African broadcast cultures, Richard Fardon and Graham Furniss. Part 1 Sub-Saharan surveys: from saucepan to dish - radio and TV in Africa, Graham Mytton rural radio in Africa - audience research and participation strategies, Jean-Pierre Ilboudo. Part 2 Case studies in local radio: communtiy radio and development -issues and examples from Francophone West Africa, Mary Myers the evolution of radio broadcasting in Burkina Faso - "from mother radio to local radios", Urbain Nombre radio in Niger - central control versus local cultures, Christine Nimaga Ceesay new local radio stations in African languages and the process of political transformation in the Republic of Benin - the case of Radio Rurale Locale Tanguieta (northern Benin), Tilo Gratz popular culture in advertising - Nigerian Hausa radio, Mansur Abdulkadir. Part 3 Radio, conflict and political transition: the future of community radio in Africa - the case of southern Africa, Aida Opoku-Mensah the multiple voices of Sudanese airspace, Wendy James radio and conflict in Sierra Leone, Paul Richards radio and the right to free speech (Rwanda and Zambia compared), Richard Carver and Linda Kirschke the growth of independent broadcasting in South Africa -lessons for Africa?, Jeanette Minnie is radio pluralism an instrument of political change? insights from Zambia, Jean-Pascal Daloz and Katherine Verrier-Frechette. Part 4 National and international broadcasters: obstacles to the emergence of a national radio and television broadcasting culture in Senegal, Ibrahima Sane the relations between international and local broadcasters, Roger Nouma the changing face of the BBC World Service for Africa, Elizabeth Ohene postscript - the role of international broadcasters - a discussion.


The human transcriptome consists of various RNA biotypes including multiple types of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Current ncRNA compendia remain incomplete partially because they are almost exclusively derived from the interrogation of small- and polyadenylated RNAs. Here, we present a more comprehensive atlas of the human transcriptome that is derived from matching polyA-, total-, and small-RNA profiles of a heterogeneous collection of nearly 300 human tissues and cell lines. We report on thousands of novel RNA species across all major RNA biotypes, including a hitherto poorly-cataloged class of non-polyadenylated single-exon long non-coding RNAs. In addition, we exploit intron abundance estimates from total RNA-sequencing to test and verify functional regulation by novel non-coding RNAs. Our study represents a substantial expansion of the current catalogue of human ncRNAs and their regulatory interactions. All data, analyses, and results are available in the R2 web portal and serve as a basis to further explore RNA biology and function.


Background: Soy isoflavones and their metabolites such as equol have been associated with a reduced risk of hormone-sensitive tumors and metabolic syndromes. However, individual soy isoflavones and equol levels in atopic dermatitis remain uninvestigated. Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the levels of urinary daidzein, genistein, and equol between atopic dermatitis patients and normal subjects and to examine the correlation between equol concentration and the severity of clinical symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Akita University Hospital and Aso Iizuka Hospital in Japan. Fifty patients with confirmed atopic dermatitis diagnosis and 67 healthy controls were recruited. Daidzein, genistein, and equol in urine were measured by using a high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry system. Results: Urinary equol levels were significantly lower in the atopic dermatitis patients than in the healthy controls (p = 0.002). The difference was particularly noticeable in young people (6–19 years, p < 0.001). No correlations were found between urinary equol levels and the severity of clinical symptoms and laboratory data in the atopic dermatitis patients. Conclusion: Equol levels in childhood might be involved in the development of atopic dermatitis.


A detector based on a silicon diode was developed to investigate the natural radiative environment. As the detector is embeddable, it has low power consumption and is lightweight and small. The instrument was tested under different neutron beams and used during stratospheric balloon flights. A comparison of the experimental results with Monte Carlo simulation results shows that the embeddable detector is a promising means of investigating the natural radiative environment.


With this systematic review, we summarize and evaluate studies in which authors measure the association between publicly supported housing assistance programs and child health in the United States. CONTEXT: Given a large and consistent literature revealing a link between housing and health, publicly supported housing assistance programs might play an important role in promoting the health of disadvantaged children. OBJECTIVE: To summarize and evaluate research in which authors examine housing assistance and child health. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and PAIS (1990–2017). STUDY SELECTION: Eligible studies were required to contain assessments of public housing, multifamily housing, or vouchers in relation to a health outcome in children (ages 0–21); we excluded neighborhood mobility interventions. DATA EXTRACTION: Study design, sample size, age, location, health outcomes, measurement, program comparisons, analytic approach, covariates, and results. RESULTS: We identified 14 studies, including 4 quasi-experimental studies, in which authors examined a range of health outcomes. Across studies, the relationship between housing assistance and child health remains unclear, with ∼40% of examined outcomes revealing no association between housing assistance and health. A sizable proportion of observed relationships within the quasi-experimental and association studies were in favor of housing assistance (50.0% and 37.5%, respectively), and negative outcomes were less common and only present among association studies. LIMITATIONS: Potential publication bias, majority of studies were cross-sectional, and substantial variation in outcomes, measurement quality, and methods to address confounding. CONCLUSIONS: The results underscore a need for rigorous studies in which authors evaluate specific housing assistance programs in relation to child outcomes to establish what types of housing assistance, if any, serve as an effective strategy to reduce disparities and advance equity across the lifespan.


Background and aims: Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage occurs and the most common venous catheter placement procedure is painful in the area of children. Children's pain relief is a priority for nursing care. Distraction can lead to various ways to manage pain and anxiety in children. Methods: The review of the literature between 2000 and 2016 with a focus on distraction, pain management – anxiety and intravenous injections databases scholar Google, PubMed, ISI, Cochrane, Sid and conflicting results in this regard, there magiran. Results: The study findings. kaperlii (2007) to "determine the effect of music on children's distress and pain during blood" showed that pain intensity was significantly reduced in the intervention group . In the study Hassan pour (2006) with the aim of "comparison of distraction and cryotherapy" showed that both methods are effective in reducing pain caused by injection. In the press (2003) Listen to the song as one of the conductors of distraction techniques, the pain of venipuncture in children 16–6 years old children to the emergency department reduced But significant differences between the intervention and control groups for pain levels were reported. Conclusion: Given the importance of pain control in children and the effects of drug treatments with regard to this matter that the use of non-pharmacological approaches to manage pain and anxiety can be useful and The basic role of nurses in pain management for children during painful procedures such as venipuncture, using distraction methods in different ways can be induced by intravenous administration of pain and anxiety in children is effective.


This paper explores how the practice of patient involvement in neurorehabilitation is constructed in tension-riddled professional narratives. I adopt dialogic communication theory to focus on how involvement is constructed across different roles and voices. My analysis is based on an action research project that uses a dialogical communication perspective and participatory methods to explore patient-centred care through the eyes of healthcare professionals. I argue that patient involvement is constructed as a demanding process that requires memory, presence, communicative abilities and temporal understanding of personal needs. These requirements are not explicit in the situated institutionalized practices. As well, I show how the available involvement strategies are laced with taken for granted characteristics, which fall short in the situation that arises when patients do not have the ability to participate or play the role of an active patient. The findings in this paper contribute to the growing literature on patient-centred healthcare by empirically investigating how the discursive configuration of patient, health professional and institutional practices intertwine in producing certain inherent expectations, habits and taken for granted perspectives in care delivery. I also suggest that the findings can usefully be incorporated into patient-centred care design and organizational strategies in order to take into account both the patient, relatives and healthcare professionals as vital for creating a patient-centred practice, organization and professional environment.


Keywords: Education - geoscience; education undergraduate; miscellaneous and mathematical geology. Topics this issue Mathematics: The mathematics of false positives, probability trees; conditional probability; intersection of sets; Bayes' rule. Geology: IUGS classification of plutonic rocks. INTRODUCTION Mathematics and Democracy (Steen, 2001) makes the case for quantitative literacy. We, as citizens, are surrounded by numbers. People try to persuade us with arguments using numbers. Decisions are based upon numbers. Yet many people are quite willing to say, 'I can't do a thing with numbers." Math anxiety, math phobia, and math avoidance are real. They manifest a condition that is so common and so accepted that it is a punch line. November 15, 2001, Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and our own President Bush visited Crawford High School during their meeting at the President's nearby ranch. Teachers told the students that their distinguished visitors would be happy to answer questions. Putin, with an impish look, volunteered, "No math questions." Bush chuckled and didn't correct him - instead adding "No fuzzy math." The local news here in Tampa (and presumably around the country) featured the incident. It was cute. The newscasters were jolly. It was a real human interest story - the great, human common denominator in the U.S. We don t do math. Math anxiety, math phobia, and math avoidance affect the way science is taught to nonscience majors in college. Although scientific evidence and interpretation are based on data and analyses of a quantitative nature, many professors avoid equations or anything that might remind the students of a math course. To do otherwise would affect student evaluations, threaten tenure, and demolish enrollments. So, science for these students becomes a collection of stories and pictures. Although the stories and pictures are informative, engaging and even spectacular, they are still only stories and pictures. They are exposure, not deep understanding of how we know. Stories can easily be replaced by other, faithbased stories as soon as the students hear a more compelling story-teller. After all, one story is as good as any other - or so students are told elsewhere on campus. Pandering to math anxiety, math phobia, and math avoidance in the academy produces a work force that is anxious about math, phobic of it, and avoids it. American business "pours millions of dollars" into developing their human resources (Dare, 1996), presumably much of it to remediate basic education. For technological jobs, business imports people from China, India, and Germany, for example. In the same way, geology and other science professors are finding that only international graduate students are likely to be sufficiently capable mathematically to do the work required in their research grants. We hear of the great economic divide. The technological divide is also well known. There is also a quantitative literacy divide. QUANTITATIVE LITERACY VS. MATHEMATICS Our national mathematics curriculum is like a great Pleistocene landscape reluctantly coming into equilibrium with a new climate. The mathematics curriculum, which reflects the engineering orientation of West Point alumni who populated American engineering, science and mathematics education in the first half of the 19th century (Arney, 2000), aims to prepare students for calculus. Calculus has become the great gate-keeper. AP calculus is on the to-do list for college-bound students - not to mention their parents. Calculus is a gate-keeper for many college geology curricula as well. How many students have to take calculus to get a B.S. degree in geology and never see it in their undergraduate geology courses? When asked why they don't drop the requirement, how many calculus-nonusers on geology faculties say, "Well, we want to know that the student is degree material"? True, calculus teaches reason, discipline, and perseverance, as well as the mathematics of rates (differentiation) and sums (integration). …


Tidal mass exchange between a submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) bed and the main channel of the Potomac River was investigated. Water levels were recorded at 5 minute intervals from August (when plants were present) through December (when plants were absent). Velocities were measured during individual tidal cycles both in the presence and absence of plants. Flow patterns were found to be altered significantly when plants were present. SAV impeded flow onto the shoal causing a water level phase lag between the bed and the channel, a reduction in flow speed and a change in flow direction. The phase lag was enhanced when the low frequency (subtidal) water level in the channel was below normal. The phase lag was further enhanced during spring tides. Ebb flow in the presence of plants was perpendicular to the edge of the SAV bed in the direction of the pressure gradient established by the lagging water level. Flood flow did not follow such a predictable pattern despite the strongest pressure gradients occurring during flood tides. In the absence of plants the flow speed increased by nearly an order of magnitude and the water-level phase lag disappeared.


We recreate Basil's DIY balloon airship as can be seen in Walt Disney's 1986 animated mystery Basil the Great Mouse Detective. We determine whether or not Basil could capture the malevolent felon Professor Ratigan by calculating the speed of the balloon airship and comparing it to that of the Victorian airship La France. We calculated a speed of 2.38m/s +/- 0.38m/s which is insufficient to match the speed of La France (6.00m/s). We conclude that Ratigan is the "King of Mousedom''!


type="main"> The paper, using a simple theory-based measure of the variations in aggregate economic efficiency in a New Keynessian structure, analyses the nature of the business fluctuations and estimates their welfare costs in Turkey during the period 1998–2009. The measure contains two components: a price markup and a wage markup. It seems that the latter mainly drives the fluctuations in Turkey. The paper also shows that inefficient fluctuations in the allocation of resources do generate moderate welfare costs on average. However, the aggregate efficiency costs increase much more during deep recessions.


As an off-line simulation tool, the modular modelling method of Matlab/Simulik has the features of high efficiency and visualization. In order to realize the fast design and the simulation of prototype systems, the new method of SignalWAVe/Simulink mix modelling is presented, and the Reed-Solomon codec encoder-decoder model is built. Reed-Solomon codec encoder-decoder model is simulated by Simulink. Farther, the C language program and model the .out executable file are created by SignalWAVe RTW Options module, which completes the hard ware co-simulation. The simulation result conforms to the theoretical analysis, thus it has proven the validity and the feasibility of this method.


In this paper, a disturbance observer based fuzzy sliding mode control (DOBFSMC) strategy is proposed for a single-phase PV grid-connected inverter. A disturbance observer is designed to estimate the system uncertainties in real time and a sliding mode controller that is designed with the output information of the disturbance observer is employed to control the output voltage of the DC-AC inverter, a fuzzy system is used to approximate the upper bound of the observation error between the actual disturbance and its observation value in order to improve the performance of the control system. The inverter has strong robustness since the disturbances can be adaptively compensated and the chattering is greatly reduced since the switching gain can be very small for the upper bound of observation error is estimated by the fuzzy system. Finally, simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method


The advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) and moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data are being widely used for vegetation monitoring across the globe. However, sensors will discontinue collecting these data in the near future. National Aeronautics and Space Administration is planning to launch a new sensor, visible infrared imaging radiometer suite (VIIRS), to continue to provide satellite data for vegetation monitoring. This article presents a case study of Guatemala and compares the simulated VIIRS-Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) with MODIS-NDVI for four different dates each in 2003 and 2005. The dissimilarity between VIIRS-NDVI and MODIS-NDVI was examined on the basis of the percent difference, the two-tailed student's t-test, and the coefficient of determination, R 2. The per cent difference was found to be within 3%, the p-value ranged between 0.52 and 0.99, and R 2 exceeded 0.88 for all major types of vegetation (basic grains, rubber, sugarcane, coffee and forests) found in Guatemala. It was therefore concluded that VIIRS will be almost equally capable of vegetation monitoring as MODIS.


Intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV are issues of public health importance that significantly impact the health and well-being of women. Extensive research highlights the co-occurrence of IPV and HIV among women, underscoring the importance of interpersonal context when addressing HIV prevention. Existing HIV prevention options for women remain underused and inadequate. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a valued component of HIV prevention, has the potential to expand options for women at risk of HIV, specifically those in abusive and controlling relationships. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding and increased research examining the intersection of PrEP acceptability and use and IPV is critical to improve HIV prevention within contexts of IPV. This dissertation research used the results from a systematic rapid literature review and cross-sectional survey data among a sample of women attending a family planning clinic in Southwestern Pennsylvania to provide important insights and suggestions for future research, intervention development, and practice that appropriately incorporates the risk context and needs of women with IPV experience. Findings from this dissertation highlight public health and healthcare efforts necessary to develop and implement a woman-centered PrEP intervention that recognizes the impact of violence in women's lives; values women's decision-making and control; and supports women's health, well-being, and safety.


abstract: Whereas the new rhetoric project associates the rational with the certainty of abstract objectivism, normative philosophy associates the rational with the ethical (the good), that is, the individual's pursuit of a life well lived. Normative philosophy distinguishes the ethical, then, not from the rational but from the moral (the reasonable), which represents the obligations we have toward others to ensure just relations among people. In philosophy, the rational and reasonable function as loci for arguments about values, but their rhetorical resourcefulness is dismissed rather than elaborated by the philosophy reviewed here, which gives the reasonable's abstract objectivity priority over the concrete preferences embodied by the rational. The concrete objectivism so important to the new rhetoric project could be more fully redeemed, I suggest, were the new rhetoric project to transform philosophy's rational-reasonable distinction into two uneasily coexisting, mutually reinforcing loci.


A relation between induction time and metastable zone width in cooling crystallization has been developed based on Classical Nucleation Theory, and an interpretation equation of this relation has been used to extrapolate metastable zone width from the induction time results in homogenous primary nucleation. The metastable zone width is determined by the interfacial energy and the pre-exponential factor. 440 metastable zone experiments of butyl paraben in ethanol at five different cooling rates have been performed. The experimental metastable zone widths of butyl paraben in ethanol are fairly close to those extrapolated from the induction time results. The positive correlation between the cooling rate and the experimental metastable zone width is in good agreement with the interpretation equation, from which the relations between stirring rate, saturation temperature and volume of solution with estimated metastable zone width have been investigated.


The nasal cavity microanatomy of farmed fingerlings of African catfish, Clarias gariepunus was investigated to fill existing knowledge gap on its histology from available literatures. This becomes very important as no gustatory cell was reported from previous researches on the fingerling digestive tract. A slice of nasal cavity of the farmed African catfish was fixed and processed through graded alcohol, cleared in xylene, embedded in paraffin wax, sectioned and stained with haematoxylin and eosin for routine light microscopy. On low magnification, the nasal cavity presented tube-like filamentous lamellae from the ventral basal raphe towards the dorsal roof. These filamentous lamellae that averaged eight per cavity occupied 4/5 th ventro-dorsal length of the cavity. Inter-filamentous cavity was observed. The heights of the lamellae progressively increased rostro-caudally. Ventrally at the base of each lamella were nerve fibre bundles. Higher magnification revealed that these filaments were lined by olfactory neuroepithelium containing tall ciliated simple columnar cells, supporting cells occasional mucous cells. The roof of the cavity was lined by  bi-stratified cuboidal caudally to low cuboidal cells rostrally. This histology suggests an organ actively involved in food search and selection through olfaction. Key Words : olfaction, ciliated epithelium, histology, chemoreception, food selection


【Objective: This study evaluated and compared the adherence to the CONSORT for quality of reports on the randomized controlled trials (RCT) abstracts by four major Korean Science Citation Index (SCI) journals and The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Methods: A descriptive analysis of published RCT abstracts in Korean SCI journals and NEJM from 2007/01 to 2011/06 was conducted by two reviewers, independently extracting data from a PubMed search. A modification of CONSORT for abstract was used including 16 checklist items. Reporting of checklist items for individual group was conducted to compare adherence patterns between two groups. Results: We identified the potential 57 RCT abstracts from Korean SCI and 50 from NEJM meeting our inclusion criteria; among them, three abstracts from Korean SCI and one from NEJM were excluded. Among total 16 checklist items based on CONSORT statement, Korean SCI journals and NEJM were statistically equivalent in 4 items; Korean journals were better in three items and NEJM were in nine. The methodological quality domains were inadequately reported in both journals: allocation concealment about 1.9% and 4.0%, and blinding 44.4% and 40.8%. In general, The CONSORT adherence of NEJM was better than that of Korean SCI in the method and result domain (p】


High-power ultrasound can generate cavitation within a liquid and through cavitation provide a source of energy which can be used to enhance a wide range of chemical processes. Such uses of ultrasound have been grouped under the general name sonochemistry. This review will concentrate on applications in organic synthesis where ultrasound seems to provide a distinct alternative to other, more traditional, techniques of improving reaction rates and product yields. In some cases it has also provided new synthesic pathways.


Objectives: The ethnographic study was undertaken to assess the situation early childhood education development center (ECED) based on community and school as per ECED minimum standard and also to explore teaching pedagogy, infrastructure and environment of teaching at ECEDs. Similarly this study also tries to identify the challenges and issues to implement the ECED minimum standards. Method: A qualitative research design was applied for this evaluation research. The primary data were gathered through interview and observation. Conclusion: From the effectiveness perspective, learning environment of early childhood development center for children is satisfactory at home as well early childhood development (ECD) center due to parental care. From the sustainability, ECD management committee are starting to collect fund for ECD center (Admission and monthly fee), ECD management committee has clarity of organizational vision. ECD centers have been found to have trained and experienced ECD facilitator and are able to get Government quota for sustainability of center running cost and similarly from the equity, most of ECD parents belong to marginal families whose children benefit from ECD center and since they cannot afford costly Montessori, children of marginal family can also afford quality education in ECD centers.


The dataset is freely available on the web repository of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in three different formats (NetCDF, binary raster, and plain text).


Visual impairment or myopia is refraction disorder with high prevalence in Indonesia and mostly it is found Of children of elementary school age.  Early detection is needed to find out whether the children have suffered visual impairment.
This study applied the observasional analytic method, using the Cross Sectional approach and purposive sampling method. Respondents are 80 students of first, second,third,   fourth, fifth, and sixth class at SDN 02 Pasar baru Pagatan Kecamatan Kusan Hilir.
Result of this study, 39% have suffered visual impairment, whereas for 61% have not. Based on bivariat analysis, it was found that the factors,which influence the visual impairment are hereditary factor (p value=0.003<0.05), reading range to eyes (p value=0.002<0.05), reading duration (p value=0.003<0.05), and range of using computer (p value=0.001<0.05).
Factors that correlate significantly toward visual impairment of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth elementary school students at SDN 02 Pasar baru Pagatan are hereditary factor, reading range to eyes, reading duration, and and range of using computer.


The aim of the present study is to explore the role of capillary disorder in coronary ischemic congestive heart failure (CHF). CHF was induced in rats by aortic banding plus ischemia-reperfusion followed by aortic debanding. Coronary arteries were perfused with plastic polymer containing fluorescent dye. Multiple fluorescent images of casted heart sections and scanning electric microscope of coronary vessels were obtained to characterize changes in the heart. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography and in vivo hemodynamics. Stenosis was found in all levels of the coronary arteries in CHF. Coronary vasculature volume and capillary density in remote myocardium were significantly increased in CHF compared with control. This occurred largely in microvessels with a diameter of ≤3 μm. Capillaries in CHF had a tortuous structure, while normal capillaries were linear. Capillaries in CHF had inconsistent diameters, with assortments of narrowed and bulged segments. Their surfaces appeared rough, potentially indicating endothelial dysfunction in CHF. Segments of main capillaries between bifurcations were significantly shorter in length in CHF than in control. Transiently increasing preload by injecting 50 μl of 30% NaCl demonstrated that the CHF heart had lower functional reserve; this may be associated with congestion in coronary microcirculation. Ischemic coronary vascular disorder is not limited to the main coronary arteries, as it occurs in arterioles and capillaries. Capillary disorder in CHF included stenosis, deformed structure, proliferation, and roughened surfaces. This disorder in the coronary artery architecture may contribute to the reduction in myocyte contractility in the setting of heart failure.


We assess the benefits of using statistical techniques to ascertain the shareability of protection channels when computing shared-mesh restored lightpaths in optical mesh networks. These optical networks support wavelength conversion everywhere as a byproduct of the electronic nature of the switching in the optical-electronic-optical optical cross connect used. Current deterministic approaches require a detailed level of information proportional to the number of active lightpaths. Although this is not an issue for good sized networks in the foreseeable future, these approaches are not practicable for distributed route computation involving larger networks. On the other hand, distributed approaches that do not make use of shareability information require a significant amount of additional capacity compared to a centralized approach with access to complete shareability information. With the proposed approach we show that even with less information, independent of the amount of traffic demand, it is possible to predict the shareability of protection channels with remarkable accuracy. In addition, we propose a local distributed channel assignment scheme that is used in conjunction with our distributed route computation proposal to assign shared channels when provisioning the backup path. This channel assignment scheme can also be used to further optimize capacity usage in individual links upon certain events or at regular intervals. Experiments are provided that demonstrate that our approach yields faster computation times with no significant penalty in terms of capacity usage than a centralized approach using complete information.


ABSTRACT For rapid and effective detection of airborne microorganisms, it is preferable to remove dust particles during the air sampling process because they can reduce the detection accuracy of measurements. In this study, a methodology of real-time separation ofaerosolized Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) andpolystyrene latex (PSL) particles of similar size was investigated. These two species represent biological and non-biological particles, respectively. Due to their different relative permittivities, they grasp different numbers of air ions under corona discharge. After these charged particles enter a mobility analyzer with airflow, in which an electric field is applied perpendicular to the airflow, the S. epidermidis and PSL particles separate, due to the difference in their electric mobilities, and exit through two different outlets. Purities and recoveries for S. epidermidis and PSLat their respective outlets were determined with measurements of aerosol number concentrations and ATP bioluminescence intensities at the inlet and two outlets. The results were that purities for PSL and S. epidermidis were 70% and 80%, respectively. This methodology provides a rapid and simple way to increase the detection accuracy of bacterial agents in air. Copyright © 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research


In this paper we investigate the relation between wage growth and labour mobility on a panel of Italian dependent workers observed between 1986 and 1991. We use an employer-employee linked panel of 30167 workers, built from Italian Social Security (INPS) administrative sources. In order to investigate the impact of individual vs. firm characteristics on wage dynamics, we decompose individual wage change 1986-91 in two parts: the mean wage growth observed across firms of origin and firms of destination (the two coincide for the stayers), and the wage premium gained over the mean wage change by movers attributable to their own personal characteristics. Our main findings may be summarized as follows: 1 In general, movers do better than stayers at young age (20-30), but the difference tends to vanish as age progresses; 2 mover-stayer differentials are larger among white-collars than blue-collars, in line with the higher variance of earnings of the former; 3 total wage growth is driven by the wage - firm size positive correlation only for the blue-collars: job-switches from small to large firms often yield substantial pay improvements relative to stayers; job switches from large to small size often end up in wage cuts. For the white-collars, however, job changes in either direction tend to improve onEs position relative to stayers; 4 there is a quasi-reverse pattern on the individual premiums of the blue-collars (switches from small to large carry negative premiums, from large to small positive). This is likely to be a consequence of firm-based wage policies, the impact of which by far exceeds that attributable to individual characteristics; 5 personal characteristics contribute, instead, to determine the white-collars' individual premiums. Job changes of adult and mature workers, presumably endowed with skills and experience, result in sizeable wage gains; 6 all workers employed at firms that either close down or go through drastic employment cuts during the observation period suffer wage losses; 7 prolonged unemployment spells have somewhat of a negative impact on the wage growth of white-collar employees (up to 5 p.p.), almost none on the blue-collars; 8 a certain amount of job-switching has a positive effect on the wage growth of the younger white-collars. If job changes become too frequent, however, its positive impact vanishes; 9 we find a rather strong effect of initial conditions on the wage profile of blue-collar employees, and almost none on the white-collars'; 10 there is evidence of a trade-off between job security and pay in concomitance with a job-to-job switch. When adverse shocks are in sight - as was the beginning of the Nineties - it is reasonable that people may leave their current position, if it is perceived at risk, giving up some pay for longer expected tenure, or may choose to accept a higher pay with a less reliable (i.e. more exposed to short-term fluctuations) employer. At the end of the paper I argue that there are reasons to believe that the extent of labor market segmentation may be increasing in the EU as a consequence of policies aiming at helping entry of youth into employment.


Mönkemüller et al. brilliantly describe the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in the gastrointestinal tract. Their findings highlight the local and systemic inflammatory response generated by the coronavirus. After having the opportunity to observe three cases of severe colonic ischemia and elevation of D-dimer levels in patients with COVID-19 and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (SARS) due to SARS-CoV-2, we would like to highlight the thromboembolic complications in COVID-19, which are related to those reported by Mönkemüller and which have been mentioned by other authors.


The Beauty and Joy of Computing (BJC) is an introductory computer science curriculum developed at UC Berkeley (and adapted at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte), intended for high school juniors through university non-majors. It was used in two of the five initial pilot programs for the AP CS Principles course being developed by the College Board and the National Science Foundation. Our overall goal is to support the CS10K project by preparing instructors to teach the AP CS Principles course through the BJC curriculum. In this workshop, we will share our experiences as instructors of the course at the university and high school level, provide a glimpse into a typical week of the course, and share details of NSF-funded summer professional development opportunities.


ABSTRACT
 Visualization of dissected accessory salivary glands (ASGs) of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) by light microscopy (LM) revealed three distinctive toluidine blue O stain profiles. Considered morphotypes, the three profiles are hypothesized to represent stages of a salivation cycle, wherein contents are cyclically depleted and subsequently regenerated as needed for feeding. When whiteflies were repeatedly interrupted during their initial feeding behaviors, and then ASGs were dissected, a fourth stain profile was revealed. These observations are therefore relevant to the different mechanisms involved in whitefly-mediated virus transmission to plants. Stain techniques involved in transmission electron microscopy of extirpated and nonextirpated ASGs reveal entirely different profiles that cannot yet be correlated to LM findings. The midgut of B. tabaci is capable of transposing its location from the abdomen to the thorax and can come into direct contact with the ASGs. This finding opens new lines of thought in the potential for interaction between the two, such as purging of excess water and waste, and virus transmission.


Does single motherhood adversely affect infant health? This question is not easy to answer because of the endogeneity of coresidence during pregnancy. In this paper, we exploit quasi-natural variation in single motherhood from the moment of conception to that of birth arising from marriageable age restrictions and the reform of the laws in Korea. The Korean birth certificate dataset is unique in that it allows us to distinguish coresidence and legal marital status and further to identify the duration of pregnancy period without a partner. Results show that although coresidence with the partner during pregnancy is seemingly beneficial for infant health, it is mostly driven by selection into coresidence. Further, we do not find any significant advantage of legal marriage among young mothers.


Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 thin films with thickness of 120nm, 190nm, 310nm, 440nm and 630nm were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by sol-gel process through repeating spining process 2 times, 4 times, 6 times, 8 times and 10 times respectively. The structures of PZT films were investigated by SEM and XRD analysis. The ferroelectric hysteresis loops were recorded by Radiant Precision Workstation and dielectric properties were measured using an Agilent HP4294A impedance analyzer. X-ray diffraction indicated that with the film thickness increasing, the diffraction intensity increased. The thickness of PZT film had great effect on ferroelectric and dielectric properties. Conclusively when the film thickness was about 310nm, the PZT thin films possessed better ferroelectric and dielectric properties.


This study assessed memories for sexual trauma in a nontreatment-seeking sample of recent rape victims and considered competing explanations for failed recall. Participants were 92 female rape victims assessed within 2 weeks of the rape; 62 were also assessed 3 months postassault. Memory deficits for parts of the rape were common 2 weeks postassault (37%) but improved over the 3-month window studied (16% still partially amnesic). Hypotheses evaluated competing models of explanation that may account for reported recall deficits. Results are most consistent with information-processing models of traumatic memory.


Active nucleocytoplasmic transport of protein and RNA in eukaryotes depends on the Ran-GTPase system to regulate cargo–receptor interactions. Several viruses, including the RNA picornaviruses, encode factors that alter nuclear transport with the aim of suppressing synthesis of antiviral factors and promoting viral replication. Picornaviruses in the cardiovirus genus express a unique 67-aa Leader protein (L), known to alter the subcellular distribution of IFN regulatory proteins targeted to the nucleus. We report here that L binds directly to Ran and blocks nuclear export of new mRNAs. In Xenopus egg extracts, recombinant L also inhibits mitotic spindle assembly, a RanGTP function crucial to cell-cycle progression. We propose that L inhibits nucleocytoplasmic transport during infection by disrupting the RanGDP/GTP gradient. This inhibition triggers an efflux of nuclear proteins necessary for viral replication and causes IFN suppression. To our knowledge, L is the first viral picornaviral protein to interact directly with Ran and modulate the Ran-dependent nucleocytoplasmic pathway.


The current concept of architectural design education in most schools of architecture in Jordan is a blend between manual pen drafting and digital approaches. However, the disconnection between these two methods has resulted in the students' failure to transfer skills learnt through traditional methods to the digital method of CAD. The objective of this study is twofold: to first compare students' attitudes toward using both methods and to then assess the impact of CAD use on the quality of architectural design. An open-ended questionnaire was designed to measure variables related to students' preferences toward CAD and traditional methods. The quality of sixty graduation projects at three Jordanian universities was investigated. The results appear to support the assumption that CAD tools are used largely as visual means and thereby cause a marked decline in design quality. These findings call for a reconsideration of the status quo and a rethinking of perhaps the entire architectural educational model.


The n-type Ge-on-Si epitaxial material platform enables a novel paradigm for plasmonics in the mid-infrared, prompting the future development of lab-on-a-chip and subwavelength vibrational spectroscopic sensors. In order to exploit this material, through proper electrodynamic design, it is mandatory to retrieve the dielectric constants of the thin Ge epilayers with high precision due to the difference from bulk Ge crystals. Here we discuss the procedure we have employed to extract the real and imaginary part of the dielectric constants from normal incidence reflectance measurements, by combining the standard multilayer fitting procedure based on the Drude model with Kramers-Kronig transformations of absolute reflectance data in the zero-transmission range of the thin film.


Many rural water supply projects in sub-Saharan Africa are based on the installation of public handpumps. One of the key benefits of these projects is distance and time savings. Surprisingly, references to rural water planning rarely provide systematic approaches to optimizing distance-related benefits. This paper develops a conceptual model to identify the number and location of point sources that maximizes benefits to consumers, thereby serving as an aid to decision makers in identifying good alternatives. The proposed model is based on willingness to pay, a location model to identify optimal locations of sources, and a cost–benefit analysis. The model shows that as the number of sources increases, the distance between households and sources decreases but the user fee must increase to generate the revenue required to maintain them. Higher fees will dissuade households from using the point sources and hence reduce the aggregate distance savings that accrue. This suggests that there is an optimal number and location of point sources.


We present a detailed set of performance comparisons of two state-of-the-art solvers for the application of designing time-delay compensators, an important problem in the field of robust control. Formulating such robust control mechanics as constrained optimization problems often involves objective and constraint functions that are both nonconvex and nonsmooth, both of which present significant challenges to many solvers and their end-users hoping to obtain good solutions to these problems. In our particular engineering task, the main difficulty in the optimization arises in a nonsmooth and nonconvex stability constraint, which states that the infinite spectrum of zeros of the so-called shaper should remain in the open left half-plane. To perform our evaluation, we make use $\beta$-relative minimization profiles, recently introduced visualization tools that are particularly suited for benchmarking solvers on nonsmooth, nonconvex, constrained optimization problems. Furthermore, we also introduce new visualization tools, called Global-Local Profiles, which for a given problem and a fixed computational budget, assess the tradeoffs of distributing the budget over few or many starting points, with the former getting more budget per point and latter less.


The multifunctional properties of rutin have been utilized in the preparation of various pharmaceutical products. As a result, rutin is considered to be one of the most consumed flavonoid substances in pharmaceutical applications. Hence, researchers have been devoted to developing a simple, cheap and highly efficient electrochemical sensor for the detection of rutin. Nowadays, inorganic nanomaterials, especially metal oxides, with distinct structures and properties are being used for the development of various kinds of electrochemical sensors. The wide band gap values of WO3 make it a potentially important sensing material. Therefore, we have synthesized novel CB/WO3 nanohybrids using a single step hydrothermal technique and applied them for the electrochemical detection of rutin. In this work, we have chosen the inexpensive and superconductive CB for the synthesis of the nanohybrids, which is an alternative to other carbonaceous materials. The structural, morphological and compositional properties of the synthesized material were systematically characterized by various suitable spectrophotometric techniques. Moreover, the as-prepared electrode materials exhibited a good electrochemical performance towards the electro-oxidation of rutin. Fascinatingly, the lowest LOD of about 2 nM with appreciable linearity from 0.01 to 75.46 μM was obtained for the electrochemical determination of rutin. Furthermore, the practical feasibility of the proposed sensor was investigated using commercially available rutin-containing tablets.


Most chemistry teaching operates at the macro (or laboratory) level and the symbolic level, but we know that many misconceptions in chemistry stem from an inability to visualise structures and processes at the sub-micro (or molecular) level. However, one cannot change a student's mental model of this level by simply showing them a different, albeit better, model in an animation. Molecular-level animations can be compelling and effective learning resources, but they must be designed and presented with great care to encourage students to focus on the intended 'key features', and to avoid generating or reinforcing misconceptions. One misconception often generated is the perception of 'directed intent' in processes at the molecular level, resulting from the technical imperative to minimise file size for web delivery of animations. An audiovisual information-processing model – based on a combination of evidence-based models developed by Johnstone and Mayer, cognitive load theory, and dual-coding theory – has been used to inform teaching practice with animations, and seed questions for research on student attributes affecting development of mental models using animations. Based on this model, the constructivist VisChem Learning Design probes students' mental models of a substance or reaction at the molecular level before showing animations portraying the phenomenon. Opportunities to apply their refined models to new situations are critical. [Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2006, 7 (2), 141-159]


Epitaxial growth on Si-face nominally on-axis 4H-SiC substrates has been performed using horizontal Hot-wall chemical vapor deposition system. The formation of 3C inclusions is one of the main problem with growth on on-axis Si-face substrates. In situ surface preparation, starting growth parameters and growth temperature are found to play a vital role in the epilayer polytype stability. High quality epilayers with 100% 4H-SiC were obtained on full 2″ substrates. Different optical and structural techniques were used to characterize the material and to understand the growth mechanisms. It was found that the replication of the basal plane dislocation from the substrate into the epilayer can be eliminated through growth on on-axis substrates. Also, no other kind of structural defects were found in the grown epilayers. These layers have also been processed for simple PiN structures to observe any bipolar degradation. More than 70% of the diodes showed no forward voltage drift during 30 min operation at 100 A/cm2.


In this paper, we consider the distributed classification problem in wireless sensor networks. Local decisions made by local sensors, possibly in the presence of faults, are transmitted to a fusion center through fading channels. Classification performance could be degraded due to the errors caused by both sensor faults and fading channels. Integrating channel decoding into the distributed fault-tolerant classification fusion algorithm, we obtain a new fusion rule that combines both soft-decision decoding and local decision rules without introducing any redundancy. The soft decoding scheme is utilized to combat channel fading, while the distributed classification fusion structure using error correcting codes provides good sensor fault-tolerance capability. Asymptotic performance of the proposed approach is also investigated. Performance evaluation of the proposed approach with both sensor faults and fading channel impairments is carried out. These results show that the proposed approach outperforms the system employing the MAP fusion rule designed without regard to sensor faults and the multiclass equal gain combining fusion rule


We present Swift UVOT and XRT observations, and visual wavelength spectroscopy of the Type IIb supernova (SN) 2009mg, discovered in the Sb galaxy ESO 121-G26. The observational properties of SN 2009mg are compared to the prototype Type IIb SNe 1993J and 2008ax, with which we find many similarities. However, minor differences are discernible including SN 2009mg not exhibiting an initial fast decline or u-band upturn as observed in the comparison objects, and its rise to maximum is somewhat slower leading to slightly broader light curves. The late-time temporal index of SN 2009mg, determined from 40 days post-explosion, is consistent with the decay rate of SN 1993J, but inconsistent with the decay of 56 Co. This suggests leakage of -rays out of the ejecta and a stellar mass on the small side of the mass distribution. Our XRT nondetection provides an upper limit on the mass-loss rate of the progenitor of u M < 1.5 × 10 −5 M⊙ yr −1 . Modelling of the SN light curve indicates a kinetic energy of 0.15 +0.02 −0.13×10 51 erg, an ejecta mass of 0.56


Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) coupled with a geometric study was used to estimate the oil content and fatty acid composition of Pongamia pinnata seed powder and seed oil. Sixty seed powders and seed oils from various sources of P. pinnata in southern Thailand were scanned by NIRS. All samples were analysed for oil content by hexane extraction and fatty acid composition by gas chromatography. Calibration equations were developed for oil content and individual fatty acids (palmitic acid C16:0, stearic acid C18:0, oleic acid C18:1, linoleic acid C18:2, and behenic acid C22:0). The results showed that NIRS was a reliable and accurate technique to estimate oil content from seed powder, as well as the concentrations of oleic, behenic, and linoleic acid in seed oil. Screening by NIRS of P. pinnata seed powders and seed oils represents a rapid, simple, and cost-effective alternative method that may be of great utility for analysing a large number of seed samples for tree breeding and plantations for the biofuel industry.


: In this study, wear behavior of the pearlitic ductile cast iron samples with the same hardness achieved by applying two different heat treatment cycles have been studied. A number of these samples after austenitzing at 900°C were quenched into a molten salt bath of 290°C for holding time of 120 minutes followed by cooling in air. The rest of the samples after being austenitized under the same conditions were quenched in oil and then were tempered in 505°C for 75 minutes. To compare wear behavior of the aforementioned cast irons, the "pin on the disk" method based on the ASTM-G99 standard was used. In this method, the samples were prepared in the form of disks and were worn by 52100 steel pins for a constant distance of 1000 meters and the sliding speed of 0.08 m/s at the applied loads of 25 N and 75 N. Based on the results obtained from the wear surface observations, mass reduction and friction coefficient measurements of the worn samples, it was revealed that at the lower applied load, the quenched and then tempered samples exhibited a higher wear resistance comparing to the austempered samples. Whereas at the higher applied load (75 N) the inverse result was achieved.


Idiopathic scoliosis in man is believed to be related to the unique human sagittal profile. Patients with a thoracic scoliosis have a longer, more proximal, posteriorly inclined segment of the spine as compared to lumbar scoliosis and controls, whereas patients with a lumbar scoliosis have a more caudal, shorter and steeper posteriorly inclined segment. In 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, half of the patients develop a scoliosis that is very similar to idiopathic scoliosis and may serve as a model for the general population. In our center, all patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome older than 6 years receive standardized radiographic spine imaging every 2 years to screen for scoliosis. In this prospective proof-of-principle study the goal was to determine whether there are differences in sagittal alignment between patients that develop scoliosis vs. controls before the onset of scoliosis, and obtain data to perform a power calculation for future studies. To capture the sagittal shape of the spine into one risk factor for development for scoliosis, we combined relative length and magnitude of dorsal inclination into a new parameter: the posterior inclined triangle surface (PITS). We included 31 patients with initially straight spines, five developed a thoracic scoliosis and seven developed a (thoraco)lumbar scoliosis after a mean follow-up of 3.4 years. The PITS was considerably higher in the group that developed scoliosis as compared to the controls (59 vs 43). Based on this pilot study, we have identified a potential overall sagittal profile risk parameter for the development of idiopathic scoliosis.


This article is a critical analysis of the most important assumptions of Chantal Mouffe's political philosophy, along with its original categories such as agonism, radical democracy and hegemony. The sources of her concept are indicated and certain difficulties that the author falls into are distinguished. The thread that is considered central to this philosophy, with the most profound practical consequences, is an attempt to demonstrate the futility of a liberal doctrine that values consensus and deliberation and proclaims an apology for individualism and rationalism. Mouffe's diagnosis strikes at the most important liberal values with the intention of discrediting them although she tries to creatively adopt others, such as pluralism. She proposes a new paradigm, much fairer than existing ones, because it does not negate the conflictive nature of politics. Does an agonist dispute and radical democracy really have a chance to undermine liberal axiology? Are we dealing with a breakthrough in thinking about politics?


This work examined level of awareness and information needs on indiscriminate dumping of solid waste among staff and students of Nigerian Universities. The study adopted descriptive survey and was guided by five research questions. Questionnaire, interview and observation were used for data collection. The population of the study comprised four hundred and fifteen thousand, one hundred and twenty eight (415,128) students and staff of federal universities in the six geo political zones in Nigeria. A total sample of six hundred (600) staff and students were used for the study. Convenience sampling technique was employed to select 50 students and 50 staff from each institution under study thereby totalling six hundred (600) staff and students of the universities under study. The choice of convenience sampling technique was used based on the fact that all staff and students resident in the campuses are generators of solid wastes and are likely to give valid information on the research questions. Questionnaire, interview and observation were used as the instruments for data collection and the data collected were analysed using inferential statistics of mean and percentage while content analysis was adopted to analyse interview and observation. Findings revealed that staff and students of the universities studied dump solid wastes indiscriminately to a very large extent. Also, the results showed that orientation programmes for fresh men and women, university radio house, university website among others are efficient information channels that can help increase awareness to curb indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes. Equally, it was discovered that the staff and students are aware of the environmental risk-factors associated with indiscriminate disposal of solid wastes. Lack of advanced technology, and facilities for separation at source, strength of waste management policy and enforcement, low environmental education and income status of individuals among others were all found to be responsible for indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes. On the hand, provision of adequate advanced technology, proper use of dumping sit and adequate facilities for separation of solid


To select the superior parents for the breeding program we oriented to produce new early-ripening cultivars, we evaluated more than 60 productive and vegetative charactersin 108 native and imported cultivarsgrown in national collection for commercial apples located in Karaj, Iran, using an apple descriptor. The germination percentage of 100,000 hybrid seeds was 7% in the first year. In the second year, only 3000 from 7000 seedlings had to pass thefinal screening. Use of morphological markers as an early selection technique showed high efficiency in the apple breeding program. This study was conducted to determine heritability of certain morphological traits potentially used for selection of fruit early-ripening progenies in apple (Malus ·domestica Borkh.). Morphological traits in 3- and 4-year-old seedlings from 28 half-sib and 16 full-sib families were studied in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Parent-progeny correlations wereanalyzed using true-to-type progenies and their relative parents, all in the juvenile phase. Significant variations were observed between parental cultivars and half-sib and full-sib progenies for most of the studied traits. Positive correlations were found between seedling height and other morphological characters. A highly significant correlation (r= 0.98)wasobservedbetweenbranchdistance along seedling stem and number of branches. The results showedthat the heritability varied among the traits, ranging from moderate to high values. A high level of heritability was found in leaf chlorophyll concentration (LCC) and seedling heights inboth half-sib and full- sib families. Heritability of half-sib progenies derived from the early-ripening parents was higher than the late-ripening parents. The relatively high heritability estimates for mor- phological traits, particularly in early-ripening cross combinations, suggested narrow- sense heritability as a criterion for early screening. The progenies of early cultivars exhibited the maximum and minimum heritability for seedling height (0.91) and leaf length (0.56), respectively. Oppositely, in the late-ripening progenies, the maximum and minimum heritability were found in LW and TD traits (0.79 and 0.42), respectively.


The goal of this study was to design a robot system for assisting in the rehabilitation of patients with neuromuscular disorders by performing various facilitation movements. The robot should be able to guide patient's wrist to move along planned linear or circular trajectories. A hybrid position/force controller incorporating fuzzy logic was developed to constrain the movement in the desired direction and to maintain a constant force along the moving direction. The controller was stable in the application range of movements and forces. Offline analyses of data were used to quantitatively assess the progress of rehabilitation. The results show that the robot could guide the upper limbs of subjects in linear and circular movements under predefined external force levels and apply a desired force along the tangential direction of the movements.


Background: In the Netherlands, people with severe cognitive deficits due to Korsakoff syndrome are generally admitted to a specialized nursing home. Professional caregivers experience that these residents are often not aware of their deficits, and consequently, their willingness to accept care is relatively low. However, these residents need permanent support when performing daily tasks due to severe cognitive deficits. The combination of objective care needs and low subjective responsiveness makes caring for people with Korsakoff syndrome a complex undertaking. It is unknown how professional caregivers deal with this complex task and how they manage the associated ethical challenges. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the professional caregivers' perspectives on good care for residents with Korsakoff syndrome. Methods: A qualitative study design was used. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews. The Framework Method was used for the thematic analyses of the interview data. Participants and research context: Five specialized nursing homes participated in this study. Twelve professional caregivers, including nurses, nursing assistants, and support workers, were selected based on the ability to provide rich information on the study topics and to capture a variety of demographic and professional characteristics. Ethical considerations: The institutional review board of the VU University Medical Center Amsterdam approved the research protocol. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. Findings: Three perspectives on good care emerged: (1) making daily life a joint effort, (2) being steadfast, and (3) treating with respect. Discussion and conclusion: Professional caregivers try to achieve responsiveness in people with Korsakoff syndrome in three different ways. These perspectives reflect fundamentally different views on the care relationship and the autonomy of the resident. By elucidating the three perspectives, we hope to promote the practitioners' reflection on their own ideas about good care for people with Korsakoff syndrome.


The optimum sample interval in any study of a deep-sea sedimentary core is a function of the sedimentation rate, the duration of the geologic event to be identified, and the number of points needed to satisfactorily resolve all maxima or minima of the event. For most geologic parameters, a sample spacing of at least 0.25 cycles per sample interval will be required in order to resolve every peak regardless of the biasing due to the placement of the initial sample. Now that it is possible to get estimates of the sedimentation rate in deep-sea sediments by various means, prior to detailed studies, it is recommended that a sampling density be chosen that will resolve every peak for the periods under study in any parameter used for between-core correlations.


The
paper discusses about the concept, perception, understanding and consequences
of plagiarism among the future policy makers i.e., students. The paper also
highlights acceptability of copying somebody's ideas and thoughts to complete
one's own work which also indicates towards the casual approach of students.
Acknowledging the fact that plagiarism is a kind of deception and is a major
hurdle in the field of academic growth and development. Therefore, this must
not be prevailed as it reduces the opportunity of uniqueness, in a way
degrading the level of development in the thought process of people. Thereby,
the paper tries to put forward the various consequences caused due to copying
others' ideas rather than putting efforts in creating some new ideas. The paper
also talks about the students' approach towards the idea of plagiarism and how
educational institution tries to modify their policies in order to reduce the
possibility of plagiarism.


Economist Stern (2016) asks now why so little is concretely done against global warming. But consider the huge countries in South Asia and their mighty neighbours. South Asia is poised to become the next set of Asian economic miracles. Yet they face a terrible threat from the environment, as global warming picks up speed together with more and more environmental degradation. Can these more than 2 billion people work and find food and water, if temperature rises more than 2-3 degrees? Can peasants work and survive? And how to generate enough electricity for housing, given increasing water shortages? Without massive financial assistance, there will occur widespread reneging on the COP21 objectives (Goal I-III). The system of UNFCCC with yearly big meetings does not offer an organization that is up to the coordination tasks involved in halting climate change—too much transaction costs. South Asia needs the promised Super Fund badly that Stern anticipated 2007.


Meta-heuristics are a set of approximate techniques that have become popular for solving optimisation problems. They are high-level problem-independent strategies that guide a set of heuristics in the search of an optimum. A large variety of meta-heuristics have been proposed in the literature. Among them, Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) are one of the most popular strategies. They are population-based meta-heuristics inspired by biological evolution. One of the main drawbacks of EAs is that, for some problems, they exhibit a tendency to converge towards local optima due to diversity loss in populations with a finite size, also called genetic drift. Genetic drift is the main reason for the appearance of premature convergence in EAs. One of the proposals that has gained some popularity in recent years to address the problem of premature convergence relies on applying multi-objective schemes to single-objective optimisation problems. Several ways of applying the multi-objective concepts have been devised, with diversity-based Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs) being one of the most promising schemes. In these algorithms, a metric of the diversity introduced by each individual is used as an auxiliary objective, whereas the original objective function of the optimisation problem being solved is kept. Besides the problem of premature convergence, finding the appropriate setting for an EA remains one of the persistent challenges for Evolutionary Computation (EC). In order to completely define a configuration of an EA several symbolic parameters, such as the variation or parent selection operators, and different numeric parameters, such as the mutation and crossover rates, must be set. In general, the performance of an EA and, consequently, the quality of the resulting solutions, is highly dependent on these parameters. As a result, it is essential that the parameters of an EA be suitably determined. Parameter setting strategies are commonly divided into two categories: parameter tuning and parameter control. In parameter tuning the objective is to identify the best set of values for the parameters of a given EA, which is then executed using these values, which remain constant for the duration of the run. In contrast, the aim of parameter control is to design control strategies that select the most suitable values for the parameters at each stage of the search process while the algorithm is being executed. In this dissertation the main aim is twofold. Firstly, to design and study diversity-based MOEAs as methods for dealing with premature convergence in EAs. In this regard, several diversity metrics with parameters are proposed as novel auxiliary objectives, as well as a novel diversity-based survivor selection mechanism which preserves diversity in a population of individuals. Secondly, to design several parameter control strategies with the final aim of being able to simultaneously adapt numeric and symbolic parameters of an EA. These parameter control schemes are based on the usage of Fuzzy Logic Controllers and Hyper-heuristics, which are applied herein to adapt different parameters belonging to the proposed diversity-based MOEAs. Additionally, in order to more quickly obtain high-quality solutions and to enable the usage of some of these techniques in parallel environments, they are integrated with an island-based model. Finally, the validation of the different proposals is carried out by measuring their performance over a set of well-known benchmark problems and real-world complex applications.


The tremendous evolution of programmable graphics hardware has made high-quality real-time volume graphics a reality. In addition to the traditional application of rendering volume data in scientific visualization, the interest in applying these techniques for real-time rendering of atmospheric phenomena and participating media such as fire, smoke, and clouds is growing rapidly. This course covers both applications in scientific visualization, e.g., medical volume data, and real-time rendering, such as advanced effects and illumination in computer games, in detail. Course participants will learn techniques for harnessing the power of consumer graphics hardware and high-level shading languages for real-time rendering of volumetric data and effects. Beginning with basic texture-based approaches including hardware ray casting, the algorithms are improved and expanded incrementally, covering local and global illumination, scattering, pre-integration, implicit surfaces and non-polygonal isosurfaces, transfer function design, volume animation and deformation, dealing with large volumes, high-quality volume clipping, rendering segmented volumes, higher-order filtering, and non-photorealistic volume rendering. Course participants are provided with documented source code covering details usually omitted in publications.


Oil and gas production applications demand high reliability, which implies low failure probability over the lifetime of the components. The service environments encompass high pressure high temperature (HPHT) conditions inside and seawater with cathodic protection (CP) systems on the outside. New material combinations are being employed, including thermo-mechanically processed low alloy steels and corrosion resistant alloys (CRA). Additively manufactured (AM) alloys are also entering the market, creating further variability and directionality in properties. Material qualification involves two types of accelerated, laboratory tests – standard and fit-for-purpose. However, the acceleration vectors used in these types of tests are usually not clearly identified. Relating the materials qualification tests to service performance requires a systematic approach that considers the uncertainties in the acceleration vectors such as, loading conditions, environmental compositions, operating parameters, and material microstructures. In this paper, we describe the acceleration vectors typically used in qualification tests and a risk framework that may be used to relate the test results to long term service performance. The benefit of a risk informed approach is not only avoidance of unnecessary testing, but also investing the testing resources to attain highest reliability.


Agriculture is required to fulfil the needs and wants of society in a variety of fields: food supply, environmental services, landscape preservation and finally: climate mitigation. Using the example of land-use change in peatland in order to create possibilities for greenhouse-gas reduction, a survey about the intentions and future expectations of stakeholders was undertaken. The underlying network structure of these stakeholders in three representative peatland areas of Germany was determined and compared. The results show that considerable differences exist in the degree of knowledge about climate change and in the willingness to cooperate. Depending on the area studied, the most influential political entities are different and thus require different strategies for agenda setting. From the study it can be concluded, that the realisation of a political or societal goal, for example greenhouse-gas reduction, relies largely on the intentions among the stakeholders and structural differences in the stakeholder networks. Our example has shown that for these reasons, land-use change for climate protective reasons will be supported more in the study-area in the South of Germany in comparison to the case in the eastern part.


This study compared nut yield and nut characteristics of 'Tombul' hazelnut growing at different elevations (low: 40 m, middle: 320 m, high: 650 m) and orientations (facing north or south). Nuts were harvested and evaluated from three orchards for each combination of elevation and orientation. The results showed differences associated with elevation and orientation. The number of nuts per cluster (3.12), protein content (14.49%) and yield per plant (512.34 g) were higher in the North-facing than in the South-facing orchards. The highest number of nuts per cluster was 3.26 at high elevation. Nut weight, kernel weight and kernel size were highest at low elevation. No differences were seen for nut size, nut shape index, and yield per trunk cross-sectional area.


Factors and techniques leading to the more rapid isolation of salmonellae from faeces that are negative by direct plating were examined. The aim was to increase the number of specimens on which positive reports might be given within 24 hours of receipt. Salmonellae were isolated from 279 of the specimens studied. Brilliant green MacConkey agar was found to be the most satisfactory solid selective medium both for direct plating and as a subculture medium, giving large characteristic colonies after 24 hours' incubation. Selenite F medium, inoculated with undiluted faeces, incubated at 43°C., and subcultured after six hours' incubation on to brilliant green MacConkey agar, was the most successful rapid method of enrichment, though the results were considerably inferior to those obtained after 24 hours' incubation. Seventy-six of the positive specimens examined were negative by direct plating on three different selective media; 24 (31·6%) of these were positive on subculture from selenite F incubated for six hours at 43°C. and 21 (27·6%) when incubation was at 37°C. The use of six-hour subcultures from 43°C. selenite F as a supplement to direct plating added significantly to the number of positive results. Other techniques that were tried but found to be of no practical value were dilution of the faeces before inoculation on solid and fluid media, and replica plating from one solid medium to another after a few hours' incubation.


Purpose : Blue light has been previously demonstrated to induce injury of retinal cells. The cellular responses to nonlethal blue light exposure for each type of retinal cell are of particular interest but remain undetermined. Based on the doses of blue light reported in previous research to be nonlethal to retinal pigment epithelial cells, here we investigated whether and to what extent such doses of blue light are cytotoxic to staurosporine-differentiated RGC-5 cells. Methods : RGC-5 cells were differentiated for 24 hours using 200 nM staurosporine. The resulting cells were cultured and exposed to blue light at three different energy levels (1, 10, and 50 J cm^-2). Cellular morphologies were investigated with an inverted microscope and cell viability was assessed with a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was evaluated by H2DCFDA. After loading of MitoTracker Green FM dye, the mitochondrial contents were analyzed using flow cytometry. The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities in the media were also measured. The level of lipid peroxidation was determined by measuring the amount of malondialdehyde (MDA). Results : Treatment of the cells for 24 hours with 200 nM staurosporine successfully induced the differentiation of RGC-5 cells. No morphological changes were observed in the ssdRGC-5 cells exposed to blue light at 50 J cm^-2, which was the highest energy level tested. Exposure of the ssdRGC-5 cells to this energy level of blue light did, however, decrease their numbers by approximately 72.1% compared to the numbers of such cells found after being left in the dark. Remarkably, the levels of ROS generation and mitochondrial contents were, respectively, increased to 142% and 118% of those of the control by a 10 J cm^-2 exposure of blue light. The LDH activities and MDA levels exhibited no obvious changes in the blue light-exposed ssdRGC-5 cells compared to the control cells. Conclusions : In vitro nonlethal blue light exposure led to cellular damage of staurosporine-differentiated RGC-5 cells. These increases in oxidative stress and mitochondrial content were the early steps of the cellular response to the exposure of relatively low doses (10 J cm^-2) of blue light.


ObjectiveTo compare visual field loss (VFL) in eyes with optic nerve head drusen (ONHD) with or without ocular hypertension (OHT). MethodsThe records of all patients aged 45 years or older with a diagnosis of ONHD at 2 centers were reviewed. OHT was defined as intraocular pressure ≥22 mm Hg. We categorized ONHD into 3 grades based on visibility on disc photographs. ResultsWe identified 22 eyes (13 patients) with both ONHD and OHT and 81 normotensive eyes (47 patients) with ONHD. VFL was present in 20/22 (90.9%) of hypertensive eyes compared with 54/81 (66.7%) of normotensive eyes (P=0.03, Fisher exact test). Drusen grade III and OHT were both independently and significantly associated with greater incidence of VFL (logistic regression analysis). ConclusionsVFL occurs more frequently in eyes with ONHD that also have OHT. Eyes with grade III ONHD are at increased risk for VFL compared to eyes with grade I drusen with the same intraocular pressure status. Patients with OHT and ONHD should undergo close surveillance for disease progression and be treated appropriately to prevent additional VFL.


: This report describes two infants with severe arterial hypertension secondary to unilateral renal artery stenosis which was manifested by polyuria, polydipsia, hypokalemic alkalosis, hyponatremia, increased natriuresis and increased plasma values of rennin and aldosterone. On sonographic examination, the contralateral non-stenotic kidney of both patients appeared enlarged and hyperechogenic mimicking parenchymal lesion. When the patients became normotensive, their sodium and potassium balance became normal and their contralateral non-stenotic kidney also became normal in size and echogenicity. The increase of the filtration and the natriuresis observed in the contralateral non-stenotic kidney of the patients with renovascular hypertension due to renal artery stenosis might be responsible for the hyperechogenicity. When the patients became normotensive, the filtration and excretion of sodium of the contralateral kidney also became normal and the increase of echogenicity also disappeared. The reversibility of the sonographic findings suggest a functional origin.


The Eastern Nile Basin is facing a number of transboundary issues, including water resources development, and the associated impacts. The Nile Basin, particularly the Eastern Nile Sub-basin, is considered as one of a few international river systems of potential conflicts between riparian countries. The Eastern Nile is characterized by the high dependency of downstream countries on river water generated in upstream countries, with limited or no contribution to the runoff itself. The aim of this paper is to analyze optimal scenarios for water resources management in the Eastern Nile with regard to hydropower generation and irrigation development. A hydro-economic optimization model based on Genetic Algorithm has been used to determine the maximum benefits for two scenarios: (i) non-cooperative management of hydraulic infrastructure by the riparian countries (status quo), and (ii) cooperative water resources management among the riparian countries. The hydro-economic model is developed using a Genetic Algorithm and deterministic optimization approach covering all hydraulic infrastructures in the Eastern Nile, existing and planned, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The results show that cooperative management yields an increase in hydro-energy returns for all countries compared to the status quo, with a very high increase in Ethiopian's returns, as expected. Non-cooperative system management would negatively impact the hydro-energy of Egypt compared to the cooperative management (reduced by 11%), without a significant increase of hydro-energy for Ethiopia. For Sudan, the results show that hydropower generation benefits from the presence of GERD, in both management scenarios. Non-cooperative management of the system, along with the internal trade-off between irrigation and hydropower facilities, would negatively impact irrigation supply in Sudan. The findings support the argument of positive impact of GERD development on the three Eastern Nile riparian countries, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, provided that the three countries agree to manage the system cooperatively.


An Investigation of Cognitive Processes Associated with Notetaking and Notes-Review Yoko Kodaira Notetaking is a cognitively complex academic task that requires the execution of multiple cognitive processes within a limited capacity working memory (Peverly et al., 2007; Peverly & Sumowski, 2012; Piolat, Olive, & Kellogg, 2005). Several studies have investigated cognitive processes related to notetaking, but only one has looked at variables related to notes-review (Hadwin, Kirby, & Woodhouse, 1999). Also, most studies have focused on handwritten notes, and the few studies that have evaluated the effect of writing medium (handwriting or typing) on notes have been limited and equivocal (Bui, Myerson & Hale, 2013; Mueller & Oppenheimer, 2014). This study examined cognitive differences related to lecture notetaking, notes-review, and performance on a multiple-choice test that included memory and inference items. In addition, this study explored differences between handwriting and typing on notes and notes-review. Eighty undergraduate students were randomly assigned to handwrite or type notes, review them, and complete a multiple-choice test based on the lecture. They also completed a measure of letter speed consistent with their experimental condition, along with measures of language comprehension, sustained attention, background knowledge, and metacognition. MANOVAs found significant differences in letter speed between handwriting and typing groups, but no significant differences in overall notetaking or notes-review. The handwriting condition showed evidence of more transformation and organization of lecture information between notetaking and notes-review than with typing. Regression analyses found that letter speed and language comprehension predicted notetaking. Notes-review was positively and significantly related to notetaking, language comprehension, and writing medium. Typed notes were more strongly related to notes-review than handwritten notes. A significant letter speed x metacognition interaction for notetaking and a significant letter speed x sustained attention interaction for notesreview suggest that basic cognitive processes (letter speed) need to be sufficiently automatized in order for higher cognitive processes to be applied effectively. Test performance overall and performance on inference items were predicted by notes-review and writing medium. The latter indicated that handwriting was more strongly related to test performance than typing. Findings suggest that handwriting may enable deeper processing of information compared to typing. Future studies should continue to include interactions between cognitive variables to support the theory of hierarchical processing within a limited capacity working memory. Further research on the effects of writing medium on notes and notes-review will improve understanding of the effects of handwriting and typing on these processes.


During evolution, genome reorganization includes large-scale events such as inversions, translocations, and segmental or even whole-genome duplications, as well as fine-scale events such as the relocation of individual genes. This latter category, which we will refer to as positionally relocated genes (PRGs), is the subject of this report. Assessment of the magnitude of such PRGs and of possible contributing mechanisms is aided by a comparative analysis of related genomes, where conserved chromosomal organization can aid in identifying genes that have acquired a new location in a lineage of these genomes. Here we utilize two methods to comprehensively identify relocated protein-coding genes in the recently sequenced genomes of 12 species of genus Drosophila. We use exceptions to the general rule of maintenance of chromosome arm (Muller element) association for most Drosophila genes to identify one major class of PRGs. We also identify a partially overlapping set of PRGs among "embedded genes," located within the extents of other surrounding genes. We provide evidence that PRG movements have at least two different origins: Some events occur via retrotransposition of processed RNAs and others via a DNA-based transposition mechanism. Overall, we identify several hundred PRGs that arose within a lineage of the genus Drosophila phylogeny and provide suggestive evidence that a few thousand such events have occurred within the radiation of the insect order Diptera, thereby illustrating the magnitude of the contribution of PRG movement to chromosomal reorganization during evolution.


This article analyzes the possibility of commercializing internationally the Cotija RegiA³n of Origin Cheese, by means of marketing strategies. The elaboration of daily products, is one of the principal economic activities in Mexico. The economic and social situation concerning the Cotija RegiA³n of Origin Cheese are included, as well. The results indicate that there is demand for the product that will need to be satisfied. Based on the acceptance that the cheese has, the conditions exist for major commercialization that will benefit producers as well as the MichoacAin state in general. The arguments in this research affirm the potential of the product in foreign markets. Factors that determine the design of an efficient strategy for international commercialization of this product are analyzed and discussed.


The seeking of healthcare for childhood illnesses was studied in three rural Nigerian communities of approximately 10,000 population each. The aim was to provide a baseline understanding of illness behaviour on which to build a programme for the promotion of prepackaged chloroquine and cotrimoxazole for early and appropriate treatment of childhood fevers at the community level. A total of 3117 parents of children who had been ill during the 2 weeks prior to interview responded to questions about the nature of the illness and the actions taken. Local illness terms were elicited, and the most prevalent recent illness and the actions taken. Local illness terms were elicited, and the most prevalent recent illnesses were 'hot body' (43.9 per cent), malaria, known as iba (17.7 per cent), and cough (7.4 per cent). The most common form of first-line treatment was drugs from a patent medicine vendor or drug hawker (49.6 per cent). Only 3.6 per cent did nothing. Most who sought care (77.5 per cent) were satisfied with their first line of action, and did not seek further treatment. The average cost of an illness episode was less than US$2.00 with a median of US$1.00. Specifically, chloroquine tablets cost an average of US 29 cents per course. Analysis found a configuration of signs and symptoms associated with chloroquine use, to include perception of the child having malaria, high temperature and loss of appetite. The configuration positively associated with antibiotic use consisted of cough and difficult breathing. The ability of the child's care-givers, both parental and professional, to make these distinctions in medication use will provide the foundation for health education in the promotion of appropriate early treatment of childhood fevers in the three study sites.


Objective: To verify the presence and degree of asymmetry of dental arches in Brazilian individuals with natural normal occlusion and Class II, Divisions 1 and 2 malocclusions. Methods: The study evaluated the symmetry of the maxillary and mandibular dental arches of 180 pairs of dental casts, divided into: Group I = 60 pairs of natural normal occlusion individuals; Group II = 60 pairs of Class II, Division 1 malocclusion individuals; and Group III = 60 pairs of Class II, Division 2 malocclusion individuals. A device was used to measure dental midline deviation and the canine tip in the dental arches (in degrees). It was also verified the distance of the upper canines from the palatal suture, intercanine distance, and anteroposterior upper and lower first molar position. Results: Dental arches of individuals from all groups presented asymmetry, regardless of the presence of malocclusion. Group I showed a lower asymmetry degree in relation to Groups II and III. The asymmetry in Groups II and III was similar. Conclusion: The dental arches of individuals with natural normal occlusion and with Class II, Division 1 and Division 2 malocclusions showed asymmetry. The asymmetry degree was higher in the mandibular dental arches than in the maxillary dental arches in all 3 evaluated groups.


Introduction
 Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), considered a medical emergency, requires prompt treatment at the first suspicion of the diagnosis. Treatment is initiated even before cytogenetic or molecular confirmation of diagnosis because of high early mortality with APL, mostly due to hemorrhage and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Once a cancer with dismal prognosis, APL is now considered a highly curable cancer with the introduction of all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide. In fact, recent clinical trials in APL report excellent outcomes with >90% OS at 3-years with <5% mortality in the first 4-6 weeks. Here we analyze a large National Cancer Database (NCDB) to determine one-month mortality and overall survival (OS) of patients with APL treated in real-world practices.
 Methods
 We utilized the NCDB Participant User File to identify patients of all age groups who were diagnosed between 2004 and 2015. A Chi-square test was used to determine association of different covariates with one-month mortality. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the effect of covariates on the probability of one-month mortality. A full model was run that included all covariates; the subsequent reduced model included covariates significant at the p<0.1. OS was analyzed with Kaplan Meier methods.
 Results
 Our study included a total of 7190 patients- median age was 50 years, 50% were female, 82% were white, 53% had private insurance, 82% had Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) of 0 or 1, and 57% were treated at academic centers. Ninety-seven percent of patients were treated with either multiagent (67%) or single-agent chemotherapy (30%). Patients diagnosed in 2004-2009 comprised 49% of total cohort, the remaining 51% were diagnosed in 2010-2015.
 One-month mortality for the entire cohort was 12%. One-month mortality varied significantly for different age groups: 6% for <35, 8% for 35-54, and 18% for ≥55 years. One-month mortality was not significantly different based on the year of diagnosis or CCI. In a multivariate analysis, patients <55 years of age (p<0.0001), and those with private insurance (p<0.0001) had lower one-month mortality (Table 1). Patients treated at comprehensive cancer centers, as compared to academic centers, had worse one-month mortality (p=0.005).
 Median OS at 1-, 3-, and 5-year were 81%, 75%, and 71% respectively. OS differed significantly based on age. Median OS was not reached for patients <55 years, compared to 6.5 years for patients ≥55 years (Figure 1). Detailed analysis will be presented.
 Conclusion
 Our large national database study demonstrates that early mortality is still high in real-world practices. OS at 1 year (81%) is worse than reported OS of >90% in clinical trials. Surprisingly, only 1/3rd of patients received single agent chemotherapy, which is not the standard of care. The use of suboptimal chemotherapy may not explain high early mortality rate but may explain worse OS. We also identified age as a significant predictor of outcomes with older adults ≥55 years almost at a two-fold higher risk of early and late mortality. Lower rate of enrollment of older adults may yet be another reason for higher OS seen in clinical trials. Our findings highlight the challenges associated with translating trial findings to clinical practices and provide rationale to support studies aimed at improving outcomes of APL in the real world.

 Gundabolu: BioMarin: Consultancy; Bristol Myers Squibb pharmaceuticals: Consultancy. Chaulagain:Sanofi Genzyme: Honoraria. Bhatt:Tolero: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy, Research Funding; Jazz: Research Funding; Rigel: Consultancy; Oncoceutics: Other; National Marrow Donor Program: Research Funding; Partnership for health analytic research: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; Omeros: Consultancy; Agios: Consultancy.


People without a technical background or knowledge of machine learning (ML) technology (non-technical experts) have become a major target group of MLapplications. Nonetheless, ML-systems still rarely support them in their informed use. This thesis investigates a new visual interface to explore new ways towards an informed use. The prototypical interface was built upon an existing ML-application in the research project IKON, in which dimensionality reduction (DR) is applied. DR is a widely used tool for the interpretation of high-dimensional ML-results. Due to the effects of information loss caused by reduced dimensionality, it can produce artifacts and transform the same high dimensional result into 2D representations that may vary a lot. Different criteria may be important depending on the task the DR visualization is used for. In the use case IKON the similarity of research projects is based on the embedding of their project abstracts into a multidimensional space. This embedding is produced by an ML-pipeline and is reduced into a two-dimensional scatter plot computed with the dimensionality reduction algorithm t-SNE. To explore the design requirements of the interface to be developed in this thesis, I conducted semi-structured interviews with HCI (human-computer interaction) experts and with help of existing research I uncovered the drawbacks of parameter value selection with classical interaction elements, such as numerical sliders, for non-technical experts. The thesis is divided into two main tasks: The development of an interface on the one and the development of sorting measures for DR visualizations on the other hand. The goal of sorting visualized results is to enable comparing and evaluating the results against each other. For this, several metrics were explored and tested on 4 data sets and compared with a mathematical as well as a visual measure. I chose two metrics, which were deemed most suitable for the tasks: the first is a parameter intrinsic to the t-SNE algorithm. The second metric is obtained through a secondary, higher-level dimensionality reduction of the result space, again with t-SNE. The interface aims to enable parameter selection with a result-based visualization approach. I embedded the sorting of results into the interface prototype in a grid-like small multiples visualization, which I developed in a user-centered design process. Evaluation of the prototypical interface and the ordering measures was done through a pilot study, which provided evidence supporting the hypothesis that a result-based approach has the potential to support non-technical experts with parameter selection for different tasks, but also revealed new questions and possible applications.


A Simple Fabrication of Interconnected CuO Nanotube Electrodes for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries Staying connected : Robust and interconnected CuO nanotube anodes were fabricated by a thermal oxidation process of spin-coated CuO nanowire networks. The CuO electrodes strongly adhered to the stainless steel foils and exhibited a high specific capacity (ca. 635 mAh g ), a stable cycling (capacity retention of >99 % after 50 cycles), and excellent rate capabilities (315 mAh g 1 at 20 C rate).