The main steam line break (MSLB) is an overcooling accident that may lead to an over criticality, and so to a power increase, after the reactor trip. The most penalizing single failure is a RCCA bank stuck out of the core when the reactor trip occurs. This configuration leads to a strong asymmetry of the radial power shape combined with a strong asymmetry of the core inlet temperature that results in a strongly distorted 3D power distribution.In the original design, the MSLB accident was studied with a simplified and conservative 0D method. The point kinetics approach requires the use of extremely conservative assumptions in order to account for the asymmetry in the core region that takes place during the transient. The use of the coupling between a three-dimensional neutronic code (SMART), a 3D core thermal-hydraulic code (FLICA cf. ref [4]) and a reactor coolant system code (MANTA cf. ref [3]) allows representing the 3D heterogeneity of the power shape and also of the resulting cross flows. In addition, this coupling allows determining moderator and Doppler feedback effects in a much more realistic way thus limiting accident consequences estimated.A methodology, called MTC3D (for Methode Totalement Couplee 3D in French), has been developed using the coupling between the three codes to perform the MSLB analysis. The physical dominant parameters of the transient are identified through a comprehensive sensitivity analysis. Then, a deterministic approach is used in the entire transient simulation considering dominant parameters in a penalizing way.In a first step, neutronic data are determined with SMART calculations. In a second step, MANTA/SMART/FLICA transients are performed with penalized neutronic and thermal-hydraulic data. In a third step, as the steam line break transient is a relatively slow transient, the core power distribution is evaluated with a steady state SMART/FLICA calculation without penalization. In a last step, safety criteria, such as minimum DNBR (Departure from Nucleate Boiling Ratio) are calculated with FLICA calculations based on core power distribution calculated at the third step and boundary conditions calculated at the second step.The use of 3D neutronic and detailed thermal-hydraulic codes to model the reactor core allows considering a more physical representation of the core configuration for transient analysis. The coupling between 3D neutronic and core thermal-hydraulic codes allows exhibiting intrinsic margins without over penalizations related to a simplified 0D method.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


Abstract Mirids, Sahlbergella singularis, are the most harmful cacao pest in Africa. Chemical management, although controversial, is currently the only effective option for controlling these pests. Based on in vitro and field experiments, this study evaluated and compared the effectiveness of aqueous extracts obtained from the seeds of Thevetia peruviana (TP) and Azadirachta indica (AI) in controlling cocoa mirids, S. singularis. Thevetia peruviana extracts proved to be more effective than A. indica extracts and were as effective as Actara 25 WG, the benchmark insecticide, in reducing mirids in the field. All the aqueous extracts tested in vitro displayed insecticidal activities within maximum eight days and some repellent effects at both 10 and 25% w/v. Treatment of mirid food with the extracts also led to high mortality rates and to significant avoidance of pods treated with the TP25, TP10 and AI25%. The use of plant aqueous extracts to control mirids in the field thus offers promising prospects for the control of this pest, given the availability of the plants, their simple preparation, their effectiveness and their eco-friendly features.


Many firms rely on external organizations to acquire knowledge that is useful for developing creative new products and reducing the time needed to bring these products to market. Cluster theory suggests that this knowledge is often obtained from organizations located in close geographic proximity. Specifically, proximity is assumed to foster heightened face-to-face communication, strengthened relational ties, increased knowledge acquisition, and enhanced new product outcomes. The authors identify the limitations of these assumptions and offer an enriched model of the influence of geographic proximity on new product development, which they test using both a crosssectional survey of 155 firms in the U.S. optics industry and a longitudinal follow-up survey of 73 of these firms. They find that firms located in close proximity engage in increased face-to-face communication, but this communication has little effect on the acquisition of the types of knowledge that lead to enhanced new product outcomes. In contrast, they find that e-mail communication leads to both enhanced new product creativity and development speed. In addition, they find that relational ties moderate rather than mediate the path connecting geographic proximity and new product outcomes. These findings imply that the new product development outcomes typically ascribed to close geographic proximity may actually be attributed to strong relational ties.


The agINFRA project aims to provide the agricultural research communities with e-infrastructure and services for open data access, sharing and re-use. This paper introduces the project's objectives and data principles, presents the data resources that are covered, and illustrates agINFRA services with examples from the area of agricultural statistics. Finally, it summarises how agricultural research institutions and other stakeholders can participate in, and benefit from, the project.


The problem of most rural communities in meeting the millennium development goals is financing their development projects with minimal community stress and fear. This is so because, the rural poor have virtually very few economic investment endeavor and they hardly have enough reserve or savings to invest in such projects with huge financial weight, hence they need external funding to enable them carry out such project since an individual in the community can hardly raise such monies for their development programs. This research made use of the survey inferential design; both quantitative and qualitative research design was adopted for the study. The instrument for data collection was a well structured questionnaire, using the step-wise sampling technique, a sample of 315 respondents were selected from a population of 1573. Spearman rho correlation and simple percentage were used for data analysis. The result of the Spearman rho correlation analysis shows a very positive correlation between micro-credit facilities and the meeting of the millennium development goals within the rural communities of cross river state. Most micro-credit facilities is given to people with commensurate collaterals, while in few instances, the credit facility is given to people without commensurate collaterals but with proper guarantors who must be male with landed properties. This assertion that a guarantor must be a male with landed property is against the MDG goal 4 which seek to promote gender equality and women empowerment. It is however observe that micro-credit facilities could help in this regards, but it is sad to note that most financial institutions where these micro-credit facilities could have been sourced have made it very difficult that getting such loans become near impossible and where possible, it is gender biased and the interests on such loan is whopping and discouraging. Appropriate recommendations were then made to solve the problems of difficulty in sourcing microcredit facilities.


The development of digital information have caused the rise of information technology security to protect text data that contains secret. Steganography is one of many solutions for securing text data by hiding the text data on an image so that another party would not know the existence of such data. Criteria of a good steganography involves imperceptibility, fidelity, robustness dan recovery. One steganographic method is CD (Coefficient Difference), adopted from PVD (Pixel Value Differencing) which does hiding in spatial domain using difference of two pixel values that results in large modification of pixel values, reducing imperceptibility. Modulus function is used to solve such shortcoming in CD by using the modulus function on embedding, minimizing pixel modification during the process, resulting in improved imperceptibility. In this final project, IHWT (Integer Haar Wavelet Transform) are used to keep imperceptibility high. To improve the security, cryptographic method NTRU is applied on the secret message before it is hidden in image. The result showed that the combination of NTRU, IHWT and modulus function yields good imperceptibility, with PSNR value above 40 dB while the stego image resist salt and pepper noise attack of 0,002% and contrast addition of maximum amount one


Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to compare the effect of environmental conditions on the birth hormones and the labor of rats. Materials and methods This Study is animal experiment. A total of of 18 pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control, stress and enriched groups. Animals in the stress group were exposed to unexpected variable stress paradigm three times a day during the third trimester of their pregnancies. Whereas animals raised in the enriched environment were kept in larger cages equipped with various toys. They were subjected to open field test for 5 minutes in the last trimester. Blood samples were taken from the tail vein at the beginning of birth, and 10 parameters (including corticotropin-releasing hormone, oxytocin, endorphin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, prolactin, estrogen, progesterone, vasopressin, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor) involved in labor were assessed. Kruskal Wallis, Mann Whitney U, and Spearman's rho correlation analysis were used to compare data. Results Interactions of hormones were significantly different among the groups. While hormonal interactions in the control group were similar to the physiological parameters, other groups displayed various results. There were significant (p < .05) differences in the values of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and vasopressin hormone levels. In the open Field test, standing distribution scores of animals displayed differences among control, stress and enriched environment groups (p < .05). Conclusion These results showed that labor environment diversely affects physiology aspects of birth. It is known that many factors such as procedures in a hospital environment, birth environment, noise, and birth position affect the hormones at birth. Therefore, the birth environment, either at home or at the hospital, needs to be well-organized accordingly.


Consider an elastically rigid obstacle which is buried in a homogeneous and isotropic elastic background medium. The obstacle is illuminated by an arbitrary time-harmonic elastic incident wave. This work is concerned with an inverse obstacle scattering problem for elastic waves, which is to reconstruct the obstacle's surface from the displacement field measured at a circle surrounding it. The surface of the obstacle is assumed to be a small and smooth perturbation of a disk. Based on the Helmholtz decomposition, the displacement field is split into its compressional and shear parts. A coupled system of boundary value problems is derived for the decomposed scalar potentials by using the transparent boundary conditions. Utilizing the transformed field expansion method, we reduce the coupled system into to a successive sequence of one-dimensional two-point boundary value problems which are solved in closed forms. The inverse problem is linearized by dropping high order terms in the power series expansion and an explicit reconstruction formula is obtained. Moreover, a simple nonlinear correction algorithm is proposed to improve the accuracy of the reconstructions. Ample numerical examples show that, using this method, it is possible to reconstruct the surface with subwavelength resolution.


We experimentally demonstrate reordering throughout the inside of an individual bipolar nematic liquid-crystalline microdroplet optically trapped by a highly focused laser beam, when the laser powers are above a definite threshold. The threshold depends on the droplet size and laser polarization. A physical interpretation of the results is presented by considering the nonlocal orientations of the nematic liquid-crystal molecules in the droplets with the dimensions on the order of the focal spot diameter or larger. On the basis of the finite size approximation, we show that the dependence of threshold power on the droplet size is calculated to be in qualitative agreement with the experimental data.


In vitro techniques have great potential for collecting, exchange and conservation of: i) genetic resources of recalcitrant-seed and vegetatively propagated species as well as of endangered species; ii) elite genotypes which are multiplied on a large scale in production laboratories; iii) cultures with special attributes, eg, metabolite-producing cell lines and genetically engineered material. In vitro collecting techniques, which consist of introducing embryos or vegetative tissues in vitro under field conditions, have been developed for collection of germplasm of various problem species. In vitro cultures are routinely used for exchange of plant genetic resources of a number of species, due to their advantages in terms of phytosanitary status and reduced cost. Slow growth techniques have been developed for medium-term conservation of numerous species but their routine use is still restricted to a limited number of crop species. Routine use of cryopreservation is mostly restricted to conservation of cell lines in research laboratories. However, simple and efficient freezing protocols have been developed recently for apices and embryos, and can be considered operational for an increasing number of species. Current research priorities include: i) the development of in vitro collecting techniques for additional species; ii) demonstration of the flexibility, simplicity and practicality of slow growth storage to increase its utilisation; iii) experimentation of existing cryopreservation techniques on a large scale in a genebank context and the development of cryopreservation protocols for additional species.


There are numerous examples that show how the exploitation of the body's physical properties can lift the burden of the brain. Examples include grasping, swimming, locomotion, and motion detection. The term Morphological Computation was originally coined to describe processes in the body that would otherwise have to be conducted by the brain. In this paper, we argue for a synergistic perspective, and by that we mean that Morphological Computation is a process which requires a close interaction of body and brain. Based on a model of the sensorimotor loop, we study a new measure of synergistic information and show that it is more reliable in cases in which there is no synergistic information, compared to previous results. Furthermore, we discuss an algorithm that allows the calculation of the measure in non-trivial (non-binary) systems.


Rates of anemia among agricultural workers, who are also at risk for kidney injury and chronic kidney disease of unknown cause (CKDu), are unknown. We evaluated body composition through the sum of three skinfolds among 203 male sugarcane cutters and assessed the relationship of variables related to nutrition, anemia (hemoglobin < 13 g/dL), and elevated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c ≥ 5.7%) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using linear regression. Eleven percent of workers were at the level of essential body fat (2–5%). Anemia was present among 13% of workers, 70% of which were normochromic normocytic, a type of anemia suggesting potential underlying chronic disease. Anemia was more common among those with lower BMI and fat free mass. The prevalence of elevated HbA1c was 21%. A moderate negative correlation was found between hemoglobin and HbA1c (Pearson's r = −0.32, p < 0.01) which suggests that HbA1c values should be interpreted with caution in populations that have high rates of anemia. Twelve percent of workers had reduced kidney function with an eGFR < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2. On average, the eGFR was 18 mL/min per 1.73 m2 lower [(95% CI:−24, −12), p < 0.01)] for those with anemia than those without, and 8 mL/min per 1.73 m2 lower among those with elevated HbA1c [(95% CI: −13, −2), p < 0.01]. Results will inform future studies examining the role of anemia in the evaluation of CKDu and interventions to improve nutrition for workers in low-resource settings.


In the early 1970s, David Copus, a young, long-haired lawyer, teamed up with his government colleagues to confront the mature and staid executives of AT&T over the company's treatment of its female and minority employees. Their disagreement resulted in a $38 million settlement that benefited 15,000 employees, more than 13,000 of them women, and changed our perceptions of women's and men's roles in the workplace forever. Copus, who worked for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), was charged with representing American citizens who suffered from employment discrimination. Time and again he saw young, black women in the South being turned down for available jobs in local phone companies--usually as telephone operators--often for no valid reason at all. He and the EEOC decided to challenge AT&T's company-wide sex discrimination practices. Eventually, AT&T's corporate colleagues, witnessing AT&T's capitulation, began to hire and promote women into better jobs themselves. At the same time, the EEOC started to more aggressively push corporate America to give women better opportunities."The Bellwomen" recounts the history of this case in a novelistic style, illuminating the motivations, strengths, and weaknesses of all the players, from AT&T corporate leaders, to the lawyers of the EEOC, to the female activists fighting for what they believed. Stockford also profiles three beneficiaries of the case, presenting their ambitions and achievements. Combined with the power of America's civil rights laws and the influence of the second wave women's movement, this case provided a catalyst that drove many more women into the paid workforce in non-traditional jobs. By the late twentieth century, when women could be seen working everywhere, from construction sites to corporate offices, it appeared that they belonged there and always had.


We investigated the drought effects on the colonization rate and pattern of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in newly created mesocosm wetlands in the central Korean Peninsula, from June 2011 to June 2013. The comparison was made between the initial colonization after mesocosm construction (pre-drought) and the recolonization after a drought event (post-drought) with a drought period of 50 days between them. In addition, we categorized communities according to their biological traits in relation to drought. Our results showed that aquatic vegetation abundance and covering degree were higher in post-drought than in pre-drought, thereby influencing rapid colonization. Drought-resistant benthic macroinvertebrates colonized rapidly in post-drought; consequently, the colonization speed was 2.5-fold higher in post-drought than in pre-drought. We classified the benthic macroinvertebrate taxa into three groups: (1) a resistant group which generally emerged after the initial colonization period (e.g., Mollusca, Turbellaria, and Oligochaeta); (2) a sensitive group with diverse life history strategies and biological traits such as active migration or population decline after drought disturbance (e.g., Diptera: Chironominae, Odonata: Orthetrum, Coleoptera: Agabus and Rhantus); and (3) a seasonal group, which emerged only during certain periods and were not markedly influenced by drought (e.g., Ephemeroptera: Cloeon, Diptera: Culicidae, Odonata: Zygoptera and Pantala). Our findings elucidated the effects of drought on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in wetlands by using a mesocosm experiment.


Purpose Medication reconciliation (MedRec) is a process to ensure complete and accurate communication of patient medication information throughout care transitions to prevent medication errors. Hospitals in Taiwan have stride to implement a universal protocol for MedRec. To establish a feasible protocol indigenously, the World Health Organization (WHO) protocol was incorporated with the Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) PharmaCloud patient medication profile. The efficiency and error detection capability of this modified protocol was evaluated in two hospitals. Methods A prospective, non-randomized, unblinded, multicenter cohort study was conducted. Subjects were recruited among patients admitted for colorectal or orthopedic surgery with at least 4 or more chronic drugs. To obtain the best possible medication history (BPMH), the control group was conducted according to the WHO protocol, and the experimental group used the modified WHO protocol with the medication data from the PharmaCloud system. The time spent on the two protocols was recorded. Admission and discharge orders were reconciled against the BPMH to identify any discrepancies. Discrepancies were evaluated by appropriateness, prescribing intentions, and types of inappropriateness. The levels of potential harm were classified for inappropriate discrepancies. Results The mean time to obtain BPMH in the control group was 34.3±10.8 minutes and in the experimental group 27.5±11.5 minutes (P = 0.01). The experimental group had more subjects with discrepancies (87.9%) than the control (58.3%) (p < 0.001). The discrepancies in both admission and discharge orders for the experimental group (84.5 and 67.2%) were higher than those of the control (47.9 and 37.5%). Many inappropriate discrepancies were classified as the potential harm of level 2 (77.8%). Conclusion Through the establishment of BPMH with the medication data from the Taiwan NHI PharmaCloud, MedRec could be achieved with greater efficiency and error detection capability in both the admission and discharge order validation processes.


We develop an efficient algorithm, coordinate descent FCI (CDFCI), for the electronic structure ground-state calculation in the configuration interaction framework. CDFCI solves an unconstrained nonconvex optimization problem, which is a reformulation of the full configuration interaction eigenvalue problem, via an adaptive coordinate descent method with a deterministic compression strategy. CDFCI captures and updates appreciative determinants with different frequencies proportional to their importance. We show that CDFCI produces accurate variational energy for both static and dynamic correlation by benchmarking the binding curve of nitrogen dimer in the cc-pVDZ basis with 10-3 mHa accuracy. We also demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of CDFCI for strongly correlated chromium dimer in the Ahlrichs VDZ basis and produce state-of-the-art variational energy.


The central nervous system (CNS) is endowed with several immune-related mechanisms that contribute to its protection and maintenance in homeostasis and under pathology. Here, we discovered an additional mechanism that controls inflammatory responses within the CNS milieu under injurious conditions, involving CD200 ligand (CD200L) expressed by newly formed endothelial cells. We observed that CD200L is constitutively expressed in the mouse healthy CNS by endothelial cells of the blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier and of the spinal cord meninges, but not by the endothelium of the blood–spinal cord barrier. Following spinal cord injury (SCI), newly formed endothelial cells, located only at the epicenter of the lesion site, expressed CD200L. Moreover, in the absence of CD200L expression by CNS-resident cells, functional recovery of mice following SCI was impaired. High throughput single-cell flow cytometry image analysis following SCI revealed CD200L-dependent direct interaction between endothelial and local CD200R+ myeloid cells, including activated microglia and infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages (mo-MΦ). Absence of CD200L signaling, both in vitro and in vivo, resulted in a higher inflammatory response of the encountering macrophages, manifested by elevation in mRNA expression of Tnfα and Il1β, increased intracellular TNFα immunoreactivity, and reduced expression levels of macrophage factors that are associated with resolution of inflammation, Dectin-1, CD206 (mannose receptor), and IL-4R. Collectively, our results highlight the importance of CD200-mediated immune dialogue between endothelial cells and the local resident microglia and infiltrating mo-MΦ within the lesion area, as a mechanism that contributes to regulation of inflammation following acute CNS injury. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This manuscript focuses on a novel mechanism of inflammation-regulation following spinal cord injury (SCI), orchestrated by CD200-ligand (CD200L) expressed by newly formed endothelial cells within the lesion site. Our study reveals that, in homeostasis, CD200L is expressed by endothelial cells of the mouse blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier and of the blood–leptomeningeal barrier, but not by endothelial cells of the blood–spinal cord barrier. Following SCI, newly formed endothelial cells located within the epicenter of the lesion site were found to express CD200L at time points that were shown to be critical for repair. Our results reveal a direct interaction between CD200L+ endothelial cells and CD200R+ microglia and macrophages, resulting in attenuated inflammation, biasing macrophage phenotype toward inflammation-resolving cells, and promotion of functional recovery following SCI.


This paper provides general information about the qualification of driving as an on-demand manufacturing concept for the production of individualized sheet metal products. Driving allows the creation of almost any 2D or 3D geometry, but it is a highly interactive, manual production process. Due to the inevitable variations of the incremental forming process (mechanical properties, tribology, wear etc.) and the high number of forming steps, it cannot be automated by traditional approaches. At the Institute of Metal Forming and Casting (Technische Universitaet Muenchen) a kraftformer machine has been equipped with measuring and controlling instrumentation. An optical online measurement system is installed to detect any geometry deformation of the current work piece and to visualize the deviation between the actual and the stored reference geometry during the whole production process. This variance comparison is the first step for planning any following incremental forming actions based on acquired and/or learned knowledge. The second step is the integration of an industrial robot for work piece handling and the automation of the whole manufacturing process. The last step is the integration of neural networks to predict production strategies for any desired unique geometry.


A system for tracking usage of digital content on user devices. Electronic stores coupled to a network sell licenses to play digital content data to users. Content players, which receive from the network the licensed content data, are used to play the licensed content data. Additionally, a logging site that is coupled to thte network tracks the playing of the content data. In particular, the logging site receives play information from the network, and the play information includes the number of times that the content data has been played by the associated content player. Also provided is a method for tracking usage of digital content on user devices. According to the method, a license to play digital content data is sold to a user, and the licensed content data is transmitted to a content player for the user.; Further, information is transmitted to a logging site whenever the content data is played by the content player or copied from the content player to an external medium so that usage of the licensed content data can be tracked.


Background/Aims: Antibodies against carbonic anhydrase (CA) have been detected in patients with an aplastic anemia (AA)-like syndrome after autologous stem cell transplantation. Methods: We analyzed sera of 53 bona fide AA patients before and after treatment with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) or bone marrow transplantation for the presence of anti-CA antibodies. Results: Anti-CA antibodies were detected in 20 patients (38%) and were associated with older age at diagnosis of AA. Antibody-positive patients showed poor response to ATG treatment (complete response 14%) and inferior long-term survival (36% at 10 years), when compared to antibody-negative patients (complete response and 10-year survival both 64%). Two thirds of patients with antibodies at diagnosis of AA became antibody negative after treatment with ATG. Clearance of the antibody did not appear to be associated with hematological improvement. Conclusion: Antibodies against CA are detected frequently at diagnosis of AA, and their presence identifies a subset of patients with poor response to immunosuppressive treatment.


Recent explosive growth of content delivery/distribution networks
(CDNs) and their interconnection are causing unintended repetition of
content storage in the same dCDN. This can be avoided by using a
suitable de-duplication mechanism. This document explores the
scenarios which create the problem, and then discusses the approaches
to eliminate the duplicated transmission of the same content from
uCDN(s) to dCDN in CDNi networks. To implement the optimization, some
enhancement to the CDNi metadata model and interface is required. We
realize that for business-specific purposes the same content may be
encrypted/packaged with different keys for different providers. The
impact of DRM (Digital Rights Management) technology on de-
duplication will be discussed in a future version of this draft.


p36 and p35 are distinct but related proteins that share many structural and biochemical features which were first identified as major substrates for protein-tyrosine kinases. Subsequently, both proteins have been shown to be Ca2+-, phospholipid-, and F-actin-binding proteins that underlie the plasma membrane and are associated with the cortical cytoskeleton. Recent reports have claimed that these proteins function as lipocortins, i.e., phospholipase A2 inhibitors that mediate the anti-inflammatory action of glucocorticoids. To investigate this possibility and to learn more about the functions of p36 and p35, we used human-specific anti-p36 and anti-p35 monoclonal antibodies to determine whether the expression or secretion of either protein was inducible by dexamethasone in the human U-937 myeloid cell line and in other human cell types. Additionally, we examined the levels of mRNA for both proteins. No effect of dexamethasone was observed on p36 or p35 expression at either the mRNA or protein level, nor were these proteins secreted under any of the culture conditions investigated. However, it was observed that in these cells the rate of synthesis and accumulation of both proteins was increased when the U-937 cells were induced to differentiate in culture to adherent macrophagelike cells. This offers a model system with which to study the control of p36 and p35 expression.


: MBO can be viewed as a practical approach for the motivation of administrators and members within the organization. It requires a considerable amount of time and energy in addition to organizational support. Tosi and Carroll (1968) have demonstrated that, if properly used, MBO can affect the motivation and performance of individuals. As an approach within a system, it provides a major organizational advantage--improved planning! It is a process that compels the administrator to visualize parts in relation to the whole and helps all members of the organization to see important relationships.


Placenta is a transient organ ensuring the intrauterine development of the individual. To meet fetal requirements, rapid and continuous cell proliferation enlarges the areas of tissues maintaining maternofetal transport. The cell division in placenta is accompanied with shortening of telomeres leading to cell senescence. Telomerase activity, on the other hand, ensures replication of telomeres and allows the organ to serve till the end of pregnancy. This balanced process may be negatively influenced by unfavorable circumstances. Here, we summarize available data on telomere length as well as telomerase activity in placentas from normal and complicated pregnancies; attention is also paid to the comparison of methods used in relevant studies.


Changes in land-use and land-cover, including both agricultural expansion and the establishment of protected areas, have altered the landscape pattern and extent of forest and wetland cover in the tropics. In Central America, land-use and land-cover change is also threatening the cultural resources of the region's ancient Maya heritage since many ancient sites have been degraded by burning, deforestation, and plowing. In this study of Orange Walk District of northern Belize, from the 1980s to the present, we used multitemporal Landsat data with a random forest classifier to reveal trends in land-use and land-cover change and the increasing loss of forest and wetlands. We develop a random forest classifier that is time-generalized to map land-use and land-cover across the entire Landsat record, including Landsat 4, 5, 7, and 8, with a single algorithm. Including multiyear and seasonal composites was important for obtaining cloud-free coverage and distinguishing between different land-use and land-cover types. Early deforestation (1984–1987) was in small patches scattered across the landscape and likely driven by small scale agriculture such as milpa and smaller area tractor and horse-drawn plowing. The establishment of protected areas in the late 1980s and early 1990s allowed for forest regrowth in these areas, while wetland losses were high at 15%. The transition to industrial agriculture in the 2000s, however, drove a 43.6% expansion of agriculture and a 7.5% loss of forest and a 28.2% loss of wetlands during the ~15 years. Protected areas initiated in the 1980s led to a nearly 100 km2 decrease in agriculture from 1984–1987 to 1999–2001, and they became essential refugia for habitat and maintaining ecosystem services.


A model of notched shaft in which the crack, V-notch, U-notch and arc were described as notch uniformly, was put forward. The stress field near the notch tip of notched shaft was given using quadric coordinate system by selecting an appropriate displacement function at first, and then the stress field in Cartesian co-ordinates system was obtained. The 3-D model was set up and the local stress and strain near the tip of notch was calculated by using finite element software ANSYS, and the effect of notched parameters of shaft on stress was analysed. The results show that there is a small region, in which the effect of the tip radius and depth on the stresses is obviously. The effect of an open angle of notch on stress is very small. The smaller the ratios between the tip radius and depth of notch, the larger the stress concentrations near the tip of notch.


In this study, we investigated withinand between-language Item-Specific Proportion Congruence (ISPC) effects in Turkish-English bilinguals in two experiments. In both experiments we manipulated the language of the ISPC lists, while keeping the response language the same (Turkish in Experiment 1, and English in Experiment 2). We observed a larger within-language ISPC effect compared to betweenlanguage ISPC effect in both experiments. These results are consistent with the predictions of conflict-monitoring models of the ISPC effect.


Abstract. Biofuels derived from algae are becoming an increasingly viable alternative to petroleum-based fuels; however, research and development in the field must continue to advance the technology before biofuels can be produced in an economical and environmentally friendly manner. Unlike with photobioreactors, there is no generally accepted model for evaluating the growth of algae in open raceways because algal growth involves a large number of variables. For this reason, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) could prove to be a valuable and effective tool for the design, optimization, and operation of large-scale raceway ponds under local environmental conditions. CFD can elucidate and quantify the complex sets of variables that govern heat, mass, and flow patterns within the pond and provide spatiotemporal data concerning algal concentration and other water quality variables, such as light and temperature. The corresponding outcomes will enable designers to create more efficient ponds and more accurately predict growth under a variety of scenarios, as well as optimize the pond's operation in order to produce the maximum amount of biomass possible within a given locality. The present study focuses on developing user-defined functions capable of capturing key parameters, verifying the CFD outcomes against existing experimental data, providing computational solutions, and assessing the sensitivity of the model.


THE clinical features of an extradural hTmatoma due to rupture of the middle meningeal artery are well known; the " classical" picture may, however, be frequently absent or overshadowed by the signs produced by single or multiple cerebral lesions by a second extradural or a subdural haematoma. Besides the meningeal arteries the great venous sinuses can produce intracranial heemorrhages. If a tear involves such a sinus and gives rise to an extradural hematoma overlying one of the more or less " silent" cortical areas, early diagnosis may be very difficult. To this latter group belongs the extradural haematoma of the posterior fossa; probably the rarest form of traumatic intracranial bleeding. The present paper contains a description of such a case, which was under the writer's care in spring, 1938. A girl, aged 24, was thrown off her bicycle by a blow from an opening door of a stationary car, which she was about to pass. She struck the back of her head heavily, fell, and lost consciousness for a few minutes. Later she vomited, but on admission to hospital shortly after the accident she only complained of severe headache. There were no external injuries and no neurological abnormality was detected. X-ray pictures showed a slight separation of the left half of the lambdoid suture. About 30 hours later an experienced ward-sister observed the patient in a series of typical " cerebellar fits." In these her head was well retracted and her extremities rigidly extended; she was cyanosed, her breathing was irregular and she rapidly became unconscious. The first attack lasted about 2 minutes, a second one occurring a few hours later, and a third prolonged and severe attack was observed on the morning of the third day. After the first attack the patient's condition, which had been satisfactory until then, changed for the worse. She became increasingly restless and finally comatose. A lumbar puncture was performed, but only a few drops of clear cerebro-spinal fluid were obtained, the flow then ceased abruptly. A second puncture, performed 2 hours later, yielded the same result. There was no nystagmus and the tendon reflexes were equal on both sides. The history of trauma, the separation of the left half of the lambdoid suture, the cerebellar fits, the cerebro-spinal fluid block, and the increasing coma all pointed to a htmorrhage in the posterior fossa, probably extradural. Owing to the patient's deterioration operation could no longer be delayed.


Objective Data defining and subsequently guiding the use of psychotropic medications in children and adolescents is sparse. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized control trials to examine the effectiveness of psychotropic medications in children and adolescents with chronic pain. Methods We conducted a comprehensive literature search from published studies, and annual scientific sessions of psychiatry conferences. We identified double-blind, randomized control trials (RCTs) in which psychotropic medications were compared to placebo. Data was collected for the total number of patients, baseline characteristics, and changes in pain score. Meta-analysis was performed using a random effect model evaluating average change in pain score and the number of patients with a reduction in pain score for both groups. Pooled data are expressed as standardized mean differences (SMD) and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results We found 5 studies that included amitriptyline (n=2), citalopram (n=1), buspirone (n=1) and duloxetine (n=1). In the pooled analysis for the difference in the average change in pain score, 4 RCTs with 395 patients were included. After 12–13 weeks of therapy, reductions in pain score were significantly greater in the psychotropic drug group as compared to placebo (SMD: −0.77, 95% CI −1.54, 0.0001, p= 0.05). For the analysis on the number of patients with a reduction in pain, data were available for 445 patients (224-medication group, 221-placebo group). More patients in the psychotropic drug group experienced a meaningful reduction in pain score at 12–13 weeks of therapy compared to placebo (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.08–2.54, p= 0.02). Conclusion The results of this meta-analysis demonstrate significant analgesic efficacy of psychotropic medications in the management of children with chronic pain. This review is limited by the small number of studies included for analysis. There is a pressing need for more robust clinical trials to further investigate these promising findings.


Abstract Authors such as Dryzek, Gough and Meadowcroft have indicated that social-democratic welfare states could be in a better position to deal with development of the 'green' or 'eco' state, and the intersection of social and environmental policies, than conservative or liberal welfare regimes (synergy hypothesis). However, this hypothesis has as yet not been examined in comparative empirical research. Based on comparative empirical data from EUROSTAT, the World Bank, the OECD, the Global Footprint Network and the International Social Survey Programme, we are carrying out two research operations: First, by applying correspondence analysis, we contrast the macro-structural welfare and sustainability indicators of thirty countries and ask whether clusters largely follow the synergy hypothesis. Second, we raise the issue of whether differences in the institutional and organisational capabilities of combining welfare with environmental policies are reflected in people's attitudes and opinions. With regard to the first issue, our results suggest that there is no 'automatic' development of the ecostate based on already existing advanced welfare institutions. Representatives of all welfare regimes are spread across established, deadlocked, failing, emerging and endangered ecostates. As for the second issue, the results are mixed. While responses to the statements 'economic growth always harms the environment' and 'governments should pass laws to make ordinary people protect the environment, even if it interferes with people's rights to make their own decisions' did not vary according to welfare regimes, people from social-democratic countries expressed more often than average their willingness to accept cuts in their standard of living in order to protect the environment.


Abstract Introduction: Patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) are more prone to contrast-induced nephropathy (CN). Apoptosis and autophagy were found to be essential in the pathogenesis of DKD. Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a cytokine, but its role in DKD and CN is unknown. As IL-33 is modulated by apoptosis, we aimed to determine the relationship between IL-33 apoptosis and autophagy in DKD with CN. Materials and methods: Thirty male Sprague–Dawley rats were enrolled and randomly allocated into three groups. The first group was comprised of healthy rats (HRs), whereas the other two groups were made up of diabetic rats (DRs) and diabetic rats with CN (DRs + CN). All groups except the HRs received 50 mg/kg/day of streptozotocin (STZ). The DRs + CN group was induced by administering 1.5 mg/kg of intravenous radiocontrast dye on the 35th day. Results: We observed increased IL-33 in the kidney tissue following induction of CN in the DRs. The DRs showed moderate immunopositivity, and the DRs + CN showed severe immunopositivity for caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, LC3B, and Beclin-1 in tubular cells and glomeruli. The DRs also showed moderate immunopositivity in tubular cells, and the DRs + CN group showed severe immunopositivity for IL-33 in tubular cells. Increased caspase-3 was found in both glomeruli and tubuli; however, we could not demonstrate IL-33 in glomeruli. This could be secondary to inactivation of IL-33 via increased caspase-3 activity. Conclusion: The release of IL-33 from necrotic cells might induce autophagy, which can further balance the effects of increased apoptosis secondary to CN in DKD.


This paper analyses (re)presentations of English national identity during the 2016 UEFA European Football Championships which were held in France between 10 June and 10 July of that year. Set against the backdrop of Britain's referendum regarding membership of the European Union, the tournament took place during a time of heightened debate about English national identity. Employing inductive textual analysis and drawing on Anderson's (2006) concept of imagined community, Hobsbaum's (1983) notion of invented traditions and Guibernau's (2007) strategies for the construction of national identity, England's three most popular newspapers, the Sun, the Daily Mail and the Daily Mirror, were examined. While the papers' narratives employed familiar tropes which referenced England's past history and employed militaristic metaphors and the 'us' and 'them' cliche, there was also demonstrable uncertainty regarding the articulation of 'English' (and 'British') national identity.


A complete theory of camera multihole collimators is presented. The geometrical system response is determined in closed form in frequency space. This closed form accounts for the known efficiency and resolution formulae for parallel beam, fan beam, cone beam and astigmatic collimators as well as for the most frequent hole array patterns and hole shapes. The point spread function in the space domain for a certain collimator and source position can be calculated via a discrete fast Fourier transform. Beside the complete theoretical definition of the response of multihole collimators, this theory allows the definition of accurate models of the geometrical response for SPECT reconstruction and it is suitable for designing new collimators.


This paper discusses the System of Identification Friend-Foe (IFF) with genuinely national technology, including Mode 4 with native encryption. Actual fratricides are illustrated and the Brazilian processes to reduce them are shown. Technical aspects of IFF systems in use by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), are reviewed and updated based on the standards of NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG 4193). The analysis shows that the current stage of development of the industry of National Defense, coupled with its ability to integrate with the technological centers of the Armed Forces, as well as the availability of budget for research and development, resulting from the National Defense Policy, are factors for the success of the project. Also, it exposes the importance of combining air defense and air traffic control in Brazil as a determinant factor for the success of the task. The solution should be based on maintaining the standards laid down in STANAG 4193 technical characteristics of interrogators and transponders of IFF Mark XII, keeping the processes of interrogation and "response". Results indicate the need of providing grants to study the incorporation of Mode 5 and Mode S, in a second step


Limited proteolysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A by four proteases (chymotrypsin, Staphylococcal serine proteinase, pepsin A and subtilisin) resulted in the formation of polypeptides having a molecular mass of approximately 25 kDa. They possessed both enzymatic activity and residual antigenicity. Their N-terminal sequence analysis showed that the different proteases cleaved exotoxin A in a very restricted area within domain Ib (amino acids 365-404). As a result, the polypeptides contained a large portion (13-34 amino acids) of domain Ib linked to the adjacent C-terminal domain III (amino acids 405-613). The major fragment derived from subtilisin cleavage, at a final yield of 35% (S-fragment; residues 392-613; 24201 Da; pI 4.7) possessed the same level of ADP-ribosyltransferase activity as uncleaved exotoxin A (by mass), and a 37-fold higher NAD-glycohydrolase activity. Polyclonal antibodies from rabbits against exotoxin A completely inhibited the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of both exotoxin A and the S-fragment, but not the NAD-glycohydrolase activity of the S-fragment. Antibodies against the S-fragment neutralized the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of exotoxin A. These data determine the primary proteolytic cleavage site of exotoxin A, suggest that some residues in the amino acid sequence 392-404 of exotoxin A seem to have a role in binding or positioning elongation factor 2 (EF-2) and show that antibodies recognize the EF-2-binding site but not the NAD(+)-binding site.


This paper presents a case study of search-based test generation for embedded system software units developed using the Function Block Diagrams (FBDs), a graphical language in the IEC 61131-3 standard aimed at programmable logic controllers (PLCs). We consider 279 different components from the train control software developed by Bombardier Transportation, a major rail vehicle manufacturer. The software is compiled into C code with a particular structure. We use a modified hill climbing algorithm for generating test data to maximize MC/DC coverage for assignments with logical expressions in the C code, while retaining the semantics of the original FBD implementation. An experimental evaluation for comparing the effectiveness (coverage rate) and the efficiency (required number of executions) of hill climbing algorithm with random testing is presented. The results show that random testing performs well for most units under test, while around 30% of the artifacts significantly benefit from the hill climbing algorithm. Structural properties of the units that affect the performance of hill climbing and random testing are also discussed.


This thesis investigates the use of eco-friendly copper (I) iodide or cuprous iodide (Cul), a p-type semiconductor material, with the incorporation of a chelating agent or organic ligand, called tetramethylethylenediamine (TMED@TMEDA) in the preparation for solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The Cul solution incorporated with the ligand was dispersed in acetonitrile solvent and deposited on glass and indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) substrates. The thin film is characterized to study its suitability for applications in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC), a low cost solar cell but having high energy conversion efficiency. From the characterization, compared to that of pure Cul film, its optical properties show improved band-gap energy, while its electrical properties show improved conductivity. An efficient solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell (n-Ti0 2 /dyelp-CuI) with improved stability was fabricated. The TMED-capped Cul crystals not only controls pore-filling of the dyed Ti0 2 layer but also improves the electrical contacts between the Ti0 2 particles, which in general improves the efficiency of the DSSCs. Current-voltage characteristics of the cell showed a larger energy conversion, achieving higher energy conversion efficiency and improved stability.


Objective: The authors explored psychiatry clerkship usage of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Subject Test. Methods: U.S. and Canadian psychiatry clerkship directors (N= 150) were sent an 18-item questionnaire surveying evaluation and remediation practices. Results: Of 111 questionnaires (74%) returned, 76 (69%) reported using the NBME Subject Test. As part of the overall grade, the test was granted a mean weight of 31% and a median weight of 25%. Of 72 clerkship directors who use the test for grading, 42% convert the percentile score and 38% convert the subject score. Of 60 clerkship directors who use the test for passing, 72% convert the raw score (mean = 58.3, median = 58), and 28% convert the percentile score (mean = 12.2th, median = 11th percentile). Conclusions: Most psychiatry clerkship directors use the NBME Subject Test, but no predominant method exists for weighing the test or converting it into a grade.


In present paper, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD - program Flow-3D) was used to analyze and study the characteristics of flow energy dissipation over stepped spillways. Three different spillway heights () (15, 20 and 25cm) were used. For each one of these models, three numbers of steps (N) (5, 10 and 25) and three spillway slopes (S) (0.5, 1 and 1.25) were used. Eight different discharges ranging (600-8500cm³/s) were passed over each one of these models, therefore the total runs of this study are 216. The energy dissipation over these models and the pressure distribution on the horizontal and vertical step faces over some models were studied. For verification purpose of the (CFD) program, the experimental work was conducted on four models of stepped spillway and five different discharges were passed over each model. The magnitude of dissipated energy on models was compared with results of numerical program under same conditions. The comparison showed good agreement between them with standard percentage error ranging between (-2.01 - 11.13%). Thus, the program Flow-3D is a reasonable numerical program which can be used in this study.Results showed that the energy dissipation increases with increased spillway height and decreased number of steps and spillway slope. Also, the energy dissipation decreases with increasing the flow rate. An empirical equation for measuring the energy dissipation was derived using the dimensional analysis. The coefficient of determination of this equation (R2) equals 0.766.


Canada faces a deep long-term fiscal challenge, as its population ages and its labour force growth slows, states a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In "Tax Reform Priorities for Canada: Creating More Wealth to Go Around," authors Craig Alexander and Alexandre Laurin address how the superior approach to meeting Canada's long-term fiscal challenge is to look for ways to boost productivity and competitiveness, and zero in on the tax system as a place to start the examination of boosting productivity.


Background Trachoma, a conjunctivitis caused by repeated infections with Chlamydia trachomatis, remains a significant cause of blindness worldwide. While mass treatments with azithromycin decreases disease and infection, re-emergence occurs, indicating that elimination may require other sustainable interventions. Environmental changes largely focus on facial hygiene and latrines, but further work to identify other possible transmission targets are needed. We sought to determine, in a cross-sectional survey of households of children with active trachoma, if we could detect the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis on household objects and on family members based on sleeping and caretaking patterns. Methods In five villages in Kongwa, Tanzania, children <five years were randomly chosen for examination for trachoma, and households of all children with active trachoma (n = 90) were eligible for this study. We administered structured questionnaires of sleeping and caretaking habits. Based on the responses, environmental swabs of bedding, furniture, clothing, and hands were taken and processed using Amplicor for detecting C. trachomatis DNA. Results Of 80 visited households, 13 (16%) had at least one swab from environmental sources positive for C. trachomatis DNA. A positive environmental swab was associated with the presence of ocular infection in the index child (Odds Ratio = 22.0, p = .007), the presence of an infant <1 year of age in the household, and whether the children's clothing had not been recently washed. Conclusions C. trachomatis DNA is present in the environment of children with active trachoma, especially in households with an ocular infection. Specific findings also suggest that washing hands, clothing, and bedding may be important.


Abstract Amy Sara Carroll's ReMex: Toward an Art History of the NAFTA Era interprets Mexico City-based, feminist, and border, or Chicano, art in and around the 1990s. Its premise is that aesthetics and politics "form a loop" in order to express what the author calls "Greater Mexico." With this term, Carroll proposes that "Mexico" is no longer a territory but rather an imaginary that transcends its geographic borders. In her view, the denationalization brought about by the liberalization of markets led to a multicultural utopia best expressed in border art and art concerned with race and gender issues. In her account, aesthetic practice must serve as a direct weapon against "NAFTAfication" and colonial heteropatriarchy. Carroll draws an analogy between the selling out of the nation through the NAFTA treaty and the selling out of "post-Mexican" art to the global culture industry through the ambition of curators, cultural managers and artists who placed Mexico and Mexican contemporary art as key global art destinations by taking advantage of generous State sponsorship brought about by market liberalization. Any hint of cosmopolitism is suspicious and thus Carroll insists on "ReMexing" Mexico.


Purpose To explore patterns in the purchase of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) oral antihistamines (OAHs) and intranasal corticosteroids (INCSs) by patients, from pharmacies in different geographical regions of Australia. Patients and methods Retrospective observational study using a database containing anonymous pharmacy transaction data from 20.0% of the pharmacies in Australia that link doctor prescriptions and OTC information. Pharmacy purchases of at least one prescription or OTC rhinitis treatment during 2013 and 2014 were assessed. Results In total, 4,247,193 prescription and OTC rhinitis treatments were purchased from 909 pharmacies over 12 months. Of treatments purchased, 75.9% were OAHs and 16.6% were INCSs. OTC purchases of both treatments exceeded purchases through prescription. OTC OAHs purchasing patterns were seasonal and almost identical in the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, and New South Wales, and similar seasonal patterns for OTC INCSs were noted in most regions except for South Australia and Tasmania. Prescription purchasing patterns of both OAHs and INCSs remained unchanged throughout the year in most regions. Conclusion This large-scale retrospective observational study identified seasonal purchasing patterns of OTC and prescription OAHs and INCSs in a real-world setting. It highlighted that seasonality only affects OTC purchasing patterns of OAHs and INCSs across Australia and that practitioner prescribing remains unchanged, suggesting that it is only for persistent disease.


Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and microbial colonization are a worldwide serious threat for human health. Neurological patients with infections who undergo rehabilitation have a significantly poor recovery. The effect of microbial colonization on the functional outcome in severe acquired brain injury (sABI) subjects is still unclear. Aim: The aim of this multicenter observational study was to describe the clinical impact of HAIs and colonization on the functional outcome of sABI subjects admitted to inpatient neurorehabilitation. Methods: Patients were assigned to three groups: infected (INF), not infected (noINF), and colonized (COL). The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), the Rancho Los Amigos Levels of Cognitive Functioning Scale, Disability Rating Scale, and modified Barthel Index (mBI) assessments were performed both at admission and discharge. Results: Two hundred sixty-five (92 female/173 male) patients were enrolled: 134 were assigned to INF, 63 to COL, and 68 to noINF. In the INF group, 231 culture specimens were found positive for bloodstream (44.2%), respiratory tract (25.5%), urinary tract (18.6%), gastrointestinal tract (8.3%), skin (3%), and cerebrospinal fluid (0.4%) infections. After rehabilitation, all groups showed a significant improvement in all assessment tests, except for the noINF group that did not show any improvement in GCS. Both noINF and COL groups showed a significantly higher gain in mBI than the INF group (p = 0.000). The COL group showed a significantly higher gain than the noINF group in GCS (p = 0.001). A significantly lower improvement was detected in the INF group than the COL and noINF groups. The rate of patients who needed functional isolation was higher in the INF group than the COL group. Length of stay (LOS) (in days) was 56 ± 50.7, 88.3 ± 55, and 101.3 ± 73.6 for noINF, INF, and COL groups, respectively. The number of deaths in the INF group was significantly higher (24.6%) than the noINF group (7.4%) (p = 0.005) and comparable to the COL group (19%). Conclusion: Colonized sABI patients obtained a similar functional outcome to that of subjects who had no infections, even if they needed a significantly higher LOS.


The state of Meghalaya is situated in the north-eastern India and it comprises three major regions, namely, the Khasi Hills, the Jaintia Hills and the Garo Hills inhabited by three main tribal groups, the Khasis, the Jaintias and the Garos respectively. The tribal communities of Meghalaya protect and nurture the forests located close to their habitation and consider them as sacred. These Community reserved forests are managed by the community for their benefits and they comprise almost about 90% of the total forest cover in Meghalaya. With the recent trends of development and construction in the state many habitats are getting destroyed at an alarming rate. These community reserve forests have been seen to provide the maximum number of existing and stable habitats for many amphibian (anuran) species. In addition, they served as suitable sites for the breeding activities and oviposition by anurans. Discovery of many new anuran species have also been reported from such reserved forests.


Acclimation of microbial communities exposed to p-nitrophenol (PNP) was measured in laboratory test systems and in a freshwater pond. Laboratory tests were conducted in shake flasks with water, shake flasks with water and sediment, eco-cores, and two sizes of microcosm. The sediment and water samples used in the laboratory experiments were obtained from the pond. After a 6-day acclimation period, PNP was biodegraded rapidly in the pond. When the pond was treated with PNP a second time, biodegradation began immediately. The acclimation periods in laboratory test systems that contained sediment were similar to that in the pond. The acclimation period was threefold longer in shake flasks without sediment. PNP was biodegraded more slowly by microbial communities acclimated in the laboratory than it was in the pond, and the rate of biodegradation varied with the type of test. The number of bacteria able to mineralize PNP increased by 3 orders of magnitude in the pond during the acclimation period. Similar increases accompanied acclimation in the laboratory systems.


Most sporadic colorectal cancers (CRCs) develop through the adenoma-carcinoma sequence pathway and are initiated by adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene mutations. Estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) is recognized to progressively reduce its expression in adenomatous and carcinomatous tissues in humans. Moreover, ERbeta deficiency enhances small intestinal tumorigenesis in rodents. In the Apc(Min/+) mouse model, we evaluated intestinal polyp development and ERbeta expression plus other biological parameters influencing tumor growth (epithelial cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration) following the addition of a combination of the ERbeta-selective agonist silymarin (SIL) and/or lignin (LIG) to a high-fat/low-fiber diet. Forty-five Apc(Min/+) mice were divided in four groups: animals fed on the tumorigenic high-fat/low-fiber diet, the tumorigenic diet supplemented with SIL (0.02%) or purified LIG (6.24%) or SIL (0.005%) + LIG (6.24%). In these animals, we assessed polyp number and volume and their degree of dysplasia together with ERbeta messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels and epithelial cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis. The latter group of parameters was evaluated in normal and adenomatous mucosa and the results compared with those found in wild-type (WT) mice fed on the control diet. The addition of SIL or LIG to the diet and even more the specific combination of the two significantly counteracted intestinal tumorigenesis and increased ERbeta mRNA and protein levels. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were rebalanced and cell migration accelerated, restoring values similar to those observed in WT animals. Our results further support a protective effect of ERbeta in CRC suggesting the use of the combination of SIL-LIG as a potential approach against CRC development.


Many aspects of project management are well understood, but one key factor is frequently overlooked: A significant number of projects fail to meet their business objectives because they were launched without a clearly articulated purpose. In more than 20 years of consulting with hundreds of teams, the authors have found that lack of a focused why statement is perhaps the most common reason projects fail. Without a solid why, it is more difficult for a team to maintain its internal momentum and keep higher-level managers interested in the project. Projects are launched without a clear why statement for a number of reasons. Sometimes, the group feels pressured to do something, anything, right away. On other occasions, decision makers are unwilling to engage in discussions that might involve conflict or expose hidden agendas. Finally, a failure of imagination can lead to shortsighted reasoning, as the organization chooses a familiar course of action before realizing it wont actually address the problem that needs to be solved. The authors contend that a project team can improve its chances of success by considering four dimensions associated with clear why statements: 1. Identity requires that the core problem be clearly articulated. 2. Location is the second dimension of an effective why statement and answers the question, Where do we see the problem? 3. Timing involves specifying when the problem occurs, when it began and how long it is likely to persist if no action is taken. 4. Magnitude speaks to the significance and scale of the issue and answers the question, How big is the problem or gap in measurable terms? The four dimensions of a why statement provide a structured description of the business gap that drives the project. A why statement should be developed early in the gestation of a project before significant resources are misdirected toward a poorly defined venture that misses the mark, or worse, solves the wrong problem.


This paper aims to provide an introduction to a basic form of the Q-tensor approach to modelling liquid crystals, which has seen increased interest in recent years. The increase in interest in this type of modelling approach has been driven by investigations into the fundamental nature of defects and new applications of liquid crystals such as bistable displays and colloidal systems for which a description of defects and disorder is essential. The work in this paper is not new research, rather it is an introductory guide for anyone wishing to model a system using such a theory. A more complete mathematical description of this theory, including a description of flow effects, can be found in numerous sources but the books by Virga and Sonnet and Virga are recommended. More information can be obtained from the plethora of papers using such approaches, although a general introduction for the novice is lacking. The first few sections of this paper will detail the development of the Q-tensor approach for nematic liquid crystalline systems and construct the free energy and governing equations for the mesoscopic dependent variables. A number of device surface treatments are considered and theoretical boundary conditions are specified for each instance. Finally, an example of a real device is demonstrated.


In this article, we study all boundedly solvable extensions generated by linear mixed-type (forward-backward) functional differential-operator expressions of first order in the Hilbert space of vector-functions on a finite interval. Our main tools are methods of operator theory. Also we study the structure of the spectrum of these extensions.


Globally, spatial distributions of fish stocks are shifting but although the role of climate change in range shifts is increasingly appreciated, little remains known of the likely additional impact that high levels of fishing pressure might have on distribution. For North Sea cod, we show for the first time and in great spatial detail how the stock has shifted its distribution over the past 100 years. We digitized extensive historical fisheries data from paper charts in UK government archives and combined these with contemporary data to a time‐series spanning 1913–2012 (excluding both World Wars). New analysis of old data revealed that the current distribution pattern of cod – mostly in the deeper, northern‐ and north‐easternmost parts of the North Sea – is almost opposite to that during most of the Twentieth Century – mainly concentrated in the west, off England and Scotland. Statistical analysis revealed that the deepening, northward shift is likely attributable to warming; however, the eastward shift is best explained by fishing pressure, suggestive of significant depletion of the stock from its previous stronghold, off the coasts of England and Scotland. These spatial patterns were confirmed for the most recent 3½ decades by data from fisheries‐independent surveys, which go back to the 1970s. Our results demonstrate the fundamental importance of both climate change and fishing pressure for our understanding of changing distributions of commercially exploited fish.


Background and aims Sorafenib is the standard of care for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet treatment safety may be challenged by portal hypertension. We therefore assessed the prevalence, risk factors and clinical consequences of esophageal varices (EVs) in sorafenib-treated patients with HCC. Methods Starting in 2008, all compensated patients with advanced or intermediate HCC not eligible for other therapies were consecutively enrolled in a prospective evaluation of sorafenib therapy, all with pretreatment by upper-gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE). Results A total of 150 patients received sorafenib for 4.6 (95% CI, 3.3–5.6) months. At baseline, 61 (41%) patients were EV free (group A), 78 (52%) had EVs (61 small EVs (group B), 17 medium/large EVs (group C)) and 11 (7%) previously endoscopically treated EVs (group D). Propranolol was given to all patients with medium/large EVs and those with previous bleeding. Twelve patients (8%) bled from EVs after 36 (18–260) days of sorafenib. During sorafenib, bleeding occurred in six of 26 group B patients with neoplastic portal vein thrombosis (nPVT), three of nine group C patients with nPVT, two of five group D patients with nPVT and one of six without nPVT (p < 0.0001), nPVT being the strongest independent predictor of bleeding by multivariate analysis (HR = 15.4, 95% CI 1.84–129.6). Conclusion UGE screening is worthwhile in HCC patients allocated to sorafenib since it identifies patients with EVs at risk of bleeding during therapy, particularly those with nPVT.


Hydatidosis is endemic in many Mediterranean countries, the Middle East, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Africa. It is caused by an infection from the Echinococcus granulosus larvae which can lead to the development of cysts. The most frequently affected organ is the liver. Splenic involvement alone is very rare. In this article, a case of an isolated giant splenic hydatid cyst is reported. The patient underwent splenectomy. The diagnosis of a hydatid cyst was confirmed by histopathology. This case suggests that hydatid disease should be considered as a differential diagnosis in every patient with a cystic mass of the spleen in endemic areas.


The case of Troy Davis shows how difficult it is for a convicted criminal defendant to obtain postconviction review of witness recantations. Convicted of murder on the testimony of nine eyewitnesses, Davis spent over a decade petitioning for judicial review of the recantations of seven of those witnesses before the U.S. Supreme Court ordered an evidentiary hearing in 2009. Concurrently, the DNA revolution continued to prove the innocence of an increasing number of convicted inmates across the nation, and the majority of those convictions had relied on eyewitness testimony. If these scientific advances suggest that eyewitness identification is not as reliable as once thought, then the traditional judicial skepticism of eyewitness recantations is an outmoded vehicle that inhibits truth-seeking and disservescriminaljustice.
This Note argues that Georgia courts should more readily grant evidentiary hearings for a criminal defendant who files an extraordinarymotion for new trial, but only when the motion is based on witness recantations and the defendant's conviction relied primarily on eyewitness testimony. To achieve this end, the General Assembly should amend the Criminal Code so that courts in the future weigh a recanting witness's credibility against the testimony offered at trial. By doing so, Georgiacan serve as a model for other states. Otherwise, in the absence of compelling physical evidence against a defendant, ignoring recantations of trial testimony encourages additional appeals, diminishes social confidence in the courts, and ultimately fails to achieve the finality that the criminal justice system seeks.


We propose new methodologies for stabilizing all-metal antiaromatic clusters like: Al$_{4}$Li$_{4}$. We demonstrate that these all-metal species can be stabilized by complexation with 3d-transition metals very similar to its organic counterpart, C$_4$H$_4$. Complexation to transition metal ions reduce the frontier orbital energies and introduces aromaticity. We consider a series of such complexes [$\eta$$^4$(Al$_4$Li$_4$)-Fe(CO)$_3$, $\eta$$^2$$\sigma$$^2$(Al$_4$Li$_4$)-Ni and (Al$_{4}$Li$_{4}$)$_{2}$Ni] and make a comparison between the all-metal species and the organometallic compounds to prove conclusively our theory. Fragmentation energy analysis as well as NICS support similar mechanism of complexation induced stability in these all-metal molecules.


Intelligent tutoring systems are meant to provide individualised tutoring to students by adapting the teaching material to their specific needs and abilities. However, their development is a hard task and the end-result is difficult to evaluate. In this paper we present a novel approach for the evaluation of these systems, which relies on an agent that may be used as a simulated student-user. The evaluation agent incorporates modelling techniques of real users that are based on both cognitive and temperamental data. The cognitive model is based on cognitive psychology and simulates the memorisation and retention capabilities of a student. The temperamental data creates an image of the student concerning the way she/he behaves and the kind of personality she/he has. Developers may evaluate the tutoring systems using the agent rather that real students. Thus better quality of the end result may be achieved at no cost of the educational process.


In this paper, we present results on microcrystalline silicon solar cells that are deposited from SiF4/H2/Ar mixtures, on which efficiencies exceeding 9% have already been obtained. Structural characterizations of the cells indicate a fully crystalline material with no preferential crystallographic orientation. This suggests that, as opposed to microcrystalline silicon cells deposited using silane, an amorphous phase is not required to passivate defects at column boundaries. These results are discussed in light of the specific growth mechanism and structural properties associated with film deposition using SiF4. They pave the way toward low-cost, high-performance polycrystalline cells on glass.


The neuropeptides vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylyl cyclase‐activating peptide (PACAP) are induced strongly in neurons after several types of injury, and exhibit neuroprotective actions in vitro and in vivo. It is thought that changes in expression of neuropeptides and other molecules in injured neurons are mediated by new factors produced in Schwann and immune cells at the injury site, a loss of target‐derived factors, or a combination of mediators. To begin to determine the role of the inflammatory mediators, we investigated axotomy‐induced changes in VIP and PACAP gene expression in the facial motor nucleus in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice, and in mice with targeted mutations in specific cytokine genes. In normal mice, VIP and PACAP mRNA was induced strongly in facial motor neurons 4 days after axotomy. The increase in PACAP mRNA was blocked selectively in SCID mice, indicating that mechanisms responsible for VIP and PACAP gene induction are not identical. The loss of PACAP gene expression in SCID mice after axotomy was fully reversed by an infusion of normal splenocytes, suggesting that PACAP mRNA induction requires inflammatory mediators. PACAP and VIP mRNA inductions, however, were maintained in mice lacking leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and in mice lacking both receptors for tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα). The data suggest that an inflammatory response, most likely involving T lymphocytes, is necessary for the axotomy‐induced increase in PACAP but not in VIP. LIF, IL‐6, and TNFα, however, are not required for this response to injury. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to verify the effect of grain boundary on nanolithography process. The model with about two hundred thousand copper (Cu) atoms is composed of two different crystal orientations of which contact surfaces are (101) and (001) planes. The grain boundary is located on the center of model and has 45 degreeangle in xz-plane. The tool is made of diamond-like-carbon with the shape of Berkovich indenter. As the tool is indented and plowed on the surface, dislocations are generated. Moreover, during the plowing process, the steps as well as the typical pile-ups are formed in front of the tool. These defects propagate into the surface of the substrate. As the tool approaches to the grain boundary, the defects are seen to be accumulated near the grain boundary. The shape of the grain boundary is also significantly deformed after the tool passes it. We observed the forces exerted on the tool by the contact with substrate, so that the friction coefficients can be obtained to address the effect of the grain boundary on the friction characteristics.


The formation of arsenic-phytochelatin (As-PC) complexes is thought to be part of the plant detoxification strategy for arsenic. This work examines (i) the arsenic (As) concentration-dependent formation of As-PC complex formation and (ii) redistribution and metabolism of As after arrested As uptake in Helianthus annuus. HPLC with parallel ICP-MS/ES-MS detection was used to identify and quantify the species present in plant extracts exposed to arsenate (As(V)) (between 0 and 66.7 micromol As l-1 for 24 h). At As concentrations below the EC50 value for root growth (22 micromol As l-1) As uptake is exponential, but it is reduced at concentrations above. Translocation between root and shoot seemed to be limited to the uptake phase of arsenic. No redistribution of As between root and shoot was observed after arresting As exposure. The formation of As-PC complexes was concentration-dependent. The amount and number of As-PC complexes increased exponentially with concentration up to 13.7 micromol As l-1. As(III)-PC3 and GS-As(III)-PC2 complexes were the dominant species in all samples. The ratio of PC-bound As to unbound As increased up to 1.3 micromol As l-1 and decreased at higher concentrations. Methylation of inorganic As was only a minor pathway in H. annuus with about 1% As methylated over a 32 d period. The concentration dependence of As-PC complex formation, amount of unbound reduced and oxidized PC2, and the relative uptake rate showed that As starts to influence the cellular metabolism of H. annuus negatively at As concentrations well below the EC50 value determined by more traditional means. Generally, As-PC complexes and PC-synthesis rate seem to be the more sensitive parameters to be studied when As toxicity values are to be estimated.


The Model of Intuitive Morality and Exemplars (MIME) predicts a mutual dependency between the moral scrutiny of mediated narratives and media exposure. This study proposes moral judgments of media content are not only related to basal moral domain salience and exemplars, but also to the immediate processing state of the individual at the moment of exposure. An experiment manipulating construal level prior to exposure to a mediated narrative was conducted to test this proposal. The results suggest that evaluations of moral violations are modulated by construal level. High-level construal led to harsher, more consistent judgments of domain-violator morality, eliminating the effect of baseline moral intuitions. Low-level construal induced an apparent trade-off in moral evaluation strategy which is sensitive to both narrative outcome and domain salience. When domain violators were punished, intuitive moral salience was negatively correlated with moral evaluations; however, when domain violators were rewarded, the opposite trend emerged. These findings indicate the need for an adjustment to the MIME model to allow for processing states to interact with moral domain salience and moral judgments of media content. They also suggest that the strength and quality of moral intuitions are not robust to broader cognitive processes, but interact with them.


One key component of tsunami research is numerical simulation of tsunamis, which helps us to better understand the fundamental physics and phenomena and leads to better mitigation decisions. However, writing the simulation program itself imposes a large burden on the user. In this survey, we review some of the basic ideas behind the numerical simulation of tsunamis, and introduce two new approaches to construct the simulation using powerful, general-purpose software kits, PETSc and FEPG. PETSc and FEPG support various discretization methods such as finitedierence, finite-element and finite-volume, and provide a stable solution to the numerical problem. Our application uses the nonlinear shallow-water equations in Cartesian coordinates as the governing equations of tsunami wave propagation.


OBJECTIVE
To observe the effect of Pingchuan Mixture (PCM) on plasma eosinophil cation protein (ECP), interleukin-5 in bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and inflammatory cell count in experimental guinea pigs with asthma.

METHODS
The eosinophil, neutrophil, lymphocyte count were conducted by conventional method, IL-5 was detected by ELISA and ECP determined by RIA.

RESULTS
Levels of eosinophil, neutrophil, lymphocyte, ECP and IL-5 after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment, the difference between groups treated respectively by PCM, aminophylline, dexamethasone and Dingchuan Zhike Tablet was insignificant.

CONCLUSION
PCM could treat asthma by reducing the inflammatory cell count, ECP and IL-5.


Behind every theory lies a metatheory, a set of assumptions about the nature of the objects under study, forming a framework within which the theory must operate, and hence largely determining the major focuses of that theory. Here I want to re-examine some of the assumptions that bear most directly on the nature of the object, language, that the theory of generative grammar is meant to explain. Obviously, prior assumptions about the nature of any object of study are unavoidable and not in themselves undesirable. It is impossible to address any topic unless one has at least preliminary notions of what one is dealing with. However, such assumptions can easily form an opaque box, forcing examination of the topic from a particular perspective, and prohibiting examination from any other perspective. The assumptions I shall examine here include the competence-performance distinction, the distinction between E-language and I-language, and the notion that language is (almost) perfect.


Abdominal wall hernias occur when a weakening in the muscle layer allows the protrusion of internal tissues. Hernia repair is a highly common surgical procedure with nearly one-million performed annually during which surgeons may implant surgical mesh to reinforce the weakened muscles and probe by hand to subjectively assess mesh fixation to the abdominal wall. Objective evaluation of mesh implantation relies on the mechanical characterization of the mesh-tissue composite, which is difficult in intraoperative settings. There is a need for tools capable of providing quantitative assessments of the mechanical behavior of mesh in situ. While several metrics exist for characterizing soft tissues, stiffness has been shown to be a parameter relevant to clinical outcome and development of new mesh materials. A novel minimally invasive surgical tool was developed for the mechanical characterization of mesh-tissue composites in terms of their stiffness. Preliminary testing revealed variation in stiffness measurements when a load was applied to the stiffness tool by a user during operation. Through work described in this thesis, the tool was further developed with additional instrumentation to effectively minimize the impact of user-load on stiffness measurement. Characterization of the mesh-tissue composite was accomplished using commercially-available mesh, abdominal wall tissue phantoms, and a custom benchtop simulator that mimics abdominal wall distension and exposes mesh materials to biaxial loading that is comparable to physiological loading conditions.


This is the final draft, after peer-review, of a manuscript published in Pedagogies: An International Journal. The published version is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1554480X.2015.1066542


A detailed TPM analysis of cardiac function necessitates high spatio-temporal resolution which leads to prolonged scan durations. These scan times are typically too long for data acquisition within a single breath hold. Respiratory navigator-gating can compensate breathing-related motion, but causes an additional increase in measurement time and images with residual motion artifacts. The aim of this study was to combine UNFOLD with variable density spiral SPiRIT TPM to achieve an additional scan time reduction by a factor of 2 and an effective undersampling factor of 6. UNFOLDed SPiRIT TPM demonstrates good results and enables scan times within very short breath holding.


The operating characteristics of IC reactor were studied when wastewater of sweet potato starch was utilized to domesticate the granular sludge. The effect of temperature on the treatment of sweet potato starch wastewater using IC reactor was specially researched. Results showed that the COD removal rate improved gradually in the process of the granular sludge in the IC reactor was domesticated by wastewater of sweet potato starch, and the activity of granular sludge also increasingly recovered. When the domestication was finished, the volume loading rate and the COD removal rate could attain 21.9kgCOD/ (m3 •d) and 84%, respectively. When the system temperature was between 29~35°C,the COD removal rate could be above 80%. However, when the temperature decreased, the COD removal rate reduced sharply.


We report the effect of the length and identity of a nontarget binding spacer in both the probe and target sequences on the overall performance of a folding-based electrochemical DNA sensor. Six near-identical DNA probes were used in this study; the main differences between these probes are the length (6, 10, or 14 bases) and identity (thymine (T) or adenine (A)) of the spacer connecting the two target binding domains. Despite the differences, the signaling mechanism of these sensors remains essentially the same. The methylene blue (MB)-modified probe assumes a linear unstructured conformation in the absence of the target; upon hybridization to the target, the probe adopts a "close" conformation, resulting in an increase in the MB current. Among the six sensors, the T14 and A14 sensors showed the largest signal increase upon target hybridization, highlighting the significance of probe flexibility on sensor performance. In addition to the target without a midsequence spacer, 12 other targets, each with a different oligo-T or oligo-A spacer, were used to elucidate the effect of target flexibility on the sensors' signaling capacity. For all six sensors, hybridization to targets with a 2- or 3-base spacer resulted in the largest signal increase. Higher signal enhancement was also observed with targets with an oligo-A spacer. For this sensor design, addition of a long nontarget binding spacer to the probe sequence is advantageous, as it provides flexibility for optimal target capture. The length of the spacer in the target sequence, however, should be adequately long to enable efficient hybridization yet does not introduce undesirable electrostatic and crowding effects.


The Caucasian language Kabardian has become famous for its minimum vowel system, for the controversy concerning the analysis of its vowel phonemes, and for the central role of that analysis in phoneme theory generally and the laryngeal theory in particular. Phonetically, Kabardian is interesting for the extensive assimilation of its few vowel phonemes to the surrounding consonants. Two published descriptions of these assimilations are compared in this article, and the articulatory processes involved are reinterpreted in terms of gestures that shape and tune the vocal tract, as an alternative to the Bell model of vowel articulation. The assimilations are more complex than was expected, some vowel allophones not acquiring articulatory components present in the environments, others appearing to acquire components not present in the environments. It is suggested that this can be explained by the spectral ambiguity of some palatovelar and pharyngovelar (uvular) configurations. I N T R O D U C T I O N This article is devoted to a review of the phonetic processes that may be involved in the assimilation of vowels to the surrounding consonants in the N W Caucasian language Kabardian. The review is mainly based on the descriptions by Catford 1942 and Kuipers 1960, and to a lesser extent on Bagov et al. 1970, Kumaxov 1984 and Smeets 1984. The Kabardian vowels are of unique interest for the typology of vowel systems since, paradoxically, they are invoked by both sides in the debate concerning the status of systems smaller than three phonemes (Trubetzkoy 1939; Jakobson 1942; Allen 1965; Szernerenyi 1967; Kuipers 1968; Kumaxov 1984), particularly the controversial one-vowel proposal for Proto-Indo-European (e.g. Allen 1965 and Gamkrelidze 1968 in favour, Szernerenyi 1967 against). No-one looking for data in this literature can ignore that debate. The solutions proposed for the Kabardian vowel system involve either no, one, two or three vowel phonemes manifested in almost twenty allophones (Jakovlev 1923; Trubetskoy 1925; Kuipers


Accounting for poro-mechanical effects in full-field reservoir simulation studies and uncertainty quantification workflows is still limited, mainly because of their high computational cost. We introduce a new approach that couples hydrodynamics and poro-mechanics with dual-porosity flow diagnostics to analyze how poro-mechanics could affect reservoir dynamics in naturally fractured reservoirs without significantly increasing computational overhead.
 Our new poro-mechanically informed dual-porosity flow diagnostics account for steady-state and single-phase flow conditions in the fractured medium while the fracture-matrix fluid exchange is approximated using a physics-based transfer rate coefficient, which models two-phase flow using an analytical solution for spontaneous imbibition or gravity drainage. The deformation of the system is described by the dual-porosity poro-elastic theory, which is based on mixture theory and micromechanics to compute the effective stresses and strains of the rock matrix and fractures. The solutions to the fluid flow and rock deformation equations are coupled sequentially. The governing equations for fluid flow are discretized using a finite-volume method with two-point flux-approximation while the governing equations for poro-mechanics are discretized using the virtual element method. The solution of the coupled system considers stress-dependent permeabilities for fractures and matrix. Our framework is implemented in the open-source MATLAB Reservoir Simulation Toolbox (MRST).
 We present a case study using a fractured carbonate reservoir analog to illustrate the integration of poro-mechanics within the dual-porosity flow diagnostics framework. The extended flow diagnostics calculations enable us to quickly screen how the dynamics in fractured reservoirs (e.g., reservoir connectivity, sweep efficiency, and fracture-matrix transfer rates) are affected by the complex interactions between poro-mechanics and fluid flow where changes in pore pressure and effective stress modify petrophysical properties and hence affect reservoir dynamics.
 Because of the steady-state nature of the calculations and the effective coupling strategy, these calculations do not incur significant computational overheads. They provide an efficient complement to traditional reservoir simulation and uncertainty quantification workflows because they enable us to assess a broader range of reservoir uncertainties (e.g., geological, petrophysical, and hydromechanical uncertainties). The capability of studying a much broader range of uncertainties allows the comparison and ranking from a large ensemble of reservoir models and select individual candidates for more detailed full-physics reservoir simulation studies without compromising on assessing the range of uncertainties inherent to fractured reservoirs.


As members of an international nongovernmental organisation that operates across a variety of income contexts, and works with local counsellors to co-create local capacity in contexts ravaged by atrocities and deprivation, the authors oier their experiences with Narrative Exposure Therapy. The authors have found Narrative Exposure Therapy tobean eiective clinical and training tool where practical considerationsallow it.These considerations, including the high level of counsellor skill and the individual modality the therapy requires, should not be underestimated.


Previous research on superstitious belief, a subset of paranormal belief (Irwin,), has suggested that people tend to invoke luck-related superstitions in stressful situations as an attempt to gain an illusion of control over outcomes. Based on this, the current study examined whether luck-related superstition, in the form of a "lucky" pen, could influence the psychological response to a psychosocial stressor. Participants (N = 114), aged between 17 and 59 years (M = 22.98, SD = 4.57) from James Cook University Singapore, were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (a) no-stress with no lucky pen; (b) no-stress with a lucky pen; (c) stress with no lucky pen or; (d) stress with a lucky pen. The results revealed that participants provided with a lucky pen experienced lower state anxiety when exposed to the stressor. Further, participants provided with a lucky pen perceived their performance to be better than those without it. However, superstitious belief did not significantly change following exposure to stress. Taken together, the present findings add some support to the suggestion that belief in transferable luck may facilitate coping with a stressor. However, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms behind the potential benefits of superstitious belief.


We construct a long time series of permanent and long-term arrivals and departures of construction workers to and from New Zealand between 1962 and 2018. After briefly describing the data and the sources, we discuss some key observations in the data. We observe that the large outflow of construction workers following the collapse of construction sector activity in the mid-1970s, combined with changes to migration rules in the early 1990s, led to a significant, persistent reduction in the net migration of construction workers. That reduction was probably partly responsible for the capacity constraints we currently observe in the construction sector.


A new approach for the feasibility analysis of reactive distillation processes based on the reactive extractive curve maps (rExCM) concept is introduced. A method dedicated to reactive distillation feasibility analysis, and design has been developed in our team since 1999. From minimal information concerning the physicochemical properties of the system, three steps lead to the design of the unit and the specification of its operating conditions. Currently, the procedure permits the conceptual design of hybrid reactive column configuration with one or two feed plates, for any number of equilibrium reactions (provided that the degree of freedom of the system is equal to 2) occurring in liquid or vapor phase. This contribution focuses on the most recent developments: the generalization of the feasibility analysis step to double-feed processes thanks to the introduction of the rExCM concept. This methodology is illustrated through two examples: the emblematic methyl acetate example and the production of dimethyl methyl glutarate. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 58: 2346–2356, 2012