Policies in areas or subsystems which are dominated by well-established policy communities tend to stability. However, policies that have firm political support and a solid ideological underpinning are occasionally subject to marked and wholesale shifts which then stabilize around a new equilibrium position. This article examines one such discontinuity in policy: British coastal water policy between the 1950s and the 1990s. Once the concern of engineers and local authority interests, the question of how to deal with the sewage generated by coastal communities is now deeply contested between a wide variety of different actors including environmental groups and European authorities. What was once a relatively well-managed, professionalized policy community has become unstable as new ideas and domestic regulatory structures have forced the government to justify principles and practices that were implicit or simply rhetorical. This empirical example of what Weale has termed the 'new' politics of pollution, is tested against models of social learning developed by Paul Sabatier and Peter Hall, both of which lay great stress on the importance of changing ideas and beliefs as the main 'motor' of policy change.


This study was aimed as to determining the effect of katuk (Sauropus androgynus L. Merr) leaf on influence rabbit doe milk production and kits mortality during 3 weeks weeks of age. Twenty four does aged 6-12 months, divided into three blocks, of four treatment diets, were used in our replicity. The diet treatments used katuk leaf meal: 0% (P0), 1% (P1), 2% (P2), and 3% (P3). The parameters observed were: doe's milk production, kits mortality, kit as level: body weight gain, and immune response. The results showed that supplementation of katuk leaf meal increased (P < 0,05) doe milk production and body weight gain of kits during 3 weeks experiment, whereas mortality and immune responses were not affected by katuk leaf meal supplementation. Key Word s: Katuk Leaf Meal, Rabbit Does Milk Production, Kit Mortality


Existing edge detection filters work well on straight edges but make significant errors near sharp corners by producing rounded corners. This is due to the fact that the edge maps produced by these filters are scale variant. We enhance Canny's optimality criteria to incorporate detection performance near corners as an explicit design objective. The resulting optimal filter, termed 'Bessel integral filter', can be derived analytically and exhibits superior performance over recent alternatives, both in terms of numerical accuracy and experimental fidelity. A noise-free localization index is also derived here to account for the detection accuracy of discontinuities forming sharp corners in the absence of noise. We prove here that edges detected by the filters that are not optimal with respect to this noise-free localization index are scale variant. However, the Bessel integral filter proposed here is optimal with respect to the noise-free localization index and therefore it is a scale-invariant filter.


The most important skill to study English is speaking, because it is commonly used in our daily life. Teaching speaking must use techniques in order to increase the student's English speaking ability. The purposes of the study are to describe the techniques used by the teacher in teaching speaking to the second year students of SMP Zainul Hasan 1 Genggong, and how the techniques are applied by the teacher in teaching speaking to the second year students of SMP Zainul Hasan 1 Genggong.
The research design used was descriptive qualitative. The subject of the study was the English teacher of the second year students at SMP Zainul Hasan 1 Genggong. To collect the data of this study, the writer used an unstructured interview because the interviewer prepared the list of the
questions but she could also ask everything wider but still related to the research, and non-participant observation by observing the techniques of the teaching speaking in the classroom directly for several times. Classifying orderly the data, analyzing the data, and discussion the data and making conclusion were the steps of data analysis.
Based on the research findings, the writer concludes that the English teacher at SMP Zainul Hasan 1 Genggong uses the kinds of techniques: discussion including dialogues and
remembering words, drama, games, and drills. The teacher combines English and Indonesian language to explain, and gives the homework. The implementation of the techniques in teaching speaking is discussion in which dialogues and remembering words are most frequently used. The students have high motivation to learn the subject and are serious to follow it.


Traditionally, tunnelled central venous catheter insertions have been performed by surgeons. However, there is an increasing trend towards central catheters being placed by interventional radiologists under image guidance. The many advantages of inserting central catheters via the jugular approach under image guidance include reusable venous access, generally less waiting time compared with surgical placement, short fluoroscopy and procedural time, high success rate, paucity of major complications, no need for general anaesthesia, and the procedure being well tolerated by most patients. The subclavian vein provides alternative venous access, although insertion of catheters via this approach may lead to intimal hyperplasia, venous stenosis, venous thrombosis, or subsequent fracture of the catheter. Percutaneous insertion of Hickman central catheters via the jugular approach is therefore the preferred method. It offers a safe and effective alternative to surgical placement and the subclavian approach.


Photo-modulable molecular transport junctions are developed via on-wire lithography-fabricated nanogaps functionalized with a dithienylethene unit bearing two ruthenium fragments. A reversible and repeatable bi-state conductive switching upon alternate irradiation of UV and visible light can be distinctly observed. Theoretical calculations further suggest that bi-directional isomerization is due to the ruthenium moieties that modulate judiciously the electronic coupling between the photochromic part and the metal electrodes, and that the differences in electronic structure between the two isomers (open and closed states) are responsible for conductivity switching.


Abstractive community detection is an important spoken language understanding task, whose goal is to group utterances in a conversation according to whether they can be jointly summarized by a common abstractive sentence. This paper provides a novel approach to this task. We first introduce a neural contextual utterance encoder featuring three types of self-attention mechanisms. We then train it using the siamese and triplet energy-based meta-architectures. Experiments on the AMI corpus show that our system outperforms multiple energy-based and non-energy based baselines from the state-of-the-art. Code and data are publicly available.


The coastal vegetation is of specialized nature, which grows under different conditions with one ecosystem linked to the other including the coral reefs. The vegetation can be classified into four groups 1. Marine algae or seaweeds 2. Seagrasses, 3. Mangroves and 4. Sanddune vegetation,which grows on a sandy shore beyond the highest high tide level.
Seagrasses are submerged angiospermic monocotyledon plants. They are adapted to the marine environment and complete their life cycle underwater In contrast to other submerged marine plants (e.g. seaweeds), sea grasses flower, fruit and produce seeds. They also have true roots and internal system for the transport of gases and nutrient. They generally grow in shallow coastal water from the inter-tidal zone to depths up to 10m. In turbid estuarine environment, such as the Indian coast, where there is an enormous deposition of silt into the sea by major rivers, sea grasses are rarely encountered at depths below 10m. In less turbid areas, such as the Caribbean sea and Australian coast, sea grasses can be found at depths of 50m or more.


At the centers of previously glaciated regions such as Hudson Bay in Canada and the Gulf of Bothnia in Fennoscandia, it has been observed that the sea level history follows an exponential form and that the associated decay time is relatively insensitive to uncertainty in the ice loading history. We revisit the issue of decay time sensitivity by computing relative sea level histories for Richmond Gulf and James Bay in Hudson Bay and Ångerman River in Sweden for a suite of reconstructions of the North American and Fennoscandian Ice Sheets and Earth viscosity profiles. We find that while some Earth viscosity models do indeed show insensitivity in computed decay times to the ice history, this is not true in all cases. Moreover, we find that the location of the study site relative to the geometry of the ice sheet is an important factor in determining ice sensitivity, and based on our set of ice sheet reconstructions, conclude that the location of James Bay is not well-suited to a decay time analysis. We describe novel corrections to the RSL data to remove the effects associated with the spatial distribution of sea level indicators as well as for other signals unrelated to regional ice loading (ocean loading, rotation and global mean sea-level changes) and demonstrate that they can significantly affect the inference of viscosity structure. We performed a forward modelling analysis based on a commonly adopted 2-layer, sub-lithosphere viscosity structure to determine how the solution space of viscosity models changes with the input ice history at the three study sites. While the solution spaces depend on ice history, for both Richmond Gulf and Ångerman River there are regions of parameter space where solutions are common across all or most ice histories, indicating low ice load sensitivity for these mantle viscosity parameters. For example, in Richmond Gulf, upper mantle viscosity values of (0.3–0.5)x1021 Pa s and lower mantle viscosity values of (5–50)x1021 Pa s tend to satisfy the data constraint consistently for most ice histories considered in this study. Similarly, the Ångerman River solution spaces contain a solution with an upper mantle viscosity of 0.3 × 1021 Pa s and lower mantle viscosity values of (5–50)x1021 Pa s common to 9 of the 10 ice histories considered there. However, the dependence of the viscosity solution space on ice history suggests that joint estimation of ice and Earth parameters is the optimal approach.


This study was conducted to identify the factors that influence the level of adaptation of older Korean adults to skilled nursing facilities. The subjects were 500 adults aged 65 or older who were living in six different skilled nursing facilities in Seoul and Gyeong-gi-do, South Korea. The measures were a demographic form, Health Self-Rating Scale, Activities of Daily Living Scale, Self-Efficacy Instrument, Korean Simple Depression Scale, Quality of the Facility Scale and Facility Adaptation Scale. The analyses showed that the prediction model was significant (F = 128.624, P < 0.001). The value of the adjusted R(2) was 0.435, which corresponds to the explanatory power of 43.5%. The factor that was found to have the greatest influence on the adaptation of older Korean adults to skilled nursing facilities was activities of daily living (β = -0.564), followed by self-efficacy (β = 0.321), quality of the facility (β = 0.164), depression (β = 0.133), decision to enter a skilled nursing facility (β = 0.122), perceived health status (β = 0.064) and age (β = -0.010). This cross-sectional study provides preliminary evidence that the level of adaptation of older Korean adults to skilled nursing facilities is related to their activities of daily living, self-efficacy, depression, decision to enter a skilled nursing facility, perceived health status and age, and to the quality of the facility.


For the first time, on the basis of Spitak earthquake experience (Armenia, December 1988), it was found that an earthquake causes intensive and prolonged radon releases that are quickly dispersed in the open air and that is why they are not usually registered but contrastingly displayed in covered premises (such as dwelling houses, schools, kindergartens) even if they are at a considerable distance from the epicenter of the earthquake. The duration of the release includes the period starting from the first foreshock and ending with the last aftershock, i.e. several months. The radiation intensity and duration of the influence are in direct correlation with the intensity of the earthquake. The area affected by radiation is larger than the territory of Armenia. The scale of this impact on the effected population is twelve times higher than the number of people injured in the Spitak earthquake. Data collation from the 2000–2005 time period indicates that a contrasting increase in indoor radon concentrations in Yerevan (several times excessive vs. the sanitary norm) is predetermined not only by strong earthquakes (M ≥ 4.5), but also by the weak (M < 4.5), small-depth (H-5-15km), regional (R ≤ 200 km from Yerevan) earthquakes and earthquake swarms occurring in the territory of Armenia, as well as in Iran and Turkey.


Optic morphology (Om) mutants associated with insertions of the tom transposable element at each of three tested loci are neomorphs as defined by the phenotypic equivalence of +/+/Om with +/Om and of +/Om/Om with Om/Om. Mutants behaving as suppressors of Om mutants and mapping to at least six loci are recovered from the same source and in similar frequency as Om mutants. The semidominant and nonpleiotropic suppressors at four of the six loci display defective eye phenes themselves, and the phenotypically normal mutants at a fifth locus are suspected alleles of a gene represented by recessive furrowed eye mutants. These and other properties imply that the suppressors, like suppressible Om mutants, are neomorphic due to insertion of the tom element into a hypothetical sequence they share with other members of a set of genes involved in development of the eye. Concurrently premature expression of both the suppressor and suppressed mutants would allow interaction of their products just as in normal development.


1. Experimental evidence has been presented showing that crystalbumin (the carbohydrate-poor fraction of serum albumin) is the factor which prevents mammalian red blood cells from becoming spherical at p H values over 9.2. 2. The amount of crystalbumin taken up from a solution of it by red cells previously freed of it is of the order of 800 mg. per 100 c.c. of red cells. If this amount is all taken up at the red cell surface, it would form a layer only a few molecules thick. 3. The electrophoretic mobility in phosphate buffer of p H 7.4 is the same for cells containing crystalbumin, cells free of crystalbumin, cells with anti-sphering activity counteracted by fatty acid, and ghosts which have been temporarily sphered by a rise in p H. The mobilities in a saline-glycine buffer solution of p H 10.1 for the first three classes of cells just mentioned are also the same. The mobility of cells sphered with lecithin in a saline-phosphate buffer solution is the same as that for untreated discoidal cells.


Most practical control problems must deal with constraints imposed by equipment limitations, safety considerations or environmental regulations. While it is often beneficial to maintain operation close to the limits in order to maximize profit or meet stringent product specifications, the violation of actuator constraints during normal operation can result in serious performance degradation (sometimes instability) and economic losses. This thesis is concerned with the development of control strategies for multivariable systems which systematically account for actuator constraints while guaranteeing closed-loop stability as well as graceful degradation of non-linear performance. A novel anti-windup structure is proposed which combines the efficiency of conventional anti-windup schemes with the optimality of model predictive control (MPC) algorithms. In particular, the classical internal model control (IMC) law is enhanced for optimal performance by incorporating an on-line optimization. The resulting control scheme offers both stability and performance guarantees with moderate computational expense. The proposed optimizing scheme has prospects for industrial applications as it can be implemented easily and efficiently on programmable logic controllers (PLC).


Background: Lymphadenitis is the most common manifestation of extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB), there is still a diagnostic challenge due to its similarity with other pathological conditions. Recent imaging techniques are very helpful in approaching the diagnosis of nodal tuberculosis. Further confirmation of diagnosis is done by staining for acid fast bacilli, fine needle aspiration cytology, and excisional biopsy & by histo-pathological analysis. High Resolution sonography contributes in diagnosis of various types of lymph nodes, and endobronchial ultrasound mainly useful for mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes.Recent advances like C.T. scan, MRI and PET-CT demonstrates site,pattern ,and extent of disease .These imaging modalities can better differentiates between benign from malignant causes .The Ultrasound /C.T guided FNAC/ Biopsy further plays an important role in confirmation of diagnosis with staining /culture /histo-pathological analysis. It is also important to differentiate tuberculosis from non- tubercular mycobacterial lymphadenitis. HIV co-infection also plays important role in further increase the cases of lymphadenitis.


Abstract The substrate-controlled Glossifungites ichnofacies is a firmground suite of trace fossils that commonly demarcates erosional discontinuities in sedimentary successions. The Glossifungites ichnofacies typically is characterized by biogenic structures that are vertical to subvertical, sharp-walled, unlined and commonly passively infilled. The structures hitherto have been restricted to permanent or semi-permanent domiciles, and predominantly to vertical to subvertical burrows of suspension-feeding organisms. Several cores of the late Albian (Lower Cretaceous) Viking Formation from the Hamilton Lake Field of Alberta, Canada contain an atypical Glossifungites ichnofacies dominated by the foraging, probing and deposit-feeding/dwelling structures of firmground Thalassinoides, Rhizocorallium, and Zoophycos. The Thalassinoides are passively infilled with coarse grains of sand and chert granules. Rhizocorallium displays active stages of infill, although the final, horizontal U-shaped tube is passively filled. The Zoophycos, however, demonstrates active infill manifest by chert granules and coarse sand distributed in the spreite, and this is a departure from the normal expression of the Glossifungites ichnofacies. The firmground structures subtend from the regional stratigraphic discontinuity BD4, excavated into black, silt- and sand-poor offshore and shelf mudstones. BD4 is interpreted to reflect a transgressively modified sequence boundary. Most Zoophycos, Thalassinoides, and Rhizocorallium penetrate no deeper than 3–4 cm below the discontinuity into the underlying mudstones. Where BD4 overlies a sandier substrate, firmground Zoophycos are not present within the suite. The facies directly overlying BD4 consist of fining-upward, pebble-, granule-, and very coarse-grained sand-bearing, thoroughly burrowed muddy sandstones to sandy mudstones, typically 5–25 cm thick. This basal transgressive lag contains Teichichnus, Planolites, Palaeophycus, Diplocraterion, Chondrites and rare Helminthopsis, and is the source of the coarse-grained material incorporated into the fill of the firmground ichnogenera. The granule-bearing sandy mudstones overlying the transgressive lag contain abundant Teichichnus, Planolites, Helminthopsis, Anconichnus, Chondrites, and Terebellina, and reflect rapid deepening to proximal offshore conditions. Progressive deepening is recorded in the accumulation of distal offshore and shelf mudstones of the late Albian Westgate Formation. Although excavation of BD4 occurred above fairweather wave base, its colonization occurred under much lower energy conditions. Within distal softground settings, ichnogenera capable of deeply penetrating muddy substrates are largely restricted to Zoophycos, Thalassinoides, Rhizocorallium, and Chondrites. These ichnogenera constitute forms capable of being excavated, albeit shallowly, within a firm substrate. This is a low energy, distal expression of the Glossifungites ichnofacies.


Abstract Studies have consistently shown a significant increase in the risk of congenital heart defects in the offspring of diabetic mothers compared with those of nondiabetic pregnancies. Evidence points that all types of pregestational diabetes have the capacity of generating cardiac malformations in a more accentuated manner than in gestational diabetes, and there seems to be an increased risk for all congenital heart defects phenotypes in the presence of maternal diabetes. Currently, the application of some therapies is under study in an attempt to reduce the risks inherent to diabetic pregnancies; however, it has not yet been possible to fully prove their effectiveness. The present review aims to better understand the mechanisms that govern the association between pregestational diabetes and congenital heart defects and how maternal diabetes interferes with fetal cardiac development, as there is still a long way to go in the investigation of this complex process.


BACKGROUND
Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that causes acute attacks of swelling, pain and reduced quality of life. People with Type I HAE (approximately 80% of all HAE cases) have insufficient amounts of C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) protein; people with Type II HAE (approximately 20% of all cases) may have normal C1-INH concentrations, but, due to genetic mutations, these do not function properly. A few people, predominantly females, experience HAE despite having normal C1-INH levels and C1-INH function (rare Type III HAE). Several new drugs have been developed to treat acute attacks and prevent recurrence of attacks. There is currently no systematic review and meta-analysis that included all preventive medications for HAE.

OBJECTIVES
To assess the benefits and harms of interventions for the long-term prevention of HAE attacks in people with Type I, Type II or Type III HAE.

SEARCH METHODS
We used standard, extensive Cochrane search methods. The latest search date was 3 August 2021.

SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised controlled trials in children or adults with HAE that used medications to prevent HAE attacks. The comparators could be placebo or active comparator, or both; approved and experimental drug trials were eligible for inclusion. There were no restrictions on dose, frequency or intensity of treatment. The minimum length of four weeks of treatment was required for inclusion; this criterion excluded the acute treatment of HAE attacks.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard Cochrane methods. Our primary outcomes were 1. HAE attacks (number of attacks per person, per population) and change in number of HAE attacks; 2. mortality and 3. serious adverse events (e.g. hepatic dysfunction, hepatic toxicity and deleterious changes in blood tests). Our secondary outcomes were 4. quality of life; 5. severity of breakthrough attacks; 6. disability and 7. adverse events (e.g. weight gain, mild psychological changes and body hair). We used GRADE to assess certainty of evidence for each outcome.

MAIN RESULTS
We identified 15 studies (912 participants) that met the inclusion criteria. The studies included people with Type I and II HAE. The studies investigated avoralstat, berotralstat, subcutaneous C1-INH, plasma-derived C1-INH, nanofiltered C1-INH, recombinant human C1-INH, danazol, and lanadelumab for the prevention of HAE attacks. We did not find any studies on the use of tranexamic acid for prevention of HAE attacks. All drugs except avoralstat reduced the number of HAE attacks compared with placebo. For breakthrough attacks that occurred despite prophylactic treatment, intravenous and subcutaneous forms of C1-INH and lanadelumab reduced attack severity. It is not known whether other drugs have a similar effect, as the severity of breakthrough attacks in people taking drugs other than C1-INH and lanadelumab was not reported. For quality of life, avoralstat, berotralstat, C1-INH (all forms) and lanadelumab increased quality of life compared with placebo; there were no data for danazol. Four studies reported on changes in disability during treatment with C1-INH, berotralstat and lanadelumab; all three drugs decreased disability compared with placebo. Adverse events, including serious adverse events, did not occur at a rate higher than placebo. However, serious adverse event data and other adverse event data were not available for danazol, which prevented us from drawing conclusions about the absolute or relative safety of this drug. No deaths were reported in the included studies. The analysis was limited by the small number of studies, the small number of participants in each study and the lack of data on older drugs, therefore the certainty of the evidence is low. Given the rarity of HAE, it is not surprising that drugs were rarely directly compared, which does not allow conclusions on the comparative efficacy of the various drugs for people with HAE. Finally, we did not identify any studies that included people with Type III HAE. Therefore, we cannot draw any conclusions about the efficacy or safety of any drug in people with this form of HAE.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
The available data suggest that berotralstat, C1-INH (subcutaneous, plasma-derived, nanofiltered and recombinant), danazol and lanadelumab are effective in lowering the risk or incidence (or both) of HAE attacks. In addition, C1-INH and lanadelumab decrease the severity of breakthrough attacks (data for other drugs were not available). Avoralstat, berotralstat, C1-INH (all forms) and lanadelumab increase quality of life and do not increase the risk of adverse events, including serious adverse events. It is possible that danazol, subcutaneous C1-INH and recombinant human C1-INH are more effective than berotralstat and lanadelumab in reducing the risk of breakthrough attacks, but the small number of studies and the small size of the studies means that the certainty of the evidence is low. This and the lack of head-to-head trials prevented us from drawing firm conclusions on the relative efficacy of the drugs.


An important issue in teaching and research is how newly arrived students best can develop their linguistic resources in learning. The overall aim of the dissertation is to contribute with in-depth knowledge of the context for newly arrived primary school students' digital meaning-making in Swedish as a second language (SSL) when the subject is studied in parallel with Swedish. The context includes the orchestration and content of the teaching, resources for meaning-making, reading and writing processes, and texts; all aspects are essential for the students' scope for meaning-making. This dissertation contains four articles, each aiming to answer the over-arching research questions. I have chosen to divide the context of newly arrived primary school students' digital meaning-making into three levels: conceptual, didactic, and production level. The levels are three different layers rather than a hierarchical system; the levels interact with each other and can move upwards or downwards in the system.  The first level, which I chose to call conceptual, concerns teachers' experiences teaching newly arrived students with digital technology in Swedish. Through fieldwork and interviews, I study how teachers manage linguistic complexity involving increasingly digitized teaching. I investigate how teachers' reason whether digital technology can support or hinder learning Swedish as a second language. Here, I focus on the teachers' experiences and perceptions of using technology to help newly arrived students' learning.  The second level-the didactic level -focuses on teaching with digital tools and how digital technology affects the organization of teaching in the classroom. How linguistic and spatial boundaries are challenged and handled in teaching with digital technology is studied through observations of teaching. I explore how teachers' teaching orchestration contributes to newly arrived students' opportunities for digital meaning-making, how teachers scaffold newly arrived pupils' digital text activities, and how the teachers use the students: multilingual resources.  The third level, the production level, focuses the context surrounding students' text creation and agency in the writing process. In the dissertation, the production level is studied via written text activities, as part of students' meaning-making. I have observed teachers' writing instructions and analysed student texts to explore how newly arrived students create meaning, communicate, and express thehemselves with digital technology and how they can use their multilingual potential in digital writing within different text types.  types.  This thesis takes its point of departure in sociocultural perspectives that are an overarching term for several closely related human learning (Vygotsky, 1978). By studying how people use tools or tools to understand, act and interact in the outside world and how people adopt, or appropriate, the mediating tools, it is possible to approach how people learn (Salji:i, 2020). Language is a mediating tool, a dynamic and constantly evolving sign system that interacts with other forms of expression (Saljo, 2020).  The thesis also has a multimodal perspective (Kress & Van Leeuwen, 2006; Selander, 2017). Multimodality focuses on the different symbols people use to communicate with each other and express themselves (Kress, 2009). Different modalities can give room for multilingual ways of expression. In the thesis, I study how students use modalities in digital meaning-making processes and how students and teachers interpret and get involved in meaning-making. In analyzing students' digital meaning- making and their digital compositions, it is essential to notice how different modalities can contribute to how students use their multilingual palette. The overall methodological approach in the thesis is an ethnographic case study. I chose the case study approach to capture the complexity and activities of a school subject (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2011, p. 128). Inspired by Yin (2009), I intended to create broad empirical material to understand and analyze the context of newly arrived primary school students' digital meaning-making in SSL. Levy and Moore (2018) argue for qualitative methods to investigate how language teaching uses technology. Through qualitative research, learning processes can be studied moment by moment via the alternating use of an outside and an inside perspective.   The thesis's most important results are that teachers had an inclusion focus on digital technology, where newly arrived students, together with teachers and other classmates, explored digital meaning-making through multilingualism and translanguaging. However, multilingual components were nothing the newly arrived students could build on in digitally mediated narrative and retelling texts. One of the main contributions of the thesis is how it empirically visualized the context for newly arrived primary school students as well as opportunities and limitations in digital text activities in the Swedish subject. The study results contribute to developing teaching with a multilingual perspective regarding how technology is used, the orchestration of educati9n, and how students are scaffolded.


ABSTRACT Differences in susceptibility to persistent cryptosporidial infection between two strains of adult athymic nude mice prompted us to investigate the immune mechanism(s) that may control resistance to infection in these T-cell-deficient mice. We studied fecal oocyst shedding, serum and fecal parasite-specific antibody responses, and fecal immunoglobulin levels in athymic C57BL/6J nude and athymic BALB/cJ nude mice following oral inoculation with Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts at 8 to 9 weeks of age. C57BL/6J nude mice had significantly higher fecal parasite-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) (days 27, 31, 35, and 42 postinoculation) and IgM (days 10, 17, 24, 28, 31, 38, 42, and 48 postinoculation) levels than BALB/cJ nude mice (P < 0.05) and significantly higher serum parasite-specific IgA levels at 63 days postinoculation (P < 0.03). Moreover, C57BL/6J nude mice shed significantly fewer C. parvum oocysts than BALB/cJ nude mice from days 52 to 63 postinoculation (P < 0.05). In contrast, BALB/cJ nude mice had higher levels of non-parasite-specific IgA (days 38 to 63 postinoculation) and IgM (days 24, 35, 38, and 52 postinoculation) than C57BL/6J nude mice in feces (P < 0.05). These data suggest that parasite-specific fecal antibodies may be associated with resistance to C. parvum in C57BL/6J nude mice.


Affected by the pressure and constraints of available resources, plant growth and development, as well as plant life history strategies, usually vary with environmental conditions. Plant buds play a crucial role in the life history of woody plants. Nitraria tangutorum is a common dominant woody species in desertified areas of northern China and its growth is critical to the desert ecosystem. Revealing the allometry of N. tangutorum aboveground bud fates and the linkage between bud traits and plant nutrient contents and stoichiometric ratios can be useful in understanding plant adaptation strategy. We applied seven nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer addition treatments to natural N. tangutorum ramets in Ulan Buh Desert in three consecutive years. We surveyed three types of aboveground buds (dormant buds, vegetative buds, and reproductive buds) in each N. tangutorum ramet, then measured the plant carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents and ratios during three consecutive years. We specified that reserve growth potential (RGP), vegetative growth intensity (VGI) and sexual reproduction effort (SRE) are the three indices of bud dynamic pattern. The results showed that the bud dynamic pattern of N. tangutorum ramets differed significantly among different fertilizer addition treatments and sampling years. The allometry of RGP, VGI, and SRE was obvious, showing size dependence. The allometric growth relationship fluctuated among the sampling years. The linkage between bud traits and plant stoichiometric characteristics of N. tangutorum ramets showed close correlation with plant P content, C:P and N:P ratios, no significant correlation with plant C content, N content and C:N ratio. These results contribute to an improved understanding of the adaptive strategies of woody plants growing in desert ecosystems and provide insights for adoption of effective measures to restore and conserve plant communities in arid and semi-arid regions.


INTRODUCTION:Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health concern, and for the assessment of patients with CKD, estimation of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is vital. Serum biomarkers, such as serum creatinine and serum cystatin C, have been commonly used to test renal function in patients who have chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is necessary to recognise the elevated risk of CKD progression to delay the deterioration of kidney failure and to plan for the evolution to end-stage renal disease. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare serum cystatin C and creatinine diagnostic output with measured GFR and estimated GFR in patients with CKD. METHODS:This study was conducted at SMHRC, Maharashtra India throughout the period of September 2019 to August 2020. We enrolled 100patients (50 males and 50 females) aged 40-60years with CKD stages2–5from Nagpur. In each patient, serum creatinine and serum cystatin C were determined. Serum cystatin C was measured with a particle-enhanced nephelometric immunoassay (PENIA) method. The detection methods for SCr were the enzymatic method and the Jaffe's method. GFR was measured using diethylenetriaminepenta aceticacid (DTPA) renal scan method. Results: In females, serum cystatin C had significantly greater diagnostic specificity than serum creatinine. In males, no distinction between serum cystatin C and serum creatinine was observed. Serum cystatin C's diagnostic accuracy was significantly greater than that of creatinine. Conclusion: In young and elderly patients with CKD, serum cystatin C showed a high correlation with measured GFR compared with creatinine. Cystatin C is therefore a good alternative marker for CKD patients compared to creatinine. Our findings show that in patients with mild to moderately impaired kidney function, serum cystatin C is a reliable marker of GFR and has greater diagnostic accuracy than serum creatinine and measured clearance of creatinine.


Rapid line probe assay (LPA) can be a practical and rapid alternative to the slow conventional phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST) for detection of drug resistant tuberculosis (TB). The purpose of this study is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of Genotype MTBDRplus, LPA for TB, and compare its performance with conventional DST. A total of 54 culture samples were analyzed for DST using both conventional proportion method and MTBDRplus, where conventional DST identified 43 isolates (79.6%) as drug resistant. Among these 43 drug resistant isolates, 30 isolates (69.7%) were found to be multidrug resistant (MDR). Of all observed mutations using MTBDRplus, codon 531 of rpoB gene and codon 315 of katG gene were found to have highest mutational frequency for RIF resistance (64.7%) and INH resistance (96.8%), respectively. In the present study, MTBDRplus assay was shown to have excellent specificity (100%) for both RIF and INH resistance while sensitivity of the assay was little lower with value of 89.4% for RIF resistance and 91.4% for INH resistance. Therefore, the assay can be a rapid, reliable, and promising molecular test for early detection of MDR-TB in Nepal.


The infrastructure-as-a-service paradigm for cloud computing lets service providers execute applications on third-party infrastructures with a pay-as-you-go billing model. Providers can balance operational costs and quality of service by monitoring application behavior and changing the deployed configuration at runtime as operating conditions change. Current approaches for automatically scaling cloud applications exploit user-defined rules that respond well to predictable events but don't react adequately to unexpected execution conditions. The authors' autonomic controllers, designed using Kriging models, automatically adapt to unpredicted conditions by dynamically updating a model of the system's behavior.


In the near future, nearly all computers, ranging from supercomputers to cell phones, will be multiprocessors. It is harder and harder to increase processor clock speed (the chips overheat), but easier and easier to cram more processor cores onto a chip (thanks to Moore's Law). As a result, uniprocessors are giving way to dual-cores, dual-cores to quad-cores, and so on. However, there is a problem: Except for " embarrassingly parallel " applications , no one really knows how to exploit lots of cores. In today's programming practice, programmers typically rely on combinations of locks and conditions, such as monitors, to prevent concurrent access by different threads to the same shared data. While this approach allows programmers to treat sections of code as " atomic " , and thus simplifies reasoning about interactions , it suffers from a number of severe shortcomings. • Programmers must decide between coarse-grained locking, in which a large data structure is protected by a single lock (usually implemented using operations such as test-and-set or compare and swap(CAS)), and fine-grained locking, in which a lock is associated with each component of the data structure. Coarse-grained locking is simple, but permits little or no concurrency, thereby preventing the program from exploiting multiple processing cores. By contrast, fine-grained locking is substantially more complicated because of the need to ensure that threads acquire all necessary locks (and only those, for good performance), and because of the need to avoid deadlocks, when acquiring multiple locks. The decision is further complicated by the fact that the best engineering solution may be 215


Should a doctor be held liable under negligence law for harmful treatment she administered to a patient, if the treatment should have been considered negligent at the time it was administered, but is now considered reasonable at the time of trial? Should a manufacturer be held liable for harm caused to a consumer from a product considered reasonable, and therefore non-defective, at the time of trial, but should have been considered unreasonable, and therefore defective, at the time of its distribution? More generally put: Should the law impose liability for ex-post right but ex-ante wrong behaviors? The answer offered by this Article is yes, on both efficiency and corrective justice grounds. The Article also proposes the adoption, in certain cases, of an "Alternative Liability Rule," whereby an injurer bears liability if his behavior is either ex-post or ex-ante wrong.Thus far, there are no reported cases where a plaintiff brought suit for ex-post reasonable but ex-ante unreasonable behavior or products. This is puzzling, especially given the abundance of reverse cases before the courts, where the defendant's behavior or product is found to be ex-post unreasonable but ex-ante reasonable, and liability is not imposed. The Article's explanation for the lack of suits for ex-post right but ex-ante wrong behavior is plaintiffs' and their attorneys' strong belief that when a behavior, or a product, is considered reasonable at the time of trial, it is considered reasonable by the law. The claim made in the Article is that this belief is unfounded and a plaintiff who proves ex-ante negligence should succeed at trial, regardless of whether the defendant's behavior is considered reasonable at that time.


The oral retinoid isotretinoin (Accutane, and others) is the most effective drug available for treatment of acne.1 The FDA has recently approved a new oral isotretinoin product (Absorica – Cipher/Ranbaxy) for treatment of severe, recalcitrant nodular acne (Table). Isotretinoin can completely clear severe nodulocystic lesions, in some cases leading to remission that can persist for years after treatment is stopped. Mucocutaneous adverse effects include dry skin, dry eye, epistaxis, nasopharyngitis, cheilitis, alopecia, eczema, skin fragility and photosensitivity. Musculoskeletal symptoms, hypertriglyceridemia, hepatitis, pancreatitis, pseudotumor cerebri, depression and psychosis can occur. The manufacturer's package insert states that isotretinoin has been associated with inflammatory bowel disease, but a recent population-based cohort study found no significant association.2 The drug is a potent human teratogen (pregnancy category X); the prescriber, the pharmacist, the distributors, and the patient must register with iPLEDGE, a computer-based risk management program (www.ipledgeprogram.com). The recommended dosage is 0.5 to 1 mg/kg/day given in 2 divided doses for 15-20 weeks. Unlike other formulations of isotretinoin, which are highly lipophilic and must be taken with a high-fat meal to achieve therapeutic plasma levels, Absorica can be taken with or withoutfood,butserumconcentrationsarehigherwhenit istakenwith food. It should be taken with a full glass of water to reduce the risk of esophageal irritation. Absorica has not been shown to be more effective or better tolerated than generic formulations of isotretinoin.


Background and Aims: Brain abscess is a serious and dreadful disease presenting at tertiary centre. The objective of this study was to look into the clinical profile, predisposing conditions, microbiology and outcome of children suffering from brain abscess. Methods: 30 children up to 18 years with clinical and imaging evidence of brain abscess were taken for study. Patients were stabilized as per unit protocol. Necessary investigations were carried out. Neuroimaging (CT or MRI) was used to confirm the diagnosis. All parameters (clinical, investigation, outcome) were recorded in predesigned performa. Neurosurgery consultation was sought in patients with multiple abscesses, posterior fossa abscesses, abscess with air-fluid level and causing midline shift. Results: There were 16 males with 13 patients in age group (5-10 years). Mean duration of stay in hospital was 14.8 days. Most common predisposing factor was chronic suppurative otitis media (n-15). Typically, patients presented with fever, headache and seizures. On examination, motor deficits were the most common followed by signs of meningitis. Computerized tomography confirmed the diagnosis in most cases. Temporal lobe (n-11) was the commonest intracranial site for the abscess. Methicillin resistant staphylococcus and proteus mirabilis were the common pathogen isolated from blood and pus. Blood culture positivity rate was 16.7% and pus culture positivity rate was 25%. All cases were managed with intravenous antibiotics and aspiration (n-10) and excision (n-6). There were 5 deaths. There was complete immediate recovery in 13 cases with residual motor deficit in 12 cases. Conclusion: Brain abscess is a rare but serious entity in children. Late diagnosis and improper management leads to poor outcome. Early surgical intervention is helpful. Threshold for diagnosis should be low in children with chronic ear infection and congenital heart diseases.


In Fractional Calculus (FC), the Laplace and the Fourier integral transforms are traditionally employed for solving different problems. In this paper, we demonstrate the role of the Mellin integral transform in FC. We note that the Laplace integral transform, the sinand cos-Fourier transforms, and the FC operators can all be represented as Mellin convolution type integral transforms. Moreover, the special functions of FC are all particular cases of the Fox H-function that is defined as an inverse Mellin transform of a quotient of some products of the Gamma functions. In this paper, several known and some new applications of the Mellin integral transform to different problems in FC are exemplarily presented. The Mellin integral transform is employed to derive the inversion formulas for the FC operators and to evaluate some FC related integrals and in particular, the Laplace transforms and the sinand cos-Fourier transforms of some special functions of FC. We show how to use the Mellin integral transform to prove the Post-Widder formula (and to obtain its new modification), to derive some new Leibniz type rules for the FC operators, and to get new completely monotone functions from the known ones. MSC 2010 : Primary 26A33; Secondary 44A20, 33C60, 33E3012, 44A10 c © 2013 Diogenes Co., Sofia pp. 405–430 , DOI: 10.2478/s13540-013-0025-8


Men and women have key biological differences that alter cardiovascular disease risk and status. Premature menopause has been linked to earlier cardiovascular events, including coronary artery disease and stroke. In this issue of JAMA Cardiology, Muka et al1 provide a meta-analysis that emphasizes the connection between reproductive aging and cardiovascular aging. This is a timely report, as the National Institutes of Health has recently enacted directives on the importance of considering sex as a variable in preclinical and clinical studies. Premature menopause is linked to reproductive factors, such as age at menarche and parity, as well as body mass index and environmental risks, including cigarette smoking. It is often assumed that the association between earlier menopause and the increase in cardiovascular events relates primarily to the reduction in protective hormones, but genetic studies of premature ovarian failure suggest distinct pathways beyond hormones. Age at onset of menopause is heritable and under genetic influence. Genome-wide association studies have identified genetic polymorphisms linked to early menopause, and strikingly, these loci encode genes in DNA repair and immune mediator pathways. The association of genetic regions with premature menopause has been replicated in additional cohorts and additional investigations, suggesting that DNA repair, in particular, is critically important for reproductive lifespan in women. The mismatch repair genes MSH6 and MCM8, genes implicated in the repair of double-stranded breaks, have both been associated with premature ovarian failure.2,3 The broad expression pattern of these genes suggests that more direct molecular mechanisms may be responsible for the tie to cardiovascular disease, as defective DNA repair can alter immune and vascular health.


Embedded sensors in footwear are of interest for providing feedback on mobility and gait. The most sensitive location is within the sole, requiring development of new materials that have the required functional and mechanical properties. We are developing capacitive strain sensors. The performance of such sensorsis dictated by two fundamental materials properties: dielectric constant (ε) and hardness. The sensitivity is improved by a high dielectric constant and low hardness. This paper describes a novel material that combines a composite elastomeric polymer and single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The optimum SWCNT loading in a polyurethane with 80A shore hardness was determined to be 0.1 vol% which delivered a high SNR and maintained its mechanical properties (hardness). Data collected from a shoe strain sensor array of this material can be used for automatic recognition of postures and activities, for characterization of extremity use, and to provide behavioral enhancing feedback to patients recovering from a stroke.


Root anatomy and root endophytes in Podocarpus parlatorei (Podocarpaceae). Podocarpus parlatorei Pilg. known as "mountain pine" is a tree up to 20 m tall, grows in mountain forests between 1500 and 2000 m asl and is the native only representative of the Gymnosperma in the NOA. The aim of this study was to characterize the anatomy of the root system and root endophytes in P. parlatoreicomparatively between individuals of Tucuman and Catamarca. We applied conventional histological techniques and staining. The results showed that individuals from both provinces had the same structural feature in the different stages of development, differing in the number of layers in the cortical tissue. We observed the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal with morphology Arum and Paris, both in root and nodules. For this species is recorded for the first time the presence of cells with non-lignified secondary thickening in the cortical parenchyma of the primary roots and nodules, whose function would be mechanical and absorption. The presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and dark septate endophytes in P. parlatorei is also reported for the first time for Argentina, and the morphology of these root endophytes is described


The aim of this research was to investigate this research was to investigate the relationship between Agricultural Information System (AIS) members' viewpoint towards organic products and their environmental in central District of Boyer- Ahmad County. The research population included researchers, extension agents and contact farmers of the study area and based on this population numbers, the sample sizes were determined 62, 55 and 60 persons respectively using Krejcie and Morgan sampling table. The main tool for collecting data about the respondent's viewpoints towards organic products was a pre-designed questionnaire which its validity was confirmed by rural development experts and its reliability also confirmed by using Cronbach-Alpha coefficient (0.76-0.94). Moreover, the environmental attitude of the respondents was measured using Dunlap & Van Liere's New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale. The results showed that researchers, extension agents and farmers had a moderate environmental attitude. Furthermore, researchers and extension agents had above average viewpoint towards organic products. However, farmers had a fairly favorable viewpoint. In addition, the relationship between Agricultural Information System members' viewpoint towards organic products and their environmental attitude was positive and significant which indicated that the more favorable environmental attitude they have, the more tendencies towards organic products they have. As a result, improving environmental attitude should be given priority in order to produce healthy products and preserve the environment.


I propose to broaden the scope of affect detection research in three related directions. First, the task definition should be broadened from the detection of affects to the inference of mental states. Second, the detection process should be reconceptualized as an inference to the best explanation that makes essential use of a theory of mind. Third, additional data sources should be utilized to infer emotions: information about the situation (eliciting events), information about emotion-related goal-directed actions, and self-reports about emotions.


: Using trypan blue exclusion test it has been shown that a 18 hour incubation of human erythromyeloleukosis cell line K562 together with AlF(-4) (10 mM NaF + 20 mkM AlCl3) reduced cell proliferation and survival. However, the latter parameter did not change during 4 hours of incubation. Nevertheless, AlF(-4) increased fragmentation of 3H-thymidine-labelled DNA by 2-4 times. This effect may be suppressed by cultivation of cells with 20 mkM nicotinamide (inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase enzyme). We found that incubation of K562 and YAC-1 cells with 10 mM nicotinamide for 24 hours much reduced their susceptibility to non-MHC-restricted lysis by rat spleen cells. This effect may be induced by a share of intracellular NAD+ and NADH from destroyed K562 cells; their concentration in cells increased under the influence of nicotinamide by 3 times, but this effect should be the least because in these conditions nicotinamide does not influence the survival of K562 cells. The effect of nicotinamide in both cases may be explained by suppression of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase activity and, thus, the rate of DNA reparation. Analysis of AlF(-4) and nicotinamide effects on the K562 cells enables us to suppose that suppression of the K562 proliferation by tetrafluoroaluminate results in accumulation of reversed damages of DNA.


The magnetic quadrupole-Ioffe configuration (QUIC) trap in our Bose-Einstein condensation experiment is introduced. The magnetic trap loading process after laser cooling is ana/ysed and the optimization of the loading process is studied experimentally, Calculation of the magnetic field explains the loss of the atoms during the loading process of the QUIC trap. The number of atoms loaded in the QUIC trap is increased by 40% after optimization in comparison with the normal loading process.


The present study was conducted in Hail General Hospital, in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, over six months period starting from December 1994. All notified cases of nosocomial infections were taken into consideration. Cases who satisfied the definition and criteria of nosocomial infection were included in the study (n = 105). Data were abstracted from the special routine monthly resorts to the General Directorate of Health Affairs. The results of the present study revealed that invasive procedures were conducted for the majority of cases (81.9%). The most common site of infection was urinary tract (36.6%), followed by respiratory and wound infection (23.8% and 22.8% respectively), while other sites accounted for the remaining part of the sample (16.8%). Out of the culture positive cases (n = 101) gram negative bacteria represented 85.15% of cases where the most common ones were Klebsiella pneumonia and pseudomonas. Bivariate analysis revealed a significant linear association between invasive procedures and age (Mantel Hanszel test = 17.37). Moreover, invasive procedures were found to be significantly related to the occurrence of gram negative infection (chi2 = 4.77). Multiple regression analysis, for factors affecting length of hospital stay, showed that age and presence of host factors lowering host resistance had significant effect in prolonging the duration of stay among cases.


The commoditization of powerful, portable and affordable mobile communications devices has transformed disaster response and remote data collection. Where in the past field workers would fill in damage assessment and other forms using pencil and paper, there are now a wide variety of digital tools that can run on low-cost smartphones and tablets, and have the potential to capture information in real-time, and make it available to decision makers. Also, such devices allow operational agencies to more effectively track their field teams, to ensure that they remain as safe as possible at all times. However, this transformation is not complete, and not without challenges. In particular, keeping digital devices powered, connected and secure are recurring themes. While a variety of solutions already exist in this space, they are not without their draw-backs. For example, energy can be supplied by carrying additional batteries and solar panels, which means carrying more devices. Communications can be enabled in remote areas by using a BGAN satellite internet terminal, however these are bulky, expensive to buy and even more expensive to operate – costing as much as $1 every two seconds. Iridium Short Burst Data (SBD) is a cheaper and smaller alternative, but still requires carrying an extra device, and the very low data rates it provides are very limiting. Maintaining security on tablets and phones is a problem well known for it complexities and pitfalls, including the lack of long-term vendor support. Indeed, the rapid evolution of tablets and phones presents difficulties in ensuring that the required capabilities remain compatible and well integrated with the evolving operating systems of these devices. We therefore propose that there exists a gap for a device that is more specifically tailored to the requirements of humanitarian and remote field work. Such a device should ideally be a single physical device that is self-sufficient for both energy and remote communications, and that is radically easier to secure, and can be supported over the long-term, without the need to continually modify the desired applications, just to keep them running. We present our work on creating exactly such a device: A tablet-like device that includes cellular, satellite, UHF packet radio and mesh communications capabilities, is radically simpler to secure, and is an open-design that can be used and supported over many years, without requiring unaffordable non-returnable engineering costs. Specifically, we present proof-of-concept hardware, and decisive evidence that despite the relatively low computational performance, that it remains capable enough to meet a number of identified use-cases.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) have quickly spread and been widely abused in many parts of the world, particularly in China. This review focuses on and describes the epidemiological trends and the advances of treatments of ATS in China.

METHODS
A descriptive study based on literature identified from searches of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (1979-2013), PubMed databases, hand-picked references, and online references with emphasis on epidemiology, treatment and traditional Chinese medicine. This review covers some traditional Chinese treatments and their complementary Western approaches.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
The epidemiological trends of ATS in China have led to its being 2.2 times the rate of morphine abuse and second only to marijuana abuse. The treatment programs in China have used traditional herbal approaches as well as acupuncture, often in combination with Western medications such as fluoxetine for depression associated with ATS abuse. Other herbal treatments have reversed the cardiac arrhythmias associated with ATS intoxication, and acupuncture has been used successfully for the protracted depressive and somatic symptoms of ATS withdrawal over a period of 3 months.

SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE
These traditional Chinese treatments may be increasingly available to the world, but will remain a consistent complementary therapy for ATS in China and the Far East, where ATS has become such a prevalent problem.


Calcium is a critical second messenger in neurons that contributes to learning and memory, but how the coordination of action potentials of neuronal ensembles with the hippocampal local field potential (LFP) is reflected in dynamic calcium activity remains unclear. Here, we recorded hippocampal calcium activity with endoscopic imaging of the genetically encoded fluorophore GCaMP6 with concomitant LFP in freely behaving mice. Dynamic calcium activity was greater in exploratory behavior and REM sleep than in quiet wakefulness and slow wave sleep, behavioral states that differ with respect to theta and septal cholinergic activity, and modulated at sharp wave ripples (SWRs). Chemogenetic activation of septal cholinergic neurons expressing the excitatory hM3Dq DREADD increased calcium activity and reduced SWRs. Furthermore, inhibition of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) reduced calcium activity while increasing SWRs. These results demonstrate that hippocampal dynamic calcium activity depends on behavioral and theta state as well as endogenous mAChR activation.


Abstract The visceral skeleton (including complete mandibular, hyoid, and branchial arches) and teeth of the Lower Cretaceous hybodontid shark Tribodus limae are described based on well preserved fossil material. Jaw suspension and musculature are reconstructed, representing the first reconstruction of jaw musculature in a hybodont. The jaw suspension of Tribodus is similar to batoids and advanced galeomorphs in lacking direct cranio–palatine articulations and having skeletal jaw support by the hyoid arch alone (unlike most other hybodonts), but differs from batoids in that an intact hyoid arch is present. As in Asteracanthus and Lonchidion, the jaws do not extend to the snout, and were connected symphysially but not fused. CT scanning reveals the presence of supportive 'trabecular cartilage' struts in force-bearing regions of the jaws, representing the first report of these structures in an extinct chondrichthyan. Five branchial arches are present, of which pharyngobranchial, epibranchial, and ceratobranchial elements are observed although hypobranchials and basibranchials were presumably also present. A pharyngobranchial blade is present, as in some other hybodonts (e.g., Lissodus) and extant galeomorphs (e.g., Heterodontus), and the posteriormost pharyngobranchials are unfused. Tribodus is considered durophagous, based on presence of 'trabecular cartilage' struts and a weakly heterodont monognathic pavement dentition of flattened hexagonal teeth, as in extant myliobatoid rays. SEM examination shows that teeth of T. limae are anaulacorhize with a double layer of single crystallite enameloid (SCE), and confirms the presence of columnar osteodentine, as in other Acrodontidae.


Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are becoming increasingly important implementation platforms for digital circuits. One of the necessary requirements to effectively utilize the FPGA's resources is an efficient placement and routing mechanism. This paper presents an optimization technique based on swarm intelligence for FPGA placement and routing. Mentor graphics technology mapping netlist file is used to generate initial FPGA placements and routings which are then optimized by particle swarm optimization (PSO). Results for the implementation of a binary coded decimal bidirectional counter and an arithmetic logic unit on a Xilinx FPGA show that PSO is a potential technique for solving the placement and routing problem.


Coupled-mode equations are established for the acoustooptic interaction of plane waves in anisotropic, optically active crystals. A method of solution is proposed which allows for spatial variation of the optical polarization modes. An analysis of the slow shear wave TeO(2) Bragg cell is given with numerical results for diffraction efficiency and polarization of the optical beams as a function of distance travelled in the cell. Large departures of the optical polarization from pure circular polarization are evident as the acoustic power is increased.


Business scandals and ethical misconduct caused millions of dollars in losses, left behind damaged organizations, forced them to close their business and left thousands of employees jobless without any future guarantee or security. This incident has left scholars and managers asking what role they might have played to curb these ethical scandals and what role they can play in the solutions. Scholar and managers collectively have responded to the ethical challenges that we face in organizational life. Some scholarship assesses the current state of ethics in management education, helping us to diagnose and tackle the realities of unethical behavior. Part of the solution to this problem is to design and develop courses and programs in a better way, integrate business and management learning with ethical conduct. Scholars should focus on which standards should be advanced. Indeed, what connects these diverse discussions is a clear recognition that educational components designed to solve the ethical quandaries we face will require a multifaceted and comprehensive approach. Religions and philosophical schools of thought have always played a significant role in the development of human values and behavior which has a great impact to business and corporate management. Research also suggests that the encouragement religious principles in business can lead to benefits in the areas of creativity, honesty and trust, personal fulfillment, and commitment, which will ultimately lead to increased corporate and business performance. It is where Islamic Management come into place where the foundations, principles, and practices will give impact in developing ethical standard to organizations. Islamic Management will bring students and managers back to basic where they cannot put aside the role of religion in safeguarding management practices in organization. Keywords-islamic management; islamic ethic; honesty; professional; curriculum


This paper presents an educational library to be used with the MATLAB/Simulink package from the Mathworks company for the design of fuzzy controllers. This free library, named FlouLib, has its foundations in a clear representation of the fuzzy interfaces (fuzzification, inference, defuzzification). First, Mamdani-type conventional fuzzy logic controllers are presented, including when rulebases are chained. Then, from the modal equivalence principle, advanced Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy controllers are introduced especially those relying on input-output linearization techniques. Examples, all available in FlouLib demos, are used to show the potentialities of FlouLib for control engineering curricula.


SUMMARY The indentation hardness of locust cuticle was measured using a Vickers diamond applied to the surface of the cuticle. A number of areas of cuticle showed similar hardness values, approximately 24 kg mm~ ! , for the dehydrated cuticle but the mandibles (298 kg mm 4 ) and the dorsal mesothorax (33-3 kg mm 4 ) were harder. The mandibles have localized areas of hardness which are related to their function. It is suggested that the hardness of the dorsal thorax may be related to its function as an energy storing structure in flight. The measured hardness of cuticle depends on the hydration of the material but relative differences between cuticles from different parts of the locust persist whether tested fresh or after dehydration. Hardness is correlated with the dihydroxyphenol content of cuticle (unlike stiffness), conversely it is not correlated with the hydrophobicity of the matrix proteins (unlike stiffness). It is emphasized that hardness and stiffness are very different mechanical properties.


Abstract Sweetpotato breeding over the years solely depended on sensory evaluation for domestic uses, thereby downplaying the need for adjustment of breeding objectives and selection procedures to cater for industrial potential. This study was conducted to evaluate ten elite genotypes of sweetpotato for diversified utilization and commercialization. These genotypes had been selected over the years for high dry matter and starch content according to the preference of Ghanaian consumers. Analyses were carried out on key nutrient components, pasting properties, and starch granule morphology using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy, rapid viscosity analysis, and light microscopy, respectively. Sensory evaluation was carried out using a focus group approach. Based on functional diversity and unique combinations of quality traits identified, the genotypes were found to have several potential applications in the food industry. These include fufu flour, bread, pastries, French fries, gluten-free noodles, yogurt filler, baby food, juices, and raw material for brewery and other industries. These elite genotypes, when released as new varieties, can immensely contribute to a more diversified use of sweetpotato in Ghana and ultimately contribute to the enhancement of food and job security.


Reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) is designed around a specific part family. Reconfigurable machine tools (RMT) is the core facility of RMS. One RMT system is an RMS consisting of only one RMT. So, the RMT of one RMT system is designed for a specific part family, which integrates the characteristics of RMS and RMT. The reconfiguration path problem of one RMT system is an urgent problem to be solved. Therefore, an optimal reconfiguration path decision method for one RMT system is proposed in this paper. The objective is to produce the entire part family at the minimum reconfiguration effort. Reconfiguration time is adopted as the characteristic value of reconfiguration effort in this paper. The Tabu Search algorithm (TS) is used to solve this problem due to its excellent search ability. Process rule is considered during computation to obtained reasonable solution. A case study is given to implement the proposed method. The result shows that the proposed method can produce an optimal reconfiguration path for one RMT system satisfying the process rule.


The role of intuition in software development was discussed in a most original fashion by Peter Naur in 1984. Yet there has been little subsequent interest in elaborating on Naur's ideas. In seeking to explain this neglect, we argue that the accepted views of software development, both within the formal and pragmatic traditions, are deeply influenced by a conceptual framework inherited from computer science and that, within this framework, making sense of the relation between intuition and software development is inherently difficult. In much more recent publications, Naur himself has related his thinking about software development to the philosophical outlook of William James. We discuss the current status and potential implications of Naur's original reflections on the role of intuition with reference to trends in thinking about software development since 1984, and to an alternative conceptual framework for computing, afforded by Empirical Modelling, that can be directly related to a Jamesian philosophical stance.


Abstract. Upgrading the database of CYBER JAPAN has been strategically promoted because the "Basic Act on Promotion of Utilization of Geographical Information", was enacted in May 2007. In particular, there is a high demand for road information that comprises a framework in this database. Therefore, road inventory mapping work has to be accurate and eliminate variation caused by individual human operators. Further, the large number of traffic markings that are periodically maintained and possibly changed require an efficient method for updating spatial data. Currently, we apply manual photogrammetry drawing for mapping traffic markings. However, this method is not sufficiently efficient in terms of the required productivity, and data variation can arise from individual operators. In contrast, Mobile Mapping Systems (MMS) and high-density Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) scanners are rapidly gaining popularity. The aim in this study is to build an efficient method for automatically drawing traffic markings using MMS LIDAR data. The key idea in this method is extracting lines using a Hough transform strategically focused on changes in local reflection intensity along scan lines. However, also note that this method processes every traffic marking. In this paper, we discuss a highly accurate and non-human-operator-dependent method that applies the following steps: (1) Binarizing LIDAR points by intensity and extracting higher intensity points; (2) Generating a Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) from higher intensity points; (3) Deleting arcs by length and generating outline polygons on the TIN; (4) Generating buffers from the outline polygons; (5) Extracting points from the buffers using the original LIDAR points; (6) Extracting local-intensity-changing points along scan lines using the extracted points; (7) Extracting lines from intensity-changing points through a Hough transform; and (8) Connecting lines to generate automated traffic marking mapping data.


The patterns and pharmacological effects of the nonmedical use of methaqualone (Sopors), a nonbarbiturate sedative-hypnotic, were determined in 66 respondents (median age 22 to 25) residing in Coumbus, Ohio. Sixty percent took this drug at least weekly, with 10% once or more daily. The mean duration of drug use was one year, with 20% in excess of two years. The average single and total daily doses, taken orally, were 530 and 724 mg, respectively; marihuana and alcohol were commonly used concurrently. The major effects of methaqualone use were euphoria, relaxation, and relief from anxieties: paresthesia was frequently reported. About one third of the subjects developed varying degrees of psychological and physical dependence after long-term drug administration. The abuse and complications of acute methaqualone toxicity are reviewed and the relative therapeutic utility of this drug is questioned in view of these major problems.


Mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) is a common prebiotics used as a feed additives. The use of antibiotic can be replaced by MOS to reduce the number of pathogenic bacteria in small intestines of chickens. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of MOS extracted from copra meal on intestinal microbial population and blood profile of broiler chickens. The study was conducted by using 150 day-old male broiler chickens (average body weight 46.00 + 1.41 g). The design of this experiment was a completely randomized design (CRD) with 3 dietary treatments, 5 replications and 10 birds in each replication. The dietary treatments consisted of control diet (corn-soybean meal diet without supplementation of antibiotic and prebiotic), control + 0.1% antibiotic bambermycin, and control + 0.035% MOS. For the first 4 weeks the birds were fed treatment diets, followed by commercial feed for 2 weeks. The parameters observed in this study were intestinal microbes population and blood profiles. The results showed that the administration of 0,035% MOS increased the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) number compared with antibiotics feed (P 0.05) with the control group. The total aerobic and coliform bacteria were higher in MOS and antibiotic treatment compared than control group. The supplementation of 0.035% MOS from copra meal in diet increased the level of leucocytes which is important to immune response of broilers and its usage was safe because the level of chicken blood profile were within the normal range.


This study looks at the Post-Modern Portfolio Theory that maintains greater diversification in an investment portfolio by using the alpha and the beta coefficient to measure investment performance. Post-Modern Portfolio Theory appreciates that investment risk should be tied to each investor's goals and the outcome of this goal did not symbolize economic of the financial risk. Post-Modern Portfolio Theory's downside measure generated a noticeable distinction between downside and upside volatility. Brian M. Rom & Kathleen W. Ferguson, 1994, indicated that in post-Modern Portfolio Theory, only volatility below the investor's target return incurred risk, all returns above this target produced 'ambiguity', which was nothing more than riskless chance for unexpected returns.


Valveless piezoelectric micropumps are in wide practical use due to their ability to conduct particles with absence of interior moving mechanical parts. In this paper, an extended numerical study on fluid flow through micropump chamber and diffuser valves is conducted to find out the optimum working conditions of micropump. In order to obtain maximum generality of the reported results, an analytical study along with a dimensional analysis is presented primarily, to investigate the main dimensionless groups of parameters affecting the micropump net flux. Consequently, the parameters appeared in the main dimensionless groups have been changed in order to understand how the pump rectification efficiency and optimum diffuser angle depend on these parameters. A set of characteristic curves are constructed which show these dependencies. The application of these curves would have far reaching implications for valveless micropumps design and selection purposes.


The development of sulfone-based macromolecules (polymer to dendrimers) has been inspired and prompted by much interesting importance of sulfone chemistry. Literature reveals that dendrimers are more demanding than the polymer in many aspects, because of its unique structural properties. Inspite of increasing importance and applications of dendrimers, it has a lot of hindrance regarding the tedious way of synthesis, which requires large excess of reagent and several problems in isolation. Therefore, time to time several tactics of synthesis has been developed. It was also well known that sulfonylation reaction is not only fast and easy to handle but also aryl sulfonylchloride derivatives are inexpensively available. Nowadays, sulfone-based dendrimers are exponentially expanding its application in disciplines of science which lie in organic synthesis, material sciences, combinatorial chemistry, medicinal chemistry and chemical biology. In this review, we have compiled the types of dendrimer and chiefly focused on the synthesis of sulfone-based dendrimers and their applications, in short. Further, future prospect of sulfone-based dendrimers in various branches of science has been outlined.Copyright © 2017 VBRI Press.


&NA; Date Presented 3/30/2017 This is the first study to test phenotype relationships and manifestations in parents of children with sensory modulation disorder (SMD), demonstrating an SMD relationship between mothers and their offspring but not fathers. Interestingly, reduced quality of life of both parents was most affected by their own attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Primary Author and Speaker: Tami Bar‐Shalita


Immigration policy is one of the most contentious public policy issues in the United States today. High-skilled immigrants represent an increasing share of the U.S. workforce, particularly in science and engineering fields. These immigrants affect economic growth, patterns of trade, education choices, and the earnings of workers with different types of skills. The chapters in this volume go beyond the traditional question of how the inflow of foreign workers affects native employment and earnings to explore effects on innovation and productivity, wage inequality across skill groups, the behavior of multinational firms, firm-level dynamics of entry and exit, and the nature of comparative advantage across countries.


We have shown in a murine model system for cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in the immunocompromised host that CMV infection interferes with the earliest detectable step in hemopoiesis, the generation of the stem cell CFU-S-I, and thereby prevents the autoreconstitution of bone marrow after sublethal irradiation. The antihemopoietic effect could not be ascribed to a direct infection of stem cells. The failure in hemopoiesis was prevented by adoptive transfer of antiviral CD8+ T lymphocytes and could be overcome by syngeneic bone marrow transplantation. CD8+ T lymphocytes and bone marrow cells both mediated survival, although only CD8+ T lymphocytes were able to limit virus multiplication in host tissues. We concluded that not the cytopathic effect of virus replication in host tissues, but the failure in hemopoiesis, is the primary cause of death in murine CMV disease.


The title of this legal research was Juridical Review towards Motorcycle Corruption Crime in PT. Federal International Finance Yogyakarta Branch. This legal research begun from author's worry on the existence of motorcycle corruption crime always happens and it is an increasing social problem. By this research, thus this legal writing was mad by purpose to find an analyze data on factors causing the existence of motorcycle corruption in Yogyakarta particularly in PT. Federal International Finance of which was then also presented the effort of solution to overwhelm this problem. This legal writing used juridical normative method wherein data collection was gained from literary research, field research
of which directly gained data from source person .i.e. party of PT. Federal International Finance, and primary data by shape of primary legal source i.e. criminal code. Method of analysis in this legal writing was conducted qualitatively i.e. data gained from field research either literally and orally was then studied completely and thoroughly and then analyzed and presented descriptively. In general, it found two causing factors i.e. internal factor of the company, and those from customers of the company. Internal factor of the company is the existence of system given by method of credit by very accessible and relatively cheap requisites, thus it opens a niche to happen a corruption crime. Meanwhile the factor of customers is by considering the supply of company, makes the customers inconsiderably gain motorcycle, and with no further consideration on the extended installment cost of which actually is not appropriate to personal financial condition makes the customers are bound by payable in payment of extended installment cost that open the possibility of the existence of corruption crime, and other environmental factor e.g. lifestyle wherein the
existence of property that is shown off will emerge the passion to have more for incapable people, thus it emerges the crime. From this problem analysis, thus it strives solution through the preventive action and repressive firm legal punishment towards the perpetrator of motorcycle corruption.


First attempts to purify bismuth tri-iodide for radiation detector applications are presented. Bismuth tri-iodide synthesized from bismuth subcarbonate and potassium iodide was used as starting material. Sample composition was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction. A first set of samples (at 400 mmHg of Ar) was purified by zone refining in a vertical zone refining furnace at 460/spl deg/C and at a speed of about 3 cm/hr down the length of the ingot, 100 passes. One of these samples was then purified by sublimation. A second set of samples was purified by repeated sublimation under Ar atmosphere (400 mmHg) with the source sample at 370/spl deg/C and the cold extreme of the ampoule at room temperature. The starting and purified products' stoichiometry was determined. Also the starting and purified materials purity was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Zone refining appears as an appropriate method for purification of several impurities, while sublimation, for others. On the other hand, zone refining clearly deteriorates the material stoichiometry (from BiI/sub 2.82/ to BiI/sub 2.75/), while a combination of the two methods, that is, a first zone refining process of about 100 passes, followed by, at least, one sublimation, results to be the most appropriate purification method, in order of obtaining a pure but also stoichiometric material (BiI/sub 3.08/). This process has a yield of 20%. The purification way proposed here turns over to be the same what was found for lead iodide purification, although easier, because of the lower tendency for bismuth tri-iodide to decompose.


OBJECTIVES
Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MRH), a rare histiocytic disease that can mimic other rheumatic conditions, may be associated with cancer and other autoimmune disorders. To better understand the disorder and its other associations, we aimed to evaluate clinical correlates and outcomes of all patients with MRH seen at Mayo Clinic, Rochester between 1980 and 2017.

METHODS
A retrospective medical record review was conducted to identify all patients with MRH between 1 January 1980 and 30 April 2017.

RESULTS
We identified 24 patients with biopsy-proven MRH (58% female, 75% Caucasian, median age at diagnosis 52 years, median follow-up of 2.3 years). All patients had cutaneous and articular involvement; 23 (96%) patients had papulonodular skin lesions (87% periungual and dorsal hand) and seven (30%) mucosal nodules; and 22 (92%) patients had arthralgias, 21 (88%) joint effusions and 13 (54%) synovitis. Most frequently used therapies included corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and bisphosphonates. Biologics were used in four patients. Nine patients had symptomatic resolution at 1 year and 12 partial improvement. Radiological findings included erosive changes in three (60%) patients and arthritis mutilans in two patients (40%). Twenty-nine per cent of patients had a concomitant autoimmune disease and 25% malignancy including melanoma, endometrial, peritoneal and lung carcinoma. The 5-year survival rate was 85% (95% CI: 74, 100%).

CONCLUSION
To our knowledge, this is the largest single-centre series of patients with MRH highlighting the rarity of the condition and an unmet need for treatment options that can allow sustained disease remission. It also highlights the need for a high vigilance for malignancy and autoimmune diseases.


Friedel's sum rule provides an explicit expression for a conductance functional $\mathcal{G}[n]$, valid for the single-impurity Anderson model at zero temperature. The functional is special because it does not depend on the interaction strength $U$. As a consequence, the Landauer conductance for the Kohn-Sham (KS) particles of density functional theory (DFT) coincides with the true conductance of the interacting system. The argument breaks down at temperatures above the Kondo scale, near integer filling, ${n}_{\mathrm{d}\ensuremath{\sigma}}\ensuremath{\approx}1/2$ for spins $\ensuremath{\sigma}=\ensuremath{\uparrow}\ensuremath{\downarrow}$. Here, the true conductance is strongly suppressed by the Coulomb blockade, while the KS conductance still indicates resonant transport. Conclusions of our analysis are corroborated by DFT studies with numerically exact exchange-correlation functionals reconstructed from calculations employing the density matrix renormalization group.


Background. Liver diseases still represent a major health burden worldwide. Moreover, medicinal plants have gained popularity in the treatment of several diseases including liver. Thus, the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Piper cubeba fruits in the amelioration of CCl4-induced liver injuries and oxidative damage in the rodent model. Methods. Hepatoprotective activity was assessed using various biochemical parameters like SGOT, SGPT, γ-GGT, ALP, total bilirubin, LDH, and total protein. Meanwhile, in vivo antioxidant activities as LPO, NP-SH, and CAT were measured in rat liver as well as mRNA expression of cytokines such as TNFα, IL-6, and IL-10 and stress related genes iNOS and HO-1 were determined by RT-PCR. The extent of liver damage was also analyzed through histopathological observations. Results. Treatment with PCEE significantly and dose dependently prevented drug induced increase in serum levels of hepatic enzymes. Furthermore, PCEE significantly reduced the lipid peroxidation in the liver tissue and restored activities of defense antioxidant enzymes NP-SH and CAT towards normal levels. The administration of PCEE significantly downregulated the CCl4-induced proinflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL-6 mRNA expression in dose dependent manner, while it upregulated the IL-10 and induced hepatoprotective effect by downregulating mRNA expression of iNOS and HO-1 gene.


In 1963 a partial differential equation with a convolution non-linearity was introduced in connection with a quantum mechanical many-body problem, namely the gas of bosonic particles. This equation is mathematically interesting for several reasons. (1) Although the equation was expected to be valid only for small values of the parameters, further investigation showed that predictions based on the equation agree well over the {\it entire range} of parameters with what is expected to be true for the solution of the true many-body problem. (2) The novel nonlinearity is easy to state but seems to have almost no literature up to now. (3) The earlier work did not prove existence and uniqueness of a solution, which we provide here along with properties of the solution such as decay at infinity.


In operation, some structural members are subjects to bending conditions. Velocity
variations of guided waves propagating in a stressed specimen are expected due to the
acoustoelasticity effect. In this work, a numerical study of the fundamental torsional mode
is performed in a hollow cylinder subjects to bending stress. Bending produces different
stresses along the horizontal axis of the pipe and through the specimen thickness.
Therefore, stress magnitudes are dependent on the longitudinal axis distance and the
radius. Acoustoelasticity predicts change in bulk velocities when the propagation is in a
stressed waveguide. Thus, the estimation of the phase velocity of a guided wave in a
bowing specimen is a complex task.
The objective of this study is to assess changes in the wavepacket dynamics due to stress
variations in a bending environment. In the numerical analysis by using Finite Element
Modeling (FEM), the stress gradient is imposed on the wave propagation analysis by
importing the results of the quasi-static simulation (bending) to the explicit solution FEM
scheme (Wave propagation).
Several bending's stresses behavior are simulated (variable and constant along the
waveguide) and implemented to establish a relationship between the bending stress and
the change in the phase magnitude velocity. Variations in velocity are determined in the
time domain by comparing the current signals with the wavepacket without bending.
The importance of this study lies on the verification of the effects in the wave field (e.g.
velocity variations) caused by the bending and determine if they are enough to be used to
track stresses variations in the waveguide in an SHM system by using a pitch-catch
configuration.


Peach (Prunus persica) fruit emit more than 100 volatile organic compounds. Among these volatiles, γ-decalactone is the key compound that contributes to peach aroma. The final step in lactones biosynthesis is catalyzed by alcohol acyltransferases (AATs). In this study, five AAT genes were isolated in the peach genome, and the ways that these genes contribute toward the peach aroma were studied. The sequence analysis of the five AATs showed PpAAT4 and PpAAT5 are truncated genes, missing important residues such as HXXXD. The expressions of PpAATs were investigated to identify the roles in creating the peach aroma. The results indicated that only PpAAT1 is highly expressed during γ-decalactone formation. A functional survey of the five PpAATs, using the oleaginous yeast expression system, suggested that only PpAAT1 significantly increased the γ-decalactone content, whereas the other four PpAATs did not significantly alter the γ-decalactone content. Enzyme assays on PpAATs heterologously expressed and purified from Escherichia coli indicated that only PpAAT1 could catalyze the formation of γ-decalactone. All results indicated that PpAAT1 is a more efficient enzyme than the other four PpAATs during the γ-decalactone biosynthesis process in peach fruit. The results from this study should help improve peach fruit aroma.


BACKGROUND
Oncologists often do not give honest prognostic and treatment-effect information to patients with advanced disease. One of the primary reasons stated for witholding this information is to "not take away hope." We could find no study that tested if hope was influenced by honest clinical information.

METHODS
We tested decision-aids in 27 patients with advanced cancer who were facing first-, second-, third-, and fourth-line chemotherapy. These aids had printed estimates of treatment effect and the patient's chance of survival and being cured (always zero). We measured hope using the Herth Hope Index, which ranks patients' responses to 12 questions and yields a maximum score of 48.

RESULTS
The scores on the Herth Hope Index did not change and the patients remained uniformly hopeful about their future. The pretest score was 44.2 (SD 3.9), and it increased to 44.8 (SD 3.86; P = .55 by paired Student's t-test).

CONCLUSION
Hope is maintained when patients with advanced cancer are given truthful prognostic and treatment information, even when the news is bad.


The thesis focuses on the relationship between Sanskrit classical grammar, Ahludharma, and the debates between Madhyamaka and Yogacara. In particular, it shows how the karaka system, and the idea of laksana, influence philosophical argumentation in the context of medieval Indian Buddhist thought. The karaka system is the way in which classical Sanskrit grammarians discuss syntax, and in particular, actions and agency. Laksana means a defining trait, or a definition, at once a scholastic tool and a fundamental way to identify existent entities. There are five Chapters and two Appendices. Chapter One shows the close links between Sanskrit classical grammar and basic ideas in Buddhist thought, and isolates the karaka system as being most relevant in this regard. It also shows certain structural analogies between the karaka system and certain important features of Buddhist philosophy. Chapter Two is mostly based on Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosabhasya and its sub-commentary; it highlights and reconstructs the discussions on laksana and agency found therein. Chapter Three shows how Madhyamaka understands similar issues, and what is the proper context and significance of its refutation of laksanas,. Chapter Four shifts the focus upon the Madhyamaka understanding of conventional truths, and the role of the laksana of Abhidharma, as well as of the karaka system, within satfivni) Chapter Five compares the Yogdcdra views on the very same topics. Appendix 1 is a translation of Prajnakaramati's commentary to Bodhicarydvatdra 9.1-34, a work where many of the philosophical debates discussed throughout the thesis are well represented. Appendix 2 is a photographic reproduction of a manuscript, containing an anonymous commentary to Nagarjuna's Lokatitastava.


All of the major international human rights instruments guarantee a nondiscrimination right in some form. The uniqueness of the nondiscrimination right arises from two seemingly contradictory aspects of the right. On one hand, the right to equal treatment is a necessary and central component of any coherent ethical system based a priori on the value of human beings. On the other hand, it would be impossible and in any case undesirable for the law even to approach treating all human beings equally. This is the challenge of the nondiscrimination right in a nutshell.There are several ways to approach discrimination as an expression of the right to equality under law. One approach identifies a limited number of grounds on which distinctions made, supported, or tolerated by a state government will be considered presumptively illegitimate. Alternatively, distinctions on any ground may be considered in need of justification under some standard of review if they result in the denial of a recognized human right, as provided for in Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Finally, one might consider any governmental distinction between persons on any grounds to be presumptively in need of justification. This paper examines these different approaches to the nondiscrimination right and explores some of their important consequences.


Contrary to the conventional view that the doctrine of unconscionability requires procedural defects and is based on bargaining inequality, this paper argues that, in principle, substantive unconscionability alone shall be sufficient to constitute unconscionability and so vitiate a contract. It is also my contention that Aristotelian idea of contract of exchange as an act of voluntary commutative justice explains the two sources of unfairness. They are not understood by contemporary legal scholarship, namely, economic unfairness and involuntariness. Economic unfairness prevents gross disparity, which alone triggers unconscionability; it has been observed that when a transaction is truly stupid or one-sided, courts will set aside the contract as unconscionable. When a contract violates the autonomy of a party by hiding offensive or oppressive terms in a boilerplate, relief is given by both the Second Restatement of Contracts and European Directive. Yet, there is no doctrinal basis in our theoretical framework that justifies either one of the two reliefs. We stand a better chance of having a coherent doctrine of unconscionability by understanding what unfairness means and seeing contract of exchange as an act of voluntary commutative justice as in Aristotelian tradition.