A novel algorithm to evaluate the performance of electric distribution systems, including distributed generation (DG) is proposed. This algorithm addresses the deterministic and the stochastic natures of these electrical systems. Monte Carlo simulation is employed to solve the system operation randomness problem, taking into consideration the system operation constraints. The uncertainties in the locations, exported penetration level, and the states (on or off) of the DG units constitute the random parameters of the studied systems. The introduced algorithm incorporates these parameters with the traditional Newton-Raphson solution of the power flow equations. Monte Carlo simulation is implemented to perform the analysis of all the possible operation scenarios of the system under study and thus ensure the validity of the results. The proposed algorithm is employed to obtain the hourly power flow solution for a typical DG connected system. The system loading follows several typical load curves based on load bus types. Furthermore, new hourly steady-state operating system parameters are evaluated to describe the system behavior under the DG random operation. The results obtained are presented and discussed.


Objective: The demands of parenting are usually associated with some stress, and elevated levels of stress may affect the parent–child relationships and parenting practices. This is especially the case of families where children have special needs conditions or disorders, like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Method: This study examined parenting stress among mothers of children and adolescents with ADHD. The sample comprised 126 mothers of girls (36; 29%) and boys (90; 71%) aged 6–17 years old. Results: Mothers reported their own stress levels as well as the children and adolescents' variables (severity of their ADHD symptoms, conduct, and emotional problems) and family–contextual variables (negative impact on family's social life, impact on couple relationship, and perceived social support). Hierarchical multiple regression showed that (a) negative impact on social life and conduct problems were the strongest predictors of mother's stress. Bootstrap mediation analyses revealed that (b) the association between child and adolescent's ADHD and parenting stress was mediated by children's conduct problems and by negative impact on family's social life, and not by children's emotional problems nor by mother's perceived social support. The mediation analysis also suggested (c) a pathway from child/adolescent's ADHD through children's conduct problems and then through their negative impact on family's social life to mother's parenting stress. Conclusion: These results suggest that both child/adolescent's and family factors should be considered in the designing of interventions for reducing parenting stress in families of children and adolescents with ADHD.


This paper studies a problem of production and distribution of one product on a multi-period horizon. The value of co-ordinating production and distribution planning is investigated. The particular scenario addressed here concerns a plant that manufactures one product that can be stored at the plant or shipped to customers who can also store it. The product is distributed by a limited fleet of vehicles to the customers whose the demands are known for each period of the planning horizon. The objective is to determine, for each period, the amount produced and the delivery trips, in order to minimise the total cost of production and distribution over the whole horizon. Two greedy heuristics followed by two local search procedures are proposed for this difficult problem. The first heuristic or uncoupled approach computes in a classical way a production plan and then a distribution plan. The second one or coupled approach determines the two plans simultaneously. The one product hypothesis is not restricted since our heuristics can be extended to cases of several products if these products can be mixed in the same vehicles without creating resource conflicts in production. These heuristics are tested on randomly generated instances with up to 200 customers and 20 periods: they are all very fast and significant savings are obtained by the coupled approach.


Art and Art history encompases all forms of art throughout the world. All types of material, including articles from journals, chapters from books, and digital images can be found using this guide.


Soil waterlogging is one of the major environmental stress factors that has a devastating effect on crop growth. This study was conducted to evaluate the response of popular Philippine soybean cultivars to waterlogging stress during early season (30 days after planting, DAP) and late season (beginning bloom, R1 stage) flooding. Response of cultivars to the timing of the stress at 14 d waterlogged duration was significant for seed yield and seed yield components. Based on seed yield damage index, PSB Sy1 was the most tolerant genotype followed by the landrace Manchuria; while PSB Sy6 and PSB Sy3 were most susceptible to waterlogging. The effect on soybean seed yield of the two waterlogging stress timings was statistically similar. The number of pods per plant, high percentage of seed-filled pods and the weight of seeds (per plant) were crucial seed yield components. Flooding stress caused decreases in root length and shoot dry matter partitioning in susceptible genotypes, whereas the tolerant PSB Sy1 (across waterlogging treatments) increased its root length, and leaf and stem-partitioned dry matter. It appears that the flooding tolerance mechanisms of soybean result in the differences in seed yield components.


The excitatory neurotransmitter, Glu, plays a crucial role in many sensory and motor functions as well as in brain development, learning and memory and it is also involved in the pathogenesis of a number of neurological disorders, including epilepsy, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Therefore, the study of Glu receptors (GluRs) is of therapeutical importance. We showed here by fluorescence monitoring of transmembrane Ca2+ ion fluxes in response to (S)-alpha-amino-3-hidroxi-5-metil-4-izoxazol propionic acid ((S)-AMPA) on the time scale of 0.00004-10 s that Ca2+ ion influx proceeds through faster and slower desensitizing receptors. Pharmacological isolation of the slower and faster desensitizing AMPA receptor was possible by fluorescence monitoring of Ca2+ ion translocation in response to (S)-AMPA in the presence and absence of various 2-methyl-4-oxo-3H-quinazoline-3-alkyl-carboxilic acid derivatives (Qxs): the acetic acid Q1 inhibits the slower desensitizing receptor response specifically, while the acetyl-piperidine Q5 is a more potent inhibitor of the faster desensitizing receptor response. In addition, spontaneous interictal activity, as induced by high [K+] conditions in hippocampal slices, was reduced significantly by Q5, suggesting a possible anticonvulsant property of Q5. Substitutions of Qxs into the GluR2 S1S2 binding core were consistent with their effect by causing variable degree of S1S2 bridging interaction as one of the main determinants of AMPA receptor agonist activity. The exploitation of differences between similar receptors will be important in the development and use of drugs with high pharmacological specificity.


Modern philosophy is often said to privilege rationality over received wisdom, but to some extent this is an ideal which we pursue under a measure of uncertainty. It is not always obvious what rationality requires. Nor is it clear how rationality is to be traded against other ideals. This dissertation seeks to clarify both questions as they pertain to the rationality of belief. The choice of topic is apposite, since many argue that the case of belief illustrates that what is rational and what there is most reason to do is one and the same thing. In particular, so-called evidentialists often argue that to believe what the evidence indicates is both to believe rationally and to believe what one has most reason to believe, since (i) rationality consists in responding to reasons, and (ii) only evidence that p can be a reason to believe that p. My first objective is to challenge this thesis. I do so by arguing that the class of reasons that rationalise a belief does not coincide with the class of reasons there are to have the belief all things considered. To equate the two classes would be to conflate the psychological issue of how we respond to reasons with the ontological issue of what reasons there are. My case against evidentialism does not depend on pragmatism being true, however. Even if Pascal was wrong to claim that the expected benefit of believing can be a reason to believe, it does not follow that evidentialism is true. Some non-pragmatic form of anti-evidentialism may still be true. The latter half of the dissertation explores this possibility in greater detail. There I argue that there is at least one class of beliefs which is not subject to common evidentiary strictures. When we use practical reasoning to form intentions about what to do in the future, we typically also form beliefs about what we will do. Yet, those beliefs are not based on evidence about what we will do, I argue. Typically, we do not predict what we do based on what we intend to do. Nor should we. When it is up to us whether we will perform an action, our intentions do to not carry enough weight as evidence that we must use them to predict what we will do. In the last part of the dissertation, I use this point to elucidate how we acquire self-knowledge and how belief relates to truth.


OBJECTIVE To examine the relation between GHb, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postchallenge plasma glucose (PCPG), and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) in older adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A community-based study of 1,239 nondiabetic older adults followed for an average of 8 years, from baseline (1984–1987) to 1993. RESULTS GHb, but not FPG or PCPG, was significantly related to CVD and IHD mortality in women but not men. The age-adjusted relative hazard for those in the highest quintile of GHb (≥ 6.7%) compared with women with lower levels was 2.37 for fatal CVD (95% CI = 1.30−4.31, P = 0.005) and 2.43 for IHD (95% CI = 1.12−5.25, P = 0.024). This association persisted after adjustment for all covariates (age, systolic blood pressure, BMI, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, cigarette smoking, antihypertensive medication use, and estrogen use). GHb was significantly associated with LDL and HDL levels in women, but the association between GHb and CVD or IHD persisted after adjustment for these lipoproteins. CONCLUSIONS We concluded that GHb is a better predictor of CVD and IHD mortality than FPG or PCPG in women without diabetes; no single measure of glycemia was predictive in men. The reason for the sex difference is unexplained.


Rhizoctonia sheath diseases of rice, comprising sheath blight, sheath spot and aggregate sheath spot, cause significant yield losses in many rice-growing regions of the world. The emergence of Rhizoctonia sheath diseases as economically important rice diseases is of recent date and has been attributed to the intensification of rice-cropping systems with the development of new short-stature, high-tillering, highyielding varieties, high plant densities, and an increase in nitrogen fertilization. These factors promote disease spread by providing a favorable microclimate for Rhizoctonia spp., due to a denser leaf canopy with an increased leaf-to-leaf and leaf-to-sheath contact. Rice sheath blight, one of the most serious fungal diseases of rice, is caused by multinucleate Rhizoctonia solani Kühn (teleomorph Thanatephorus cucumeris (A.B. Frank ) Donk), an ubiquitous pathogen. Fourteen anastomosis groups (AGs) have been described in R. solani to date. Several anastomosis groups are further subdivided into intraspecific groups (ISGs). Isolates of AG1 have been divided into 3 ISGs including IA, IB and IC based on host origin, symptoms, and cultural characteristics. Isolates of AG1-IA have been associated with the development of rice sheath blight. Sheath spot and aggregate sheath spot are caused by multinucleate R. oryzae Ryker & Gooch (teleomorph Waitea circinata Warcup & Talbot) and binucleate R. oryzae-sativae (Swada) Mordue (teleomorph Ceratobasidium oryzae-sativae Gunnell & Webster), respectively. Both pathogens produce lesions on the leaf sheath very similar to those of sheath blight, and are known to occur in California, Argentina and Asia. In addition to the similarity of disease symptoms, distinguishing the various Rhizoctonia species in culture is difficult due to the lack of stable morphological characters on which to base a definitive classification of the genus Rhizoctonia and species assigned to it. Also, identification of the intraspecific groups of AG1 based on anastomosis grouping on a slide is not accurate because isolates of AG1-IA fuse well not only with other isolates of IA, but also with isolates of IB and IC. Isolates of Rhizoctonia spp. were obtained from rice leaves and leaf sheaths with sheath blight symptoms that had been collected from various rice cultivars in different geographic regions of India during 2000-2003. Characterization by conventional techniques and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using species-specific primers showed that from 110 isolates, 99 were R. solani and 11 were R. oryzaesativae. In restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR-amplified ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region of R. solani isolates, no polymorphism was observed among 96 isolates belonged to anastomosis group (AG) 1-IA but they were differentiated from AG1-IB and AG1-IC isolates using two discriminant restriction enzymes (MseI and MunI).


Purpose: This article investigates specifics of the transformation of banking activity in the conditions of digitalization of the economy. In the light of penetration of digital technologies into all the spheres of our life, the rapid development of financial technologies and their active implementation in the banking sector of the economy, digital financial innovations are formed at the intersection of the concepts of "financial technologies" and "financial innovations". Design/Methodology/Approach: In order to investigate the process of transformation of the banking sector in the context of digitalization, it is necessary to consider this issue from three points of view: 1) theoretical understanding of the concept of "financial technologies"; 2) the need to ensure the efficiency and sustainability of the banking sector; 3) the change in the ITarchitecture of banking activities and the formation of the digital ecosystem with banks in the center. It is also reasonable to analyze promising areas of implementation of financial technologies into the banking sector. Findings: The main directions of the development of financial technologies in the banking sector, aimed at further transformation of traditional banking services through digital technologies. Practical Implications: The results of the study can be applied in the development of the legislative regulation of the FinTech industry in Russia. Originality/Value: The main contribution of this study is to determine the prospects for the development of the domestic banking sector in the context of digitalization, the need to transform in order not only to improve the competitiveness and efficiency of functioning, but also to stay in the banking business.


In this paper, a 2 degrees-of-freedom multimode controller design for the Rolls Royce Spey turbofan engine is presented. The controller is designed via discrete time H∞-optimization; it provides robust stability against coprime factor uncertainty, and a degree of robust performance in the sense of making the closed-loop system match a prespecified reference model. Multimode control logic is developed to preserve structural integrity of the engine by limiting engine variables to specified safe values. A simple strategy for antiwindup and bumpless transfer between controllers, based on the Hanus anti-windup scheme (1987, "Conditioning Technique, A General Anti-Windup and Bumpless Transfer Method," Automatica, 23(6), pp. 729–739) and the observer-based structure of the controller, is presented. The structure of the overall switched controller is described. Actual engine test results using the Spey engine test facility at Pyestock are presented. The controller is shown to perform a variety of tasks, its multimode operation is illustrated and improvements offered on existing engine control systems are discussed.


Background Tuberculosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS) in HIV-TB co-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been linked to neutrophil activation. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) are also associated with neutrophil activation. Since ANCAs are reportedly skewed in TB and HIV infections, we investigated plasma levels of 7 ANCAs in TB-IRIS patients. Methods We retrospectively compared 17 HIV-TB patients who developed TB-IRIS with controls of similar CD4 count, age and gender who did not (HIV+TB+ n = 17), HIV-infected patients without TB (HIV+TB-, n = 17) and 10 HIV-negative (HIV-TB-) controls. Frozen plasma was collected before ART, at 3 and 9 months of ART, and examined by ELISA for levels of 7 ANCAs directed against; Proteinase 3 (PR3), Myeloperoxidase (MPO), Permeability-increasing protein (BPI), Elastase, Cathepsin, Lysozyme, and Lactoferrin. Results Compared to HIV+TB+ controls, pre-ART anti-elastase levels were lower in TB-IRIS patients (p = 0.026) and HIV-TB- controls (p = 0.044), whereas other ANCAs did not show significant differences between groups at any time point. A significant decrease over time could be observed in TB-IRIS patients during ART for anti -PR3 (p = 0.027), -lysozyme (p = 0.011), and -lactoferrin (p = 0.019). Conversely, HIV+TB+ controls showed a significant decrease over time for anti -MPO (p = 0.002), -lyzosyme (p = 0.002) and -elastase (p < 0.001). Conclusion The lack of elevated anti-elastase levels in TB-IRIS patients as opposed to HIV+TB+ controls correspond to previous findings of lowered immune capacity in patients that will develop TB-IRIS. This may suggest a specific role for anti-elastase, elastase or even matrix-metalloproteinases in TB-IRIS. The precise dynamics of neutrophil activation in HIV-TB merits further investigation and could provide more insight in the early mechanisms leading up to TB-IRIS.


Hospital readmissions in older adult populations are an emerging quality indicator for acute care hospitals. Recent evidence has linked functional decline during and after hospitalization with an elevated risk of hospital readmission. However, models of care that have been developed to reduce hospital readmission rates do not adequately address functional deficits. Physical therapists, as experts in optimizing physical function, have a strong opportunity to contribute meaningfully to care transition models and demonstrate the value of physical therapy interventions in reducing readmissions. Thus, the purposes of this perspective article are: (1) to describe the need for physical therapist input during care transitions for older adults and (2) to outline strategies for expanding physical therapy participation in care transitions for older adults, with an overall goal of reducing avoidable 30-day hospital readmissions.


This book introduces readers to a little-known place and time in world history - early modern Russia, from its beginnings as Muscovy, in the fourteenth century, through the reign of Peter I (1689-1725) - by portraying the lives of representative individuals from the major levels of the society of that era. The portraits, written by professional historians, are imaginative reconstructions or composites of individual lives, rather than biographies. The portraits are arranged into socio-political categories, and include members of ruling families, government servitors, clerks, military personnel, church prelates, monks, provincial landowners, townspeople and artisans, Siberian explorers and traders, free peasants, serfs, slaves and holy fools. Using these portraits, the book brings old Russian society to life in an interesting way.


Abstract This article explores the impact of different types of public spending on rural household welfare in Ethiopia. The analysis reveals that public spending on road infrastructure is characterised by relatively high, but regionally strongly concentrated, returns in terms of rural household welfare. This is quite in contrast to the returns to public expenditures in education, which have attributes of much wider reach but less intensity. Public investments in agriculture show results that are low in magnitude and in statistical significance, mostly due to a poor link between public expenditures in agriculture and productivity in the sector.


For several years, interfacial instabilities arising in evaporating layers of volatile liquid when subjected to a shear flow of inert and non-absorptive gas have been studied for their intrinsic complexity due to the interaction between different phenomena such as heat and mass transfer through the layer interface, thermo-capillarity, natural convection, and shear-induced stresses. More recently, the possibility of generating ordered thermal patterns in an evaporating layer by controlling such kinds of instabilities has been considered as an intriguing technique to enhance heat and mass transfer in precisely defined spots at the interface of the layers. We studied numerically the topology of the thermal patterns as well as the heat and mass transfer characteristics that can be induced in an evaporating liquid layer by controlling the thickness of the layer while keeping constant the gas flow intensity. Calculations have been conducted by considering ethanol as the working fluid and nitrogen as the inert gas. The thickness of the layer was varied in order to have aspect ratios with respect to the characteristic length of the evaporating interface in the range of 0.02-1. The inspiring reason for performing the simulations reported in this paper is the preparation of the CIMEX-1 experiment that will be performed on-board the International Space Station in the next future. For that reason, all the calculations presented refer to the condition of the absence of gravity. © 2011 by Begell House, Inc.


The Korean War is often referred to as the first "forgotten war." The processes of forgetting and remembering the war in Australian private and public memory, and the relationship between the two forms of remembrance have been affected by the role of the media and the chronology of the conflict in international affairs. Although veteran memories and testimonies survive, governmental conflict with the Returned Serviceman's League, a lack of well-known battles, and the absence (until recently) of a memorial or medal, have hindered the Korean War from being enshrined in Australia's public memory.


Patients with lupus erythematosus (LE) frequently require systemic corticosteroid therapy and some of them also take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for arthritis or aspirin for thrombosis prevention. However, these drugs, especially if taken concomitantly, may significantly increase the risk of peptic ulcer, and proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are currently considered as first line prophylaxis to reduce this risk. The PPIs induce a pronounced and long-lasting reduction of gastric acid production, being the most potent inhibitors of acid secretion available today. In general, PPIs are well tolerated, although some recent reports have raised concerns about the possibility of LE induction due to intake of PPIs [1–6].

Here, we present an additional patient with lansoprazole-induced LE and summarize current literature data on that subject.

A 57-year-old Caucasian woman was admitted to our department with a 2-month history of development of extensive annular, confluent erythemas on the entire body. Three months before skin lesion appearance the patient initiated therapy with lansoprazole due to chronic duodenitis diagnosed on endoscopy. She had no other concomitant diseases and did not take any other drugs.

On admission the patient demonstrated prominent confluent annular erythemas located on the trunk, face, both extremities and V-neck area (Figures 1A--B).B). No other abnormalities were found on physical examination. The patient was in good general condition, but complained of significant fatigue lasting for the last 2 months. Laboratory examinations revealed slight leucopoenia (3.840 leucocytes/µl), decreased level of C3 complement component (0.816 g/l, normal range: 0.9-1.8 g/l), slightly elevated activity of aminotransferases in the serum (aspartate aminotransferase 40 U/l, alanine aminotransferase 37 U/l) as well as leukocyturia (500 cells/µl) and erythrocyturia (250 cells/µl). Based on the indirect immunofluorescence on HEp cells, circulating antinuclear antibodies with homogeneous and granular pattern of fluorescence were detected and identified using Western blot as anti-Ro (SS-A) antibodies. Rheumatoid factor was negative. The direct immunofluorescence of the lesional sun-exposed and non-lesional sun-unexposed skin showed scant granular IgM deposits at the dermo-epidermal junction. The histology showed features of interface dermatitis with focal vacuolar degeneration of the basal layer of the epidermis and perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate in the dermis. Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) was diagnosed and lansoprazole was suggested as a triggering drug due to a time relationship between the lansoprazole intake and disease outbreak. The drug was discontinued and prednisone 0.5 mg/kg/day with ranitidine 150 mg bid was started. The therapy was continued for 4 weeks and then the corticosteroid dose was stepwise tapered. Complete clearance of skin lesions was noted within 4 weeks of the treatment. Two months later the patient was followed up in our department and neither clinical nor laboratory abnormalities were found. One year after the disease outbreak the patient still remains in complete remission, receiving no medicines.

Figure 1

Extensive, confluent annular erythemas, located predominantly on the trunk (A, B). The same patient: complete remission 2.5 months later (C, D)

Only 13 patients with PPI-induced LE (including our patient) have been described in the literature to date (Table I). However, we suspect that the prevalence of this PPI-related adverse effect may be much higher, as most physicians are not aware of such possibility. This suggestion may be supported by the fact that even within LE reported in the literature, some of them were in fact diagnosed retrospectively to be PPI-induced [3].

Table I

Characteristics of all patients reported in literature as having lupus erythematosus due to proton pump inhibitor intake

The history of the first reported patient with PPI-induced (pantoprazole) LE differs significantly from the other described subjects, as initially (8 days after initiation of pantoprazole) phototoxic lesions were noted that cleared over a period of one month upon discontinuation of pantoprazole, but after another thirteen months discoid lupus erythematosus developed in the areas of the most intense phototoxic lesions [1]. Remarkably, the patient was proven to be anti-Ro positive at the time of phototoxic reaction [1].

Importantly, all other patients demonstrated features of SCLE on the skin and only 3/12 have extracutaneous symptoms, usually of mild intensity. Interestingly, one patient with pre-existing systemic LE developed cutaneous lesions typical for SCLE upon exposure to PPI (Table I).

Although we could not exclude that the described patients only represent an accidental coexistence of SCLE with PPI intake, several features favor a causal relationship between these two events. Firstly, a close temporal relationship between the introduction of the suspended drug and onset of SCLE lesions ranging from 3 weeks to 4 months was observed in the majority of patients. Such delay of clinical symptom appearance is typical for drug-induced SCLE. In one patient SCLE developed as early as 3 days after pantoprazole intake, but it could be assumed that rapid skin lesion development might be related to the re-challenge of PPIs, despite previous history of pantoprazole-induced SCLE [3]. Furthermore, even with substantial immunosuppression no improvement could be achieved unless the accused drug was discontinued. Upon discontinuation of PPIs a rapid complete remission was usually noted (Table I). Only in patient 1 with discoid lesions did some residual skin symptoms remain [1].

Interestingly, none of the reported subjects was positive for anti-histone antibodies, which are linked to drug-induced SLE. On the other hand, most of the patients (11/13) had anti-Ro antibodies. Taking this phenomenon into account, we would like to support the proposal by Bracke et al. [2], who suggested the need to modify the criteria for drug-induced SCLE by changing "the presence of anti-histone antibodies" to "the presence of anti-Ro antibodies".

In conclusion, currently available data indicate that PPIs may induce LE in predisposed patients. However, this warning is only based on case reports. Therefore, prospective studies should be performed in the future to reliably assess the true relationship and prevalence of this PPI-related phenomenon.


Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is the leading cause of post-infectious flaccid
paralysis worldwide. Over the years, research on the neurophysiological characteristics
and serological profile of GBS patients has contributed towards our greater
understanding of its pathogenesis. GBS can be classified into demyelinating and axonal
subtypes, based on their neurophysiological features. In axonal GBS, antibodies against
several glycolipids have been identified whereas target antigens in demyelinating GBS
remain unknown. In this thesis, a series of published original work addressing the
current limitations in GBS electrodiagnosis and serological associations with disease
features are presented. In the first series of publications, prospective serial nerve
conduction studies (NCS) in a cohort of multi-ethnic Malaysian GBS patients are
described. We found that in order to make a true electrodiagnosis of GBS, at least two
sets of NCS were required performed with the first 2 weeks of disease onset and 3 to 8
weeks later. Based on NCS, we also found an almost exclusive involvement of sensory
fibres in patients with the GBS variant, Miller Fisher syndrome irrespective of their
symptoms. The second series of publication investigated the presence of antibodies
against glycolipid complexes in GBS patients from Asian and Western cohorts. The
relationship between these antibodies and the clinical features as well as
neurophysiological characteristics of GBS based on serial NCS was also investigated.
Our studies provided robust evidence that antibodies to single glycolipids and glycolipid
complexes are associated with axonal forms of GBS and not acute inflammatory
demyelinating polyneuropathy. Future studies incorporating standardized methods of
neurophysiological assessment and serological analyses in heterogeneous populations
are required to better understand GBS pathophysiology. Existing on-going international
research collaboration is one platform in which findings from the current work can be
further validated.


We develop a meta-learning framework for simple regret minimization in bandits. In this framework, a learning agent interacts with a sequence of bandit tasks, which are sampled i.i.d. from an unknown prior distribution, and learns its meta-parameters to perform better on future tasks. We propose the first Bayesian and frequentist meta-learning algorithms for this setting. The Bayesian algorithm has access to a prior distribution over the meta-parameters and its meta simple regret over m bandit tasks with horizon n is mere O(m / √n). On the other hand, the meta simple regret of the frequentist algorithm is O(n√m + m/ √n). While its regret is worse, the frequentist algorithm is more general because it does not need a prior distribution over the meta-parameters. It can also be analyzed in more settings. We instantiate our algorithms for several classes of bandit problems. Our algorithms are general and we complement our theory by evaluating them empirically in several environments.


This article suggests a framework for analysing organizational knowledge as a process of justification in different contexts. Drawing upon philosophy, it identifies four principal contexts for justification, implying four different knowledge types: objective knowledge, subjective knowledge, personal knowledge and institutional knowledge. The article provides empirical illustrations of these knowledge types and the justification processes involved from various studies of activities in R&D and engineering. The article contributes to the literature on organizational knowledge in several respects. First, it provides a pluralistic analysis of the concept of knowledge without resorting to an 'anything goes' approach. Second, the account of organizational knowledge focuses not on its inherent properties, but rather on the justification context for knowledge claims. Third, organizational knowledge is analysed in a weak sense, where justification contexts both inside and outside the organization play an important role in the dynamics of organizational knowledge. Fourth, the article questions simplified tacit/codified knowledge dichotomies, for example suggesting that more research in organizational knowledge should be refocused towards understanding subjective and institutional knowledge.


Abstract : The waveguide invariant summarizes the pattern of constructive and destructive interference between acoustic modes propagating in the ocean waveguide. For many sonar signal-processing schemes, it is essential to know the correct numerical value for the waveguide invariant. While conventional beamforming can estimate the ratio between the waveguide invariant and the range to the source, it cannot unambiguously separate the two terms. In the present work, striation-based beamforming is developed. It is shown that the striation-based beamformer can be used to produce an estimate for the waveguide invariant that is independent of the range. Simulation results are presented.


We introduce the virtual base station on-demand (VBS-O) routing protocol for wireless mobile ad hoc communications, which built on top of any mobile infrastructure protocol, the warning energy aware clusterhead (WEAC) infrastructure protocol. The WEAC protocol establishes a dynamic wireless mobile infrastructure to mimic the operation of the fixed infrastructure in cellular networks. In the WEAC protocol, a mobile station is elected from a set of nominees, based on its energy level, to act as a temporary base station within its zone. Mobile stations elected as VBSs are used to track other mobile stations in the ad hoc network. The VBS-O routing algorithm utilizes the mobility-tracking mechanism of the WEAC infrastructure creation protocol to route the packets. The VBS-O architecture complying with QoS guarantees imposes the use of a MAC method that guarantees the successful transmission of packets under high mobility and/or heavy load circumstances, and hence meets the QoS constraints dictated by the communications application.


The evolutionary transition between winglessness and a full-winged morphology requires selective advantage for intermediate forms. Conversely, repeated secondary wing reductions among the pterygotes indicates relaxation of such selection. However, evolutionary trajectories of such transitions are not well characterized. The stick insects (Phasmatodea) exhibit diverse wing sizes at both interspecific and intersexual levels, and thus provide a system for examining how selection on flight capability, along with other selective forces, drives the evolution of flight-related morphology. Here, we examine variation in relevant morphology for stick insects using data from 1100+ individuals representing 765 species. Although wing size varies along a continuous spectrum, taxa with either long or miniaturized wings are the most common, whereas those with intermediate-sized wings are relatively rare. In a morphological space defined by wing and body size, the aerodynamically relevant parameter termed wing loading (the average pressure exerted on the air by the wings) varies according to sex-specific scaling laws; volant but also flightless forms are the most common outcomes in both sexes. Using phylogenetically-informed analyses, we show that wing size and body size are correlated in long-wing insects regardless of sexual differences in morphology and ecology. These results demonstrate the diversity of flight-related morphology in stick insects, and also provided a general framework for addressing evolutionary coupling between wing and body size. We also find indirect evidence for a 'fitness valley' associated with intermediate-sized wings, suggesting relatively rapid evolutionary transitions between wingless and volant forms.


Nearly all of the roughly 64,000 Americans who died from opioid overdoses in 2016 succumbed because their breathing shut down, triggered by the effects of the drugs on important receptors in the brain stem. When they are activated, μ-opioid receptors potently relieve pain. They also control respiration. Now, for the first time, a drug that in binding these receptors causes powerful pain relief with less respiratory suppression is being evaluated for marketing approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Biotech company Trevana's drug, oliceridine, acts as a μ-opioid receptor to activate a pain-relieving signaling pathway with less triggering of a separate path that leads to depressed breathing. Oliceridine is the first so-called "biased opioid" to emerge from human clinical trials. There will certainly be more: In a paper published in Cell this week, scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida, have rigorously demonstrated for the first time in mice that the more biased a compound is toward activating the pain-relieving pathway, the less it suppresses breathing.


In Walt Disney Animation Studios'"Frozen 2", the wind spirit Gale appears in multiple forms throughout the film. Gale can only be seen in its effects on other objects in the world. This includes interactions with leaves, debris and other environmental elements, as well as its effect on the cloth and hair of the characters: creating moments where the character is present, but not visible. Having to animate, simulate, and understand the character's emotional intent, all without true visual characteristics, posed many challenges. This talk addresses the solutions developed and the process we took to get there.


A considerable amount of human infections take place in mucous of the body, which is the reason why it is important to trigger immunological protection in this area. Even though parenteral administration of antigen induces efficient systemic protection, mucous from the body keep unprotected. Although attempts have been made to activate immunological protection in mucous membranes through different routes of application, some of them have had side effects or the desired effect has not been achieved clinically.
Nasal mucosa route has been studied for drug administration and for vaccines application in recent years using peptides/proteins or genetic structure materials. Among the advantages reported on this material, due to the nature of these ingredients, it is susceptible to enzymatic degradation processes, so its half-life is very short. In addition, they are not able to easily cross the mucous membranes of the body or the biological membranes. This led to the research and development of nanocarriers as coadyuvants, to protect these materials and give them more stability.
Research shows that mucosal vaccination has advantages over intramuscular immunization when it comes to provides mucosal protection, probably the most important of them is the fact that intranasal administration induces humoral and cellular immunity, which allows immunization at different mucosal sites as well as nasal mucosa, as well as systemic protection.


This paper aims to address the problem of modeling video behavior captured in surveillance videos for the applications of online normal behavior recognition and anomaly detection. A novel framework is developed for automatic behavior profiling and online anomaly sampling/detection without any manual labeling of the training data set. The framework consists of the following key components: 1) A compact and effective behavior representation method is developed based on discrete-scene event detection. The similarity between behavior patterns are measured based on modeling each pattern using a Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN). 2) The natural grouping of behavior patterns is discovered through a novel spectral clustering algorithm with unsupervised model selection and feature selection on the eigenvectors of a normalized affinity matrix. 3) A composite generative behavior model is constructed that is capable of generalizing from a small training set to accommodate variations in unseen normal behavior patterns. 4) A runtime accumulative anomaly measure is introduced to detect abnormal behavior, whereas normal behavior patterns are recognized when sufficient visual evidence has become available based on an online Likelihood Ratio Test (LRT) method. This ensures robust and reliable anomaly detection and normal behavior recognition at the shortest possible time. The effectiveness and robustness of our approach is demonstrated through experiments using noisy and sparse data sets collected from both indoor and outdoor surveillance scenarios. In particular, it is shown that a behavior model trained using an unlabeled data set is superior to those trained using the same but labeled data set in detecting anomaly from an unseen video. The experiments also suggest that our online LRT-based behavior recognition approach is advantageous over the commonly used Maximum Likelihood (ML) method in differentiating ambiguities among different behavior classes observed online.


Literature suggests that in battles between competing standards, ultimately one standard will emerge as the dominant one to the detriment of the others. Various factors and forces have been identified to explain this phenomenon. The factor of marketing communications is one of these. This paper addresses its influence on standards dominance by analyzing 46 different standards from the high tech industry developed by consortia. We found five determinants of marketing communications, each with a direct positive impact on standards dominance . This study is new in applying insights from marketing (communications) literature to standards battles and in empirically showing the impact of marketing communications on standards dominance. Our findings have managerial implications both for standardization consortia and for participants in these consortia.1


Interpedicular distance, interfacet distance, midsagittal diameter, and cross-sectional area at the upper aspect of the fifth lumbar spinal canal were measured from the computed tomographic (CT) scans of the spine performed in a period of 1 year. The patients were divided into four groups. Group I (25 patients) was the normal control group. Group II comprised 29 symptomatic patients who were thought to have an L4–L5 herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) by CT and did not undergo surgery. Group IIIA was made up of 24 patients who underwent an L4–L5 discectomy and had favorable results, and Group IIIB (3 patients) included those who failed to improve following surgery. The symptomatic patient with an L4– L5 HNP by CT who did not undergo operative treatment had a mean canal size as measured by midsagittal diameter and cross-sectional area that was smaller (P < 0.05) than in a normal control group. In the patients who required an L4–L5 discectomy, these same measurements were smaller (P<0.001) when compared with the nonoperative group. In the three failure patients, all four measurements were significantly smaller than in patients in Group IIIA with the interfacet distance and the cross-sectional area differences being the greatest (P < 0.001). The patients who are likely to undergo operative treatment have a midsagittal diameter that is < 1.6 cm and a cross-sectional area that is < 2.5 cm.2 In the congenitally small canal the cross-sectional area more accurately reflects the degree of stenosis and a cross-sectional area that is < 2 standard deviations from the normal or < 2 cm2 is considered to represent congenital spinal canal stenosis.


The aim of this study was to determine whether plasma and red cell fatty acid levels were associated with cardiovascular disease, and whether any association was independent of other major risk factors. Over 1100 subjects were examined in a random sample survey of the general population (the Edinburgh Artery Study). Fatty acids were measured in three plasma fractions (triglyceride, cholesteryl ester and phospholipid) and in red cell phospholipids. Fatty acid levels in groups with cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction (MI), angina and lower limb disease) were compared with a no disease group. In the cholesteryl ester and phospholipid fractions there were significantly lower levels of eicosapentaenoic acid in the MI group on univariate analysis (p,0.05), but not when adjusted for age, sex, smoking and systolic blood pressure using logistic regression. In the red cell fraction, alpha-linolenic acid was significantly lower in those with stroke (p,0.01) and lower limb disease (p,0.05). Linoleic acid was significantly raised in the triglyceride fraction in those with MI, probably reflecting recent dietary changes. There were significant increases in dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid in the phospholipid and red cell fractions in those with MI, and in the phospholipid fraction in the stroke group. These results do not support the hypothesis that n-6 fatty acids are protective against cardiovascular disease, although there may be some beneficial effects of the n-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid. Results from cross-sectional surveys must, however, be interpreted with caution because the presence of disease may affect dietary intake.


PURPOSE: To investigate changes in the dietary consumption as well as the influence of the general characteristics, of the sociodemographic, clinical and nutritional factors, and of the antineoplastic therapy on the changes in the energy intake of women from southern Brazil, before and after adjuvant therapy for breast cancer. METHODS: A non-randomized clinical study was conducted on 53 patients at a hospital of the public health network. Dietary information was collected with a food frequency questionnaire. A mixed-effects linear regression model was used to evaluate the factors that influenced longitudinal alterations of energy intake. RESULTS: A significant increase was observed in daily energy intake of fats, calcium, iron, copper, polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega 6 and omega 3, and a significant decrease in vitamin B2 intake. The final regression model for the change in energy intake showed an average increase of 19.2 kcal/month. Fruit and legume consumption showed the highest association with energy intake, with each 100 g consumed resulting in an average increase of 68.4 and 370.5 kcal, respectively. Women in the 51 to 60 year age range consumed 403.5 kcal less than those in the 31 to 50 year age range. CONCLUSION: There was an increase in energy intake during treatment and the increase in the ingestion of fruits and legumes was associated with significant increases in energy intake.


Arthritis was experimentally induced in the intercarpal joints of a series of mature ponies by the intraarticular injections of 400 microgram of the polyene antibiotic filipin in 1 ml of dimethyl sulfoxide. Twelve consecutive weekly injections were administered and the ponies were euthanatized 4 weeks after the last injection of filipin was made. The ponies were exercised for 1 hour each day throughout the experiment. Articular cartilage specimens from 4 sites in each intercarpal joint were examined histologically and histo-chemically. For the histochemical examination, safranin O-fast green, Alcian blue in 0.4 M and 0.9 M MgCl2 and Alcian blue 0.9 M MgCl2-Van Gieson matrical staining techniques were used. Decalcified sagittal sections of selected carpi were also examined histologically. There was superficial fibrillation with chondrocyte necrosis in the articular cartilage specimens of the joints. This was accompanied by loss of histochemical staining of the amorphous intercellular matrix, which was attributed to loss of glycosaminoglycans. There were hypertrophy of remaining chondrocytes and chondrone formation. On examination of decalcified sections of carpi, both exostoses and marginal osteophytosis was observed. There was evidence of both intramembraneous and endochondral osteogeneses in the exostoses. The pathologic changes seen in the experimental model were compared with those observed in the naturally occurring disease. It was concluded that the changes were comparable with the early changes of degenerative joint disease in the horse.


Services delivered through the public and social sector play an important role in addressing
complex societal problems. Services consist of interfaces between service consumer and deliverer,
and infrastructures that support the service deliverer. Infrastructures such as protocols, scripts and
blueprints are often intended to control the behaviour of service delivers. This is a linear top-down
view of service organisations. This paper presents a different perspective, using Stacey's theory of
complex responsive processes: service organisations are ongoing iterated patterns of relationships
between human beings. Infrastructures for complex service systems can therefore be considered
'social infrastructures'. Two case studies are presented that each describe the design of a successful
social infrastructure, in the education and health sector respectively. To analyse the human-centred
design practice of these case studies the author introduces the NADI-model, which identifies
different levels of depth in needs and aspirations of stakeholders. The deepest level of this model
consists of phenomenological 'themes'. The model is used to show how themes explain the success
of the social infrastructure in the first case study. The second case study subsequently shows how,
using Dorst's frame creation methodology, themes support designing social infrastructures for
complex service systems.


Dilated fetal bowel is a sonographic finding that is associated to meconium ileus, a feature of cystic fibrosis (CF). Prenatal diagnosis of CF is possible through analysis of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator gene mutations. A male infant is described, who was referred to our Prenatal Diagnosis Center a 17th week of gestation with a dilated bowel loop on a prenatal scan. Amniocentesis was performed at 23rd week gestation and a homozygous F508del mutation was found. He was born at 38 weeks gestation, after an otherwise unremarkable pregnancy, and admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. He showed progressive abdominal distension without stools and was transferred to another Hospital to surgery. A total occlusion of terminal ileum with meconium and a microcolon were found, and resection of 8 cm of ileum and an ileostomy were performed. The characteristic sonographic finding of a dilated bowel is an indication to search for CF mutations.


The purpose of this paper is to theoretically investigate the potential benefits that arise from a cooperative selling a government subsidized area-yield contract (i.e., the Group Risk Plan). The indeminities in area-yield contracts are triggered by a geographically determined yield (e.g., a county-wide yield average) instead of the more conventional individual actual production history. Therefore, an area-yield contract would be appropriate for managing the cooperative's systemic throughput risk. The cooperative would also capture some of the substantial government subsidies that are normally given to a private insurance company. Our primary finding is that farmers should be indifferent when considering the decision to purchase area-yield insurance from a private company or encompass that business in their cooperative. We derive this result for the specific case of costless insurance and assume a Pareto Optimal contract. Under these assumptions, the government subsidies that the cooperative would hope to capture are simply a net deduction in their premiums. In other words, the benefit they capture from the subsidies is the same when they purchase the insurance from an outside firm or internally.


This research aims to determine the views of preservice social studies teachers regarding the use of virtual tours during the pandemic period. The study was carried out with the phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research designs. 20 preservice Social Studies teachers studying at Kutahya Dumlupinar University participated in the study in the 2021-2022 academic year. The criterion sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling types, was used to determine the research group. The criteria were being a preservice social studies teacher and participating in virtual tour application training. The research data were collected with a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers and analysed with the content analysis technique. As a result of the data analysis, it was seen that the views of the preservice teachers about the virtual tour application were primarily positive. The data obtained from the interviews were divided into six themes: informative, persistent and embodied, attractive and entertaining, practical and easy, economic and providing equal opportunity, and negative opinions. The informative theme is divided into two sub-themes as giving preliminary information and explanation.


Objective. Vietnamese American women are at the greatest risk for cervical cancer but have the lowest cervical cancer screening rates. This study was to determine whether demographic and acculturation, healthcare access, and knowledge and beliefs are associated with a prior history of cervical cancer screening among Vietnamese women. Methods. Vietnamese women (n = 1450) from 30 Vietnamese community-based organizations located in Pennsylvania and New Jersey participated in the study and completed baseline assessments. Logistic regression analyses were performed. Results. Overall levels of knowledge about cervical cancer screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) are low. Factors in knowledge, attitude, and beliefs domains were significantly associated with Pap test behavior. In multivariate analyses, physician recommendation for screening and having health insurance were positively associated with prior screening. Conclusion. Understanding the factors that are associated with cervical cancer screening will inform the development of culturally appropriate intervention strategies that would potentially lead to increasing cervical cancer screening rates among Vietnamese women.


Background : The hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is defined as the triad of liver disease, arterial deoxygenation, and pulmonary vascular dilatation. The reported prevalence of HPS in cirrhotic patients varies between 5% -17.5%. Objective : To estimate the prevalence of hepatopulmonary syndrome among patients with chronic liver disease and portal hypertension and to study the correlation between HPS and the severity of liver disease. Patients and methods : Thirty patients were studied for the presence of HPS using transthoracic contrast echocardiography for detection of pulmonary vasodilatation. Arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) was determined in erect and supine position using a pulse oximeter , (SaO2 ≤ 92 % in supine position and/or a decrease of ≥ 4% after change from supine to upright position) to detect hypoxia and ortheodeoxia. Result : Eleven of thirty patients (36.6%) with chronic liver disease and portal hypertension were found to have contrast echocardiographic evidence of intrapulmonary right-to-left shunting. Arterial oxygen desaturation was present in 3 patients (27.3%) of those with intra-pulmonary right-to-left shunting ,they were considered as clinically significant HPS ,the remaining 8 patients were considered as subclinical HPS. Dyspnoea was more often present in patients with clinically significant HPS (100%) compared with subclinical HPS (25%), and patients without HPS (9%). HPS correlated significantly with severity of liver disease according to the Child-Pugh score. Conclusion: hepatopulmonary syndrome is not uncommon , the prevalence of clinically significant hepatopulmonary syndrome (in this study) was 10% of patients with chronic liver disease and it correlated with disease severity according to the Child-Pugh score. Key wards; cirrhosis ,hepatopulmonary syndrome , ortheodeoxia ,hypoxia . Al Kindy Col Med J 2011 ; Vol .7. No. (1) p :61-66


Purpose

Increasingly, marketing managers are asked to consider the financial implications, in terms of both book and market values, when making strategic decisions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of marketing expenditures in explaining the variation in the aftermarket performance of a sample of firms conducting initial public offerings (IPOs).

Design/methodology/approach

Theories from marketing and finance – market-based assets (MBA) theory and signaling theory respectively – serve as the conceptual basis of this paper. The results of this study, based on a sample of 2,103 IPOs covering the 1996 to 2008 time period, suggest that increased marketing spending positively impacts aftermarket (i.e. stock price) performance.

Findings

The authors find that while short-run aftermarket performance is positively and significantly impacted by pre-IPO marketing spending, long-run firm performance measures do not appear to be impacted by pre-IPO marketing spending. Further, pre-IPO marketing spending does not incrementally reduce underpricing or improve long-run performance when the IPO takes place during extreme market conditions such as recessions or hot markets, and these results are important to the shareholders and potential investors in the firm.

Research limitations/implications

Theoretically this paper advances the literature on the marketing-finance interface by extending the MBA and signaling theories. For practice, the results indicate that spending more money on marketing before the IPO and disclosing this information produces positive bottom-line results for the firm.

Originality/value

While Luo (2008) documents a significant relationship between the firms' pre-IPO marketing spending and IPO underpricing, few studies explore the impact of marketing spending on stock price performance beyond the first day of trading. This paper makes three unique contributions. First, the authors extend Luo's study by investigating the effect of marketing expenditures on underpricing during extreme market conditions. Second, the authors are the first to examine IPO performance in the long-run as well as the short-run. Finally, the authors assess how long-run performance is impacted by marketing spending during extreme market conditions. The findings of this study has implications for managers and shareholders of firms considering going public through a traditional IPO.


In his keynote speech at IJCLE 2017, Kevin Kerrigan discussed the potential to develop a live client clinical approach right across the undergraduate curriculum. At the same conference, the presenter delivered a paper about a multi-disciplinary clinical teaching project at Northumbria University which was then in its pilot year. The project involves students of the Student Law Office (SLO) and Entrepreneurial Business Management (EBM) students working together to identify legal issues and solve business problems. The SLO is a long-established in-house law clinic that provides pro-bono legal assistance for businesses, community organisations and members of the public under the supervision of qualified practitioners. The pioneering EBM programme involves students setting up and running their own businesses and is one of only a small number of undergraduate programmes in the UK incorporating venture creation as part of the curriculum. Unusually, the experiential project immerses students in the role of both learner and teacher, whilst exposing them to students from another discipline. This paper will build upon the 2017 paper, presenting the results of a recently conducted research survey into the now expanded teaching project. Through the use of an online survey, data has been gathered from both sets of students in order to (a) evaluate the impact the project has had on their learning and skill development and (b) identify any ways in which the project could be improved. Wider lessons for collaborative learning and teaching more generally will be extrapolated from the research data. The benefits and challenges of such collaborative working will also be explored.


abstract:The transition from Fordism to the knowledge economy in the world's advanced democracies was underpinned by the revolution in information and communications technology (ict). The introduction and rapid diffusion of ict pushed up wages for college-educated workers with complementary skills and allowed top managers and ceos to reap greater rewards for their own talents. Despite these common pressures, income inequality did not rise to the same extent everywhere; income in the Anglo-Saxon countries remains particularly unequally distributed. To shed new light on this puzzle, the authors carry out a panel data analysis of eighteen oecd countries between 1970 and 2007. Their analysis stands apart from the existing empirical literature by taking a comparative perspective. The article examines the extent to which the relationship between the knowledge economy and income inequality is influenced by national labor market institutions. The authors find that the expansion of knowledge employment is positively associated with both the 90/10 wage ratio and the income share of the top 1 percent, but that these effects are mitigated by the presence of strong labor market institutions, such as coordinated wage bargaining, strict employment protection legislation, high union density, and high collective bargaining coverage. The authors provide robust evidence against the argument that industrial relations systems are no longer important safeguards of wage solidarity in the knowledge economy.


There has been a recent shift in public health policy towards population-based approaches to the reduction of cardiovascular disease. This shift has been accompanied by a re-examination of strategies appropriate to the goal. Often, community development approaches, designed to affect socio-environmental change, are suggested as the most appropriate strategy for affecting community-wide change. Despite the fact that community development approaches have been used by several of the major community-based heart health initiatives, evidence of their use and usefulness remains sparse. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study of the factors (i.e. community context, facilitators, barriers) affecting the use of community development approaches to heart health promotion in Ontario, Canada. Key informant interviews (n = 30) were conducted with stake-holders representing voluntary agencies, community health providers, boards of education and local coalitions in eight of the 42 health unit areas across Ontario. The qualitative analysis reveals (1) that the use of comprehensive community development approaches is limited and (2) that community agencies typically employ elements of community development approaches (e.g. community organization, community-based), often in combination and adapted to suit local conditions. The resulting landscape of community development approaches is characterized by a continuum of collaborative practices indicating that no one type of community approach is appropriate for all initiatives and in all communities. Therefore, from a programmatic perspective, it may not be realistic to advocate community development as the goal to which all communities should strive.


Traditionally, e-mail (electronic mail) has been seen as an efficient communications medium for the transmission of simple, routine, unambiguous messages. More recent research has argued that the simple, efficient view of e-mail is incomplete. Future research should be extended into the strategic and symbolic functions of email, such as the use of email for impression management. Impression management has a lengthy and interesting development in the fields of sociology and social psychology, but has remained largely ignored by those in the field of communications. Communications scholars should focus on the potential use of email for impression management for three reasons: (1) the use of email influences the development, maintenance and distribution of power in organizations; (2) email has a potential impact on a worker's job satisfaction; and (3) as computer technology becomes more common, researchers should investigate the ways employees reinvent technologies to reach social goals. Data were gathered from over 1,100 messages from 25 employees at a west coast research institute affiliated with a major university. The data suggests that numerous behaviors exhibited by email users can be related to impression management, and provide examples of goals, illustrations of impression management (ingratiation, self-promotion, intimidation, exemplification, and supplication), and examples of four types of ceremony (personalization, keeping in touch, salutations and conclusions, and meta-messages). A methodology for the study of the ways email is used for impression management could be based on the strategy of triangulation of methods, which involves a series of dialogues. (Thirty-seven references are attached.) (HB) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ***********************************************************************


Aim: To investigate the ability of the microdialysis technique to measure capillary selectivity of different sized plasma proteins induced by local administration of platelet activating factor (PAF). Methods: We used hollow plasmapheresis fibres with 3 cm membrane (cut off 3000 kDa) placed on the back of anaesthetized rats. Results: Platelet activating factor (50 μg mL - 1 ) administered locally via the fibre, increased extravasation of radiolabelled 1 2 5 I-HSA from plasma to the microdialysis fibre by approximately 900% compared both to baseline and the control fibre within 70 min (n = 6, P < 0.05). The extravasation in the control fibre did not change over time. HPLC measurement of plasma proteins in the microdialysis perfusate also demonstrated decreased capillary selectivity for proteins in the diameter range of 73 A, 56 A and 39 A after local administration of PAF (n = 6, P < 0.05). PAF also significantly lowered interstitial fluid (P i f ) pressure after subcutaneous administration (50 μg, mL - 1 ). Mean arterial pressure (MAP) after intravenous injection of PAF (0.4 μg kg - 1 ) fell instantly by about 50 mmHg, and stabilized at 50 mmHg after 15 min (n = 6). MAP was unaltered when PAF was given through the microdialysis fibre (n = 4). Both total tissue water (TTW) and extravasation of albumin, measured as the plasma-to-tissue clearance (E-alb) showed a significant increase after PAF (n = 7, P < 0.05). Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that PAF induces plasma protein extravasation and decrease capillary selectivity of different sized plasma proteins. It also increases transcapillary fluid flux, and lowers P i f , indicating a role for PAF in the interstitium for generation of transcapillary transport of water and large molecules followed by formation of oedema.


Microsoft recently added a new layer of complexity to the ongoing debate regarding the filtering and censorship practices of U.S. search engines via its own search engine, Bing. ONI testing reveals liberal filtering by Bing in one of the most censored regions in the world: the Arab countries. Microsoft's Bing, which tailors its search engine to serve different countries and regions and offers its services in 41 languages, has a filtering system at the keyword level for users in several countries. Users in the Arab countries—or, as termed by Microsoft—"Arabian countries"—are prevented from conducting certain search queries in both English and Arabic. ONI testing reveals that Microsoft filters Arabic and English keywords that could yield sex- or LGBT-related images and content.


Burnout is a syndrome caused by prolonged responses to chronic stressors derived from interpersonal relationships in the workplace. Burnout has been associated with important negative organisational outcomes: job dissatisfaction, absenteeism, neglect, intention to leave the job. Numerous studies have tested the inverse relationship between emotional intelligence and burnout. The aim of this study is to verify the mediation role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between burnout and some organisational outcomes (turnover intention, exit and neglect, performance and absenteeism). Research participants are 354 helping professions' workers aged between 29 and 66 years. The scales used are: link burnout questionnaire; self report emotional intelligence test; turnover intentions scale; exit and neglect scales; performance scale; absenteeism was detected through the number of days of absence in the last 12 months. The results have highlighted that emotional intelligence mediates the relationship between burnout and organisational outcomes, providing interesting suggestions for intervention in organisations.


The localization of IgA, IgG, and IgM was investigated immunohistochemically in the mucosal surface of the main excretory duct of the human submandibular gland in order to verify the possible antimicrobial properties of this duct. Only secretory IgA-immunoreactivity was recognized in the epithelial cells of the duct. An intense immunoreactivity was observed in the cytoplasm of some cells and at the luminal surface of most of the cells. Clusters of IgA-positive immuno-competent cells were also recognizable in the subepithelial layers. No reactivity for IgG and IgM was noticed. The results suggest that the ductal epithelium may actively be involved in the release of secretory IgA, which could play a prominent role in the local defense mechanism of the duct.


This paper recasts Temin's (1976) question of whether monetary forces caused the Great Depression in a modern time series framework. We evaluate the effects of monetary policy against nonmonetary alternatives in a Bayesian updating framework with time-varying parameters. The predictive power of monetary policy for output is very small for the early phase of the depression and breaks down almost entirely after 1931. During the propagation phase of 1930-31, monetary policy is able to forecast correctly at short time horizons put invariably predicts recovery at longer horizons. In contrast, nonmonetary leading indicators on residential construction and equipment investment have impressive predictive power. Recursive calculation of the impulse response functions exhibits remarkable structural instability and strong reactions to monetary regime changes during the depression, just as predicted by the Lucas (1976) critique.


Abstract Many adult hymenopterous parasitoids feed on floral nectar, and occasionally pollen. However, flowers differ in both accessibility and attractiveness to these insects. Malaise traps, a type of "passive/interception" trap, were baited with potted flowering plants, Lobularia maritima L. (Brassicaceae) or Spermacoce verticillata L. (Rubiaceae), or left unbaited as controls. These plants have different floral structures, but both have been previously used as food-plants for biological control agents. In general, L. maritima captured more Braconidae, particularly Opiinae, than either alternative. Species of this subfamily attack Diptera and certain species are important natural enemies of pest Tephritidae. The roles of plant attractiveness (volatiles) and architecture (trap access) are discussed, as is the possibility of employing L. maritima and/or its products in monitoring or maintaining fruit fly parasitoids.


Studies have shown an increase in mental illness among school-aged children, and schools do not provide adequate programming to meet the emotional needs of children and youth. Mindfulness is defined as present moment thinking with individuals focused on the current task at hand instead of past experiences or future desires. Research on the benefits of mindfulness within therapeutic and medical settings has been prominent; however, little research has connected the health benefits of mindfulness for school-aged children. Evidence shows that mindfulness has tremendous benefits in regards to stress management, self-efficacy, emotional regulation, academic achievement, and overall emotional wellbeing. This paper addresses the growing need for mindfulness as a form of prevention and intervention within schools. It provides the background and benefits of mindfulness, meeting all 3 learning domains and building a positive classroom culture. It also highlights a variety of approaches to mental health including the newly created REAL model for classroom teachers.


We apply a dynamical systems approach to concatenation of quantum error correcting codes, extending and generalizing the results of Rahn to both diagonal and nondiagonal channels. Our point of view is global: instead of focusing on particular types of noise channels, we study the geometry of the coding map as a discrete-time dynamical system on the entire space of noise channels. In the case of diagonal channels, we show that any code with distance at least three corrects (in the infinite concatenation limit) an open set of errors. For Calderbank–Shor–Steane (CSS) codes, we give a more precise characterization of that set. We show how to incorporate noise in the gates, thus completing the framework. We derive some general bounds for noise channels, which allows us to analyze several codes in detail.


This paper presents the prediction of air flow, temperature patterns and mass fraction of water vapour in a co current pilot plant spray dryer fitted with pressure swirl nozzle using 3 dimensional model. The modeling was done with CFD package star ccm+ 9.04, in which the droplet/particle phase is modeled with Langrangian approach and hot air stream is modeled with Euler approach, K-ԑ model is used to analysis the turbulence swirl in the spray dryer. Good results were obtained with the modified balanced double tangential air inlets spray dryer when compared with the conventional single tangential air inlet spray dryer . the problem of stick of the wet particles on the walls of the spray dryer and cone part of the spray dryer was eliminated in the modified model. A higher uniformity of temperature and air mass fraction on the horizontal planes of the spray dryer were obtained by the modified design of the spray dryer. This work was carried with multiphase flow and the feed considered for the work is silica slurry (40% Si, 60%liquid water) for the analysis.In this work the effects of the air flow pattern on the droplets trajectory, residence time, distribution of droplets, and the deposition of droplets on the wall were compared with the conventional model and the modified air inlet design model.


The work done in this thesis focused on controller software for the Generic Short Stroke Actuator of Moog B.V. The actuator is controlled by the FCS controller, which makes use of a switched PID controller. This allows arbitrary control over the movement of the Generic Short Stroke Actuator. The FCS controller can switch between a position and force feedback loop. For various safety reasons the FCS controller has both force limits placed on it. If those limits are breached during operation, the FCS controller switches from position PID to force PID. Under certain conditions the even of a switch drives the actuator into a region of instability. The following thesis deals with finding the conditions for which the FCS controller drives the system into unstable regions. With the problems found, a solutions will be sought after from the field of Hybrid and Optimal Control theory. Three different approaches are investigated to solve the problems found: Dwell-time, Back Calculation Anti-Wind Up,Model Predictive Control. Dwell-time is a technique from the Hybrid Control theory field. A adequately found dwell-time guaranties the stability of any arbitrary switching system, like the FCS controller is. The Back Calculation Anti-wind up technique is a extension of PID control that deals with actuator saturation due to integrator wind up. Both of those techniques are improvements made to the FCS controller. Model Predictive Control comes form the filed of Optimal Control theory. Model predictive control tries to find optimal control input at each time step, taking into account any limits. In order to be able to design the above controllers, an accurate mathematical model was developed using fist principles. The model was optimised and validated against measured data from the system plant. As the plant is non-linear, to analyse it locally, the non-linear equations are linearised to establish a state space linear time-invariant system model. As the controllers are implemented on a computer, the model needed to be discretized to enable design of discrete controllers.


Harry Potter-by now the name is surely as magical to you as it is to the millions of others who are devouring the books in J.K. Rowling's awesome series. Do you want to find out what others are saying about how they'd like to fly on a hippogriff or raise a pet dragon? What it would be like if they were students at Hogwarts and played on a Quidditch team? Their opininons on what really happened to Hary's parents? Read letters kids have written to Harry Potter, Hagrid, Hermione, and many ot the books' other unforgettable characters. Like the Harry Potter books themselves, "We Love Harry Potter!" is a treat for all ages!


Institutions increasingly recognize the need to develop digital repositories for organizing and managing their intellectual output to enhance scholarly communication. An institutional repository (IR) enhances opportunities for efficient use of existing research material and improved learning experiences, and encourages collaboration within and between different disciplines and groups. Installing IR software is not a major issue, but the challenge lies in tailoring the software and setting up services, policies, and procedures to make it work effectively in an institutional environment. The purpose of this paper is to document SEECS IR system's experience in developing the institutional repository. The contribution of this paper is to provide a case study which will be useful for other academic institutions in developing countries who want to develop their own institutional repositories.


I claim that the linguistic message that realizes syntax is multichannel. The syntax-PF interface is the interface of syntax with all the sensorimotor systems available to humans, including, for oral languages, minimal vocalic productions, intonation, hand movement and body gestures. I show that the realization of syntactic structure consists of (i) segmental oral morphemes, (ii) non-segmental oral morphemes (intonation), and (iii) nonoral morphemes (segmental or not; hand movements, upper body gestures and face movements). In particular, the latter predicts the use of non-oral morphemes in oral languages, since the speakers of oral languages have it available in their sensorimotor system. I focus on the CP domain of oral languages, and show that its functional projections can be realized by either (i), (ii) and (iii). The empirical body of this article concentrates on the multichannel Q particles in French, Atlantic French and British English.


Background
Coverage of e-cigarettes in the news media may shape public perceptions about them but little is known about such news content. This content analysis characterized discussion of e-cigarettes in leading print and online US news sources in 2015.

Methods
We searched Access World News and Factiva databases for e-cigarette-related news articles appearing in the top 30 circulating newspapers, 4 newswires, and 4 online news sources in the United States in 2015 (n = 295). Coders identified the presence of various e-cigarette topics (e.g. regulation), and benefit and risk statements.

Results
Nearly half of articles (45.1%) focused primarily on e-cigarette policy/regulatory issues, although e-cigarette prevalence (21.0%) and health effects (21.7%) were common main topics. Concerns about youth were frequently mentioned, including the rise in youth e-cigarette use (45.4%), gateway to smoking potential (33.9%) and appeal of flavors (22.4%). Youth e-cigarette prevalence was more frequently mentioned than adult prevalence in articles discussing FDA regulation (61% vs. 13.5%, respectively). News articles more frequently discussed potential e-cigarette risks or concerns (80%) than benefits (45.4%), such as smoking harm-reduction. Quoted physicians, researchers, and government representatives were more likely to refer to e-cigarette risks than benefits.

Conclusions
In 2015, rising rates of e-cigarette use among youth and policy strategies to address e-cigarettes dominated US e-cigarette news stories, leading up to their FDA regulation in 2016. Statements about e-cigarettes' potential risks were frequently attributed to trusted sources such as physicians, and outnumbered claims about their harm-reduction benefits. Such coverage may impact e-cigarette risk perceptions, use intentions and policy support.

Implications
In the year leading up to the FDA's Deeming Rule, concerns about youth use or potential use were frequently discussed in e-cigarette news. News articles more frequently discussed potential e-cigarette risks/concerns compared to potential harm-reduction benefits relative to tobacco cigarettes. While such coverage may inform the public about potential e-cigarette risks, they may also contribute to increasing perceptions that e-cigarettes are as harmful as tobacco cigarettes. E-cigarette risk and benefit statements were most frequently made by or attributed to researchers and physicians in articles, which is significant given that they may be particularly trusted sources of e-cigarette risk information.


The evolution of basal plane dislocations (BPDs) in 4H-SiC epitaxy during its growth is investigated by using two types of interrupted growth in conjunction with ultraviolet photoluminescence (UVPL) imaging of the dislocations. For the first, each epitaxial growth was stopped after 10-20 μm and a UVPL map was collected. For the second, changing the gas flow interrupted the growth and the BPDs were imaged at the end. The first sequence made it possible to track the formation of half-loop arrays and show that they arise from BPDs that glide perpendicular to the offcut direction. For both types, each interruption causes between 30 – 50% of the BPDs to be converted to threading edge dislocations (TEDs). This result suggests that using interrupted growth may be an alternate method to producing epitaxial layers with low BPD concentration.


Abstract : This paper critically examines hybridity and complexity in human biobanking, focusing on current forms of human milk banking in Madrid (Spain). We present and analyze three practices where human breast milk is stored and circulated: the "12 de Octubre" human milk bank, set in a neonatology unit and based on altruistic donations; informal human milk sharing among mothers; and drug-development practices that use donated human milk as a source of probiotics. Our analysis show that these practices rely on complex socio-technical assemblages, which are also characterised by hybrid zones and points of intersection between them. By understanding bacteria as a boundary object, we analyze the entanglements, disentanglements and re-entanglements of microbiota in the mechanisms of human milk bio-objectification that each of these biobanking practices entails. The distinctions or confusions between "virtuous" and "wicked" bacteria are part of a complex choreography where political, technical and sociocultural aspects get entangled. Keywords : human milk banks; biobanking; intercorporeality; bio-objectification; microbiota.


Pre- and postductal transcutaneous oxygen tension (tcPO2) was measured in 23 preterm infants with hyaline membrane disease to estimate the degree of right to left ductal shunting. The study was done during the first 24 hours of life and the data were recorded continuously. The studies were 11.9 +/- 4.0- hours long, (mean +/- SD) and the difference between the pre- and postductal tcPO2 (delta TcPO2) was measured every 100 seconds. Of 9,872 determinations, the delta tcPO2 was less than or equal to 15 mm Hg in 90.1%, 16 to 29 mm Hg in 9.3%, and greater than or equal to 30 mm Hg in 0.6%. It was concluded that large differences between pre- and postductal oxygen tension are rare in infants with hyaline membrane disease. The results of this and other published data suggest that it is unlikely that measurement of PaO2 in the descending aorta or tcPO2 below the ductus places infants at an increased risk of having retinopathy of prematurity develop.


Mammalian nephrons form as a result of a complex morphogenesis and patterning of a simple epithelial precursor, the renal vesicle. Renal vesicles are established from a mesenchymal progenitor population in response to inductive signals. Several lines of evidence support the sequential roles of two Wnt family members, Wnt9b and Wnt4, in renal vesicle induction. Using genetic approaches to specifically manipulate the activity of β-catenin within the mesenchymal progenitor pool in mice, we investigated the potential role of the canonical Wnt pathway in these inductive events. Progenitor-cell-specific removal of β-catenin activity completely blocked both the formation of renal vesicles and the expected molecular signature of an earlier inductive response. By contrast, activation of stabilizedβ -catenin in the same cell population causes ectopic expression of mesenchymal induction markers in vitro and functionally replaces the requirement for Wnt9b and Wnt4 in their inductive roles in vivo. Thus, canonical Wnt signaling is both necessary and sufficient for initiating and maintaining inductive pathways mediated by Wnt9b and Wnt4. However, the failure of induced mesenchyme with high levels of β-catenin activity to form epithelial structures suggests that modulating canonical signaling may be crucial for the cellular transition to the renal vesicle.


Bronchiectasis unrelated to cystic fibrosis is characterized by chronic wet or productive cough, recurrent exacerbations and irreversible bronchial dilatation. After antibiotics and vaccines became available and living standards in affluent countries improved, its resulting reduced prevalence meant bronchiectasis was considered an 'orphan disease'. This perception has changed recently with increasing use of CT scans to diagnose bronchiectasis, including in those with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or 'difficult to control' asthma, and adds to its already known importance in non-affluent countries and disadvantaged Indigenous communities. Following years of neglect, there is renewed interest in identifying the pathogenetic mechanisms of bronchiectasis, including the role of infection, and conducting clinical trials. This is providing much needed evidence to guide antimicrobial therapy, which has relied previously upon extrapolating treatments used in cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. While many knowledge gaps and management challenges remain, the future is improving for patients with bronchiectasis.


Microfluidic frameworks known as micro-total-analysis-systems or lab-on-a-chip have become versatile tools in cell biology research, since functional biochips are able to streamline dynamic observations of various cells. Glass or polymers are generally used as the substrate due to their high transparency, chemical stability and cost-effectiveness. However, these materials are not well suited for the microscopic observation of cell migration at the fluid boundary due to the refractive index mismatch between the medium and the biochip material. For this reason, we have developed a new method of fabricating three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic chips made of the low refractive index fluoric polymer CYTOP. This novel fabrication procedure involves the use of a femtosecond laser for direct writing, followed by wet etching with a dilute fluorinated solvent and annealing, to create high-quality 3D microfluidic chips inside a polymer substrate. A microfluidic chip made in this manner enabled us to more clearly observe the flagellum motion of a Dinoflagellate moving in circles near the fluid surface compared to the observations possible using conventional microfluidic chips. We believe that CYTOP microfluidic chips made using this new method may allow more detailed analysis of various cell migrations near solid boundaries.


Two sampling strategies are used for solving an errors-in-variables problem where the system as well as the white measurement noises are of a continuous-time nature. The sampling strategies are integrated sampling, and lowpass filtering followed by instantaneous sampling. Covariance relations are derived and systems of equations are formed for the data obtained from the two sampling strategies, and parameter estimators based on these relations and equations are proposed.


Injection of liquid swine manure disturbs surface soil so that runoff from treated lands can transport sediment and nutrients to surface waters. We determined the effect of two manure application methods on P fate in a corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production system, with and without a winter rye (Secale cereale L.)-oat (Avena sativa L.) cover crop. Treatments included: (i) no manure; (ii) knife injection; and (iii) low-disturbance injection, each with and without the cover crop. Simulated rainfall runoff was analyzed for dissolved reactive P (DRP) and total P (TP). Rainfall was applied 8 d after manure application (early November) and again in May after emergence of the corn crop. Manure application increased soil bioavailable P in the 20- to 30-cm layer following knife injection and in the 5- to 20-cm layer following low-disturbance injection. The low-disturbance system caused less damage to the cover crop, so that P uptake was more than threefold greater. Losses of DRP were greater in both fall and spring following low-disturbance injection; however, application method had no effect on TP loads in runoff in either season. The cover crop reduced fall TP losses from plots with manure applied by either method. In spring, DRP losses were significantly higher from plots with the recently killed cover crop, but TP losses were not affected. Low-disturbance injection of swine manure into a standing cover crop can minimize plant damage and P losses in surface runoff while providing optimum P availability to a subsequent agronomic crop.


In Palanisami, Kuppannan; Sharda, V. N.; Singh, D. V. (Eds.). Water management in the hill regions: evidence from field studies. [Outcome of the IWMI and ICAR Workshop organized by IWMI-TATA Water Policy Research Program]. New Delhi, India: Bloomsbury Publishing India


By means of first-principles density functional calculations, we study the structural, magnetic and electronic properties of YMnO3/ La 2 / 3 Sr 1 / 3 ?> MnO3 heterostructures. Although in the bulk the ground state of YMnO3 is an antiferromagnet, the YMnO3/ La 2 / 3 Sr 1 / 3 ?> MnO3 heterostructure stabilizes the ferromagnetic (FM) phase in YMnO3 in the interface region over a wide range of Coulomb repulsion parameters. The hypothetical FM phase of bulk YMnO3 is dielectric and due to substantial differences between the lattice constants in the ab plane, a strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy is present. This anisotropy produces a high coercivity of the unusual FM YMnO3 that can explain the large vertical shift in the hysteresis loops observed in recent experiments (Paul et al 2014 J. Appl. Crystallogr. 47 1054). The correlation between weak exchange bias and the vertical shift is proposed, which calls for reinvestigation of various systems showing vertical shifts.


Disc brake noise is generally accompanied by a movement of the rotor mode of vibration. It is shown that the speed of mode movement is related to the frequency of noise generation divided by the rotor vibration mode order, the direction being the same as disc rotation. The same type of movement is also seen in a drum brake generating low frequency noise. The backplate is shown to have a moving mode with a speed that is twice the noise frequency divided by the mode order. A possible drum mode is indicated and it is suggsted that this rotates at the frequency of noise and in the direction of drum rotation. It is proposed that the mechanism involved with disc mode movement and drum/backplate mode movement may have a common explanation. It is explained that this mode movement is the result of two contra-rotating waveforms of differing amplitudes - this being an explanation for both brake types as a feature of brake noise.


There are inadequate data to formulate evidence-based guidelines on cardiovascular medication and falls. A critical systematic review of medication as a risk factor for falls concluded that there was a weak association between drugs that reduce blood pressure and falls. The population studies reviewed, looking for an association between cardiovascular drug usage and falls, consisted of subjects who were much younger and who had a much lower drug burden when compared with the older clinic population. The magnitude of the effect of cardiovascular medications on falls may therefore have been underestimated in these studies. Two observational studies in falls clinics showed significant reductions in falls and syncope following withdrawal of cardiovascular medication, with improvements in symptoms, in tilt-table parameters predictive of syncope, and in measures of gait and balance. There are no randomized controlled trials of the effect of cardiovascular drug withdrawal on falls. An expert audience of 200 members attending the 2009 British Geriatrics Society Falls Section Conference held the unanimous opinion that cardiovascular medications were a significant cause of falls in older people.


Purpose : To propose a framework for the assessment and ongoing, continuous improvement of the quality of rehabilitation care. Method : The generally clarified and accepted approaches to the study of the quality of care are examined in view of the inherent characteristics of medical rehabilitation and the differences between it and other fields of medical practice. Results : The process and outcome of care are distinct but complementary and their elements should, in rehabilitation, be used jointly and simultaneously as indicators of quality. Conclusions : Rehabilitation is of long duration and consists of various phases, each of them focusing on a different issue. It is proposed to monitor activities of rehabilitation professionals (process elements) that constitute the focus of care of a given phase and simultaneously to monitor relevant outcome elements attributable to the activities of the given phase. Comparison of monitored elements (the observed care) to their standards (the expected care) would enable assessment of the quality and its continuous improvement.


Modern graphical user interfaces support the direct manipulation of objects and efficient selection of objects is an integral part of this user interface paradigm. For the selection of object groups most systems implement only rectangle selection and shift-clicking. This paper presents an approach to group selection that is based on the way human perception naturally groups objects, also known as the "Gestalt" phenomenon. Based on known results from perception research, we present a new approach to group objects by the Gestalt principles of proximity, curve-linearity, and closure. We demonstrate the results with several examples.


The ability of catchbasin sumps and hydrodynamic separators to remove sediment must be balanced with their ability to retain the previously captured material by preventing scour. The sediment scour process in these storm-water structures differs from the unidirectional scour and sediment transport process that occurs in pipes and channels. The hydrodynamics is affected by the particular characteristics of the hydraulic structure. The study of sediment scour in these devices requires incorporation of all the factors involved in the scour phenomenon and is best supported through computational fluid dynamic modeling (CFD) verified experimentally. Scour can be documented in the effluent as suspended sediment or total suspended solids concentration, a parameter of critical importance in storm-water quality management. This paper presents two simplified models for estimating effluent suspended sediment concentration attributable to scour of previously captured sediment. These models are based on results obtained from full-scale physical experimentation and calibrated and validated CFD modeling over a wide range of operating conditions where different particles sizes would be scoured. This paper also shows the effects of the armoring layer and of homogeneous and heterogeneous sediment sizes on the effluent concentration patterns.