This study aimed to explore the effects of a transformatory learning programme in a group of Project 2000 nursing students. A secondary focus of the study was to monitor the effectiveness of reflexive action research as a tool for reducing the theory-practice gap that persists between nurse education and nursing practice. The learning programme was developed around the process of reflection and evaluated within a framework of a hierarchical model of nursing research and critical social theory.

The first level of research used formal theory to generate an action strategy with a group of first year student nurses (n=42). The action strategy was evaluated after an initial period of six months and provided the data for the level two research. The level two research facilitated a macro view of the learning situation which was then examined in more detail for the level three research. Reflection on action was adopted as the method of generating informal theory with the aim of facilitating a micro view of the learning environment. Data was collected using a variety of strategies, both within methods and across methods triangulation assisted a holistic view of the phenomena under exploration.

The process of transformatory leaning was found to be a notable factor in developing reflective and effective practice amongst student nurses. Additionally, reflexive action research proved an effective strategy for narrowing the theory-practice gap.

The insights gained from the study have considerable significance for informing the future practice of teaching in nursing, not least the challenge that teachers, like nurses, have a professional obligation to develop and review their practical knowledge and explore the effectiveness of their practice. It is proposed that reflexive action research and reflective practice are an appropriate formula for addressing these issues.


Uterine fibroids are the most common of all the benign neoplasms affecting females in reproductive age groups. The subserous types of fibroids are rare in incidence but sometimes they present with rare complications as torsion of its pedicle or detachment from uterus resulting in a wandering variety of fibroid. Hemoperitoneum because of rupture of surface veins over these subserosal fibroids is very rarely encountered and reported. These patients usually present to emergency department with features of acute abdomen with hemorrhagic shock and need an urgent surgical intervention to take care of the problem.


An algorithm suitable for digital speed control of an electrical drive is presented. It performs an instantaneous compensation of the load torque variations, by imposing the motor drive accelerating torque required to achieve an assigned speed response. In this way, an improved dynamic response is obtained. A good robustness to the inertia variations is also assured. The validity of the algorithm and the comparison with traditional control strategies is established by means of a computer simulation program.


Glutamate decarboxylase from Escherichia coli was immobilized on inorganic macroporous carriers by the glutaraldehyde, carbodiimide and bromacetyl methods, on silicagel coated with a layer of a glutaraldehyde and m-phenylene diamine copolymer, and by polyacrylamide gel incorporation. The efficiency of the above methods of immobilization was evaluated. The bromacetyl method was found to be the most efficient. The dependence of activity of soluble and immobilized Glu-decarboxylase upon pH, temperature, substrate concentration, and stability was established. The differences in the properties of soluble and immobilized Glu-decarboxylase were due to the substrate diffusion in pores of the carrier. The immobilized Glu-decarboxylase obtained showed high activity and stability.


Studies suggest that students are increasingly turning to information and communication technologies as learning tools in which they can present multiple identities quite explicitly tied to context, knowledge and understanding within online networks. Hence it is imperative for educational institutions to understand how twenty-first-century learners use online networks for their identity formation and learning experiences. Through a systematic review of existing instruments, constructs and elements were identified and used to develop a new conceptual research framework which was quantitatively tested on a convenience sample of students (n=300) at Sunway University in Malaysia. Based on the results, a measurement scale was developed and analysed through structural equation modelling and confirmatory factor analysis. The responses of the students revealed they are more likely to use online networks for identity formation than for the learning experience and that there is a relationship between identity formation, the learning experience and the use of online networks.


This chapter focuses on modelling the spinodal decomposition of solution processed polymer:PCBM blends under evaporative conditions. This mode of phase separation has been experimentally observed for a wide range of polymer:PCBM blends, especially in the absence of co-solvents. Dry-film morphologies characteristically comprise droplet-shaped PCBM-rich domains dispersed in a matrix of predominantly polymer. The modelling approach is based on a drastically coarse-grained treatment, involving solute and solvent concentrations as field-based order parameters. Structure evolution is driven by the minimization of a Flory–Huggins–Cahn–Hilliard-type free energy functional including local and non-local contributions. The model considers purely diffusive transport, either based on slow- or fast-mode dynamics. Solvent evaporation drives isothermal destabilization of the liquid blend giving spinodal decomposition. Linearization of the diffusion equation and solution of the rate equation for the growth of density fluctuations show that, due to evaporation, the spinodal wavelength initially decreases with time and only emerges as structural length scale after a given lag time. The lag time and emerging wavelength exhibit power-law behavior as a function of the evaporation rate with exponents of −2/3 and −1/6. The model predicts an increasing feature size and decreasing fullerene concentration in the polymer-rich phase with the increasing drying time, in accordance with experimental observations and device performance measurements.


To the Editor: The excellent article on grief and its management, by Clarl< and Marley,' has some important omissions. Resuscitation is often commenced with limited information, and facts later become available that lead doctors and nurses to recognise that resuscitation Is probably futile. It is our practice to invite close family into the resuscitation room as soon as they arrive, to explain the situation and allow them to be part of the decision to terminate life support. We have found that this is a remarkably useful way to help them commence grieving, particularly with children, and can prevent the later development of fantasies such as "there was nobody present when she arrived at hospital". It is also helpful for relatives to kiss and caress the body while it is still warm and supple and life, albeit tenuous, is present. Another omission from Clarl<and Marley's article is their failure to present organ donation as a possibility. Corneas are always in demand and very few recently deceased people are unsuitable. A rapid search of identification papers occasionally produces evidence of the patient's wish for organ donation, and if it is not offered (although frequently refused) people often ask later why they were not given the opportunity. A family conference with health carers a month after the death can be a useful aid to healthy grieving. On this occasion further Information and autopsy reports are usually available, and many issues surrounding the death can be clarified.


We use low-degree p-mode data, collected in integrated sunlight by the Birmingham Solar-Oscillations Network (BiSON), to derive the distribution of the observed strengths of the solar oscillations. We demonstrate that certain features of the observations cannot be explained by a model of the oscillations that is based upon a stochastically forced, damped harmonic oscillator. The solution of the equation of motion of the oscillator, as derived by the use of the Laplace transform, is presented, and its application to the simulation of real p-mode data, in the form of a coded algorithm, is discussed. A variety of tests are applied - both in the time and in the frequency domains - to artificially generated time series. These confirm that the model serves both as a useful diagnostic tool and for providing additional insight into the p-mode excitation and damping problem.


Dracaena afromontana is a native species grown in the high mountain rainforest of Rwanda. This plant finds many traditionally medicinal uses in the treatment of chest pain, dermatitis, liver diseases and malaria. In this report, the dried Bay leaves were extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol by maceration giving 0.717 g (1.434%), 1.457 g (2.914%) and 6.319 g (12.64%) respectively. The extracts were concentrated for further phytochemical screening and evaluated for antimicrobial activity against E. coli and S. aureus using well diffusion method. In addition, the dracaena afromontana extracts were analyzed using thin layer chromatographic separation techniques leading to the identification and characterization of bioactive compounds including, terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, saponins, reducing sugar and quinones. The results from TLC indicate that the higher retention factor (Rf2 = 0.77) was obtained via the use of ethyl acetate, whereas n-hexane gave a retention factor (Rf3 = 0.558). On the other hand, the methanol extract did not show any separation. The antimicrobial assay for the extracts was carried out using Lurial broth agar and Manitor salt over lay method. The findings of antimicrobial assay showed that methanolic extract of dracaena afromontana leaves has an antibacterial activity against the gram negative bacteria E.coli with the zone of inhibition of 16 mm, while the antibacterial activity of ethyl acetate extract against E. coli showed a smaller inhibition zone of 10 mm for diluted inoculums (10-2 and 10-1). For the gram positive bacteria S. aureus the inhibition zone by Dracaena afromontana was insignificant, whereby the methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts showed a maximum inhibition zone of 4 mm and 3 mm respectively. The n-hexane extract did not show any antibacterial activity against both pathogenic organisms.


Abstract Reliable mechanical weed control requires knowledge of the achievable levels of weed control and crop damage when using certain implements in specific conditions. Quantitative methods that use weed, crop, soil, and cultivator characteristics to predict weed control and crop damage need to be developed. To that end, the relative susceptibility of weeds and crop plants to mechanical weeding and the selective ability of cultivators need to be quantified separately. The method presented in this study uses measured plant anchorage forces to quantify crop and weed sensitivity to being uprooted by a weed harrow and predicts the relationship between weed and crop uprooting by mechanical weeding. Uprooting and anchorage force of young perennial ryegrass and garden cress plants were measured in laboratory harrowing experiments on sandy soil. A nonlinear equation was introduced to describe the relationship between weed uprooting and crop uprooting. The parameters representing the selective potential of the actual crop–weed condition (Kpot) and the implement selective ability (Kcult) did not depend on crop uprooting. The relationship between potential weed and crop uprooting that could theoretically be obtained by a perfectly selective implement (i.e., pulling each plant with equal force) was calculated from plant anchorage force distributions measured before harrowing. The observed uprooting percentages achieved by harrowing were lower than the potential uprooting percentages. With Kcult accounting for imperfect weeder selective ability, prediction accuracy was satisfactory. Field validation is required to confirm whether this method improves comparison and prediction of weeding performance of different weeding implements in different crop–weed situations. Nomenclature: Garden cress, Lepidium sativum L. LEPSA; perennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne L. LOLPE.


Abstract. Wulandari I, Iskandar BS, Parikesit, Hudoso T, Iskandar J, Shanida SS, Megantara EN, Gunawan EF. 2021. Ethnoecological study on the utilization of plants in Ciletuh-Palabuhanratu Geopark, Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 661-674.  Plants can provide benefits for community as food, medicine, fuel, building materials, furniture, and others. Plant utilization should be conducted sustainably in a region with high importance of geological, biological, and cultural diversity, such as in Ciletuh-Palabuhanratu Geopark, Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. This study aimed to reveal: (i) plant utilization by local community in Ciletuh-Palabuhanratu Geopark based on land cover; and (ii) community dependence on the plants being utilized. Method used in this study was mixed of qualitative and quantitative methods using direct observation, semi-structured and structured interviews data collection techniques. The result of study showed that the community in Ciletuh-Palabuhanratu Geopark still uses plants for food (80 species), medicinal plants (73 species), livestock fodder (9 species), firewood (27 species), building materials, furniture (38 species), and others (23 species). The highest plant utilization came from gardens (131 species), home gardens (99 species), natural forests (77 species), dry-paddy fields, and wet-paddy fields (7 species). Generally, various agroecosystems and also forest in Ciletuh-Palabuhanratu Geopark have an important role in providing plant products to fulfill the daily needs of rural people.


The purpose of this research is to optimize the extraction of classification features. This includes the optimal adjustment of parameters used to compute features as well as an objective and quantitative method to assist in choosing a priori data collection parameters (e.g., the insonification frequencies of a multi-frequency sonar). To accomplish this, a kernel machine is employed and implemented with the kernel matching pursuits (KMP) algorithm. The KMP algorithm is computationally efficient, allows the use of arbitrary kernel mappings, and facilitates the development of a technique to quantify discriminating power as a function of each feature. A method for feature optimization is then presented and evaluated on simulated and experimental data. The experimental data is derived from low-resolution, multi-frequency sonar and consists of a large feature space relative to the available training data. The proposed method successfully optimizes the feature extraction parameters and identifies the (much smaller) subset of features actually providing the discriminating capability


The Collaborative Research Network (CRN) is a Law and Society Association ́s iniciative that seeks to develop cross-disciplinary and cross-national research projects which intend to overcome the disciplinary barriers enabling the growth and integration of the social study of law. Organizing theme sessions for the LSA annual meetings, the CRNs can be a forum in which scholars, professors, students, as well as practitioners who are interested in interdisciplinary studies can organize discussions, share work, exchange ideas and build networks.


Dual purpose poultry package demonstration was undertaken at Jimma zone, Mana district, Somodo Peasant Association with the objectives of demonstrating and evaluating the performance of chicken under farmers management condition so as to promote and disseminate the approved technology packages to the users. The district, peasant association and participant farmers were selected purposively on the basis of willingness to construct poultry house and cover all the associated package costs. Based on the package requirements, training was given on poultry house & housing, health care, feeds & feeding and data recording. Finally three hundred forty two (342) day old chicks (57 chicks to each farmers) were distributed with two month feeding and medication materials at the farmers gate. Survival of chicks during the first 8 weeks of brooding by using hay-box at the farmers management condition was found 64.1%. The average daily body weight gain were 9.3gm in-case of male chicken and 7.1gm in female chicken during the first twenty weeks of age. The average age at first egg laying was 220 days. The egg production performance of these chicken under farmers management condition were found 51.8% percent in the first phase of production (45 weeks of age) but grows to 79.4% in the case of pick production stage. The partial budget analysis result indicated that Koekoek breed production was profitable with a net average benefit of 2731.02Ethiopian birr per the package (farmer). The average egg weight were 41.6 gm, 44.7gm and 47.9gm both at 5%, 50% and peak production stage respectively. The major challenges observed during the study was lack of skill of the farmers to manage the chicks, disease and lack of appropriate feeding. Irrespective of the challenges indicated the demand for the chicken was observed very high in the area. Therefore, a mechanism by which the disease and alternative feed options can be improved needs attention. Key words : Koekoek chicken breed, mortality, egg production, farmers management


Nanostructures constructed from metal and semiconductor nanocrystals conjugated to, and organized by DNA are an emerging class of material with collective optical properties. We created discrete pyramids of DNA with gold nanocrystals at the tips. By taking small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurments from solutions of these pyramids we confirmed that this pyramidal geometry creates structures which are more rigid in solution than linear DNA. We then took advantage of the tetrahedral symmetry to demonstrate construction of chiral nanostructures.


13C NMR spectra of [1-13C]- and [2-13C]carboxymethyl His-200 human carbonic anhydrase B have been obtained as a function of pH and in the presence and absence of the active site Zn(II) or Cd(II) ion. Chemical shifts of the 1-13C show that the carboxyl is sensitive to two ionization processes, with apparent pKas of 7.2 and 9.9, respectively. These are assigned to the deprotonation of the Nπ of His-200 and the breaking of the coordination bond between the carboxyl oxygen and the Zn(II) ion, respectively. Assignment of the lower pK, to that of the Nπ is supported by the observation of this same ionization in the chemical shift of the 2-13C resonance showing the signal from the methylene carbon to undergo the same upfield shift as is observed on the ionization of the Nπ in Nτ-carboxymethylated histidine. The high pH ionization process is not reflected in the resonance of the methylene carbon. No changes in the chemical shifts vs. pH are observed for both the [1-13C]- and [2-13C]carboxymethyl apocarbonic anhydrase, suggesting that the pK, of the Nπ has shifted at least 1 pH unit to acid pH, and must reflect significant conformational changes in the active center. Cd(II) carboxymethyl carbonic anhydrase shows 13C chemical shifts identical with those of the apoenzyme. Since the Cd(II) at the active site is known to bond external donor groups very weakly, the data suggest that the changes in conformation are related to Zn(II)-carboxylate coordination. Changes in the mobility of the carboxymethyl group have been assessed by a relaxation analysis which relates the relative line widths of the central and outer lines of the [13C]methylene triplet to the internal rotational motion of the group relative to the protein. At neutral pH this group shows no internal motion, compatible with its coordination to the active site metal ion. At pH 10.6 significant internal motion is present, compatible with breaking of the coordination bond in competition with -OH binding.


Reliably tracking key points and textured patches from frame to frame is the basic requirement for many bottom-up computer vision algorithms. The problem of selecting the features that can be tracked well is addressed. The Lucas-Kanade tracking procedure is commonly used. We propose a method to estimate the size of the tracking procedure convergence region for each feature. The features that have a wider convergence region around them should be tracked better by the tracker. The size of the convergence region as a new feature goodness measure is compared with the widely accepted Shi-Tomasi feature selection criteria.


As-grown and pre-oxidized silicon carbide (SiC) samples of polytype 4H have been annealed at temperatures up to 1950 °C for 10 min duration using inductive heating, or at 2000 °C for 30 s using microwave heating. The samples consisted of a n-type high-purity epitaxial layer grown on 4° off-axis ⟨0001⟩ n+-substrate and the evolution of the carbon vacancy (VC) concentration in the epitaxial layer was monitored by deep level transient spectroscopy via the characteristic Z1/2 peak. Z1/2 appears at ∼0.7 eV below the conduction band edge and arises from the doubly negative charge state of VC. The concentration of VC increases strongly after treatment at temperatures ≥ 1600 °C and it reaches almost 1015 cm−3 after the inductive heating at 1950 °C. A formation enthalpy of ∼5.0 eV is deduced for VC, in close agreement with recent theoretical predictions in the literature, and the entropy factor is found to be ∼5 k (k denotes Boltzmann's constant). The latter value indicates substantial lattice relaxation around VC...


A key requirement for the success of supervised deep learning is a large labeled dataset - a condition that is difficult to meet in medical image analysis. Self-supervised learning (SSL) can help in this regard by providing a strategy to pre-train a neural network with unlabeled data, followed by fine-tuning for a downstream task with limited annotations. Contrastive learning, a particular variant of SSL, is a powerful technique for learning image-level representations. In this work, we propose strategies for extending the contrastive learning framework for segmentation of volumetric medical images in the semi-supervised setting with limited annotations, by leveraging domain-specific and problem-specific cues. Specifically, we propose (1) novel contrasting strategies that leverage structural similarity across volumetric medical images (domain-specific cue) and (2) a local version of the contrastive loss to learn distinctive representations of local regions that are useful for per-pixel segmentation (problem-specific cue). We carry out an extensive evaluation on three Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) datasets. In the limited annotation setting, the proposed method yields substantial improvements compared to other self-supervision and semi-supervised learning techniques. When combined with a simple data augmentation technique, the proposed method reaches within 8% of benchmark performance using only two labeled MRI volumes for training, corresponding to only 4% (for ACDC) of the training data used to train the benchmark.


TIHÁNYIOVÁ, Monika. Preparation for the afterlife of the Hungarian nobility according to the preserved medieval testaments. The current study is devoted to the efforts of the medieval Hungarian nobility to ensure a peaceful afterlife for themselves and their families. This was hoped to be achieved through donations to the church and religious orders serving in the area. The paper begins with a brief focused on donations to the church that members of the nobility made during their lives and the actions they expected from the church or individual clergymen in return for such pious contributions. Following is a reference overview of pious donations and the form of requiem Masses desired, taken from the preserved medieval testaments of Hungarian nobility throughout the period of the Hungarian Middle Ages. The result is an enumeration of the diversity of testators (men, women, members of lower and higher nobility), the variety of donations (whole villages or clothes), as well as creative ideas on how to ensure a smooth transition to eternal life and the salvation of a soul in the best possible way.


There has been some intense research lately focussed on the area of metalevel inference systems. In logic programming, the limitations of Prolog are widely recognized and a meta-level approach has been suggested. Unfortunately, only meta-interpreters have been considered so far. Moreover, these metainterpreters are often themselves written on top of a Prolog interpreter. These cascaded layers of interpreters result in an enormous slow down, rendering the resulting system practically useless for all but a small number of toy applications. This paper will report on the implementation of a fast incremental metaProlog compiler. In the process, it will explore some of the issues involving meta-level systems in general, and offer the view of a knowledge base as a microcosm of the real world. To this effect, some new definitions are introduced and related to the notion of VIEWPOINT. It is hoped that this type of results will broaden the application area of logic programming to encompass most of the paradigms needed by Artificial Intelligence systems.


The optimisation of heat transfer between fluid and metal plays a crucial role in gas turbine design. An accurate prediction of temperature for each metal component can help to minimise the coolant flow requirement, with a direct reduction of the corresponding loss in the thermodynamic cycle. Traditionally, in industry fluid and solid simulations are conducted separately. The prediction of metal stresses and temperatures, generally based on finite element analysis, requires the definition of a thermal model whose reliability is largely dependent on the validity of the boundary conditions prescribed on the solid surface. These boundary conditions are obtained from empirical correlations expressing local conditions as a function of working parameters of the entire system, with validation being supplied by engine testing. However, recent studies have demonstrated the benefits of employing coupling techniques, whereby computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to predict the heat flux from the air to the metal, and this is coupled to the thermal analysis predicting metal temperatures. This paper describes an extension of this coupling process, accounting for the thermo-mechanical distortion of the metal through the engine cycle. Two distinct codes, a finite element analysis (FEA) solver for thermo-mechanical analysis and a finite volume solver for CFD, are iteratively coupled to produce temperatures and deformations of the solid part through an engine cycle. At each time step, the CFD mesh is automatically adapted to the FEA prediction of the metal position using efficient spring analogy methods, ensuring the continuity of the coupled process. As an example of this methodology, the cavity flow in a turbine stator well is investigated. In this test case, there is a strong link between the thermo-mechanical distortion, governing the labyrinth seal clearance, and the amount of flow through the stator well, which determines the resulting heat transfer in the stator well. This feedback loop can only be resolved by including the thermo-mechanical distortion within the coupling process.Copyright © 2010 by Rolls-Royce plc


This paper explores how medical quality management has developed in the USA since the 1900s reviewing and summarizing the history of the movement through an extensive literature review. With a particular emphasis on action learning as a theoretical construct, the paper then assesses the extent to which action learning can be applied to the quality process. Using two case studies from the literature, the paper suggests that the action learning process, can in fact overcome some of the problems related to the implementation of quality initiatives in medical settings, and in particular those related to the fear expressed often by physicians that quality procedures emphasize cost cutting at the expense of patient care.


Software for space applications has special requirements in terms of reliability and dependability and the verification & validation activities (VAs) of these systems often account for more than 50% of the development effort. The industry is also faced with political and market pressure to deliver software faster and cheaper. Thus new ways are needed to optimize these activities so that high quality can be retained even with reduced costs and effort. Here we present a framework for the management and optimization of verification & validation activities (VAMOS). An initial evaluation of the framework based on historical data as well as data extracted with a new tool has been done and are described briefly.


Optimum space-time turbo trellis codes (ST turbo TCs) with 4-PSK and 8-PSK for two, three and four transmit antennas on multi-input/multi-output (MIMO) fading channels are presented. The component codes of the turbo schemes are designed by choosing feedforward coefficients to maximize coding gain and feedback coefficients to minimize iterative decoding threshold. Performance comparison of ST turbo TCs with various memory orders, feedback coefficients, transmit antennas and interleaver structures is illustrated. For four transmit antennas, ST turbo TCs offer a gain of 3.75 dB over the one with two transmit antennas and is 2 dB better than the space-time trellis codes (STTCs) at an FER of 10/sup -3/ on slow Rayleigh fading channels.


BACKGROUND
In our previously described primate renal allograft model, T cell ablation leads to long-term graft survival. The role of endothelial cell alteration in chronic rejection was examined in our model.

METHODS
Renal transplants were performed in rhesus monkeys using a T cell- depleting immunotoxin, FN18-CRM9. Sections from 10 rejected kidneys (5 acute and 7 chronic rejection) were examined after immunohistochemical staining for expression of endothelium-related proteins [von Willebrand factor (vWF), CD62P, and CD31], fibrinogen, and a macrophage marker (CD68). Glomerular staining for each antigen was graded on a semiquantitative scale.

RESULTS
Intense staining for vWF was consistently observed in glomerular endothelium, subendothelium, and mesangium in all kidneys removed due to chronic rejection. vWF staining was weak in kidneys showing acute rejection. The difference in glomerular staining was statistically significant. Staining for vWF in extraglomerular vessels was nearly identical in kidneys showing acute and chronic rejection. Expression of CD62P was increased in extraglomerular vessels in allografts with chronic rejection, but the glomeruli showed little or no staining. There was no significant difference in the glomerular staining for CD62P or CD31 in organs showing acute and chronic rejection. Fibrinogen staining of glomerular mesangium was seen in kidneys with chronic rejection. Macrophages (CD68+) infiltrating glomeruli were more numerous in kidneys showing chronic rejection.

CONCLUSION
Increased glomerular deposition of vWF in renal allografts showing chronic rejection, without increased staining for CD62P or CD31, suggests increased constitutive secretion of vWF from endothelial cells as a component of the mechanism of chronic rejection in our model.


The article deals with one of the least studied aspects of cardiac surgery: better approaches to managing patients at risk of sudden death. Sudden death due to the sick sinus syndrome commonly occurs in the elderly. In the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, ventricular fibrillation is possible in concomitant atrial fibrillation and high conduction along the Kent bundle. The risk of sudden death is particularly high among patients with ventricular tachycardia. This is most vividly manifested in coronarogenic tachycardia. Patients with allorhythmias and postoperative tachycardia are at high risk. Surgical methods and operative results are discussed.


This report presents an analysis of data collected from the General Household Survey (GHS) from April 2001 to March 2002 relating to people aged 65 and over. The General Household Survey (GHS) is a multi-purpose continuous survey carried out by the National Statistics, which collects information on a range of topics from people living in private households in Great Britain. The GHS provides a rich source of information about people aged 65 and over. Information was collected from people living in private households and therefore excludes those in communal establishments such as residential or nursing homes which only counts for 4 per cent of people aged 65 and over. The survey asked people aged 65+ about their living circumstances, their health, their ability to perform a range of domestic and other tasks, and the use they make of health and social services. The information collected has enabled the GHS to present regular snapshots of older people's lives and to examine how these have changed over the years.


Photonic crystal fibres are capable of special light guiding properties that ordinary optical fibres do not possess, and efforts have been made to numerically model these properties. The plane wave expansion method is one of the numerical methods that has been used. Unfortunately, the function that describes the material in the fibre n(x) is discontinuous, and convergence of the plane wave expansion method is adversely affected by this. For this reason, the plane wave expansion method may not be every applied mathematician's first choice method but we will show that it is comparable in implementation and convergence to the standard finite element method. In particular,an optimal preconditioner for the system matrix A can easily be obtained and matrixvector products with A can be computed in O(N logN) operations (where N is the size of A) using the Fast Fourier Transform. Although we are always interested in the efficiency of the method, the main contribution of this thesis is the development of convergence analysis for the plane wave expansion method applied to 4 different 2nd-order elliptic eigenvalue problems in R and R2 with discontinuous coefficients. To obtain the convergence analysis three issues must be confronted: regularity of the eigenfunctions; approximation error with respect to plane waves; and stability of the plane wave expansion method. We successfully tackle the regularity and approximation error issues but proving stability relies on showing that the plane wave expansion method is equivalent to a spectral Galerkin method, and not all of our problems allow this. However, stability is observed in all of our numerical computations. It has been proposed in [40], [53], [63] and [64] that replacing the discontinuous coefficients in the problem with smooth coefficients will improve the plane wave expansion method, despite the additional error. Our convergence analysis for the method in[63] and [64] shows that the overall rate of convergence is no faster than before. To define A we need the Fourier coefficients of n(x), and sometimes these must be approximated, thus adding an additional error. We analyse the errors for a method where n(x) is sampled on a uniform grid and the Fourier coefficients are computed with the Fast Fourier Transform. We then devise a strategy for setting the grid-spacing that will recover the convergence rate of the plane wave expansion method with exact Fourier coefficients.


A practical implementation of a telecommunication management network (TMN) Q3 interface for the management of telecommunications switches is described. The interface consists of a full seven-layer open systems interconnection (OSI) protocol stack and the following three application service areas: 1) alarm surveillance, 2) command interface and 3) file handling. Seven regional operations and maintenance (O&M) centers are based on telecommunications management and operation support (TMOS), Ericsson's TMN platform. TMOS is reviewed briefly. The centers are connected to a nationwide O&M network to support the management of the entire Norwegian telecommunications network. This represents an early, and fairly large-scale introduction of an operational TMN network.<<ETX>>


Objective: The objective of the present investigation was to improve the dissolution rate of Orlistat (ORL), a poor water-soluble anti-obesity drug by solid dispersion technique. Materials and Methods: To improve the solubility and dissolution, ORL solid dispersion was formulated using a hydrophilic polymeric carrier poloxomer 188. Solid dispersion was formulated by kneading method and physicochemical characterization and in vitro release study was carried out. Results: Fourier transform infrared spectral (FT-IR) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study showed a change in the crystalline nature of the drug, and its conversion into amorphous form. The in vitro dissolution study of physical mixture and solid dispersion both showed enhanced solubility as compared to the pure active drug. Conclusion: This study suggests that ORL solid dispersion having drug: Carrier (1:5) could be a promising approach to improve the solubility and dissolution.


This review paper explores recent efforts to estimate state and national-scale carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions from individual anthropogenic source sectors in the United States. Nearly all state and national climate change regulations in the US target specific source sectors, and detailed monitoring of individual sectors presents a greater challenge than monitoring total emissions. We particularly focus on opportunities to synthesize disparate types of information on emissions, including emissions inventory data and atmospheric greenhouse gas data. 5 We find that inventory estimates of sector-specific CO2 emissions are sufficiently accurate for policy evaluation at national scale but that uncertainties increase at state and local levels. CH4 emissions inventories are highly uncertain for all source sectors at all spatial scales, in part because of the complex, spatially-variable relationships between economic activity and CH4 emissions. In contrast to inventory estimates, top-down estimates use measurements of atmospheric concentrations to infer emissions at the surface; these efforts have had little success identifying CO2 emissions from anthropogenic sources 10 but have successfully identified sector-specific CH4 emissions in several opportunistic cases. We also describe a number of forward-looking opportunities that would aid efforts to estimate sector-specific emissions: fully combine existing top-down datasets, expand intensive aircraft measurement campaigns and measurements of secondary tracers, and improve the economic and demographic data (e.g., activity data) that drive emissions inventories. These steps would better synthesize inventory and top-down data to support sector-specific emissions reduction policies. 15


A field experiment was conducted at ICAR-DGR, Junagadh in kharif (rainfed or monsoon
season crop) of 2009 and 2010 for integrated disease management (IDM) of major peanut
diseases. The IDM component comprised of a combination of seed treatment with
Trichoderma, mancozeb, tebuconazole; soil application of Trichoderma and castor cake;
and foliar sprays of hexaconazole and tebuconazole. Observations on foliar fungal diseases
were recorded by adopting 1-9 modified scale and in the case of soil borne diseases per
cent incidence was recorded. The treatments were found effective to maintain the initial
plant population and were highest in seed treatment with mancozeb followed by seed
treatment with Trichoderma harzianum. Lowest incidence of soil-borne diseases was
recorded in seed treatment with mancozeb and seed treatment with tebuconazole in
comparison to untreated control. The foliar disease severity was lowest in treatment
tebuconazole and two foliar sprays of tebuconazole whereas it was recorded highest in the
untreated control. Highest pod and haulm yield were recorded in seed treatment with
mancozeb and two sprays of hexaconazole and seed treatment with tebuconazole and two
foliar sprays of tebuconazole whereas it was lowest in the untreated control. The cost of
treatment are very important to manage diseases, therefore, it is suggested that
combination of treatments are most suitable for disease management.


Purpose: The aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal injection of ranibizumab for treatment of prethreshold type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) with conventional laser photocoagulation given for the same disease level. Subjects and Methods: In this retrospective comparative study, the charts of 16 premature babies, presenting from July 2009 to May 2014, were reviewed. All infants were diagnosed with prethreshold ROP (type 1). Patients received either intravitreal ranibizumab (0.625 mg/0.025 ml of solution) (group A, 12 eyes of 6 infants) or conventional diode laser (group B, 28 eyes of 14 infants), bilaterally. The main evaluated outcomes included time of regression, decrease of plus signs and incidence of recurrence. Infants were followed till 55 weeks postmenstrual age. The confidentiality of the patients was respected. Results: The mean age of the studied infants was 35.63 ± 1.58 weeks ranging from 33 to 39 weeks. The stage of ROP in the studied infants was either stage 2 in 7 cases (43.8%) or stage 3 in 9 cases (56.3%). The zones of ROP were zone I in 3 cases (18.8%) and zone II in 13 cases (81.3%). Group A had a mean gestational age (GA) of 36.6 ± 1.5 weeks, while cases in group B had mean GA of 35 ± 1.3 weeks. This was statistically significant (P = 0.037). The stage did not significantly affect the choice of treatment (P = 0.09). Looking at the subgroup analysis 66.7% (two cases) of cases with zone I disease were treated with intravitreal ranibizumab, whereas 69.2% (nine cases) with zone II disease were treated with conventional laser. The incidence of recurrence was not affected by the zone of the disease (P = 0.71) nor by the stage of the ROP or by the presence of plus sign (P = 0.29, P = 0.68, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference between the two treatment groups about the incidence of recurrence (P = 0.701). The mean GA for cases with recurrence of ROP (35.25 ± 2.6 weeks), did not differ significantly with the mean GA of the infants who did not suffer from recurrence 35.75 ± 1.2 weeks (P = 0.7). Conclusion: Both intravitreal ranibizumab and conventional laser were proven effective in the treatment of prethreshold type 1 ROP. Long-term favorable structural outcome may require extended observation and retreatment. Further large-scale studies are needed to address the long-term safety and efficacy.


A 56-year-old man diagnosed with sigmoid colon cancer underwent sigmoid colectomy. Nine months later, his serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level had increased, and the diagnosis of recurrent peritoneal dissemination was made based on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) findings. Although systemic chemotherapy comprising S-1 and oxaliplatin (SOX) plus bevacizumab was initiated, severe diarrhea occurred on day 4 of the second cycle despite reduction in S-1 dose. By changing the daily oral intake schedule for S-1 to an alternate-day intake from the third cycle (modified SOX plus bevacizumab), the patient was able to continue undergoing chemotherapy without any adverse gastrointestinal effects. All tumors disappeared after four cycles, and the patients received eight cycles of modified SOX plus bevacizumab followed by maintenance chemotherapy comprising alternate-day S-1 plus bevacizumab. Maintenance chemotherapy was discontinued after 17 cycles owing to adverse events, including thrombocytopenia, corneal and lacrimal duct disorders, and hyperbilirubinemia. The patient has been radiographically confirmed to be in remission for 5 years without any recurrence, and his serum CEA level has been within normal range for >3 years. To conclude, compared with the conventional consecutive treatment, alternate-day SOX plus bevacizumab treatment may reduce the adverse effects of these chemotherapeutic drugs.


Photograph of an unidentified student smiling as his portrait is taken. He is in attendance of the 7th Annual Scholarship and Award Celebration, "Celebrate Mayborn," the Frank & Sue Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas. Current undergraduates, alumni, notable professionals and faculty members of Mayborn were recognized at this event for their careers and academic achievements in the journalism field.


Women's career development does not simply lag behind that of men, but may proceed in a completely different manner, and yet, to date, only a few career models attempt to incorporate women's varying life experiences. Indeed, the traditional working pattern of education, full‐time career and retirement, is based on the typical working lives of men and there is no single typical working pattern for modern women. It is clear that while traditional male career development models remain, and while women are the ones to step off the fast track to meet family responsibilities, they will continue to be at a competitive disadvantage in career advancement. Reviews the literature on these themes, and areas for further research are highlighted. Argues that the importance of offering new conceptions of career based on an understanding that women's experiences are different from men's, cannot be underestimated.


Direct and indirect characterizations of the relation between clause type (syntactic form) and speech act (pragmatic function) are problematic because they map oversimplified forms onto decomposable functions. We propose an alternative account of questions by abandoning any (in)direct link to their clause type and by decomposing speech acts into two variables encoding propositional attitudes. One variable captures the speaker's commitment to an utterance, another their expectation toward the addressee's engagement. We couch this proposal in a syntactic framework that relies on two projections dedicated to managing common ground (GroundP) and managing turn-taking (ResponseP), respectively. Empirical evidence comes from the conversational properties of sentence-final intonation in English and sentence-peripheral particles that serve to manage the common ground.


INTRODUCTION
The various diagnostic classifications in the literature concur as regards the important role of abdominal obesity in the onset and progression of metabolic syndrome. Accordingly, this study was aimed at clarifying whether central obesity measurements assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) may predict metabolic syndrome in Spanish postmenopausal women.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
This historical cohort study included a total of 1326 postmenopausal women aged > 45 years old who had routinely undergone DXA to measure their bone mineral density between January 2006 and January 2011. The regions of interest (ROI) envisaged in our study by using DXA were the lumbar regions L1-L4 and L4-L5. At the same time, they underwent a complete medical examination including personal medical history assessment, biochemical blood analysis, blood pressure measurement and anthropometrical evaluation. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed attending to the criteria established by National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NECP-ATP-III).

RESULTS
During the observation period, 537 women, representing 40.5% of the total studied, met the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome. L1-L4 and L4-L5 abdominal fat mass determinations were associated with the development of metabolic syndrome in all regression models tested, showing an increasing gradient from the lowest to highest quintile.

CONCLUSION
Central adiposity measurements assessed by DXA, especially L1-L4 region of interest, could be considered a powerful predictor of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.


BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to determine the prevalence and risk factors of urinary incontinence in women aged 30 to 70 years, who were attending to a gynecologic hospital. METHODS: During 2006, married women (aged 30-70 years) attending to a teaching gynecological hospital were as- sessed during their visits for any gynecologic diseases. We used a questionnaire with interview for collecting data. The potential risk factors were measured; i.e., the demographics, menopausal status, urinary symptoms (frequency, nocturia and urgency), urinary incontinence, (urgency, stress and mixed), body mass index, medical history (type of delivery, parity, gravidity, chronic illnesses, medication use, pelvic surgery and seeking medical care for their problem). RESULTS: The mean age was 46.5 (± 8.4) years. The mean parity was 5.1 ± 1.5. 27% of the participants reported uri- nary incontinence. Out of 111 women with urinary incontinence, 77 (18.7%, CI: 14.7-22.7%), 17 (4.1%, CI: 2.2-5.8%) and 17 (4.1%, CI: 2.2-5.8%) were classified as having stress, urge and mixed urinary incontinence, respectively. The overall prevalence of urinary incontinence was 18.9% (34 subjects) in women aged 30-44 years, 30.9% (46 subjects) in those aged 45-54 years and 37.8% (31 subjects) in those aged 55 years and older. Out of 117 menopause women, 39 (33.3%) were incontinent. On average, women reported 4.4 (± 1.06) diurnal and 0.55 (± 0.66) nocturnal voidings in 24 hours. Diurnal and nocturnal frequencies were different between continent and incontinent women. The high parity, excessive birth weight, pelvic trauma, constipation, chronic illnesses (specially diabetes) and gynecologic and other pelvic surgeries were known as risk factors for urinary incontinence. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant association between urinary incontinence and high parity, excessive birth weight, pelvic trauma, constipation, chronic illnesses (specially diabetes), and gynecologic and other pelvic surgeries.


Students' preparations and first-class discussions focus on the key resources, factors, and relationships that could be causing the poor performance of the student-run consulting organization. Students should develop a causal-loop diagram showing the key resources, feedback relationships, and delays in the system. As a follow up assignment, sufficient information is available for the students to develop a system simulation model. Instructors can choose an alternate assignment requesting students to evaluate and utilize a simulation model developed by the authors. Systems-intervention analysis and policy testing is expected once a valid model is developed or given to the students. Instructors should contact Professor Robert D. Landel at the Darden School for free use of the model.


Trophoblast giant cells of the rat placenta express cytochrome P450 17 alpha-hydroxylase (P450c17) and synthesize androgens. The purpose of this study was to investigate androgen production and expression of P450c17 in the Rcho-1 trophoblast cell line. These cells are capable of differentiating along the trophoblast giant cell lineage. Androstenedione production increased approximately 70-fold as Rcho-1 trophoblast cells progressed from the proliferation to the differentiation state. P450c17 enzyme activity and mRNA also showed significant increases associated with trophoblast giant cell differentiation. To study the transcriptional regulation of the P450c17 gene, the activities of a series of P450c17 promoter-luciferase reporter constructs were evaluated following transient transfection into Rcho-1 trophoblast cells. A DNA region located-98 bp upstream of the P450c17 gene transcriptional start site was the shortest promoter DNA construct consistently possessing activity in Rcho-1 trophoblast cells. Activities of longer constructs (-156 to -1560 bp) in this population of cells were significantly greater than the -98 bp promoter-reporter construct. The -476 bp P450c17 construct showed maximal promoter activity in transiently transfected Rcho-1 trophoblast cells and was developmentally activated in stably transfected Rcho-1 trophoblast cells. Activation of the cyclic AMP/protein kinase A pathway did not significantly affect P450c17 promoter activity in Rcho-1 trophoblast cells, in contrast to its effects in mouse MA-10 Leydig cells. In summary, Rcho-1 trophoblast cells are capable of endocrine differentiation and are a useful in vitro system for studying the regulation of trophoblast androgen production and P450c17 gene expression.


Traffic simulation is a cost-effective way to test the deployment of Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) vehicles in a large-scale transportation network. By using a previously developed microscopic simulation testbed, this paper examines the impacts of four managed lane strategies for the near-term deployment of CACC vehicles under mixed traffic conditions. Network-wide performance measures are investigated from the perspectives of mobility, safety, equity, and environmental impacts. In addition, the platoon formation performance of CACC vehicles is evaluated with platoon-orientated measures, such as the percentage of platooned CACC vehicles, average platoon depth, and vehicle-hour-platooned that is proposed in this paper under the imperfect DSRC communication environment. Moreover, managed lane score matrices are developed to incorporate heterogeneous categories of performance measures, aiming to provide a more comprehensive picture for stakeholders. The results show that mixing CACC traffic along with non-CACC traffic across all travel lanes is an acceptable option when the market penetration (MP) is lower than 30% for roadways where a managed lane is absent. Providing CACC with priority access to an existing managed lane, if available, is also a good strategy for improving the overall traffic performance when the MP is lower than 40%. When the MP reaches above 40%, a dedicated lane for CACC vehicles is recommended, as it provides greater opportunity for CACC vehicles to form platoons. The facilitation of homogeneous CACC traffic flow could make further improvements possible in the future.


Introduction The degree of disability in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) can be evaluated with the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), a valid tool which was designed for such purposes. However, there appears to be paucity of data on the awareness and use of the GMFCS particularly in the Sub-Saharan continent where the condition is still prevalent. Thus, this study aims to describe awareness, use, merits and demerits of the GMFCS system as perceived by health professionals who take care of children with CP. Methods : This was a cross sectional study of health professionals from three Nigerian teaching hospitals. Information obtained via structured questionnaire were demographic data, years of qualification, years of experience of working with children with CP, awareness, use, merits and demerits of the GMFCS. Factors associated with use of the GMFCS were also evaluated with the Chi-square analysis. Results : 78 health professionals participated in the study and majority (58.9%) were doctors. 55 (70.5%) of the study participants were aware of the GMFCS but only 33(42.3%) were using it. The nurses were neither aware of the system nor using it. A higher proportion of therapists (65.4%) were familiar with the system compared to the doctors (54.3%) . The location of practice was significantly associated with the use of the GMFCS (p=0.013). More doctors noted the merits and demerits of the system compared to the therapists. Conclusion : Though health professionals were aware of the GMFCS only a small proportion was using this vital tool in the clinical setting. Thus, there is the need to create more awareness on GMFCS and its clinical utility, and the training of nurses should be of paramount importance in the developing country. Key words: Awareness, cerebral palsy, gross motor function classification system, developing country


Self-injection of DMPA-SC method is one of the Government of Nigeria's (GON) national family planning goals to address the unmet need for contraception. Some studies on DMPA-SC/SI have demonstrated its feasibility to improve modern contraceptive uptake. However, there is a gap in the predictors of method uptake and continuation across self-injecting and provider-administered in Nigeria. This study explored the uptake of self-injection DMPA-SC contraceptives among women in two geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The study employed 20 focused group discussions (FGDs) and 40 In-depth interviews (IDIs). Self-structured pretested questionnaire to elicit information from 844 women registered for Family Planning in selected health facilities. Descriptive statistics were calculated and multivariate logistic regression was used to model determinants of DMPA-SC/SI family planning uptake. Six months of Secondary Data from the Health Management Information system (HMIS) was used to triangulate the trends in uptake. About 97.6% reported ever heard DMPA-SC/SI family planning method; 78.4% reported its uptake; while 88.5% reported ever heard of self-injection as an option of family planning method. Data for each State showed a remarkable increase in uptake of DMPA-SC/SI. The motivations to use DMPA-SC/Self Injection were ease of accessibility, convenience, and self-administer/care. Factors that encourage the uptake of DMPA-SC/SI were; health benefits, the prevailing economic situation and its effectiveness. Findings from the study showed that interventions that deploy health education, awareness, social mobilization, advocacy, policy implementation, and public sensitization, making contraceptive services available for free, will increase the uptake of Keywords: Determinants, DMPA-SC/SI, Practice, Self-injection, Uptake. DMPA-SC/SI in the study areas.


Introduction Arthroscopy is the most common orthopaedic procedure performed in the United Kingdom and requires mastery of a number of basic skills that are then fluidly combined to perform complex procedures. The Fundamentals of Arthroscopic Surgery Training (FAST) programme was developed to breakdown arthroscopy into its basic psychomotor tasks. Virtual Reality (VR) FAST modules have been developed to allow trainees to practice skills with immediate, unbiased metric-based feedback. The aim of this study was to determine whether a VR FAST programme is able to distinguish between individuals of differing levels of experience. Methods Seven virtual reality FAST modules including three basic camera tasks (image centring, horizon control and telescoping), 2 advanced camera tasks (periscoping and line tracing) and 2 instrumented bimanual dexterity tasks (probe triangulation and gathering stars) formed the basis of a VR FAST programme. 60 participants including experts (orthopaedic consultants; n = 10), intermediates (orthopaedic registrars n = 30) and novices (medical students; n = 20) completed each FAST module. The metrics recorded included the time taken, camera path length and instrument path length. Results The basic FAST camera modules did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference between experts, intermediates and novices (p=0.68). Advanced FAST camera modules demonstrated construct validity with less time taken and superior economy of movement by experts and intermediates compared to novices (P<0.05). The bimanual dexterity FAST modules demonstrated a strongly statistically significant superior performance between each of the three groups (P<0.01). Ambidexterity correlated to the level of experience with experts more proficient than intermediates and novices in the advanced FAST camera modules (P<0.05) and bimanual dexterity FAST modules (P<0.01). Conclusion This study represents a novel method of assessing fundamental arthroscopic skills using a VR simulator platform. Participants with the most arthroscopic surgical experience performed superiorly in advanced camera handing and bimanual dexterity tasks than novices. Basic camera handling modules did not discriminate between experience levels and may require further development.


Objective: This study evaluated the effect of leucocyte and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) techniques used in alveolar ridge preservation on dimensional hard tissue changes of the alveolar ridge assessed using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. Material and Methods: Elective alveolar ridge preservation surgeries were performed on seven systemically healthy patients who underwent single posterior tooth extraction. Patients were randomly treated with PRF mixed with a commercial bone xenograft (n = 3) or PRF plug (n = 4). CBCT scans were taken immediately after tooth extraction and then four months later, just before implant surgery. Dimensional alterations in socket height (SH), socket area (SA) and socket volume (SV) were evaluated on CBCT scans by percentage differences before and after treatments. Results: Sockets treated with PRF plus bone xenograft had a tendency to maintain alveolar bone dimensions over time (SH= 11.22% to 82.74%, SA= 1.84% to 48.91% and SV= 9.11% to 203.62%), while sockets treated only with PRF plug technique presented only a modest increase in height (SH= 1.47% to 11.11%) but greater alveolar ridge resorption confirmed by a decrease in socket area and volume dimensions (SA= 0.21% to -24.09% SV= 8.53% to -54.12%). Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the maintenance of alveolar socket dimensions was observed when PRF was associated with a xenograft. However, the loss of alveolar ridge dimensions was not entirely prevented by PRF treatment alone.


This paper aims to propose PMWF model, a new workflow model to automate ubiquitous policy making processes and facilitate citizen participation. While workflow technology has been widely adopted in public sector, the use of technology is mostly limited to supporting back-end administrative business processes. PMWF model targets front-end policy making processes that require active participation of large number of citizens. Automatic delivery of relevant policy issues into citizen's life is expected to enhance their participation in policy formulation and implementation processes. PMWF model provides modelling constructs to link back-end admin tasks by policy makers to frontend opinion tasks whose main actors are citizens. The core constructs for linkage is opinion-tag which contains policy issues and is attached to geographical objects so that citizens can identify relevant policy issues in the middle of their every-day life patterns. The proposed model is applied to real world policy making processes in the UK and Turkey to show its generality.


The continuous increase, witnessed in the last decade, of both the amount of available data and the areas of application of machine learning, has lead to a demand for both learning and planning algorithms that are capable of handling large-scale problems. Thus scalability has become an important characteristic of modern machine learning algorithms. In this thesis we concentrate on tractable approaches to both learning and planning, capable of solving problems in high-dimensional spaces. We investigate multiple forms of high-dimensionality, where dimensionality can refer to the number of samples to be processed, the number of samples available for training, the dimensionality of the feature space, or even the dimensionality of the state-space. We present work on classifier cascades, developing a novel framework for interpreting, training, and employing such structures of classifiers. A Boosting algorithm developed in this framework highlights its ability to jointly train the classifiers at the cascade nodes. The work presented on goal-planning also results in a novel framework, this time for automatic macro-action discovery in imitation learning, specifically addressing problems with large state-spaces as well as with observation signals of high-dimensionality. The proposed DPBoost algorithm is capable of solving very complex goal-planning tasks where previous state-of-the-art fails. Addressing computer hardware limitations, and in particular memory limitations, we propose a new learning framework, which we call reservoir learning, which attempts to directly account for this limited memory during the training process. In particular we propose to consider learning in the presence of a reservoir in which the learner may store samples. Based on Boosting we develop a novel strategy for populating this reservoir which avoids redundancy by taking into account the joint behavior of samples. Finally high-dimensionality is also addressed in its most typical setting, that is when the feature space is large. We propose novel feature selection algorithms in the context of classification. Based on information theoretic tools, these algorithms attempt to maximize the joint mutual information between the selected, continuous, variables and the, discrete, class label variable.


JVRB, 14(2017), no. 6. - Measuring how effective immersive virtual environments (IVEs) are in reproducing sensations as in similar situations in the real world is an important task for many application fields. In this paper, we present an experimental setup which we call the virtual pole, in which we evaluated human responses to fear of heights. We conducted a set of experiments in which we analyzed correlations between subjective and physiological anxiety measures as well as the participant's view direction. Our results show that the view direction plays an important role in subjective and physiological anxiety in an IVE due to the limited field of view (FOV), and that the subjective and physiological anxiety measures monotonically increase with the increasing height. In addition, we also found that participants recollected the virtual content they saw at the top height more accurately compared to that at the medium height. We discuss the results and provide guidelines for simulations aimed at evoking fear of heights responses in IVEs.


This work consists of FPGA based design of reconfigurable router for NoC applications using VHDL. The router designed in this proposed session has four channels (namely, east, west, north and south) and a crossbar switch each consist FIFO buffers and multiplexers. FIFO buffers are used to store the data and multiplexers are used to control the input and output of the data. Firstly, south channel is designed which includes the design of FIFO and multiplexers. After that, the switch, arbiter and crossbar will design. All these designed channels, FIFO buffers, multiplexers and crossbar switches are integrated to form the complete router architecture. The proposed design is simulated using Modelsim and the RTL view is obtained using Xilinx ISE 13.4. Xilinx SPARTAN-6 FPGAs are used for synthesis of proposed design. Fixed priority arbiter is used to reduce the area of the proposed reconfigurable router.


Integer wavelet transform (IWT) and IWT-Based image-compression offer many advantages over traditional wavelet. But every subband coefficients of the IWT-Image have smaller dynamic change value and worse energy compaction than the first generation wavelet. Those reduce efficiency of embedded zerotree wavelet (EZW) coding. This paper proposes "integer square quantization threshold from 1" instead of "2 of integer power quantization threshold" during EZW coding. It shortens the distances of every quantization threshold, reduces probability of the important coefficients in the lower quantization threshold area and increases zerotrees. It reduces the coding signs and does not code the zerotrees of the most high-frequency subbands. The experiments results show that integer square zerotree wavelet (ISZW) coding algorithm solves the low efficiency of EZW based on IWT and improves the performance of compression algorithm. It may be used in still picture compression and transmission.


In this article, we review the evidence suggesting a possible role for B19 virus in the pathogenesis of a subset of cases of acute leukemia. Human parvovirus B19 infection may complicate the clinical course of patients with acute leukemia and may also precede the development of acute leukemia by up to 180 days. Parvovirus B19 targets erythroblasts in the bone marrow and may cause aplastic crisis in patients with shortened‐red cell survival. Aplastic crisis represents a prodrome of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2% patients. There is a significant overlap between those HLA classes I and II alleles that are associated with a vigorous immune response and development of symptoms during B19 infection and those HLA alleles that predispose to development of acute leukemia. Acute symptomatic B19 infection is associated with low circulating IL‐10 consistent with a vigorous immune response; deficient IL‐10 production at birth was recently found to be associated with subsequent development of acute leukemia. Anti‐B19 IgG has been associated with a particular profile of methylation of human cancer genes in patients with acute leukemia, suggesting an additional hit and run mechanism. The proposed role for parvovirus B19 in the pathogenesis of acute leukemia fits well with the delayed infection hypothesis and with the two‐step mutation model, which describes carriage of the first mutation prior to birth, followed by suppression of hematopoiesis, which allows rapid proliferation of cells harboring the first mutation, acquisition of a second activating mutation, and expansion of cells carrying both mutations, resulting in acute leukemia. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The demand for the dentists to know excellence in aesthetics and performance has driven modern advances in materials and restore the fabrication. most of the patient requests for more aesthetic and biologically safe materials that have led to an increased demand for metal free restorations. The subsequent case presentation illustrates a successful aesthetic and functional application of porcelain fused metal crowns and glued denture . Full ceramic crowns with opaque cores are superior in strength, with good aesthetics. When restoring anterior teeth with these crowns, it's advisable to finish the margin sub gingivally as there might be a mismatch in shade between the tooth margin and thus the restoration. it's difficult to form direct comparisons from cited studies to advance a transparent argument in support of 1 treatment modality. it's judged that a standard retreatment approach is that the most appropriate within the first instance, providing access to the basis canal is feasible . This doesn't preclude a subsequent surgical approach. Teeth that are permanently restored soon after re treatment are more successful than those which aren't . There are significant challenges in fixing prospective research studies to directly address the matter of the failed root filing. With the event in materials, careful case selection and application of the restorative techniques, posterior composites placed under appropriate conditions and monitored routinely are often expected to last 10 years or longer. Invaded the biologic width during tooth preparation may result in chronic inflammation, loss of alveolar bone, recession and pocket formation. The chronic inflammation compromises both aesthetic and periodontal health. so on stay margins of restoration supragingival the space from marginal bone to margins of restoration should not be but 3 mm. Ideally the margins of restoration should be supragingival or within the same level as marginal gingiva. When the margins of restoration are prepared subgingival, the space from marginal gingiva to margins of restoration shouldn't be quite 0.7 mm. To continue dental treatment in operated area is suggested not before in 4 weeks, and making restorations in esthetical area not before in 6 weeks. Cast metal post-and-core foundations have an extended history of successful use thanks to their superior physical properties. supported these 3-year outcomes, passage treatment is taken into account a reliable treatment in practice routine under the conditions of the German national insurance system suitable to salvage most of the affected teeth. A5-year retrospective study of fixed Loss of posterior teeth may end in the loss of neuromuscular stability of the mandible, reduced masticatory efficiency partial dentures showed that fifty-eight (58.6%) of the

FPDs were successes requiring no intervention. Removable partial dentures are particularly indicated in Kennedy Class I cases when there's need for a simple and economic solution. Placement of a removable denture with occlusal overlays may be a simple thanks to restore occlusal face height. Cross-arch cantilevered fixed partial dentures are primarily indicated for stabilization of periodontally weakened Treatment of the dental trauma is complex and requires a comprehensive and accurate diagnostic and treatment plan. It is also important to consider the biological, functional, esthetic and economic aspects, as well as the patient's desire. The purpose of this article is to report a case that shows the multidisciplinary approach required to successfully manage the rehabilitation of a maxillary central incisor with a complex crown fracture and a maxillary lateral incisor abutments. Short unilateral or bilateral bridges are an answer in patients who refuse removable appliances and who cannot afford more extensive rehabilitation with fixed prosthodontics. Rehabilitation with a tough and fast denture supported by means of osseointegrated implants is that the optimal solution in Kennedy Class II cases as long because the bone conditions are appropriate. For any prosthetic treatment, a particular recall system should be established counting on the patient's degree of cooperation, caries susceptibility, periodontal status and therefore the rate of residual ridge resorption. this is often essential so as to get a satisfactory prognosis. during a patient with poor oral hygiene, the only solution, with regard to the prognosis of the remaining teeth, is to abstain from any prosthetic treatment.

Methods: This manuscript reviews the present literature to spot treatment options for the Kennedy Class I and II partially edentulous patient.


Kenya is one of the few countries in sub-Saharan Africa experiencing an impressive rise in fertilizer use on food crops grown by smallholder farmers since the liberalization of input markets starting in the early-1990s. The impacts of these reforms and associated private sector investments on national fertilizer use and food production have never been rigorously quantified, though doing so could shed new light on policy makers' options for raising food crop productivity in the region. This study estimates a double-hurdle model of fertilizer demand that controls for common forms of unobserved heterogeneity then simulates the effect of changes in fertilizer prices and distances from farm to the nearest fertilizer retailer associated with fertilizer market liberalization on the demand for fertilizer and the production of maize, the major staple crop in the country. The study concludes that over the period 1997-2010 the reduction in real fertilizer prices associated with input market liberalization is estimated to have raised maize yields by 15 to 100 kg/ha, depending on the province and year. Low average physical response rates of maize to fertilizer application in high fertilizer consuming areas of Kenya limits the degree to which increased fertilizer use via liberalization policies translates into food production improvements. These increases in maize yield specifically linked to changes in fertilizer prices accounted for between 1 and 11 percent of changes in maize production between survey years.


The folding kinetics of a 16-residue beta-hairpin (trpzip4) and five mutants were studied by a laser-induced temperature-jump infrared method. Our results indicate that mutations which affect the strength of the hydrophobic cluster lead to a decrease in the thermal stability of the beta-hairpin, as a result of increased unfolding rates. For example, the W45Y mutant has a phi-value of approximately zero, implying a folding transition state in which the native contacts involving Trp45 are not yet formed. On the other hand, mutations in the turn or loop region mostly affect the folding rate. In particular, replacing Asp46 with Ala leads to a decrease in the folding rate by roughly 9 times. Accordingly, the phi-value for D46A is determined to be approximately 0.77, suggesting that this residue plays a key role in stabilizing the folding transition state. This is most likely due to the fact that the main chain and side chain of Asp46 form a characteristic hydrogen bond network with other residues in the turn region. Taken together, these results support the folding mechanism we proposed before, which suggests that the turn formation is the rate-limiting step in beta-hairpin folding and, consequently, a stronger turn-promoting sequence increases the stability of a beta-hairpin primarily by increasing its folding rate, whereas a stronger hydrophobic cluster increases the stability of a beta-hairpin primarily by decreasing its unfolding rate. In addition, we have examined the compactness of the thermally denatured and urea-denatured states of another 16-residue beta-hairpin, using the method of fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Our results show that the thermally denatured state of this beta-hairpin is significantly more compact than the urea-denatured state, suggesting that the very first step in beta-hairpin folding, when initiated from an extended conformation, probably corresponds to a process of hydrophobic collapse.


Introduction Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) is associated with dural sinus outflow obstruction in an unknown percentage of patients. It can cured by venous sinus stent placement, and an increasing number of neurointerventionalists are interested in or beginning to perform the procedure. We describe selection criteria, stenting technique, and post-stenting follow-up for IIH patients at our institution. Methods Patient charts, selection criteria, operative/procedure notes, and post-stenting follow-up records from January 1999 to March 2017 were reviewed, during which time we deployed 53 stents in 40 patients. Eight patients underwent one to three restenting procedures. Results Pre-procedure selection criteria Patients have an established diagnosis of IIH, preferably made by a neuro-optholmolagist, with clearly documented papilledema and lumbar puncture opening pressure >25 cm H20. Usually diagnostic workup and stent placement are not technically difficult. However, we have modified our techniques over time to increase diagnostic accuracy and to simplify the procedure. In the presentation we will expand on some of the points below. Diagnostic procedure Full strength contrast, higher injection volumes, at least four biplane orthogonal and oblique projections with steep Towne and angled lateral projections are performed in both ICAs. Minimal sedation during the diagnostic evaluation (avoids alterations in dural venous sinus pressures). The type of transverse - sigmoid sinus narrowing (intraluminal filling defect or extrinsic compression) is best seen on the anterior oblique projection ipsilateral to the sinus to be stented. Pressure measurements: 5F Envoy positioned in upper internal jugular vein on the side chosen for stent (dominant sinus). Pressure measurements performed through 027 microcatheter. Pressure in upper IJ measured, then microcatheter is advanced into anterior SSS. Pullback pressure measurements at ≥7 points in the dural sinuses. Dural sinus venography (microcatheter) in the posterior SSS and TS above the stenosis. Continue pullback pressure measurements. Pressure gradient ≥10 mmHg across the narrowing will be stented. Stenting technique 7F Shuttle sheath positioned in upper internal jugular vein on the appropriate side (dominant sinus). 027 microcatheter fitted coaxially inside a conduit catheter, typically a Navien 072(Medtronic) advanced through the TS-SS stenosis into the TS. An 018 Zilver stent (typically 6–9 mm diameter, 8 cm length) advanced through conduit catheter. Stent deployed from medial TS through upper SS across the stenosis. Repeat pressure measurements. Successful result is pressure gradient <10 mmHg from the anterior SSS to the IJ. Technique for restenting varies slightly and will be discussed.
Post-op followup:
 Clinical followup in 1–2 months to assess decrease in papilledema. If papilledema has regressed, angiographic follow-up performed at 6 months, then at two years. If papilledema is unchanged or increased, early angiographic/hemodynamic evaluation performed for restenting evaluation. Hemodynamic success is a pressure gradient <10 mmHg between the anterior SSS and the ipsilateral IJ. Papilledema has been eliminated in all patients except two late failures who did not undergo restenting. Conclusion Appropriate patient selection criteria are required for IIH venous sinus stenting. Our endovascular technique and followup protocols have been refined over time, and have led to successful management of our patients. Disclosures D. Case: None. J. Seinfeld: None. C. Roark: None. D. Kumpe: None.


Objective To determine the risk of adverse neonatal outcome associated with meconium-stained amniotic fluid independent of that related to antepartum or intrapartum abnormalities. Methods A cohort of 2200 consecutive deliveries was examined and the fetal heart rate (FHR) tracings analyzed independently. Singleton term pregnancies without fatal malformations were stratified by the consistency of meconium and compared. Results Moderate or thick meconium increased the risk for adverse outcome more than threefold (relative risk 3.2, 95% confidence interval 2.0–5.2). This risk was independent of fetal heart tracing abnormalities or maternal hypertensive, kidney, or heart disease. Conclusion Thick meconium alone should alert the physician to a high-risk fetal condition. This phenomenon requires continuous FHR monitoring and reassurance of fetal well-being by acid-base assessment or the equivalent, regardless of maternal disease status or the presence of abnormal FHR tracings.


We consider a system that is subject to random failures, and investigate the decision rule for performing renewal maintenance or preventive replacement (PR). This type of maintenance policy involves two decision variables. The first decision variable is the time between preventive replacements, or a fixed cycle time. To avoid unnecessary renewals or replacements at the end of a cycle, a cut-off age is introduced as the second decision variable. At the end of every cycle, if the system's virtual age is equal to or greater than the cut-off age, it will undergo a renewal or replacement; otherwise the renewal decision will be postponed until the end of the next cycle. Random failures can occur, however; and the system receives emergency imperfect repairs (ER) at these times. Hence, within a PR cycle, a second decision time is identified. If an ER occurs between the start of a cycle and this second decision time, then the planned PR would still be performed at the end of the cycle. However, if the first ER occurs after this second decision time, then the PR at the end of the cycle is skipped over, and the next planned PR would take place at the end of the subsequent cycle. With this simple mechanism, PR which follow on too closely after an ER are avoided, thus saving the unnecessary expense. We develop a computational model to determine the optimal maintenance policy with these two decision variables


This paper discusses results of an EPRI contract on control design for an ac/dc transmission system to increase power transfers limited by dynamic stability. The control is acbieved by modulating the rectifier dc current or power and the inverter dc voltage. Coordinated active and reactive power modulation is accomplished by Linear Quadratic (LQ) control design. Improved performance is realized by utilizing reactive power coupling between dc and ac networks to modulate dc and ac active power. For the demonstration system, power modulation with coordinated voltage modulation is shown to be about ten times more effective than power modulation alone. Control interactions between electromechanical modes of oscillation are eliminated by Kalman filtering. Filtering permits excellent control performance with a minimum of system measurements. Modern control technology is applied within realistic system constraints, such as measurements.


Aluminum nitride ceramics doped carbon nanotubes were fabricated by dispersed multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) into AlN powders homogenously. The densification, electric resistance, thermal conductivity and relative dielectric constant of AlN ceramics were investigated. It was found that MWNTs additives could purify the grain boundaries. Furthermore, it induced the increase of the thermal conductivity and the decrease of the relative dielectric constant. However, the linear shrinkage and electric resistance decreased with increasing MWNTs amount. AlN ceramics with high thermal conductivity and low relative dielectric constant were obtained without apparent decrease of electric resistivity.


BACKGROUND
Myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA-associated GN is a significant cause of renal failure. Manipulating autoimmunity by inducing regulatory T cells is potentially a more specific and safer therapeutic option than conventional immunosuppression.

METHODS
To generate MPO-specific regulatory T cells, we used a modified protein-conjugating compound, 1-ethyl-3-(3'dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (ECDI), to couple the immunodominant MPO peptide (MPO409-428) or a control ovalbumin peptide (OVA323-339) to splenocytes and induced apoptosis in the conjugated cells. We then administered MPO- and OVA-conjugated apoptotic splenocytes (MPO-Sps and OVA-Sps, respectively) to mice and compared their effects on development and severity of anti-MPO GN. We induced autoimmunity to MPO by immunizing mice with MPO in adjuvant; to trigger GN, we used low-dose antiglomerular basement membrane globulin, which transiently recruits neutrophils that deposit MPO in glomeruli. We also compared the effects of transferring CD4+ T cells from mice treated with MPO-Sp or OVA-Sp to recipient mice with established anti-MPO autoimmunity.

RESULTS
MPO-Sp but not OVA-Sp administration increased MPO-specific, peripherally derived CD4+Foxp3- type 1 regulatory T cells and reduced anti-MPO autoimmunity and GN. However, in mice depleted of regulatory T cells, MPO-Sp administration did not protect from anti-MPO autoimmunity or GN. Mice with established anti-MPO autoimmunity that received CD4+ T cells transferred from mice treated with MPO-Sp (but not CD4+ T cells transferred from mice treated with OVA-Sp) were protected from anti-MPO autoimmunity and GN, confirming the induction of therapeutic antigen-specific regulatory T cells.

CONCLUSIONS
These findings in a mouse model indicate that administering apoptotic splenocytes conjugated with the immunodominant MPO peptide suppresses anti-MPO GN by inducing antigen-specific tolerance.


Background Flow diversion is an effective and increasingly accepted method for endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms. Acute in-situ thrombosis during Pipeline embolization device (PED) deployment has potential for devastating morbidity. There is limited experience in the flow diversion literature on the usage of Abciximab (ReoPro) to address this issue. Methods Data were collected retrospectively on patients who encountered in-situ thrombosis during Pipeline flow diversion of anterior and/or posterior circulation intracranial aneurysms. Data collected include aneurysms characteristics, Abciximab dosing and administration regimen, post-procedural antiplatelet therapy, and clinical/radiographical follow up. Results Twenty-five patients (mean age 56 years; range 36–75 years) with 26 unruptured aneurysms (mean size 8.7 mm; range 2-25 mm) were identified to have in-situ thrombosis during PED deployment. Intraarterial (IA) ReoPro was administered in all cases, with 15 patients receiving increments of 5mg boluses and 10 patients receiving 0.125mg/kg bolus. Immediate or partial resolution of in-situ thrombosis was observed in 100% of the patients. Intravenous (IV) ReoPro infusion was administered post-procedurally in 18 patients. 19 patients were transitioned to Prasugrel (Effient) from Clopidogrel (Plavix) post procedurally. Average length of stay was 4.5 days (range 1-30 days), with 21/26 (81%) patients discharged to home. Intracranial hemorrhage was noted in 2 patients (8%). At six-months clinical follow up, 20/25 (80%) patients had mRS of 0. Angiographic follow up was available for 18 patients at a mean duration of 9.6 months, at which time aneurysm occlusion rate was 94% (16/17 patients). Conclusions IA and IV ReoPro administration is a effective and safe strategy for the management of acute in-situ thrombosis during PED, with high rates of immediate thrombosis resolution and relatively low rates of hemorrhagic complications and long term morbidity. Disclosures: B. Jiang: None. J. Campos: None. N. Beaty: None. E. Westbroek: None. M. Bender: None. R. Tamargo: None. J. Huang: 2; C; Longeviti. G. Colby: 1; C; Stryker. 2; C; Microvention, Medtronic. A. Coon: 2; C; Medtronic, Microvention, Sequent, Stryker. L. Lin: None.


Problem Research has established that Seventh-day Adventist families in the Korean community currently living in the United States of America are experiencing increasing levels of domestic violence. It has become increasingly clear that all is not well in the family unit, a core unit of any church and society. During numerous Korean ministerial association meetings, pastors have in the recent past been expressing their growing frustrations about family quarrels. Quarrels in the family have been seen to lead to violence in the homes of many congregation members. While domestic violence is well-known, yet not much talked about problem among Koreans in the United States, the Korean Seventh-day Adventist churches have given it little attention or study. Currently, there is a critical lack of public data or intervention programs to reduce such violence among the members of the SDA Church in this area. The purpose of this project was, therefore, double faceted. The study was conducted to determine the risk factors empirically associated with domestic violence, and secondly, to develop a model for a congregational-based educational program in the local church level aimed at helping risk families avoid domestic violence. This program was purposively devised as an intentional, tested, analyzed, evaluated, and replicable awareness measure of domestic violence within a society setup. It was hoped that the program developed in this study would be replicated effectively in other churches with the view of improving family life for all peoples in all Christian denominations across the globe. Method This study was primarily a pilot survey of domestic violence awareness among a Korean Adventist church in the USA and not a qualitative study per se. The study employed a mixed research methodology incorporating a literature review and quantitative survey research methods. To begin with, the study employed a secondary data document analysis procedure to identify the risk factors of domestic violence among church-going couples as postulated by a variety of reliable, relevant, peer-reviewed literature sources. Secondly, the study conducted a pre-test and post-test quantities research methodology to determine the level of awareness about domestic violence and abuse among the DFW Korean SDA church members. The pre-test was conducted using a pretest survey questionnaire to establish the level of awareness among sampled participants before a research treatment was administered. The treatment in this case was an awareness seminar to educate and sensitize participants about domestic violence among Adventists. Upon completion of the treatment seminar, a post-test was conducted using a post-test survey questionnaire to measure the effect that the treatment seminar had among the participants. Results In the first instance, the study identified several risk factors for domestic violence and abuse among Adventists. Such risk factors included troubled childhood for one of the spouses such as childhood abuse, drug and substance abuse, ungodliness, alcoholism, misinformation about biblical principles such as the dominion of a husband over his wife, emotional instability in a spouse, socially promoted myths about family relationships, and socio-cultural traditions and beliefs suppressing the right of women in families. Secondly, the study established that although the educative awareness seminar had created a level of awareness, it was clear that more education and sensitization was needed to eliminate wrongly held myths among Christians about domestic violence. The seminar was however very effective in helping the participants to understand that some of the long-held myths of family relationships lacked any grain of truth and that the myths had only served to justify abuse and domestic violence wrongly. The seminar successfully clarified what should be regarded as domestic violence, emotional or physical. Conclusions One of the major findings of the post-seminar survey was that 88% of the pilot sample felt that the educative awareness seminar had helped them to understand domestic violence as well as to know how to avoid and prevent domestic violence to accrue in their families. Consequently, based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that the local Korean SDA church and churches across the world were particularly in need of domestic violence education and awareness programs. It was also a conclusion of the study that domestic violence and abuse intervention programs should aim at exposing that spousal abuse exists even among Christians and that domestic violence is against God's purpose for family. Further, this study concluded that awareness programs should ensure that congregation members know the many types and forms of spousal abuse, the real causes of spousal abuse, the negative impacts of domestic violence and abuse, as well as the possible preventive and mitigation measures that can help abuse victims. More importantly, this study concluded that it is the central role of any church and its leadership to facilitate institutional, moral and spiritual support to abuse victims, as well as to continually reveal the central message of the Bible with regards to family relationships. Domestic violence awareness programs should be regular and consistent in any church, since it has a primary responsibility in facilitating the establishment of happy, peaceful, and Godly families. Finally, this study concluded that church leaders should ideally establish communication and mitigation channels to help their congregation members respond to the threat of domestic violence by enabling dialogue, consultation, and counseling. Church leaders can help the congregation face the challenges that most of its members face in their homes towards happier and more successful families, and towards reducing spousal suffering, deaths, and divorces that are directly and indirectly related to domestic violence and abuse.


The transcranial motor stimulation with a special, short discharging stimulator can assess the conduction of central motor pathways. Voluntary preinnervation of certain muscles leads to amplitude augmentation and allows reduction of the stimulus intensity. Preinnervation is impossible, if comatose patients are studied or if the method is used for intraoperative monitoring. We examined the spinal and transcranial stimulated motor responses of the muscle opponens pollicis without preinnervation in 18 healthy volunteers. The latencies after hemispheric stimulation showed an increase of latency of more than 2.5 ms compared with normative data from the literature which is significant on the .05-level. The central conduction time was prolonged also. The latencies of the spinal stimulated muscle potentials are comparable under both conditions. It is concluded that for intraoperative monitoring or the assessment of motor function in comatose patients one has to relay on normative values achieved without preinnervation.


Reaction between mid‐ocean ridge basalt (MORB) and crystal mush in the lower oceanic crust has been invoked to explain chemical variations of both MORB and minerals in the lower oceanic crust. Nonetheless, such reactions have been little studied experimentally. We conducted experiments to investigate the mechanisms and chemical consequences of melt‐mush interaction by reacting molten MORB with troctolite at 0.5 GPa. Isothermal experiments demonstrate that melt infiltrates into troctolite with dissolution of plagioclase and olivine. The reacted melts have higher MgO and Al2O3 and lower TiO2 and Na2O contents and crystallize more primitive olivine and plagioclase compared to those crystallized from the unreacted melts, suggesting melt‐mush reaction could result in the formation of high‐Al basalt. The melt compositional variations induced by reaction also significantly affect the calculated pressures for MORB fractionation, indicating that major element‐based barometers for MORB fractionation can only be used reliably if reaction can be ruled out. After reaction, the troctolite contains olivine with plagioclase inclusions and poikilitic clinopyroxene with partially resorbed olivine and plagioclase chadacrysts, indicating that melt‐mush interaction occurs through dissolution‐reprecipitation mechanisms. Clinopyroxene has high Mg# (>83) and elevated Na2O and TiO2 contents, and olivine has different Fo versus Ni correlations from fractional crystallization models, which provide testable parameters for the effect of melt‐mush reaction in the rock record. By comparison with samples from lower oceanic crust and layered intrusions, we propose that melt‐mush reaction plays an important role during magma transport in the crystal mush in both oceanic and continental magma systems.