Background: Malaria remains health problem that not decrease it rate yet. Outcome that clearly follows malaria is disability that made 60 thousand Dollars lost from Indonesian people who live in endemic areas due to this disease. This article need to analyzed Riskesdas data to define malaria influences to disability, what malaria that impact larger to disability, outcome disability caused by malaria could make patient's productive day lost and socio-economic loss and to find out the differences of malaria burden between western and eastern Indonesia. Method: Analysis used Riskesdas data by cross sectional design. Scopes of analysis include malaria and disability data that confounded with other disease that may induce disability. Data analyzed with scoring according to WHODAS 2.0 and logistic regression, also people's economic loss consideration due to malaria that reduce productive day. Result: The result showed that malaria trigger disability 1,6 fold, and western Indonesia 1,2 fold more risky to disability. Malaria tropica (Plasmodium falciparum) and tertiana (P. vivax) did not significantly different to cause disability. Productive day loss, western Indonesia slightly larger than eastern Indonesia. Malaria could inflict a financial loss of the malaria suffere in the amount of Rp. 390.620.016 from one day loss of work due to malaria. Conclusion: There's a significant correlation between malaria and disability, however there was no significant difference of productive day loss between eastern and western Indonesia.  Recommendation: Need for enhance effort to eliminate malaria, upgrade health and medical attendance for malaria patient, increase health service access for free particularly for poor community.


Synopsis : In this study fatigue experiments are conducted for ductile cast iron (DCI) to compare with the fatigue strength of cruciform welded joints. Here, several DCI specimens are prepared to have nearly the same fatigue strength in smooth specimens before welding and to have similar cruciform shapes in the welded joints. It is found that the fatigue strength of DCI specimen is about three times larger than that of the welded joint specimens. The fatigue strength improvement can be explained in terms of the small stress concentration factor, notch insensitivity and compressive residual stress generated by shot blasting for DCI joints.


Using the conceptual framework of a developmental state, forwarded by the Economic Commission for Africa, it was found that Ethiopia's democratic developmental state is unique and operates differently from the Malaysian developmental state model. Economically, Ethiopia has recorded staggering economic growth since it adopted the developmental state. The Malaysian developmental state was developed to be market-oriented and as a result Malaysia's GDP grew at 5.23 percent from 2005-2011. Malaysia's incidence of poverty declined from 49% in 1970 to less than 5% in 2000. Ethiopia has focused on a planned developmental state, without speeding the direction of industrialization, and has achieved an average 9.9 percent growth rate in GDP from 2005-2011. With economic growth, the poverty reduction measured by poverty head count in Ethiopia has declined from 41.9 in 2005 to 29.6 percent in 2011. Although Ethiopia's Human Development Index (HDI) has increased by 16% from 2005 to 2011, its HDI score is about 22% less than the average score of sub-Saharan countries. The poverty ratio of people living on less than $1.25 a day in Ethiopia is very close to about 30 percent. It means that those with low incomes have not benefitted from the staggering economic growth that much of the country has achieved in the last seven years. The theory of a developmental state model proposes that professional bureaucratic elites design, manage, and run autonomously the short and long range plans of a country. In the Ethiopian "Democratic Developmental State" the short and long term plans are controlled by the ruling party, EPRD. The public and private sectors are minimally involved in the planning process. The economic growth rate which Ethiopia achieved from 2005 to 2011 doesn't operate in a fully market-friendly environment. Far from operating in a developmental state, Ethiopia operates under a centralized system. Also, in an era of economic globalism, the Malaysian type of developmental state model is outdated and is no longer relevant for Ethiopia. Therefore, to achieve optimal sustainable development, and thereby feed its people, Ethiopia must focus on an integrated, environmentally sensitive, and cooperative agriculturally-based type of development model.


ABSTRACT Presently, disability athletes remain under-represented in organisational stressor research. Our study sought to bring novel insights to this area by determining the organisational stressors experienced by international disability footballers. Twelve current international disability footballers (10 male, 2 female) from a range of UK impairment squads took part in the study. Semi-structured interviews were completed with each participant, and data were analysed by content analysis procedures. Organisational stressors data were abstracted into Arnold, Wagstaff, Steadman and Pratt's (2017) concepts, and Arnold and Fletcher's (2012) four general dimensions: leadership and personnel issues, cultural and team issues, logistical and environmental issues, and performance and personal issues, revealing a series of football-specific nuances. Our study is the first exploration of the prevalence of organisational stressors within international disability football. Our study also provides practitioners with an understanding of the common and unique organisational stressors faced by international disability footballers. Finally, we suggest a series of practical recommendations for policy development within disability football organisations to aid athletes to effective manage organisational stressors.


The traditional medical roles of doctor and patient are not particularly well suited to disaster scenarios for reasons to be discussed later. Certain federal, state and local medical entities provide disaster mental health services along medical occupational lines, I.e., social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists. These degreebased distinctions have little practical value at a disaster site with the exception of a rare individual who might require psychiatric medication. My personal experience has been as a member of a Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), a unit of the National Disaster Medical System (US Public Health Service) as well as a disaster mental health volunteer with the American Red Cross. The American Red Cross, the official lead disaster relief agency in the U.S., utilizes a different (non-medical) model of mental health services. All state licensed mental health professionals are considered as (generic) mental health workers, with no distinction, for example, between psychiatrists and (licensed) counselors. Regardless of which occupational training the mental health professional received, there typically is little, if any, formal graduate school training for activities at a disaster site. Therefore the American Red Cross requires all professional applicants for volunteer disaster mental health work to undergo 16 hours of course work. Classes include, but are not limited to: the emotional impact of disaster, roles of direct services, and defusing and debriefing. Attendees get some "hands-on" experience by role-playing various disaster scenarios. Clearly, regardless of professional designation, the victims will receive identical services from any and all Red Cross disaster mental health workers. (1) In the Red Cross organization, top priority for mental health services is to Red Cross volunteers as well as other disaster responders. The premise being that unless responders function well, the relief operation may be compromised. The second priority is providing services to victims (referred to as clients) and their families. In a medical model, victims would be referred to as "patients, " as least semantically indicating that they have become "sick." Both the Red Cross as well as the US Armed Forces considers persons who are severely stressed as having NORMAL reactions to abnormal situations. Only individuals who develop significant mental symptoms are deemed to be mentally ill. Contrary to the role of traditional mental health workers, within the Red Cross there are numerous functions they perform in addition to the customary mental health diagnostic and therapeutic activities. Stress management is probably the single most important function. Training in stress prevention/reduction is offered to other Red Cross volunteers and takes place in local Red Cross chapters. At a disaster site, mental health workers serve as "stress troubleshooters," and monitor all activities and interactions that might be stressful. For example, noticing that workers are becoming irritable due to long shifts would be brought to the attention of the supervisory staff. Supervisor-staff conflicts would be mediated by a mental health worker. Of course, formal mental health symptoms would be noted, evaluated, and appropriate referrals made. At the conclusion of an especially stressful episode or day, debriefing would take place, conducted by mental health workers trained in that activity. Furthermore, all Red Cross volunteers are expected to be debriefed at the conclusion of their assignments. Additional functions of Red Cross mental health personnel include (2): Disaster Mental Health Services 2 of 3 Participating in staff meetings Assisting with the work of other functions Advocating improvement of mental health conditions within the setting Provide consultation within and across functions Assessing stress level of supervisors and providing interventions appropriately Of secondary priority are mental health interventions for clients (victims) and their families, including support during their grieving as well as amelioration of other stresses due to loss of property, etc.. Debriefing is done when appropriate and referral to local mental health resources is performed. At the recent Egypt Air crash site, about 50 Red Cross mental health workers (including the author) were deployed. Assignments included assistance to grieving families as well as mental health support for all Red Cross volunteers and other responders, such as the FBI. In contrast, at Ft. Dix, New Jersey, where up to 4000 Kosovo refugees were processed, only one nurse with some mental health experience was available. Actually, she was assigned to more pressing medical duties. Many refugees had been raped and had other horrendous experiences, requiring interventions, debriefing, etc. Yet when the author volunteered, he was told that no psychiatrists were needed, since several Public Health Service psychiatrists were on the scene to perform forensic immigration related evaluations. Apparently psychiatrists were not deemed relevant to performing 'counseling" or other direct services to the refugees. An example of the limitation of strictly utilizing the traditional medical model of services and thereby not seeing the forest through the trees! Red Cross mental health workers at a disaster site are adequately supervised to avoid intrusive or unwanted interventions or ethical lapses such as soliciting private clients. The latter is more likely to occur when local nonRed Cross mental health volunteers appear at a disaster site.


A novel thresholding-based segmentation approach for accurate segmentation of pigmented skin lesion images regarding malignant melanoma diagnosis has been proposed. The presented approach utilizes type-2 fuzzy logic techniques for automatic threshold determination. The method is applied on various clinically obtained lesion images, and the results are compared with those obtained with two other popular methods from the literature. It is observed that the presented method exhibits superior performance over competing methods and is very successful at handling the uncertainty encountered in determining the border between the lesion and the skin.


The input method is an essential service on every mobile and desktop devices that provides text suggestions. It converts sequential keyboard inputs to the characters in its target language, which is indispensable for Japanese and Chinese users. Due to critical resource constraints and limited network bandwidth of the target devices, applying neural models to input method is not well explored. In this work, we apply a LSTM-based language model to input method and evaluate its performance for both prediction and conversion tasks with Japanese BCCWJ corpus. We articulate the bottleneck to be the slow softmax computation during conversion. To solve the issue, we propose incremental softmax approximation approach, which computes softmax with a selected subset vocabulary and fix the stale probabilities when the vocabulary is updated in future steps. We refer to this method as incremental selective softmax. The results show a two order speedup for the softmax computation when converting Japanese input sequences with a large vocabulary, reaching real-time speed on commodity CPU. We also exploit the model compressing potential to achieve a 92% model size reduction without losing accuracy.


This study of the extraordinary challenges faced by military attorneys and commanders in the fight against terrorism is a portrait of how law, war, and politics have converged to raise the stakes and increase the complexity of legal operations in the U.S. armed forces. Although many articles have probed the nuances of international law, the law of war, and military criminal justice and procedure, this article offers a balanced analysis of controversial and politicized topics (such as the disputes between uniformed lawyers and other government attorneys), and assesses the professional education and training system of Army leaders and attorneys in military and international law. It offers a look inside the question of how to apply the law of war to operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay as well as observations on how long-practiced Army legal training can be trumped by "executive fiat." This article summarizes the current military-legal situation for civilian observers while also providing insight and perspective to those military lawyers who have been working to meet the very challenges described.


Author(s): Deng, Liwen | Advisor(s): Kelley, Scott; Doran, Kelly S | Abstract: Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus [GBS]) is an opportunistic pathogen that normally colonizes healthy adults asymptomatically and is a frequent inhabitant of the vaginal tract in women. However, GBS can cause severe disease when transmitted to newborns. Despite widespread antibiotic prophylaxis administration to colonized mothers, GBS remains a leading cause of neonatal meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening infection of the central nervous system (CNS) and is marked by GBS gaining access to the blood and further by penetration of GBS across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and activation of host inflammatory responses. Although several GBS surface proteins have been shown to impact bacterial adhesion to endothelium, a direct interaction between a GBS factor and a host endothelial ligand had not been described. Additionally, while it is known that the bacterium tightly regulates its expression of virulence factors in order to occupy various host niches, there are currently many uncharacterized GBS transcriptional regulators. Also, GBS likely competes or cooperates with other resident microbes in the vaginal tract during colonization, however little work has been done to model polymicrobial interactions within this host niche. For this PhD dissertation, I investigated how this bacterium is able to persist in the vagina, transition to an invasive pathogen, disrupt host barriers, and ultimately penetrate into the brain to cause meningitis. I examined a GBS adhesin which promoted bacterial attachment to the brain endothelium and discovered the endothelial receptor for this GBS factor. I also characterized a GBS transcriptional regulator that influenced meningitis as well as GBS vaginal carriage by impacting host immune signaling. Lastly, I developed an in vivo vaginal colonization model for another common opportunistic pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, which likely interacts with GBS within this host niche. Using this model, I showed that bacterial interactions with fibrinogen as well as iron uptake are key determinants of vaginal persistence. Taken together, this dissertation furthers our understanding of how GBS adapts to different host niches in order to transition from asymptomatic colonization to causing invasive inflammatory disease and provides novel insights into GBS disease pathogenesis and treatment strategies to prevent colonization and invasive CNS disease.


ABSTRACT This paper is based on a qualitative, longitudinal study of in-service teacher trainee cohorts in two UK institutions of Higher Education preparing to teach Law, Construction, Nursing, Hairdressing, Police and Fire service training in the Post-Compulsory Education and Training (PCET) sector. The programme is entitled Professional Teaching and Training so the aim was to explore whether it fully meets their professional requirements in generic teaching skills and, in particular, subject-specific skills. The research suggests that the participants require more subject related pedagogy within generic teacher education. By exploring the challenges of how to bridge this gap and promote more meaningful and professionally focused teacher education, there can be a more robust understanding and conceptualisation of the relationship between subject knowledge and generic pedagogy. It is proposed that a thorough understanding of the interdependent relationship of content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) can enable an innovative reconceptualisation of teacher education driven by subjektdidaktik and linked to possibilities for implementation in newly developed programmes.


Due to the promising potential for environmental sustainability, there has been a significant increase of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) in the market. To support this increasing demand for EVs and PHEVs, challenges related to capacity planning and investment costs of public charging infrastructure must be addressed. Hence, in this paper, a capacity planning problem for charging stations is developed and aims to balance the current capital investment costs and future operational revenue. The charging station is assumed to be equipped with the solar photovoltaic (PV) panel and an energy storage system, which could be electric battery or recently invented hydropneumatic energy storage (ground-level integrated diverse energy storage (GLIDES)) system. A co-optimization model that minimizes investment and operation cost is established to determine optimal solution while considering capacity planning and following operations. EV mobility is modeled as an Erlang-loss system. Meanwhile, stochastic programming is adopted to capture uncertainties from solar radiation and charging demand of EV fleet. To provide a more general and computationally efficient model, main configuration parameters are sampled in design space and then fixed in solving the co-optimization model. Sampled parameters include EV charging slots number, PV area, capacity of energy storage system, and daily mean EV arrival number. Based on the sampled parameter combinations and its responses, black-box mappings are then constructed using surrogate models, which could provide insights for charging station placement in different practical situations. The effectiveness of the proposed surrogate modeling approach is demonstrated in numerical experiments. The results indicate better profit advantage of GLIDES over battery system with the increased power capacity


ABSTRACT Sleep loss is one of large challenges during space missions. A variety of sleep problems have been shown in space. We aimed to further characterize more representative and consecutive sleep-wake patterns and to investigate sleep-wake cycle on heart rate during short duration spaceflight mission. Here, we evaluated sleep quality using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, analyzed sleep time, sleep efficiency, and periods of sleep-wake rhythm via the activity data from Actiwatch, and evaluated heart rate data via the Actiheart in three crew members before, during and after a 15-day spaceflight. The study showed that the sleep quality before and during the flight were lower than that after the space flight. Crew members slept less during spaceflight relative to on Earth. The mean sleep duration during spaceflight was 6.5 ± 1.3 h, but after flight, it was 7.2 ± 1.2 h, and the sleep efficiency was significantly higher during the flight than that on Earth. The periods of sleep-wake rhythm could keep at 23.92 h during flight mission. Moreover, the heart rate decreased during spaceflight and it was more obvious during wakeful state than during sleep. These data could help us better understand the effects of short-duration spaceflight on sleep pattern.


OBJECTIVE
This meta-analysis was conducted to examine the association between breastfeeding and undernutrition among children under 5 years of age in developing countries.

STUDY DESIGN
Systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS
A comprehensive literature search was conducted of datasets from Embase, CINHAL, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Indonesian databases to include eligible studies. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.0 statistical software was used to perform data entry and data analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted from each study or were calculated based on the reported number of cases and controls in each study. Random-effects models or fixed-effects models were used to demonstrate overall risk estimates. A moderator analysis was conducted to examine possible moderators explaining the heterogeneity across studies.

FINDINGS
In total, 33 studies were included which examined the association of breastfeeding with undernutrition. A random-effects model showed that breastfeeding had inverse correlations with overall undernutrition (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.68, 0.99) and the stunting type of undernutrition (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.55, 0.95). A moderator analysis showed that studies which included exclusive breastfeeding and unclear birth weights had low risks of overall undernutrition (p < 0.05). Moreover, studies which included exclusive breastfeeding and adopted a case-control study design exhibited a low risk of the stunting type of undernutrition (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Providing breastfeeding or exclusive breastfeeding can benefit children under 5 years of age in developing countries reduce overall undernutrition and the stunting type of undernutrition.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Healthcare professionals should develop and implement suitable strategies to increase awareness regarding the importance of breastfeeding and enhance breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding adherence.


: The development of behavioral science in a family practice residency has first to be structured around a statement of purpose and adequate goals. These goals can only be implemented when the purely custodial function of the medical profession is rejected and the ethical responsiblity of the physician to society is allowed to direct the role innovations that must be incorporated. It is the person of the physician as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool that must be cultivated. The curriculum presented has included behavioral science conferences, a one-month behavioral science rotation, a two-month orientation program, behavioral science clinical attendings, and a personal counseling program for each resident throughout the three years of training. To be complete, such a program requires the further refinement of behavioral objectives that allow reliable evaluation and redefinition by residents and faculty.


We found evidence of a mutual suppression effect between anxiety and depression on an individual's level of commitment within escalation dilemmas. On the one hand, our results demonstrate a positive relationship between anxiety and level of commitment; on the other, our results demonstrate a negative relationship between depression and level of commitment. Based on the opposing relationships between anxiety and depression and commitment, the broad factor of neuroticism does not demonstrate any relationship with level of commitment, and the significant effects of anxiety and depression on commitment is contingent upon partialling the effect of the other facet of neuroticism. Thus, we contend that applied psychologists, who have focused on neuroticism as a broad construct, should consider the large body of work among clinical psychologists, who argue that anxiety and depression have unique variance associated with them. We conclude by addressing organizational implications of measuring the broad trait of neuroticism more narrowly.

http://www.personal.psu.edu/seh25/Moon Hollenbeck Humphrey and Maue 2003.pdf


We conducted focus group meetings of African American and non-African American patients with end-stage renal disease (six groups) and their family members (six groups), stratified by race/ethnicity and treatment. We elicited differences in participants' experiences with shared decision making about initiating renal replacement therapy (RRT; that is, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, or a kidney transplant). Patients were often very sick when initiating RRT, and had little, if any, time to make a decision about what type of RRT to initiate. They also lacked sufficient information about alternative treatment options prior to initiation. Family members played supportive roles and shared in decision making when possible. Reports were similar for African American and non-African American participants. Our findings suggest that a greater emphasis on the improved engagement of patients and their families in shared decision making about RRT initiation is needed for both ethnic/racial minorities and nonminorities.


This thesis, based on the study of the fictional work of twelve well-known Ethiopian authors, describes Ethiopian social and cultural life in the period 1930-1974. It is divided into two parts, the first dealing with traditional culture, the second with recent changes in social life and with attitudes to these changes. Amharic literature deals mostly with life in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Part One starts with a description of the traditional classes and how they interrelate, both in situations of normal peaceful intercourse and in conflict. Next follows a section on common beliefs and principles of conduct in the country - a fairly long portion of the thesis, as religious and moral questions frequently come up in Amharic literature. Sickness and health are also looked upon from a metaphysical angle. Social life in a more limited local sense is treated next, with more stress on food and drink, and sex and marriage than on family life or village life, following the emphasis of Amharic literature. The life of women is also briefly discussed. Finally, a few remarks are made about national characteristics as Ethiopian authors see them. Part Two deals with change. After a discussion of internal and external influences for change, the different attitudes to present changes are outlined: some oppose or regret them, some think they happen too slowly, others try not to get involved. Then the actual changes in the social and cultural life are set out. These are seen partly as advances, partly as setbacks for the country. This part ends with a section on how Ethiopians regard the future of Ethiopia, and how authors want to influence the development of their country. The main conclusion is that Ethiopian writers are critical observers of society, supporting and opposing developments according to their moral stand.


The article presents data about the inheritors of the Old Bulgarian Prayers for Every Occasion which are known to scholars thanks to the Glagolitic Euchologium Sinaiticum from the 10th century. They were discovered in the manuscript prayer- and divine service books kept in the Zograf library on Mount Athos. The respective euchological texts are described in the manuscripts in chronological order by century; they are identified in accordance with their Glagolitic prototypes and their Greek parallels are given.


The mora timing organization for producing contrastive geminate/single consonants and long/short vowels is a difficult task for non-native speakers of Japanese. This paper investigates characteristics of the segment durations involved in the production of contrastive phonemes by native Japanese speakers and Chinese-speaking subjects, when the speaking rate is changed. From the statistical regression analysis of the measured segment durations of the utterances for a wide range of speaking rates, it was found that: 1) Native Japanese speakers exhibited a clear linear relationship between the segment duration and the average mora duration with few standard errors and individualities, whereas for Chinese-speaking subjects there were large standard errors and individualities though they maneuvered the timing skillfully at a regular speaking rate, 2) it was difficult for Chinese speakers to control the timing when the speaking rate varied, and 3) the normalized standard error in the regression model was a good index of the degree of achievement of the contrastive mora timing organization.


Abstract What explains the remarkable metamorphosis of elites from warrior nobilities into well-mannered aristocrats in early modern Europe? Existing accounts emphasize the coercive force of emerging states or the novel enticements of royal courts. Well suited to the paradigmatic case of early modern France, such arguments fail to explain cases, like England, in which elites developed pacified lifestyles in the absence of a dominant royal court and largely prior to the monopolization of physical force. This essay shows that explaining such cases requires greater attention to the historical variability of elites' own interests and strategies. I argue that European elites (also) developed pacified lifestyles insofar as they came to reproduce themselves through strategies that operated without their personal use of physical violence (including, but not limited to, royal courts). Such strategies were contingent on varying configurations of inter-elite and elite–non-elite relations. I employ this perspective to explain the marginalization of violent skills and codes in the lifestyles of early modern English elites, focusing empirically on the practice of hunting, a defining ritual of elite lifestyles. The hunting evidence suggests that the landed gentry were the first English elite to develop a pacified lifestyle. Yet the gentry were neither subject to the coercion of a centralized state nor incorporated into a court society. Instead, I show that the gentry—and later, the nobility and monarchy—developed pacified lifestyles because they came to reproduce themselves through legal strategies, the successful performance of which required nonviolent skills and habits.


A roly-poly child obviously attracts many attentions but if the trend remains unchanged it could be a reason of worry as this is the primitive sign of childhood obesity which is the leading problem in today's era. With continuous change in life style and dietary habits, child has become the victim of many diseases and obesity (Sthaulya) is one of them. There are and were some human activists talking about reducing the weight of study bags; but none is thinking about the weight our babies are carrying. In present era both parents are working, to earn the luxuries and amusements, so the kids are left with the food packets at home with idiot boxes to see some "de-shaped" cartoons resulting in the reduction of healthy nutritious diet and also reducing their body activity. The body weight of our babies is putting pressure on their "cuteness", their "happiness", their "emotions" and on their "being". In Ayurveda it needs step by step examination and treatment to break the 'Dushtasamprapti Chakra' of Sthaulya by both non pharmacological such as Yoga and pharmacological remedies such as Panchakarma therapy, Shamana therapy etc. to achieve the goal.


We demonstrate that nanocrystalline diamond films grown on highly doped silicon substrates can be patterned using a CO2 laser operating at a wavelength of 10.6 μm, where both low doped silicon and diamond exhibit negligible optical absorption. The patterning is initiated by free carrier absorption in the silicon substrate and further enhanced by the thermal runaway effect, which results in surface heating in the silicon substrate and subsequent thermal ablation of the diamond film in an oxygen rich atmosphere. Using this approach, micron-scale grating and dot patterns are patterned in thin film diamond. The localized heating is simulated and analyzed using concurrent optical and thermal finite element modelling. The laser patterning method described here offers a cost effective and rapid solution for micro-structuring diamond films.


BACKGROUND The number of patients applying to the emergency Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery outpatient clinic varies considerably depending on the sociocultural profiles of societies. Due to the abundance of anatomic regions comprising the targets of this field of specialization, plastic surgery is con tinuously gaining in importance in emergency traumatology. METHODS In this study, 10,732 patients admitted to the outpatient clinic of Emergency Plastic Surgery in Şisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital were evaluated retrospectively regarding etiology, sex, age distribution, injury characteristics, and treatment. RESULTS While 64% of all patients had forearm and hand injuries, 28% had maxillofacial injuries, and 8% had tissue defects. There was a male: female ratio of 4: 1, and the mean age of all patients was 22.9 years. The mean age of patients (males 81%) admitted with upper extremity injuries was 22.3 years. Most of the upper extremity injuries were due to glassware cuts (33%). The mean age of patients admitted with maxillofacial trauma was 23.2 years. Among the patients with head-and-neck injuries, the most frequent cause of trauma was traffic accidents (38%). CONCLUSION Regarding the frequency and characteristics of the patients treated, we suggest that plastic surgery shows a progressively increasing significance and widening field of practice in emergency traumatology and, as no similar study currently exists, ours will contribute significantly to the literature.


Energy Conservation projects have become a focus area throughout the world in an attempt to reduce greenhouse gasses. These projects encompass various energy efficient technologies of which the retrofit of old technologies with new technology has become a common phenomenon. Energy savings are usually quantified by comparing actual post-retrofit energy consumption levels with baseline levels representative of the preretrofit status quo, adjusted for changes in energy drivers (e.g. weather). Baseline adjustments during energy conservation projects are of the utmost importance if operating conditions, occupancies, ambient temperatures, production levels and other factors have changed between the baseline period and the post-retrofit period. During a recent case study in South Africa, an HVAC retrofit was done on a multistorey building where old technology air-conditioners were replaced with heat pump based units with inverters. To the disappointment of the landlord, the post energy measurements exceeded the baseline energy consumption by approximately 12% without any changes in operating conditions. This paper illustrates the catastrophic effects when an energy efficiency project is accelerated to the implementation stage without due consideration of operating conditions during the pre-implementation stage. A qualitative analysis prior to baseline establishment is proposed.


Genomic rearrangements are a hallmark of childhood solid tumors, but their mutational causes remain poorly understood. Here, we identify the piggyBac transposable element derived 5 (PGBD5) gene as an enzymatically active human DNA transposase expressed in the majority of rhabdoid tumors, a lethal childhood cancer. Using assembly-based whole-genome DNA sequencing, we observed previously unknown somatic genomic rearrangements in primary human rhabdoid tumors. These rearrangements were characterized by deletions and inversions involving PGBD5-specific signal (PSS) sequences at their breakpoints, with some recurrently targeting tumor suppressor genes, leading to their inactivation. PGBD5 was found to be physically associated with human genomic PSS sequences that were also sufficient to mediate PGBD5-induced DNA rearrangements in rhabdoid tumor cells. We found that ectopic expression of PGBD5 in primary immortalized human cells was sufficient to promote penetrant cell transformation in vitro and in immunodeficient mice in vivo. This activity required specific catalytic residues in the PGBD5 transposase domain, as well as end-joining DNA repair, and induced distinct structural rearrangements, involving PSS-associated breakpoints, similar to those found in primary human rhabdoid tumors. This defines PGBD5 as an oncogenic mutator and provides a plausible mechanism for site-specific DNA rearrangements in childhood and adult solid tumors.


Carnegie Mellon University's departments of Architecture and Mechanical Engineering have teamed with Milwaukee School of Engineering's Mechanical Engineering department to design and install a biodiesel fueled engine-generator with heat recovery equipment to supply electric and thermal power to an office building on campus, the Intelligent Workplace (IW). The installation was completed in early September 2007, and is currently being commissioned. Full scale testing will begin in early 2008. The turbocharged diesel engine-generator set is operated in parallel with the local electric utility and the campus steam grid. The system is capable of generating 25 kW of electric power while providing 18 kW of thermal power in the form of steam from an exhaust gas boiler. The steam is delivered to a double-effect Li-Br absorption chiller, which supplies chilled water to the IW for space cooling in the summer or hot water for space heating in the winter. Furthermore, the steam can be delivered to the campus steam grid during the fall and spring when neither heating nor cooling is required in the IW. Additionally, thermal energy will be recovered from the coolant to provide hot water for space heating in the winter, and for regenerating a solid desiccant dehumidification ventilation system in summer. All relevant temperatures, pressures, and flows for these systems are monitored via a building automation system. Pressure versus time measurements can be recorded in each cylinder of the engine. Emissions of nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (NO2 ), Particulate Matter (PM), and carbon dioxide (CO2 ) are also monitored. Upon completion of this installation and the system performance testing, the operation of the engine generator with its heat recovery components will be integrated with the other HVAC components of the IW including a parabolic trough solar thermal driven LiBr absorption chiller, a solid desiccant dehumidification ventilation system, and multiple types of fan coils and radiant heating and cooling devices. This energy supply system is expected to reduce the IW's primary energy consumption by half in addition to the 75% energy savings already realized as compared to the average US office space.Copyright © 2008 by ASME


Objective: To evaluate the Grand-Aides Program for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) according to the variables of body weight, blood pressure, medication adherence, and hospital consultation and readmissions. Methods: Patients ages 18 years or older with a past medical history of T2DM, hypertension (HTN), and/or obesity and who were recently seen in the emergency department (ED) or recently admitted to the hospital were eligible to enroll in the Grand-Aides Program. Eligible patients were identified after hospital or ED discharge and were asked to enroll in the in-home based program from March 2016 through June 2018. In-home visit protocol was defined prior to patient enrollment with intense in-home visits during the first weeks of enrollment followed by monthly visits for the duration of enrollment in the program. In-home visit frequency was adjusted on as needed basis so that patients at higher risk for ED visits or hospitalization were seen more frequently. In-home visits were performed by trained Grand-Aide who for the purpose of this study was a certified nursing assistant (CNA). The Grand-Aide underwent eighty hours of didactic training which included visit protocols, visit schedules, and data collection. The one-on-one in-home patient with every visit were supervised by a registered nurse (RN) or nurse practitioner (NP) via video or telephone contact near the conclusion of the visit. Active patients at the University of Virginia Family Medicine clinic were eligible for enrollment. Fifty-seven patients with T2DM worked with Grand-Aides for three months and an additional forty-eight T2DM patients worked with Grand-Aides for twelve months. Emergency department visits, all 30-day hospital readmissions, as well as blood pressure readings, medication adherence, weights, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were compared with the prior twelve months. Results: Systolic ( p 130 mmHg despite treatment; after 12 months, 48 percent of these were 90 mmHg, 100 percent had diastolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg at 1 year. Medication adherence by ARMS test at 1 year was 94 percent. Despite trending downward, weight and HbA1c did not change significantly. In the preceding, 58 percent had at least one ED visit, which was reduced by 50 percent ( p < .01) with Grand-Aides; 30-day all-cause readmissions reduced by 50 percent to 6.3 percent.  Conclusions: The Grand-Aides program was associated with a significant change in blood pressure control, high medication adherence and reductions in ED visits and readmissions that compare favorably with published comparative data. For systems "at risk" for preventable increased health care expense burden, the Grand-Aides program can result in significant savings.


Athletes in higher education are not only expected to produce high level performance but to find the balance between the preparation for post-athletic life and the requirements of the university. The objective of this study is to explore the connections between academic performance and level of sport. Also, to elaborate on the role of relevant policy regulations and institutional support that help elite athletes meet academic requirements. Data collection was conducted by means of online questionnaires involving athletes receiving sport scholarships at the University of Debrecen (N=159). The data from questionnaires were processed by using SPSS 18. Version software. For data analyse four groups were extracted based on level of sport performance and involvement: international elite, division I, division II, division III. The results indicate that the academic performance on the two international elite of sport did not differ from the average, and that these athletes did not experience any difficulties earning course credits at the university while being engaged in doing sport. In most cases, elite athletes did not apply for the various kind of support instruments, thus, they are able to balance athletic preparation and academic requirements without supportive modifications of university policies. The results also shed light on the fact that the academic performance does not only depend on the level of sport and the chosen major at the university, but it is also influenced by the time devoted to study and training, and the sport type (individual or team sport). There are differences observed between athletes participating in individual or team sport concerning the general average of grades, the effectiveness of earning credits, the number of weekly training, as well as the time devoted to training in preparatory and competitive periods. According to the results, the various amount of time devoted to study or sport does not necessarily result in academic performance decline. In addition, results support that athletes do keep academic studies rather important and they are aware that university years are considered to be a significant period in preparation for post-athletic life.


A case study of an ERP project within a Fortune 100 company in the transportation industry is used to identify the strategies which facilitate a turnaround ERP project. The case study was developed using in-depth interviews with the President and the Chief Information Officer of the firm. The strategies described in this paper include project sponsorship, top management accountability, change control procedures, customization decision-making, measurement of project outcomes, management perception of the value of the ERP system, vendor relationship, and organizational change. To facilitate the turnaround project, top management involvement and accountability were critical. Modifications to the ERP system were minimized, and accountability mechanisms to monitor project outcomes— both in time and cost— were established.


Coral reefs are degrading under global stressors that are increasing in frequency and severity as the Anthropocene accelerates. My thesis contributes to our scientific understanding of the dynamics that govern degraded coral reef states. More specifically, I contribute to our understanding of feedback processes on degraded coral reefs in conceptual and experimental ways by confronting both ecological and social-ecological feedbacks in ways that may have merit in triggering coral recovery. My four presented studies (Chapters 1-4) pursue the following research questions: 1. Which habitat drivers best predict juvenile coral densities following bleaching? 2. Can macroalgae-reinforcing feedbacks be weakened through shading? 3. Can sea urchins effectively weaken macroalgal feedbacks given their current natural densities? 4. Can red and green loops uncover missing social-ecological feedbacks? Juvenile corals are a critical life history stage representing survival and growth of new recruits into the population. Chapter 1 compares juvenile coral densities from before the 2016 bleaching event with those after and identifies abiotic and biotic habitat drivers collected in the inner Seychelles that predict juvenile coral densities. Following the 2016 bleaching event, juvenile coral densities were significantly reduced by about 70 %, with a particularly severe decline in juvenile Acropora corals. Macroalgae present a major obstacle to survival of juvenile corals shortly following mass bleaching, but their influence varies as a function of herbivore biomass, reef structure, and reef type. In contrast, increasing structural complexity on granitic reefs is a strong positive predictor of juvenile coral density. Macroalgae can maintain and increase their dominance with effective self-reinforcing feedback mechanisms and can significantly compromise ecosystem function. Chapter 2 assesses shading as a management tool in an experimental confrontation of macroalgal feedbacks, aiming to maximise the benefit of habitat mosaic reefscapes in the inner Seychelles. Shading reduces the algae's ability to photosynthesise by 29 % to the point where macroalgal cover can be reduced by 51 % and turf algal growth can be reduced by 82 % within six weeks of shading. After removal of shading structures, herbivore grazing rates decreased at shading plots, and algal beds recovered quickly, almost completely regrowing within three months. Tropical sea urchins are often considered as macroalgal grazers, but this assumption relies heavily on geographically limited observations of select species. Chapter 3 addresses these gaps for a common urchin species in the Seychelles, Echinothrix calamaris, using a combination of survey and experimental approaches in the inner Seychelles. Habitat driver models revealed patch-reef types as the best positive predictor and macroalgae as the best negative predictor of urchin densities. Experimentally penning urchin densities (maximum 4.44 urchins m-²) resulted in a reduction of macroalgal cover by only 13 %. Therefore E. calamaris at current densities in Seychelles (mean: 0.02 urchins m-2, maximum: 0.16 urchins m-2) are unlikely to perform significant macroalgae controlling functions. People use their local ecosystems and can retrieve signals about how their actions affect ecosystem health. Capturing, interpreting, and responding to signals that indicate changes in ecosystems is key for their sustainable management and breaks in this signal-response, called missing feedbacks, will allow ecosystem health to degrade unnoticed. Chapter 4 applies an existing concept from sustainability science, the red-loop green-loop (RL-GL) model, to uncover missing feedbacks between reefs and people of Jamaica from the year 600 until now. This allowed the factors responsible for missing feedbacks to be identified – a main factor in Jamaica was seafood exports. An intervention to move Jamaica back to more sustainable dynamics between people and reefs could be to gradually move away from seafood exports and build ownership and management capacity in local seafoods. Overall, my thesis emphasises the importance of habitat for coral recruitment following severe coral bleaching as well as for urchin density and function in Seychelles. Furthermore, I cover management approaches to confront reinforcing feedbacks of expanding macroalgal fields, especially for a mosaic reefscape setting. I test the first method to reduce macroalgal cover via the alteration of the light regime. My thesis also includes the first study to apply the RL-GL concept to a coral reef social-ecological system and I advocate for its practicality in uncovering missing feedbacks and in gaining an understanding of past, present, and future sustainability that can be of use in other systems.


Ariane Mnouchkine is a contemporary French theatre director, associated with the Theâtre du Soleil, known for its 'activism, formalism and cosmopolitanism (Singleton 2010, 29). Her theatre, made by the people and for the people, breaks with the traditional perception of theatre as elitist. Her revolutionary status in the profession can be explained through her belief in the power of collaborative theatre ( creation collective ) as the most democratic art form, capable of dealing with political questions. The redistribution of the power of decision-making in the process of production and staging can be seen as a metaphor of a political system based on civic participation. Mnouchkine's theatre teaches the audience how to react critically to what is being observed, and to translate this reaction into political activism and participation, in shaping their community. One of the central elements of her philosophy is to make the spectators aware of their potential to participate in the process of change. Instead of passively witnessing the unfolding of political and social events, citizens should feel encouraged to act and to note their personal impact on history. Such an approach is almost certainly inspired by the work of an earlier artist whose creation also falls into the category of political theatre – that of Bertolt Brecht. Brecht was known for having coined the term Verfremdung, crucial in achieving a critical response, and which can be described as the opposite of the suspension of disbelief, commonly cited as a requirement for most forms of entertainment. In the Brechtian epic theatre, the spectator must be aware of the fictional character of the play. Only then can the characters' actions be judged in an objective way. The motivations behind these actions are explained by the actors, often through another device typical of Brecht's style – gestus, defined in his own words as 'convey[ing] particular attitudes adopted by the speaker towards other men' and 'allow[ing] conclusions to be drawn about the social circumstances' (Brecht 1978, 104-5).


The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is currently conducting a survey of patent assertion entities (PAEs), under authority of section 6(b) of the FTC Act. The study is meant to move past the limited information that can be gleaned from litigation records – given that around 90% of patent enforcement activity occurs outside the courtroom – by compiling and publishing nonpublic data on licensing agreements, patent acquisition practices, and related costs and revenues. As such, the study should provide a better understanding of how PAEs operate. The empirical approach the FTC is taking and the constraints that the chosen approach entails, however, will, as the FTC acknowledges, constrain the study's utility. This article discusses these constraints. In particular, the small sample size used for the study means that it will provide a "case study" (in the FTC's words), rather than robust statistical data that can be extrapolated to a broader population. Moreover, the survey covers licensor activities only, with no questions for licensees. Because of these and other limitations discussed herein, the FTC's 6(b) PAE study should be informative, but will not be generalizable and hence it should not form the basis for any policy changes.


The article addresses the case of the project of transforming the stores in Corso Liberta, in the historic centre of Bolzano (Italy), into a Natural Mall (Centro Commerciale Naturale – CCN) and analyses the participatory technique called co-planning and the government's strategy of public/private partnership. This successful case represents a practical example of participatory governance, able to make the territory more attractive and sustainable, by transforming the geographical proximity of several businesses into a collective enterprise for the management of business development. This is a process that starts with the creation of the partnership and finishes with the realization of a Statute for business development. The project arose from the need to change the individual management of businesses affected by the crisis of 2007, which are located in a historic area that despite having many qualities was quite unattractive. Three trade associations proposed a partnership to the Municipality that, in 2011, started an extensive renovation project of the area as part of the new master plan of the city, deciding to enhance the human resources of the territory and use the philosophy of public action, experimented in 1992 in the co-planned management of the Piano dei Tempi (Time Plan). "Co-planning together" is both a philosophy as well as a technique that acts according to the logic of the territory , but is it an approach replicable in other regions of the world? There are reasons to believe it is. Since the '80s in Europe the toolbox for urban planning has changed, including in the territorial scale of planning interventions.  But action in a territory does not necessarily follow a logic of the territory understood as the appropriate space for addressing an urban problem. Territory, as a planning concept, includes the dimension of historical time and is a historical habitat configuration. This doctrine of urban space and time was born in Italy as part of the women's movement at the end of the '80s and included issues of family, children and jobs, putting the quality of life in the centre of the urban transformation. The initial practice of enhancing human relations of the local territory became the general logic of the approach to the project, sensitive to women's culture and daily practices of living. This is a project of transformation of the territories of the world, in the spirit of the UN Agenda 2030, that can potentially enhance the value the special and complex competence of women, opening spaces for action that go beyond the domestic sphere, to care of the world for a material and cultural development of living beings. ----- Full text available in Italian only. To view, please select "Italiano" in the language box.


Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid in plasma and tissue pools and an important intermediate in a number of metabolic pathways. Glutamine levels decline markedly in the course of many different catabolic disease states and it has recently been suggested that glutamine may be a conditionally essential dietary nutrient rather than a nonessential amino acid. Changes in tissue glutamine concentrations have been shown to correlate with net protein turnover, and there is evidence that glutamine may both stimulate protein synthesis and inhibit protein degradation. In experimental animals, we have shown that the fall in glutamine concentrations in plasma and tissue pools that occurs in the postoperative state can be prevented or reversed by providing large quantities of exogenous glutamine. In gastrointestinal tissues, the provision of glutamine-free total parenteral nutrition solutions is associated with atrophy of mucosal cells and pancreatic exocrine cells. Glutamine-supplemented parenteral formulas result in diminished atrophy of intestinal mucosal and pancreatic exocrine cells; both intravenous and enteral glutamine promote gastrointestinal tissue regeneration following toxic injury. In animals undergoing partial small intestine resection, glutamine feeding leads to increased adaptive hyperplasia in remaining intestinal segments and results in earlier postoperative weight gain. All of these trophic, anabolic effects of glutamine require the administration of quantities that exceed the glutamine content of normal dietary protein. These findings in experimental animals support the hypothesis that glutamine is a conditionally essential nutrient and suggest a potentially important role for glutamine-supplemented nutrition in catabolic disease states.


Purulent-septic complications after reconstructive surgeries in patients with chronic lower limb ischemia are the great problem of vascular surgery. Analysis of 135 reconstructive surgeries in chronic lower limb ischemia was carried out. Purulent and septic complications were reported in 17 (12.59%) patients. Variants of treatment and outcomes are described.


Heavy-duty aerospace components are frequently hot forged to satisfy the high requirements concerning their mechanical behaviour. Only the usage of high-performance materials together with a near-optimum manufacturing process enables the production of parts that are at the same time lightweight and mechanically extremely durable. Not only the static properties, but also the fatigue behaviour of Inconel718 is strongly influenced by the material's microstructure resulting from the forging and heat treatment processes. Therefore, the static and fatigue properties may be controlled via the microstructural properties by suitably adjusting the parameters of the manufacturing processes. The present work links the complete forging and heat treatment process to the local distribution of the material's fatigue strength within a component; the effect of the operating temperature is also considered. To this purpose, an empirical model is derived from fatigue tests on specimens with different microstructures at different temperatures. The resulting fatigue strength model is implemented, along with a microstructural evolution model from earlier work [1], into a finite element code in order to predict the local fatigue strength distribution in a component after being subjected to an arbitrary forging process. In a further step, the finite element code is linked to an optimization tool for determining the optimum set of manufacturing process parameters such that the component lifetime is maximized while taking process constraints into consideration.


The novel criteria for the diagnosis of symptomatic multiple myeloma have revealed the value of modern imaging for the management of patients with myeloma. Whole-body low-dose CT (LDCT) has increased sensitivity over conventional radiography for the detection of osteolytic lesions, and several myeloma organizations and institutions have suggested that whole-body LDCT should replace conventional radiography for the work-up of patients with myeloma. MRI is the best imaging method for the depiction of marrow infiltration by myeloma cells. Whole-body MRI (or at least MRI of the spine and pelvis if whole-body MRI is not available) should be performed for all patients with smoldering multiple myeloma with no lytic lesions to look for occult disease, which may justify treatment. In addition, MRI accurately illustrates the presence of plasmacytomas, spinal cord, and/or nerve compression for surgical intervention or radiation therapy; it is also recommended for the work-up of solitary bone plasmacytoma, and it may distinguish malignant from benign fractures (which is very important in cases of patients in biochemical remission with no other signs of progression). Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) seems to improve MRI diagnosis in patients with myeloma. PET/CT is a functional imaging technique, more sensitive than conventional radiography for the detection of lytic lesions, which probably allows better definition of complete response and minimal residual disease compared with all other imaging methods. PET/CT has shown the best results in the follow-up of patients with myeloma and has an independent prognostic value both at diagnosis and following treatment. PET/CT can also be used for the work-up of solitary bone plasmacytoma and nonsecretory myeloma.


Many studies have considered the efficacy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)'s monetary policy to ensure Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) performance in Nigeria but scantily mentioned in literature are assertions on other roles that the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) - an agency aligned to the CBN, could perform to further strengthen the efficacy of the CBN's monetary policy (and/or macro/microprudential guidelines) in financial sector management, even so during this COVID-19 pandemic and afterward, and besides AMCON's statutory role of debt recovery. Also, the need for initiatives that could inform efforts to strengthen the efficacy of CBN's policy instruments, despite post-2010 debt-recovery activities by AMCON, remains. Thus, this review article examines the activities of AMCON and their implications on CBN's policy instruments design/formulation and implementation in Nigeria. Our findings thereof include AMCON contributes to DMBs' surveillance which could inform CBN's policy instruments design/formulation, and that the basis of the association between CBN and AMCON is prominent in respect to policy instruments' implementation and compliance. Therefore, this study recommends CBN to leverage on AMCON's recurrent interface with DMBs to further strengthen the operational effectiveness of so established policy instruments.


Support vector machines have met with significant success in numerous real-world learning tasks. However, like most machine learning algorithms, they are generally applied using a randomly selected training set classified in advance. In many settings, we also have the option of using pool-based active learning. Instead of using a randomly selected training set, the learner has access to a pool of unlabeled instances and can request the labels for some number of them. We introduce a new algorithm for performing active learning with support vector machines, i.e., an algorithm for choosing which instances to request next. We provide a theoretical motivation for the algorithm using the notion of a version space. We present experimental results showing that employing our active learning method can significantly reduce the need for labeled training instances in both the standard inductive and transductive settings.


In this study, the authors investigate ex-post, long-term, riskadjusted performance associated with the release of the 2002 and 2005 ABA Top Performing Banks survey as well as an alternative "re-ranked" sample list that includes a size criterion. The 2002 and 2005 survey years serve as benchmarks for the resiliency of sample firms based on pivotal economic shifts within the banking industry taking place in the corresponding post-survey periods. The results indicate that the long-term stock return performance of the survey sample outperforms both the S&P 500 Index and the matched sample in "good" years and either underperforms or shows no difference in performance during "bad" years. The alternative re-ranked sample exhibits superior long-term stock return performance in both good and bad economic times when measured against the S&P 500. The authors conclude that size does impact performance resiliency based on changing economic conditions in the banking industry.


Type IV effectors (T4Es) are proteins produced by pathogenic bacteria to manipulate host cell gene expression and processes, divert the cell machinery for their own profit and circumvent the immune responses. T4Es have been characterized for some bacteria but many remain to be discovered. To help biologists identify putative T4Es from the complete genome of α- and γ-proteobacteria, we developed a Perl-based command line bioinformatics tool called S4TE (searching algorithm for type-IV secretion system effectors). The tool predicts and ranks T4E candidates by using a combination of 13 sequence characteristics, including homology to known effectors, homology to eukaryotic domains, presence of subcellular localization signals or secretion signals, etc. S4TE software is modular, and specific motif searches are run independently before ultimate combination of the outputs to generate a score and sort the strongest T4Es candidates. The user keeps the possibility to adjust various searching parameters such as the weight of each module, the selection threshold or the input databases. The algorithm also provides a GC% and local gene density analysis, which strengthen the selection of T4E candidates. S4TE is a unique predicting tool for T4Es, finding its utility upstream from experimental biology.


Periodically birefringent thin films growing out of the isotropic phase of the banana-shaped liquid crystal 1,3-phenylene-bis (4-butoxybenzyldiamine) were investigated with polarized optical microscopy. The gown thin films of the periodic modulation of the birefringent index self-assembled by the banana-shaped LC molecules were attributed to the difference of the molecular composing structures. Further the driving forces of the banana-shaped molecular self-assembly were discussed.


One of the characteristic phenomena associated with the current development of civilization is undoubtedly metropolisation. This article focuses on the strategically important problems of the metropolisation of the Central European area with an emphasis on the Visegrad countries. The introductory part is dedicated to the identification of Central European metropolises based on three components: population size, economic profile and investment attractiveness. Designated metropolises are then assessed from the point of view of integrative potential level, including economic interactivity, tourist attractiveness and transport connectivity. Based on the synthesis of these components, the most important axes of supranational importance were identified. It can be said that within the established network of metropolitan axes connecting eastern with western parts of the Central European region the Czech Republic is the best placed, followed by Poland. From a wider geopolitical outlook this network creates favourable conditions for the integration of the Visegrad countries, mainly driven by international trade.


This elegantly written book is a bold attempt to reinterpret the nature of sexual violence and to imagine the possibility of overcoming it. Lawrence Kramer traces today's sexual identities to their nineteenth-century sources, drawing on the music, literature, and thought of the period to show how normal identity both promotes and rationalizes violence against women. To make his case, Kramer uses operatic lovedeaths, Beethoven's 'Kreutzer Sonata' and the Tolstoy novella named after it; the writings of Walt Whitman and Alfred Lord Tennyson, psychoanalysis, and the logic of dreams. In formal and informal reflections, he explores the self-contradictions of masculinity, the shifting alignments of femininity, authority, and desire, and the interdependency of hetero- and homosexuality. At the same time, he imagines alternatives that could allow gender to be freed from the existing system of polarities that inevitably promote sexual violence. Kramer's writing avoids the conventional dress of intellectual authority and moves between music and literature in a style that is both intimate and effective. He combines informed scholarship with candid personal utterance and makes clear what is at stake in this crucial debate. "After the Lovedeath" will have a profound impact on anyone interested in new ways to think about gender.


Background: Family caregivers (broadly defined as family and friends) experience multiple concurrent transitions when caring for a person with advanced cancer. Aims: To (a) explore the transition experience of family caregivers caring for persons with advanced cancer living in the community, (b) describe potential triggers for transitions, (c) identify what influences this experience, and (d) develop a conceptual framework of their transition experience. Design: Sandelowski and Barroso's methodology for synthesizing qualitative research included (a) a comprehensive search of empirical literature, (b) quality appraisal of qualitative studies, (c) classification of studies, and (d) synthesis of the findings. Data sources: Literature was sourced from six electronic data bases. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (a) published qualitative studies (and mixed-method designs) of the caregiving experience of family caregivers of community-living persons with advanced cancer at the end of life, (b) participants (caregivers and care recipients) of 18 years of age and above, (c) studies published in English in any country, and (d) studies published between 2004 and 2014. Results: A total of 72 studies were included in the metasynthesis. Family caregivers experience a "life transition" whereby their lives are permanently altered. The participants described the process of redefining normal which consisted of coming to terms with their situation and connecting with others. Outcomes of these processes were as follows: (a) maintaining a sense of personhood, (b) reframing hope, (c) maintaining self-efficacy, (d) finding meaning, and (e) preparing for the death of their care recipient. Conclusion: The findings provide a framework to guide the development of supportive programs and future research.


In this paper, we generalize the notion of Pareto efficiency to make it applicable to environments with endogenous populations. Two efficiency concepts are proposed: Pefficiency and A-efficiency. The two concepts differ in how they treat potential agents that are not born. We show that these concepts are closely related to the notion of Pareto efficiency when fertility is exogenous. We prove a version of the first welfare theorem for Barro–Becker type fertility choice models and discuss how this result can be generalized. Finally, we study examples of equilibrium settings in which fertility decisions are not efficient, and we classify them into settings where inefficiencies arise inside the family and settings where they arise across families.


Background Mental health problems in Finland have been the responsibility of the health care, and substance abuse problems have been handled within social care. In 2009, a national reform aiming at integrating mental health and substance abuse treatment systems (SATS) was launched. The critics of integration were concerned that it implies a medicalization and a narrowing of the social care goals. Aim This article analyses to what extent integration of mental health and SATS affect the capability to treat co-occurring substance abuse and mental health problems. A secondary aim is to assess the utility of the DDCAT (Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment) instrument in a Finnish context. Data The study is based on group interviews, using DDCAT, in six Finnish municipalities, three with integrated and three with separate mental health care and SATS. The assessment pertains to the main outpatient unit in the city. Results The dual diagnosis treatment capability did not depend on the system-level integration. Two municipalities where SATS was administratively separate from mental health care were able to achieve high dual diagnosis capability ratings while in one municipality with system level integration this capability was not very high. The DDCAT instrument puts an emphasis on medical staff and competence. Conclusions Strong, separate local SATS may adapt to the integration demands or needs by strengthening their psychiatric competence. This solution can result in treatment that is equally competent in treating mental health and substance abuse problems as integrated systems. The DDCAT instrument can be useful in a Finnish context to measure medical competence to handle dual diagnoses, irrespective of system solutions. For a balanced measurement, the instrument should be complemented with a section mapping competence to handle co-occurring social problems.


Abstract The soil ecosystems of modern floodplains of North America, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and western Asia are the habitat of a group of limbless, fossorial reptiles (Order Amphisbaenia). Although body fossils are relatively abundant in North American Paleocene and Neogene paleosols, no ichnofossils are attributed to these organisms, largely because the morphologies present in modern burrows have not been studied. Because ichnofossils tend to have a higher preservation potential than body fossils, knowledge of the architectural and surficial burrow morphologies of such burrowing vertebrates as amphisbaenians can lead to the knowledge of their true stratigraphic and geographic ranges. The behavioral responses of a common South American amphisbaenian to variations in soil composition, moisture, and cohesion were studied in the laboratory so that the architectural and surficial morphology of their burrows could be tied to these environmental changes. Qualitative and quantitative models were designed to describe the morphology of the amphisbaenian burrows and then used to distinguish them from other floodplain burrowers, including skinks, scorpions, and crayfish. Amphisbaenians were found to produce unique two- and three-dimensional biogenic structures that could be both distinguished from those of other organisms and tied to specific environmental conditions. From these data, variations in the morphology of amphisbaenian ichnofossils can provide more accurate interpretations not only of the paleoecology, paleoenvironment, and paleoclimate of floodplain paleosols but also of rates of sedimentation.


Recent economic expansion in Peru has apparently encouraged higher education demand. Averages, however, mask strong differences between expenditure groups and a potential anti-poor bias. We build a simple theoretical model that predicts a positive relation between education demand, households' endowments and wage premia. Access to credit reduces endowments' impact and also encourages education demand if its return is sufficiently large. These predictions are validated after estimating enrolment probabilities using a panelof households for the period 2004-2006. Results help explain the antipoor bias if we combine the relatively small expenditure growth experienced by the first quintiles and the reduction exhibited by the wage premium. Our results also highlight the importance of short run credit constraints and basic education quality as determinants of postsecondary enrolment. This supports the need to develop financing opportunities for low income youngsters, but only after securing an appropriate selection mechanism to focalize this intervention on those with academic potential.


This report describes efforts by the Performance Modeling and Analysis Team to investigate performance characteristics of Sandia's engineering and scientific applications on the ASC capability and advanced architecture supercomputers, and Sandia's capacity Linux clusters. Efforts to model various aspects of these computers are also discussed. The goals of these efforts are to quantify and compare Sandia's supercomputer and cluster performance characteristics; to reveal strengths and weaknesses in such systems; and to predict performance characteristics of, and provide guidelines for, future acquisitions and follow-on systems. Described herein are the results obtained from running benchmarks and applications to extract performance characteristics and comparisons, as well as modeling efforts, obtained during the time period 2004-2006. The format of the report, with hypertext links to numerous additional documents, purposefully minimizes the document size needed to disseminate the extensive results from our research.


By integrating theories and methodologies from a diverse range of scientific disciplines (e.g., physics, neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology and robotics engineering) the present work is aimed at harnessing self-organized anticipatory synchronization in order to advance humanrobotic interaction (HRI). This phenomenon is characterized by the emergence of anticipatory behavior by one system coupled to the chaotic behavior of another, following the introduction of short self-referential delays in the coordinating system. The current set of studies involved the creation of an artificial agent based on a time-delayed, low-dimensional dynamical model capable of behaving prospectively during an interaction with a human actor performing complex, unpredictable behaviors. By achieving characteristics similar to those observed during natural human interaction and coordination, the time-delayed modeling approached advocated here provides the potential for considerable future advancements in HRI.


A new methodology for a robust solution of the diffusive shallow water equations is proposed. The methodology splits the unknowns of the momentum and continuity equations into one kinematic and one parabolic component. The kinematic component is solved using the slope of the water level surface computed in the previous time-step and a zero-order approximation of the water head inside the mass-balance area around each node of the mesh. The parabolic component is found by applying a standard finite-element Galerkin procedure, where the source terms can be computed from the solution of the previous kinematic problem. A simple 1D case, with a known analytical solution, is used to test the accuracy of the model. A second test is performed by comparing, in a more complex case, the flow rates computed by the model with the flow rates directly estimated from the computed water heads. An application to a real 2D case of flood flow on a river floodplain shows the practical advantages of the methodology.


Olive oil mill solid residue (OMSR) is the solid waste generated during olive oil production process in three-phase olive mills. It consists of the remaining pulp of olive processing after the extraction of oil, as well as the cracked seeds of the olive fruits, containing thus mainly lignocellulose and residual oil. The commonly used practice for OMSR management is combustion, after having extracted the residual oil by secondary extraction using organic solvents. Other proposed ways of OMSR management are their exploitation as substrate for edible fungi production and compost, and as feedstock for biofuels generation such as methane and bioethanol. In the latter case, the complex carbohydrates (cellulose and hemicellulose) of the lignocellulose of OMSR have to be degraded towards their simple sugars and further fermented via microorganisms. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of thermochemical pre-treatment of OMSR, on the final ethanol yield from the yeast Pachysolen tannophilus. Nine different types of OMSR-based substrates were tested i.e. raw OMSR, hydrolysates generated from pretreated OMSR with NaOH (0.5 %, 1.5 % w/v) and H2SO4 (0.5 %, 1.5 % v/v), and pretreated OMSR with NaOH (0.5 %, 1.5 % w/v) and H2SO4 (0.5 %, 1.5 % v/v) whole biomass. It was shown that in all cases pretreatment enhanced the consumption of carbohydrates as well as ethanol final yields.


The carbon footprint of pharmaceuticals through manufacturing, distribution, the incineration of unwanted pharmaceuticals as well as the packaging of pharmaceutical waste is an emerging and enormous challenge. Pharmaceuticals are major contributors to water pollution in aquatic environments that include surface water and groundwater. These pollutants arise not only from waste products but also from pharmaceutical products that have not been properly disposed of. The continuous exposure to unspecified sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics presents risks to humans and other animals. Due to their extensive use and incomplete elimination, antibiotics have been detected in various environmental waters. The persistence of antibiotics in the environment and chronic exposure of organisms to these chemical stressors has also proven to have ecotoxicological effects. The prevailing emergence of antimicrobial resistance amongst bacteria is an area of primary concern, especially with regard to the release of antibiotics into the environment. Resistance is the acquired ability of bacterial populations to render an antibiotic ineffective as a result of a change in bacterial DNA which occurs when bacteria are subjected to an antibiotic concentration that will not kill them. A sub-lethal concentration possibly exerts a selective pressure that can result in the development of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. It is clear that there is a need for extensive research to improve regulations and guidance on pharmaceutical waste management, pharmaceutical take-back programmes and consumer awareness.


Effect of relaxation time on the performance of photonic crystal optical bistable switches based on Kerr nolinearity is discussed. This paper deals with optical pulses with the duration of about 50 ps. In such cases the steady state response of the optical device can be used to approximate the pulse evolution if the nonlinearity is assumed instantaneous, hence analytical solutions such as the coupled mode theory can be used to obtain the time evolution of the electromagnetic fields. However if the relaxation time of the material nonlinear response is also considered, changes in the power levels and in the shape of the hystersis loop is observed. In this case, we use the nonlinear finite difference time domain method (NL-FDTD) to follow the system dynamics and get the bistability hystersis loop. Codes are developed to analyze the instantaneous Kerr materials and the Kerr materials with finite response times. Depending on the material, the relaxation times of the order of 1-10fs should be considered in studying bistability to obtain the right shape of the output pulses. It is observed that the relaxation leads to larger input power and threshold and hence degrades the performance of the switch in pulse shaping.


An algorithm for adaptive Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) feature truncation is proposed to improve automatic speech recognition (ASR) performance under acoustically mismatched conditions. Using the relationship found between MFCC base feature truncation and degree of acoustic mismatch of speech signals with respect to recognition models, the proposed algorithm performs utterance-specific MFCC feature truncation for test signals to address their acoustic mismatch in context of ASR. The proposed technique, without any prior knowledge about the speaker of the test utterance, gives 38% (on a connected-digit recognition task) and 36% (on a continuous speech recognition task) relative improvement over baseline in ASR performance for children's speech on models trained on adult speech, which is also found to be additive to improvements obtained with vocal tract length normalization and/or constrained maximum likelihood linear regression. The generality and effectiveness of the algorithm is also validated for automatic recognition of children's and adults' speech under matched and mismatched conditions.


Microarray technology allows a scientist to study genomewide patterns of gene expression. Thousands of individual genes are measured with a relatively small number of replications, which poses challenges to traditional statistical methods. In particular, the gene-specific estimators of variances are not reliable and gene-by-gene tests have low powers. In this article we propose a family of shrinkage estimators for variances raised to a fixed power. We derive optimal shrinkage parameters under both Stein and squared loss functions. Our results show that the standard sample variance is inadmissible under either loss function. We propose several estimators for the optimal shrinkage parameters and investigate their asymptotic properties under two scenarios: large number of replications and large number of genes. We conduct simulations to evaluate the finite sample performance of the data-driven optimal shrinkage estimators and compare them with some existing methods. We construct F-like statistics using these shrinkage variance estimators and apply them to detect differentially expressed genes in a microarray experiment. We also conduct simulations to evaluate performance of these F-like statistics and compare them with some existing methods.


SUMMARY How might cause-related marketing affect attitudes toward the charity involved? Could charity attitudes be harmed? These questions were addressed in a controlled laboratory study. Positive/negative fit between the organizations was manipulated, and company attitude was measured. The results suggest that charity attitude may be negatively impacted if consumers' attitudes toward the company are negative, or if the organizations have negative fit. Alternatively, CRM may improve charity attitude if company attitude is positive or the organizations share positive fit. The effect of fit is stronger than the effect of company attitude, so positive fit may compensate for pairing with a company toward which consumers' attitudes are negative.


The present thesis explored sea ice ridges in the Fram Strait from data collected at 79 degrees N, 65 degrees W in 2006/2007 by an Upward Looking Sonar instrument, IPS4, and used extreme value analysis to provide an estimate of how deep sea ice ridges could be in this area, and its return period. Ice in the Fram Strait originate from different regions in the Arctic Ocean and is therefore representative of the ice ridge distribution in the Arctic. Ice ridges were identified using the Rayleigh method, choosing a threshold value of 2.5 m and a minimum draft value of 5 m. The mean keel draft value was found to be 7.7 m. The shallowest keel observed had a draft of 5.0 m, while the deepest keel was 24.97 m deep. Extreme value analysis was performed on the data collected to find estimates of extreme values of ice ridge keel draft, and its 100-year return level. The shape parameter in the Generalized Pareto distribution was estimated to be close to zero, which qualified for a reduction to the Exponential distribution. The 100-year return level was estimated to be in the range of 37 – 45 m with the Generalized Pareto distribution and the Exponential distribution. The Weibull distribution was also used in the same analysis, but gave a much lower result with a 100-year return level of 29 m. The fraction of ice observed defined as ice ridges was 3 %. The probability of encountering ice ridges deeper than 20 m was 0.15 m, corresponding to previous results from similar analysis.


Background The use of aroma oils dates back to at least 3000 B.C., where it was applied to mummify corpses and treat the wounds of soldiers. Since the 1920s, the term "aromatherapy" has been used for fragrance therapy with essential oils. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the essential oil of Eucalyptus (EOE) affects pain pathways in various pain conditions and motor coordination. Methods Mice were subjected to inhalation or intraperitoneal injection of EOE, and its analgesic effects were assessed by conducting formalin, thermal plantar, and acetic acid tests; the effects of EOE on motor coordination were evaluated using a rotarod test. To determine the analgesic mechanism, 5′-guanidinonaltrindole (κ-opioid antagonist, 0.3 mg/kg), naltrindole (δ-opioid antagonist, 5 mg/kg), glibenclamide (δ-opioid antagonist, 2 mg/kg), and naloxone (μ-opioid antagonist, 4, 8, 12 mg/kg) were injected intraperitoneally. Results EOE showed an analgesic effect against visceral pain caused by acetic acid (EOE, 45 mg/kg); however, no analgesic effect was observed against thermal nociceptive pain. Moreover, it was demonstrated that EOE did not have an effect on motor coordination. In addition, an anti-inflammatory effect was observed during the formalin test. Conclusions EOE, which is associated with the μ-opioid pain pathway, showed potential effects against somatic, inflammatory, and visceral pain and could be a potential therapeutic agent for pain.


BACKGROUND We have consistently argued that mild asthma is an important underlying aetiological factor in patients with severe symptomatic hyperventilation. While hyperventilation has been demonstrated in acute asthma, there have been few studies in mild chronic asthma, and mechanisms are uncertain. METHODS Twenty three currently asymptomatic chronically asthmatic patients (occasional use of bronchodilators, normal lung function, hyperresponsive to methacholine) were studied and 17 matched normal subjects acted as controls. Ventilation, pattern of breathing, arterial carbon dioxide and oxygen tensions (Paco 2, Pao 2), end tidal Pco 2(Petco 2), standard lung function, airway responsiveness to methacholine, airway inflammation assessed by eosinophils in induced sputum, and psychiatric morbidity (Spielberger STAI-Y and Beck Depression Inventory) were measured. RESULTS Despite the absence of current asthmatic symptoms, no clinical evidence of hyperventilation, and normal lung function in the patients with asthma, Paco 2 and Petco 2 were significantly (p<0.01) lower in the patients than in the control group (mean (SD) Paco 2 4.96 (0.43) kPa for patients versus 5.27 (0.38) kPa for controls (mean difference 0.31 kPa, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06 to 0.56, p<0.02)). Petco 2 was very similar to Paco 2 in both groups (mean (SD) Petco 2 4.89 (0.47) kPa for the patients and 5.28 (0.40) for the controls (mean difference 0.39 kPa, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.66, p<0.01)). There was no significant difference in ventilation or respiratory pattern between the two groups. The reduced Paco 2 in the asthmatic patients correlated significantly with the concentration of methacholine provoking a fall in FEV1 of more than 20% (PC20) (r = 0.56, p<0.01) but not with any aspect of lung function, eosinophil count, or anxiety/depression. CONCLUSION Mild asymptomatic asthma is not associated with clinically significant hyperventilation but is associated with a significant reduction in both arterial and end tidal Pco 2 which relates to airway hyperresponsiveness rather than to the degree of airway obstruction or mucosal inflammation. Anxiety and depression appear not to be implicated.


We obtain the first polynomial-time algorithm for exact tensor completion that improves over the bound implied by reduction to matrix completion. The algorithm recovers an unknown 3-tensor with $r$ incoherent, orthogonal components in $\mathbb R^n$ from $r\cdot \tilde O(n^{1.5})$ randomly observed entries of the tensor. This bound improves over the previous best one of $r\cdot \tilde O(n^{2})$ by reduction to exact matrix completion. Our bound also matches the best known results for the easier problem of approximate tensor completion (Barak & Moitra, 2015).
Our algorithm and analysis extends seminal results for exact matrix completion (Candes & Recht, 2009) to the tensor setting via the sum-of-squares method. The main technical challenge is to show that a small number of randomly chosen monomials are enough to construct a degree-3 polynomial with precisely planted orthogonal global optima over the sphere and that this fact can be certified within the sum-of-squares proof system.


The continental sedimentary rocks that constitute the Palo Pintado Formation of the late Miocene from Salta province, presents a great paleoclimatic interest due to the environmental conditions prevailing during this geochronologic interval. The geological and paleobotanical data suggest that during the sedimentary rocks accumulation of the Palo Pintado Formation (Angastaco Basin), wetter conditions would have existed comparing with other nearby and contemporary Formations, for example the Playa del Zorro Aloformation (late Miocene of Catamarca) and the Chiquimil (late Miocene of Tucumán), Salicas and the Toro Negro Formations (both from the late Miocene of La Rioja). In this study, the margin and the foliar area of the leaves contained on rocks from the Palo Pintado Formation are analyzed, in order to obtain the mean annual temperature (MAT) and the mean annual precipitation (MAP). The resulting values were: 23.98 °C and 330.8 mm. These results are coincident by the interpretation of different authors, who consider that the Palo Pintado Formation would have been deposited under a relatively humid environment, possibly as a consequence of the rains that affected locally the Angastaco basin región.


Previous work has shown that Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), including those currently in use in many fields, are extremely vulnerable to maliciously crafted inputs, known as adversarial examples. Despite extensive and thorough research of adversarial examples in many areas, adversarial 3D data, such as point clouds, remain comparatively unexplored. The study of adversarial 3D data is crucial considering its impact in real-life, high-stakes scenarios including autonomous driving. In this paper, we propose a novel adversarial attack against PointNet++, a deep neural network that performs classification and segmentation tasks using features learned directly from raw 3D points. In comparison to existing works, our attack generates not only adversarial point clouds, but also robust adversarial objects that in turn generate adversarial point clouds when sampled both in simulation and after construction in real world. We also demonstrate that our objects can bypass existing defense mechanisms designed especially against adversarial 3D data.


Indonesia's energy demand is increasing as a result of growth in infrastructure and economy. As energy demand grows, opportunities for energy efficiency also expand in various sectors in Indonesia. The green retrofitting is an exception despite the vast opportunity, and Indonesia has multimillion-dollar energy efficiency potential. Nevertheless, only a tiny percentage of this available potential can be attained. Under technological innovation, retrofitting in building sectors is technically feasible and economically viable. New technologies could increase building energy efficiency and energy saving, where some of the techniques needed for retrofitting are already available in the market. However, acceptance among business owners varies across the building, industrial and commercial sectors. It is due to a lack of awareness about the savings potential of the best available technologies (one of the barriers). Hence, the government needs to help and incentivize new energy-saving companies (ESCOs) to enter the building energy efficiency sector. These incentives are necessary to overcome the paradox of the energy gap and let the ESCO enter the building energy performance program. With the explanation above, the author undertakes this study to learn more about the strategy of the ESCO to gain opportunities and open new markets in the building energy efficiency sector. It can be done by promoting the use of environmentally friendly technology equipment that ultimately aims to keep its performance growing on an ongoing basis. New opportunities that ESCO can do are to offer a Product Service System (PSS) business model in the form of Energy Saving Agreement (ESA) or Energy Saving Performance Contract (ESPC), which is known as the "retrofit" contract. Hence, the purpose of this study are as follow: 1) Investigate ESCO's confidence and tapping potential in energy efficiency business sectors, 2) To explore the retrofit practices and retrofit financing, 3) To analyze and evaluate the driving factors of carbon emissions in Indonesia. The study explores the relationship between energy consumption, building energy efficiency (BEE) Industry, energy saving, energy conservation services company or energy service company (ESCO), and energy-economic growth relationships. This study helps understand how market barriers are the main problem and affect the organization's energy efficiency development behavior. Understanding the market drivers and nature of the energy efficiency development and the consequences, its new PSS business model, the value of the investment, and new intelligent financing options will benefit all the participants. Energy efficiency retrofitting is viable in Indonesia. However, non-market and market barriers in implementing energy-saving vary across sectors. Thus, again, the energy efficiency retrofitting remains an anomaly. Indonesia requires a comprehensive set of government policies to spurs the building energy efficiency industry and avoid the "energy gap."