). The Group Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (GAPIM; Garcia, Meagher, & Kenny, 2014; Kenny & Garcia, 2012) was used to investigate whether participants' loneliness was affected by: their own likeability (actor effect), others' average likeability (others' effect), how similar participants were to all other group members (actor similarity effect), and the similarity among all others (others' similarity effect). Six nested multilevel models were run. The full contrast model was the most parsimonious and best fitting (Table 1). To interpret the effects, predicted means were plotted for prototypical groups varying in likeability composition (Figure 1). The negative actor effect and positive others' effect confirmed the hypothesized frog pond effect; adolescents compare themselves to others in terms of likeability and these comparisons related to their felt loneliness. As shown in Figure 1, loneliness was most pronounced for disliked adolescents in groups of generally liked others (Group B). The negative actor similarity effect and positive others' similarity effect were in line with optimal distinctiveness; loneliness was lowest when (a) adolescents were similar to the average likeability of their group, and (b) there was heterogeneity among the other group members (Group A and D). This study demonstrated the GAPIM in research on person-environment fit and confirmed the importance of the peer group context to understand adolescent loneliness. It also showed that the GAPIM is a promising new approach to examine influence processes in groups and to test theories that may explain these effects.


The set of performance speed permeability experimental versions mounds of tehnozems designed to search for the best technological solutions for reclamation of disturbed mountain design land within the Nikopol manganese ore Basin have been discussed in the present article such as pedozems (tehnozems formed using bulk humus soil), litozems (formed only rocks without humus bulk soil): sod-litogenic soils to gray-green clay, the reddish-brown clays and loams on loess-like clays. The speed of tehnozems water permeability has been explored by the conventional method. Research conducted on test plots of land reclamation Dnipropetrovsk State Agrarian and Economic University. Research facilities have been 57 models with various options mound tehnozems ground. Based on research built graphics dynamics permeability. The data indicate that the models studied mound soil infiltration process of transition to a filtration significantly prolonged the time. Even in a stable phase permeability for tehnozems observable characteristic combination of filtration and infiltration processes. It is shown that the design soil-like body in the zero-point of its existence, the dynamics and trajectory of soil formation. The study of the dynamics of tidying up water from the soil surface is highly informative tool for evaluating the properties of the soil body without violations. The resulting dynamic curves along with high resolution differential is environmentally relevant, that reflect the properties of the soil as the habitat of living organisms. Differential capacity curves tidying water appears that there are significant differences between the movement of moisture in soil in the studied sites, depending on their structure. For ordinary chernozems permeability characteristic features of the process is monotonic dynamic speed limit tidying water and that clearly differs between phase infiltration and filtration. Switch phase filtration is the first experiment. For the studied models tehnozems the speed permeability characterized by a significant variation with relatively monotonous trend, which is the reduced rate of tidying water and eventually reach a certain steady state. Such deviations from the general trend manifest itself in the form of high speed flash permeability observed at regular intervals. These intervals are specific to each type of construction tehnozems.


To obtain accurate information for absorbed dose calculations in water for kilovoltage x-rays, the photon spectrum, planar fluence and the angular distribution of the photons at the collimator exit of the x-ray unit have to be known. The only way to obtain this information is by Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. Compared with the situation for high-energy photons and electrons, where in recent years numerous papers have been devoted to MC modelling of complete clinical accelerator units, there is a lack of similar work for kV x-ray units. A reliable MC model for a kV x-ray unit would allow the output information to be used in a treatment planning system for regular and irregular treatment fields. Furthermore, with MC simulation, perturbation factors of dose-measuring devices, such as those specified in codes of practice, can be calculated. In this work, the MC code EGS4/BEAM was used to build realistic models of two complete x-ray units. The tungsten target, exit window, collimator, additional filtration and applicator were taken into account. For some aspects of the work, a comparison was made with the simulations from another MC code, MCNP4B. The contribution to the characteristic radiation from electron impact ionization and from the photoelectric effect of reabsorbed bremsstrahlung photons was studied. Calculated and measured photon fluence spectra in air and half-value layers for a Philips MCN410 tube were compared for several anode voltages and additional filtrations. Results from the two codes agreed well, and the agreement with measured spectra was found to be good for energies above 50 keV but rather less good below that energy. For a Siemens Stabilipan 2 Th300 x-ray tube, HVLs and dose distributions in water were compared with measurements for several clinical x-ray qualities. For most of the combinations of radiation qualities and applicators, good agreement was obtained, although there were also some cases where the agreement was not so good. Electron contamination and photon build-up at the water surface were studied using MC simulation. The influence of depth on the photon spectral distribution was investigated. Both EGS4/BEAM and MCNP4B, in their default versions, handle inadequately the production of characteristic x-rays. This was found to have only a minor influence on the calculated dosimetric quantities. Simulations with MCNP4B required the use of several variance reduction techniques in order to obtain results within reasonable calculation times.


p53 as an effector of nucleolar stress is well defined, but p53 independent mechanisms are largely unknown. Like p53, the NF-κB transcription factor plays a critical role in maintaining cellular homeostasis under stress. Many stresses that stimulate NF-κB also disrupt nucleoli. However, the link between nucleolar function and activation of the NF-κB pathway is as yet unknown. Here we demonstrate that siRNA silencing of PolI complex components stimulates NF-κB signalling. Unlike p53 nucleolar stress response, this effect does not appear to be linked to inhibition of rDNA transcription. We show that specific stress stimuli of NF-κB induce degradation of a critical component of the PolI complex, TIF-IA. This degradation precedes activation of the NF-κB pathway and is associated with an atypical nucleolar architecture. It is mimicked by CDK4 inhibition and is dependent upon upstream binding factor (UBF) and p14ARF. We show that blocking stress effects on TIF-IA blocks their ability to activate the NF-κB pathway. Finally, using ex vivo culture, we show a strong correlation between degradation of TIF-IA and activation of NF-κB in freshly resected, human colorectal tumours exposed to the chemopreventative agent, aspirin. Together, our study provides compelling evidence for a new, NF-κB nucleolar stress response pathway that has in vivo relevance and therapeutic implications.


In the novel Midnight's Children , Salman Rushdie unmakes and makes history, blurring the boundaries between historical fact and fiction. This research examines why and how Rushdie problematizes the institutions of historical narrative and the nation. Through a multi-faceted analysis of this novel, the complexities of the post-colonial nation as shown by Rushdie are clarified. This research utilizes the analysis of Rushdie's location as a diaspora writer and Benedict Anderson's definition of the nation as a construct of the imagination as an entry-point to textual analysis. These two components, in conjunction with additional secondary sources, enhance a close reading of the text analyzing the flaws of universal historical narrative and the false consciousness of nationhood. Though the importance of historical narrative is widely accepted, this research articulates the importance of fictions in contesting historiographic singularity and asserting the plurality of history. From the diasporic, insider-outsider voice, Rushdie is able to deconstruct history and the concept of universal truth by writing from a position between and inside two realities. He presents the problem of a grand historical narrative in a nation as tenuous as India, while also exposing the fictionality and constructed nature of the nation


During the making of rice- koji for sake production, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) is O -methylated to 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) by the koji -mold, Aspergillus oryzae , resulting in a musty/moldy off-odor, which significantly reduces the quality of sake. Thus, we aim to develop A. oryzae strains with a less-efficient ability to produce TCA. TCP is a fungicide that suppresses the growth of fungi, whereas TCA does not. The exact effects of TCP on the growth of A. oryzae are unknown. However, it is assumed that a strain with low TCP conversion ability will be sensitive to TCP concentration. In this study, we investigated the effects of the different concentrations of TCP on the growth suppression of A. oryzae . As the TCP concentration in the media increased, the growth rate, and conidia formation of A. oryzae slowed down. No growth was observed in liquid culture (for 1 day at 30°C) containing more than 30 µ g/mL of TCP and in agar culture (for 7 days at 30°C) containing more than 50 µ g/mL of TCP. However, A. oryzae was able to grow on alpha rice containing higher concentrations of TCP. The results in agar culture are consistent with the effects of TCP on other Aspergillus species.


Online platforms play a relevant role in the creation and diffusion of false or misleading news. Concerningly, the COVID-19 pandemic is shaping a communication network which reflects the emergence of collective attention towards a topic that rapidly gained universal interest. Here, we characterize the dynamics of this network on Twitter, analysing how unreliable content distributes among its users. We find that a minority of accounts is responsible for the majority of the misinformation circulating online, and identify two categories of users: a few active ones, playing the role of 'creators', and a majority playing the role of 'consumers'. The relative proportion of these groups (approx. 14% creators—86% consumers) appears stable over time: consumers are mostly exposed to the opinions of a vocal minority of creators (which are the origin of 82% of fake content in our data), that could be mistakenly understood as representative of the majority of users. The corresponding pressure from a perceived majority is identified as a potential driver of the ongoing COVID-19 infodemic.


Author(s): Ellis, Daniel Painter | Advisor(s): Washburn, Libe | Abstract: Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) like gliders are typically used to obtain vertical cross sections of water properties along transects. Another, less common, application is the use of gliders as virtual moorings. Gliders offer many advantages compared with conventional moorings, but extensive evaluation of gliders as mooring substitutes has not been done. Here, temperature and ocean current velocity data from coincidently deployed gliders-as- moorings and moorings are compared to assess the fidelity of glider-as-mooring data. The glider-as-mooring data were processed in a variety of ways and compared with mooring. During August 2012, two gliders sampled in a box pattern around a conventional mooring in 26 m water depth off of Pt. Sal, California for two and six days, respectively. Two box patterns were used, one 500 m on a side (two and four days) and the other 1 km on a side (two days). Temperature and velocity data from the gliders and moorings are compared using linear regressions and contouring techniques. Linear regressions show good agreement between glider and mooring temperatures (r2 = 0.89, p l 0.001). Significant correlations are also found between ADCP-derived velocities from the gliders and the mooring; along-shore velocities exhibit higher correlation (r2 = 0.70, p l 0.001) compared with cross-shore velocities (r2 = 0.37, p l 0.001). Glider versus glider comparisons are similar to glider versus mooring comparisons in the along-shore (r2 = 0.60, p l 0.001) and cross-shore (r2 = 0.36, p l 0.001) directions. Temperature comparisons between gliders also show good agreement (r2 = 0.93, p l 0.001 ).


STUDY OBJECTIVE
To provide normative sleep data on 9-18 year old Australians.

DESIGN
Cohort study.

SETTING
Participants' homes.

PARTICIPANTS
4032 Australians aged 9-18 years.

INTERVENTIONS
N/A.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS
Participants completed a 48h use of time recall, comprising sleep data for one complete night. Sleep duration, bedtime and wake time were compared across age groups, between genders, and between school and non-school days using ANOVA. Sleep duration declined with age (P < 0.0001) at the rate of 12 min/night per year of age on school days, and 4 min on non-school days. Girls slept slightly longer than boys (5 min/night; P = 0.03). Non-school day sleep was 16 min longer than school day sleep (P < 0.0001), with the difference increasing with age. Bedtimes got later with age (P < 0.0001), however there were no differences in bedtimes between boys and girls. Bedtimes occurred 34 min later on non-school days (P < 0.0001). Wake times were very similar across age groups on school days, but increased at the rate of 10 min/year of age on non-school days. Wake times were similar for boys and girls, and occurred on average 82 min later on non-school days (P < 0.0001). Overall, 17% of school days and 20% of non-school days failed to meet the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sleep duration guidelines.

CONCLUSIONS
Normative sleep data will provide a valuable yardstick for health and education professionals when dealing with sleep-related issues.


Emerging next-generation photovoltaic devices are fabricated from thin-films, with devices having thicknesses of less than 1 um, because of the reduced material waste, lower embodied energy, and propensity for forming flexible, light-weight devices. However, thin-film photovoltaics have limited absorption of light close to the absorption band edge of the semiconducting photoactive layer. In addition, thin-film photovoltaics fabricated from amorphous semiconductors, such as amorphous Si or organic semiconductors, typically require semiconductor thicknesses of ~100 nm due to their low charge carrier mobilities and correspondingly low charge diffusion lengths. However, by restricting the semiconducting active layer thickness in order to efficiently collect photogenerated charge carriers at the electrodes, incomplete light absorption occurs throughout the visible spectrum. To satisfy these competing constraints on the active layer thickness, light trapping techniques are required to increase the amount of light absorbed in physically-thin active layers. Conventional light trapping in thick, crystalline Si photovoltaics is typically achieved using micron-scale photonic structures that are not suitable for thin-film photovoltaics, which have active layers that are thinner than the height of these structures. Additionally, it is difficult to trap light in active layers with thicknesses below the diffraction limit (thicknesses less than half a wavelength in the material) using conventional photonic designs (e.g. total internal reflection of light scattered from a roughened surface). As such, nanophotonic designs, such as plasmonic nanostructures, are necessary to enhance the amount of light that can be absorbed by thin-film semiconductors. Here, we propose the use of multifunctional plasmonic metasurfaces to enhance the light trapping and absorption within physically-thin semiconductor active layers. Plasmonic metasurfaces are two-dimensional artificial materials composed of arrays of sub-wavelength metallic nanostructures where the macroscopic electromagnetic properties of the surface arise from the collective response of the individual nanostructures. They support both localized and propagating surface plasmon polaritons, which are hybrid light-charge density waves that exist at metal-dielectric interfaces and have strongly enhanced electric fields near the metal surface. Use of plasmonic metasurfaces in thin-film photovoltaics leads to enhanced absorption via: increased generation of charge carriers by local electric field enhancements; or increased optical path length through the semiconducting active layer either through light scattering from the nanostructures or by coupling the light to an in-plane waveguiding plasmonic mode. As such, thin-films of semiconductors can be both physically and electrically thin (i.e., thinner than the carrier diffusion length), but optically thick when employing plasmonic metasurfaces as electrodes. We gain further control of the properties of the electrode through application of an ultrathin interfacial layer, with thicknesses of less than 5 nm, which allows for tailoring the electronic properties (e.g., surface workfunction) while minimizing the impact on the optical properties of the resulting multifunctional plasmonic metasurface. In this thesis, we designed and fabricated multifunctional plasmonic metasurfaces with a focus on organic conjugated polymers as thin-film semiconductor active layers. Conjugated-polymer-based organic photovoltaics have shown great potential as alternative energy sources due to their propensity for solution-based processing, rendering devices with the fastest manufacture and energy payback times of all photovoltaic technologies. Conjugated polymers are organic semiconductors composed of primarily earth-abundant elements, and their optical, electronic, and morphological properties can be tuned synthetically. Due to the formation of tightly-bound Frenkel excitons upon photoexcitation, conjugated polymers have strong absorption coefficients, rendering them opaque at film thicknesses on the order of several hundred nanometers. However, like other organic semiconductors, conjugated polymers have low charge mobilities, restricting their thicknesses to less than ~100 nm to minimize charge recombination, thus necessitating the use of nanophotonic light trapping techniques. Improvements in the efficiency of photovoltaics predominantly arise from increases in the photocurrent or the open-circuit voltage of the device. We begin this work by predicting the optimal planar metal electrode structure by calculating the performance parameters for two types of organic photovoltaic devices (conventional and inverted) with a range of electrode surface workfunctions. We show that highly-efficient and stable inverted organic photovoltaics can be achieved by selecting metal electrodes with low parasitic absorption and high workfunctions, which maximizes the photocurrent and open-circuit voltage of the device, respectively. Based on our calculations, Ag electrodes with ultrathin (less than 5 nm) native AgOx surface layers lead to inverted organic photovoltaic devices with maximal efficiencies due to the low parasitic absorption and high workfunction of AgOx/Ag electrodes. This is the first reported theoretical study that systematically compares the performance parameters of conventional and inverted devices considering a range of different metal electrode types. Having predicted the optimal metal electrode and photovoltaic device structure, we design and fabricate plasmonic metasurfaces comprised of Ag nanoparticle arrays on Ag films to increase the active layer absorption in thin-film photovoltaics. We demonstrate that plasmonic metasurfaces comprised of low aspect ratio (height-to-diameter fraction) Ag nanoparticles can lead to enhanced absorption in organic active layers. We show that, in addition to the localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) and propagating surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), absorber-coated plasmonic metasurfaces can support a previously unidentified optical mode type called absorption-induced scattering (AIS). Through our systematic experimental and computational studies, we show that AIS originates from the low energy mode of hybrid plasmon-exciton coupled states, and gives rise to many of the red-edge absorption enhancements frequently observed in plasmon-enhanced organic photovoltaics. We further demonstrate that SPPs with energies less than the AIS mode are out-coupled from absorber-coated metasurfaces for amorphous absorber coatings, but are trapped for semi-crystalline absorber coatings. In addition to developing a deep understanding of how Ag plasmonic metasurfaces can be employed to enhance sub-wavelength light-trapping and absorption in thin-film organic photovoltaic active layers, we further develop a method of controlling the surface workfunction of plasmonic metasurfaces. We fabricate multifunctional plasmonic metasurfaces comprised of Ag metasurfaces with ultrathin interfacial layers to simultaneously control the optical and electronic properties of the metasurface. We employ monolayer MoS2 and AgOx as ultrathin interfacial layers to minimize changes to the optical properties of the plasmonic metasurfaces. We show that, unexpectedly, the MoS2 interfacial layer contributed to the charge photogeneration process, resulting in the formation of a hybrid MoS2-organic active layer. We demonstrate ultrafast charge transfer between MoS2 and the organic layer, and show that the absorption and total charge generation is enhanced in the presence of the Ag plasmonic metasurface. AgOx, on the other hand, serves as a passive interfacial layer, and does not impact the optical properties of the Ag plasmonic metasurface. Thus, these multifunctional plasmonic metasurfaces allow for control of the optical properties of the electrode through the metasurface designs and the electrical properties through selection of ultrathin interfacial layers, which are expected to give rise to enhanced photocurrent and open-circuit voltage, respectively, in thin-film photovoltaic devices.


Information stealing malware—a growing threat, which provokes billion-dollar losses every year—usually obtains sensitive information by modifying the content that the user's browser renders when visiting specific (e.g., banking) websites. This poster addresses the problem of detecting when a machine is infected by such trojans. We propose IRIS, an automatic kernelspace module that analyzes the memory of the user's browser to spot the artifacts of malicious web-injections by means of a signature matching mechanism. We leverage the signatures generated by Prometheus, an automatic system that analyzes information stealing malware by observing the differences that they produce in the infected DOMs and by generating signatures of the injection behavior. Preliminary results, conducted against real-world variants of financial trojans, show that our system can successfully detect such malware.


Introduction: Fetal long-bone growth is the result of growth and subsequent mineralization of the cartilaginous epiphyses. Prior to mineralization, the shapes of the epiphyses determine the geometries of the proximal and distal ends of long bones, including joint shapes and prominences which are important for bone functioning. It is unclear how morphogenesis of the epiphyses is controlled. Various developmental studies suggest that biochemical control and mechanical loading are both involved. We aim to study using a numerical approach the hypothesis that fetal bone growth is growth-factor controlled, while external mechanical loading determines the morphology of the epiphysis. Methods: We previously developed a 1D bone-growth model in which epiphysis development was selectively controlled by the growth factors Indian hedgehog (Ihh), PTHrP and VEGF [1]. This approach was extended to 2D and implemented in Abaqus. A 2D mesh of a 16-days old anlage of a mouse metatarsal bone is used as the initial geometry. It only consists of cartilage and is not yet mineralized. We simulate growth over several days during which the cartilage grows and mineralizes, controlled by PTHrP, Ihh and VEGF. Simulations are performed with and without the presence of additional external loading. Experimentally observed shapes of metatarsal bones at embryonic day 19 are compared with simulation results for validation. Results: The computed geometry compares well with the geometry of a mouse metatarsal bone at embryonic day 19. Without external mechanical loading the epiphysis develops a circular, non-physiological geometry. The mechanical environment significantly influences the geometry of the epiphysis. Discussion: External mechanical forces importantly determine the shape of the epiphysis during development, and drive bone morphology to a physiological geometry. These external forces may arise from muscle contractions as well as from tensile forces which develop during growth due to stretching of tendons, ligaments, periosteum and perichondrium. It is challenging to determine the relative importance of these structures to eventual bone morphogenesis.


beta 2 microglobulin knockout (beta2M-/-) mice lack CD8+ T and natural killer T cells. We hypothesized that beta 2M-/- mice are resistant to lethal intraabdominal sepsis. To test this hypothesis, mortality, cytokine production, and physiologic function were assessed in beta 2M-/- mice during sepsis caused by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). beta 2M-/- mice survived significantly longer than wild-type mice after CLP but ultimately exhibited 100% mortality. Treatment of beta 2M-/- mice with anti-asialoGM1 to deplete natural killer cells conferred greater than 70% long-term survival. Compared with wild-type mice, beta 2M-/- mice treated with anti-asialoGM1 produced decreased amounts of proinflammatory cytokines and did not exhibit hypothermia or metabolic acidosis after CLP. Adoptive transfer of CD8+ T and natural killer cells into beta 2M-/- mice treated with anti-asialoGM1 re-established CLP-induced mortality. CD8 knockout mice treated with anti-asialoGM1, which are specifically deficient in CD8+ T and natural killer cells, exhibited 40% long-term survival after CLP. Furthermore, treatment of wild-type mice with antibodies to CD8 and asialoGM1 conferred a significant survival benefit compared with wild-type mice treated with nonspecific IgG. These findings demonstrate that beta 2M-/- mice treated with anti-asialoGM1 are resistant to CLP-induced mortality and that depletion of CD8+ T and natural killer cells largely accounts for the survival benefit observed in these mice.


Population surveys and animal experiments have shown that rare earth elements (REEs) cause neurological defects. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying these effects are still unclear. Given that lanthanum is commonly used for investigating into REEs‐induced neurological defects, this study chose lanthanum chloride (LaCl3) to show that LaCl3 promotes mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in primary cultured rat astrocytes by regulating expression of Bcl‐2 family proteins. The main findings of this study are (1) LaCl3 treatment (0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mM for 12–48 h) induced the astrocytes damages with a concentration‐dependent manner, which were confirmed with methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium and lactate dehydrogenase release assays, and morphological examination. (2) A 24 h treatment of LaCl3 concentration‐dependently decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, increased cytochrome c release from mitochondria into cytosol, elevated caspase 9 and 3 expression, and promoted astrocyte apoptosis. (3) LaCl3 treatment increased the ratio of pro‐apoptotic Bax and antiapoptotic Bcl‐2 proteins, which in turn broke the balance among pro‐apoptotic and antiapoptotic Bcl‐2 family proteins, leading to astrocyte apoptosis. Our results indicate that LaCl3 alters Bcl‐2 family protein expressions, which in turn promote mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, and thus astrocytic damage. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 28: 489–497, 2013.


We present a method for transforming a simple plane figure or motif into another, which is related to it in a definite way, by applying a group of systematic geometric transformations. The method creates certain classes of star motifs from a basic plane figure. We demonstrate that surface design is an 'atomic' and a 'self-assembly' process, and expansion, figure and motion are the only properties in design which can be directly represented geometrically. By applying a group of fundamental point transformations of the plane, and rearranging the axis of the reflection, we transform a simple figure into a series of complex star motifs. Our ultimate aim is to develop the invariants of design and creative process, and to bring the formal side of art within the purview of mathematics.


Worldwide the geographical distribution of health workers is skewed towards urban and wealthier areas. This pattern is found in nearly every country in the world, regardless of the level of economic development and health system organization, but the problem is especially acute in developing countries. The geographical imbalances in the health workforce further exacerbate inequities in the health sector, as the services are not available where needs are higher and impact greater. A variety of interventions have been applied in different contexts and for different types of health workers to address this problem. There is an emerging consensus that policies for recruitment and retention in rural and remote areas need to address two critical issues: i) to be effective, interventions need to be implemented in bundles, combining different packages of interventions according to the variety of factors influencing the health worker's decision to work in rural or remote areas; and ii) to match the interventions with health worker's preferences and expectations, since the health worker's employment decisions are a function of these preferences. In order to respond to these requirements, this paper proposes the application of Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs) to allow for measurement of health workers' preferences and quantitatively predicts the job uptake given a set of job characteristics. This paper has a two-fold objective: a) to give the reader an overview of the magnitude of unequal health workforce distribution in the developing countries, provide a summary of the evidence to date on the factors that contribute to these imbalances, and present a systematic set of policy interventions that are being implemented around the world to address the problem of recruitment and retention of health workers in rural and remote regions of the developing countries; and b) to introduce the reader to the potential application of the DCE to elicit health workers' preferences and determine the factors likely to increase their probability of taking up a rural or remote job.


In this paper we study a farmer-processor relationship, where market power is bidirectional: processors have buyer as well as seller market power. Farmers supply a homogeneous raw input to the processors, which, in turn, process it into a horizontally differentiated product. The analysis shows that the spread between prices that both parties receive can be decomposed into two components: one due to buyer market power in the agricultural input market and one due to seller market power in the differentiated processed market. Farmers receive a decreasing dollar share of the final price as concentration in the processed good market increases. On the other hand, the price spread due to processors' buyer (seller) market power decreases (increases) when farmers' transportation costs shrink and when consumers' strength for brand preference increases. We also examine welfare: while the surplus of farmers serving a specific processor is adversely affected in a more concentrated processed good market, the total surplus of farmers serving all processors is independent of the industry concentration. In addition, consumers are worse off when the processed good market is more concentrated and farmers' transportation costs are larger. While stronger brand preference implies a larger "travel cost" for consumers, it may encourage more processors to join the market and provide more varieties.


This article contributes both to the expanding literature on the effect of school choice and to the literature focusing on how to measure and conceptualize neighborhood effects. It uses a novel approach to the measurement of geographical context to analyze neighborhood influences on school choice attitudes among Swedish parents. Data on attitudes come from a survey of 3,749 families with children in upper primary school. Geographical context is measured using multi-scalar contextual factors based on socioeconomic indicators for individually defined, bespoke neighborhoods that incorporate from 12 to 12,800 people. The results show that parental motives for choosing schools in Sweden are strongly influenced by the social and ethnic composition of their own and their adjacent neighborhoods. Contrary to most other studies, we find effects of socioeconomic context stronger than the effects of the parents' own social and ethnic background. Thus, parents living in academic, high-income areas put little stress on attending an assigned school, close-to-home schools, or stating that the municipality has influenced their decision. Furthermore, these attitudes become even stronger if nearby neighborhoods are dominated by visible minorities and disadvantaged groups. Supported by Sampson's ideas of coordinated perceptions among inhabitants in the same neighborhoods, we explain these surprisingly strong contextual effects with the idea that school choice motives are especially sensitive to neighbors' ideas and easily influenced as measured preferences in a survey.


Virtual-to-physical memory translation is becoming an increasingly dominant cost in workload execution; as data sizes scale, up to four memory accesses are required per translation, and 24 in virtualised systems. However, the radix trees in use today to hold these translations have many favorable properties, including cacheability, ability to fit in conventional 4 KiB page frames, and a sparse representation. They are therefore unlikely to be replaced in the near future. In this paper we argue that these structures are actually too sparse for modern workloads, so many of the overheads are unnecessary. Instead, where appropriate, we expand groups of 4 KiB layers, each able to translate 9 bits of address space, into a single 2 MiB layer, able to translate 18 bits in a single memory access. These fit in the standard huge-page allocations used by most conventional operating systems and architectures. With minor extensions to the page-table-walker structures to support these, and aid in their cacheability, we can reduce memory accesses per walk by 27%, or 56% for virtualised systems, without significant memory overhead.


Given that nucleosynthesis (BBN) provides the oldest available information we have on the evolution of the Universe, it is worthwhile exploring possible deviations from the standard Big Bang cosmology based on General Relativity in pre-BBN epochs. Non-GR pre-BBN cosmologies affect the evolution of the WIMP DM component, in particular determining relevant shifts on its freeze-out temperature. The impact of this new 'degree of freedom' in the discussion of naturalness of WIMPs in playing the role of DM is presented in the context of Scalr Tensor (ST) theories of gravity.


The Wide Field Imager (WFI) of the International X-ray Observatory (IXO) is an X-ray imaging spectrometer based on a large monolithic DePFET (Depleted P-channel Field Effect Transistor) Active Pixel Sensor. Filling an area of 10 × 10 cm² with a format of 1024 × 1024 pixels it will cover a field of view of 18 arcmin. The pixel size of 100 × 100 μm² corresponds to a fivefold oversampling of the telescope's expected 5 arcsec point spread function. The WFI's basic DePFET structure combines the functionalities of sensor and integrated amplifier with nearly Fano-limited energy resolution and high efficiency from 100 eV to 15 keV. The development of dedicated control and amplifier ASICs allows for high frame rates up to 1 kHz and flexible readout modes. Results obtained with representative prototypes with a format of 256 × 256 pixels are presented.


Good governance has been and is a growing phenomenon for many business organisations regardless of size, profit margins and purpose for existence. The South African Metropolitan municipality Metropolitan Municipality is one such organisation that has adopted good governance models to business practices. The challenge was how to effectively and efficiently implement governance issues around projects and business organisations. A number of people, committees and institutions have developed different governance frameworks that can be adopted by organisations as a guide to good governance. This research is based on King III guide to good governance. The objective was to establish the perceptions of the corporate services directorate in the South African Metropolitan municipality municipality on King III good governance compliance by interviewing some employees orally and through a questionnaire. The responses were captured and analysed using IMB SPSS software. Problems were identified in governance training and understanding in general. Another major finding was poor communication internally and externally. To overcome these shortfall recommendations were made. Communication models, communication plan, governance models and training were recommended. The major challenges facing the South African Metropolitan municipality Metropolitan Municipality are poor effective governance communication and lack of governance training.


Exotic predators are a major threat to native wildlife in many parts of the world. Developing and implementing effective strategies to mitigate their effects requires robust quantitative data so that management can be evidence-based, yet in many ecosystems this is missing. Birds in particular have been severely impacted by exotic mammalian predators, and a plethora of studies on islands record predation of bird eggs, fledglings and adults by exotic species such as rodents, stoats and cats. By comparison, few studies have examined nest predation around mainland urban centres which often act as dispersal hubs, especially for commensal species such as rodents. Here, we experimentally examine nest predation rates in habitat patches with varying black rat (Rattus rattus) densities in Sydney, Australia and test whether these exotic rats have the effects expected of exotic predators using effect size benchmarks. In the case where black rats have replaced native Rattus spp., we expected that black rats, being more arboreal than native Rattus spp., would be a significant source of predation on birds because they can readily access the arboreal niche where many birds nest. We tested this idea using above-ground artificial nests to represent those of typical small bird species such as the New Holland honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae). We found that fewer eggs were depredated by rodents on sites where we removed black rats compared to unmanipulated sites, and that the effect size calculated from the total number of eggs surviving beyond the typical incubation period was similar to that expected for an exotic predator. Our results suggest that, although Australian birds have co-evolved with native Rattus species, in the case where black rats have replaced native Rattus species, exotic black rats appear to pose an additive source of predation on birds in remnant habitats, most likely due to their ability to climb more efficiently than their native counterparts. Management of these commensal rodents may be necessary to retain urban birdlife.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
While a number of studies have investigated transmitter outflow in anesthetized animals after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) performed by craniectomy, studies have never been performed after MCAO induced by intraluminal filament. In addition, it has been reported that after MCAO, infarct volume correlates with functional outcome and with transmitter outflow, although there are no studies that demonstrate a direct correlation between transmitter outflow and functional outcome. The purpose of the present study was to assess excitatory amino acids, gamma-aminobutyric acid, taurine, and adenosine outflow in awake rats after intraluminal MCAO and to determine whether, in the same animal, outflow was correlated with neurological outcome and histological damage.

METHODS
Vertical microdialysis probes were placed in the striatum of male Wistar rats. After 24 hours, permanent MCAO was induced by the intraluminal suture technique. The transmitter concentrations in the dialysate were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Twenty-four hours after MCAO, neurological deficit and histological outcome were evaluated.

RESULTS
All transmitters significantly increased after MCAO. Twenty-four hours after MCAO, the rats showed a severe sensorimotor deficit and massive ischemic damage in the striatum and in the cortex (9+/-2% and 25+/-6% of hemispheric volume, respectively). Significant correlations were found between the efflux of all transmitters, neurological score, and striatal infarct volume.

CONCLUSIONS
In this study, for the first time, amino acid and adenosine extracellular concentrations during MCAO by the intraluminal suture technique were determined in awake and freely moving rats, and a significant correlation was found between transmitter outflow and neurological deficit. The evaluation of neurological deficit, histological damage, and transmitter outflow in the same animal may represent a useful approach for studying neuroprotective properties of new drugs/agents against focal ischemia.


Prior work has examined associations between cardiometabolic pregnancy complications and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but not how these complications may relate to social communication traits more broadly. We addressed this question within the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, with 6,778 participants from 40 cohorts conducted from 1998-2021 with information on ASD-related traits via the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Four metabolic pregnancy complications were examined individually, and combined, in association with SRS scores, using crude and adjusted linear regression as well as quantile regression. We also examined associations stratified by ASD diagnosis, and potential mediation by preterm birth and low birth weight, and modification by child sex and enriched risk of ASD. Increases in ASD-related traits were associated with obesity (ß=4.64, 95% CI 3.27, 6.01) and gestational diabetes (ß=5.21, 95% CI 2.41, 8.02) specifically, but not with hypertension or preeclampsia. Results in children without ASD were similar to main analyses, but weaker among ASD cases. There was not strong evidence for mediation or modification. Results suggest that common cardiometabolic pregnancy complications may influence child ASD-related traits not only above a diagnostic threshold relevant to ASD, but also across the population.


Information on the vertical structure of rain, especially near the surface is important for accurate quantitative precipitation estimation from weather and space-borne radars. In the present study, the rainfall characteristics, from a vertically pointed profile Radar in the Mantaro basin (Huancayo, Peru) are observed. In summary, diurnal variation of near-surface rainfall and bright band height, average vertical profiles of the drop size distribution (DSD), rain rate, radar reflectivity (Ze) and liquid water content (LWC) are investigated to derive the rainfall characteristics. Diurnal variation of rain rate and bright band height show the bimodal distribution, where frequent and higher rain rate occurred during the afternoon and nighttime, and more than 70% bright band height found between 4.3–4.7 km. The average vertical profiles of Ze show the opposite characteristics above and below the melting level (ML) and depend on the near-surface rain rate. For example, the average Ze profiles have a negative gradient above the ML, whereas below, the ML, the gradient depends on the near-surface rain rate. The rain rate and LWC show the opposite behavior, and both consist of a positive (negative) gradient below (above) the ML. The vertical growth of DSD parameters depend on the near-surface rain rate, and a higher concentration of large-sized of droplets are observed for higher near surface rain rate, however, the dominant modes of droplets are <1 mm throughout the vertical column. However, the most significant variation in DSD growth is observed for near-surface rain rate ≥20 mm/h. These findings suggest using different retrieval techniques for near surface rain estimation than the rest of the vertical profile and high rain rate events. The improved understanding of the tropical Andes precipitation would be very important for assessing climate variability and to forecast the precipitation using the numerical models.


It may take many years for published clinical research findings to be found, understood, adopted and applied in practice. In recognition of this delay, many jurisdictions and agencies are now promoting a stronger link between research and its dissemination in useable forms that will enable practitioners to access, understand and use new ideas. The purpose of this paper, first presented as a keynote address at the 15th Annual Meeting of the European Academy of Childhood Disability in Oslo in October 2003, is to share experiences of the author and his colleagues at a childhood disability system-linked research centre in Ontario, Canada. The lessons learned include the value of striving to describe one's findings in plain language; writing study reports for parents and children who are involved in research studies; using multiple methods to disseminate one's work; and making explicit the potential importance and applicability of the findings to readers of the work. Engaging end users at many stages of the development and field testing of one's work will enhance buy-in and lend added credibility to the work, as well as influencing content and process as the research unfolds. The result is likely to be greater recognition of 'familiar' aspects of the research and the adoption of relevant findings.


Thrombospondin (TSP) is a homotrimeric extracellular glycoprotein with a subunit molecular mass of 140 kD. The subunits have a modular or domain-like structure and are held together by interchain disulphide bonds. A number of domains have been identified including those for the binding of collagen, fibrinogen, and heparin. Due to the trimeric form of the TSP molecule, the various domains are trivalent in nature and this contributes to the ability of TSP to mediate cell-substrate interactions. Indeed, TSP has recently been shown not only to promote cell adhesion but also to be intimately involved in cell growth and migration. The adhesive function of TSP is attributable to the "solid- phase" or matrix-bound form of the molecule. There is some evidence that the heparin-binding domain mediates incorporation of soluble TSP into the insoluble matrix form. The heparin-binding domain of TSP is a compact globular amino-terminal moiety that contains two clusters of basic amino acids and a single intrachain disulphide bond. To delineate the role of the heparin-binding domain in matrix assembly and to define further the precise region of interchain disulphide bonding that results in trimer formation, we have expressed deleted forms of the cDNA encoding TSP in SV-40-transformed. African green monkey kidney cells. The proteins synthesized from the various deleted TSP cDNAs were examined for (a) secretion into the culture medium and incorporation into the extracellular matrix; (b) binding to heparin-Sepharose; (c) immunoprecipitability by a conformation-specific monoclonal antibody; and (d) ability to form trimers. This analysis allowed us to draw the following conclusions. (a) A 218 amino acid NH2-terminal protein that preserves the intrachain disulphide bridge of the heparin-binding domain is capable of binding to heparin-Sepharose and incorporating into the extracellular matrix. (b) A shorter 164 amino acid NH2- terminal peptide that does not contain the intrachain disulphide bridge of the heparin-binding domain is neither able to bind to heparin- Sepharose nor able to incorporate into the extracellular matrix. (c) The region of interchain disulphide bridging necessary for trimer assembly resides within a cluster of seven cysteine residues immediately adjacent to the heparin-binding domain.


Although Britain has developed a reasonably successful model of party democracy, there is little legal recognition of political parties in the constitutional order. My hypothesis is that the legal status of political parties relates to deep-seated political and social theories subsisting in British society. Britain's self-regulating political parties still adhere to the liberal theory of parliamentary democracy. However, there is increasing dissatisfaction with this status quo, which tends to ignore the pluralist reality. Therefore, demands are now being made for the creation of a new theory of democracy and for a range of constitutional reforms which such a theory requires. I propose to adopt a model of double democratisation which implies a refocusing of the liberal distinction between state and society. This model develops an equilibrium between state and society within a constitutional framework which can be called 'constitutionalised democratic autonomy'. I seek to argue that all agencies of power should be regulated within a constitutional framework which allows public scrutiny of the political system as a whole while affording, on the one hand, the greatest measure of freedom to civil society and, on the other, parity of autonomy to the state. The fact that political parties now play a powerful role within the state adds additional urgency to the task of reformulating the democratic agenda. In connecting a new perspective on political parties to the reformulated theory of democracy, the dual relationship of political parties to the state and civil society, i.e., their character both as a social sphere and as a political sphere, will be stressed. Based on these theoretical arguments, this dissertation critically analyses British law relating to political parties and maintains that there is a need for the legal institutionalisation of political parties. It discusses various possibilities for the constitutionalisation of political parties, which are envisaged to encourage in a balanced way inter- and intra-party democracy. This constitutionalisation will require, inter alia, (a) intra-party democracy, (b) electoral reform and (c) the juridification of the financial affairs of political parties. This dissertation concludes that the constitutionalisation of political parties is part and parcel of the modernisation of the British political system in the direction of correcting a divergence between the pluralist reality and the liberal constitutional ideal.


SUMMARY Research conducted at universities often exposes broilers to conditions that are less stressful than encountered in typical commercial production. Research utilizing small floor pens and industry-style feed pans frequently provides much greater feeder space access than broilers receive in commercial barns. Feeder space access could be an important variable influencing research results, especially when coupled with crumble- or pellet-to-fine ratio variations. The objective of the study was to assess the effects of feeder space and crumble- or pellet-to-fine ratio on broiler performance. The study utilized a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design using the main effects: high or low crumble- or pellet-to-fine ratio (70:30 vs. 40:60) and increased or industry feeder space access (5.9 cm/bird vs. 1.2 cm/bird). Diets met Agristat nutrient values and were pelleted at the West Virginia University pilot feed mill. A total of 1,840 Hubbard × Cobb straight run broilers were randomly placed in one of 40 pens. Broilers and feed were weighed to calculate feed intake (FI) per bird, live weight gain (LWG) per bird, ending bird weight (EBW), and mortality corrected FCR, percent mortality, and pen coefficient of variation for EWB (d 38). The effect of crumble- or pellet-to-fine ratio depended on the amount of feeder space for overall one to 38 d FI. High crumble- or pellet-to-fine ratio increased feed intake with the effect being more pronounced with increased feeder space. Broilers fed a high crumble- or pellet-to-fine ratio from d one to 38 demonstrated increased LWG and decreased FCR (P


Synthetic peptides containing the arginine–glycine–aspartate (RGD) motif have been used extensively as inhibitors of integrin–ligand interactions in studies of cell adhesion and cell target moiety. MARGD (sequences: Phe-Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser), a methacrylamide monomer containing a pending RGD peptide, was synthesized and obtained in high purity (≥90%) via an automated peptide synthesizer followed by a simple precipitation in diethyl ether. MARGD can be polymerised by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization to afford well-defined polymers containing a RGD peptide group with controlled molecular weight, low dispersity (Đ < 1.25), and a precise chain end structure. In this study, linear pseudo-first-order kinetics and number average molecular weight dependence on conversion were observed during the RAFT polymerization. Diblock peptide-polymer conjugates were prepared using PMARGD as a macro-chain transfer agent or using MARGD as a monomer, and the resulting diblock conjugates all showed low dispersities. The cytotoxicity study using mouse fibroblast cells (L929) revealed that the bioconjugates are non-toxic up to high concentration. Furthermore, enhanced cell adhesion was observed when the bioconjugates immobilized on the glass slide surfaces. This study provides a novel and efficient strategy to access well-defined peptide-polymer conjugates with diversity for both peptides and polymers.


While much has been written about theories and practices of management and leadership in education in recent years, what school Principals actually do on a daily basis is relatively unresearched in Ireland. Moreover, how Principals experience the job personally goes largely unnoticed.

To investigate such questions, the researcher adopts a case study approach to gathering data from a group of 31 Irish primary school Principals. Researcher-driven diaries offer opportunities for self-observation by recording Principals' personal reflections on management and leadership activities as they arise during the day. On completion, all of the diaries are collated into a single bound volume and a copy of the booklet is returned to each participant. Principals report that it is both interesting and worthwhile to read the entries of others and to gain insights into the daily work practices and lived experiences of colleagues. 21 of the 31 Principals are available in the following weeks for a second round of data gathering in recorded interviews. They comment about their own experiences of keeping the diaries and about their impressions of the experiences of other school leaders also.

The diary and interview data are then coded and queried using QSR's NVivo computer application and an organised framework of thematic flowcharts. The results are presented in a case study report with supporting empirical evidence and 12 different aspects of journeying in the Principal's shoes through a myriad of daily work practices are explored. A narrative account explores Principals' engagement with the internal and external school environments. It demonstrates evidence of positive work ethic and time management issues. It details Principals' involvement with Boards of Management. Principals are vocal about their emotional investment in their roles and about the many positives and negatives that they encounter. Conclusions are drawn about career progression and about the sustainability of certain practices within the current system.

The collated Principals' diaries are available in the Appendices. They offer the opportunity to readers in different contexts to draw relevant and meaningful conclusions of their own.


In the words of B. B. Mandelbrot's contribution to this important collection of original papers, fractal geometry is a "new geometric language, which is geared towards the study of diverse aspects of diverse objects, either mathematical or natural, that are not smooth, but rough and fragmented to the same degree at all scales." This book will be of interest to all physical and biological scientists studying these phenomena. It is based on a Royal Society discussion meeting held in 1988.Originally published in 1990.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.