BACKGROUND: Opioid-induced constipation (OIC), a common side effect of opioid treatment for chronic pain, affects patient health-related quality of life (HRQL) and may prompt some patients to lower the dose or alter adherence to their opioid medication, compromising pain relief. Although health care providers (HCPs) are aware of the potential for OIC, patients may not inform their HCPs of their OIC symptoms, and HCPs may not initiate conversation regarding OIC if their patients' pain is controlled. Patients often try to address OIC symptoms on their own by using natural approaches or over-the-counter options. When OIC is discussed in an office visit, HCPs typically recommend conventional laxatives to relieve symptoms, but the efficacy of this approach is unproven and often suboptimal. In many areas of medicine, HCP perceptions of the impact of adverse effects of treatment on a patient's HRQL do not align with the patient's experience. OBJECTIVES: To (a) describe HCP-reported understanding of his or her patients' experiences with OIC and (b) evaluate the level of agreement or discordance in perception between patients and their HCPs of OIC's impact on clinical outcomes. METHODS: This was a prospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study conducted in the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom (NCT01928953) in patients aged 18 to 85 years who had been receiving daily opioid therapy for ≥ 4 weeks for chronic noncancer pain with presence of OIC in the past 2 weeks. Data were collected from retrospective chart reviews, HCP questionnaires, and web-based patient surveys. Eligible patients enrolled online and completed the Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms, the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire-Specific Health Problem, the EuroQOL 5 Dimensions, and the Global Assessment of Treatment Benefit, Satisfaction, and Willingness to Continue standardized questionnaires. The patient-reported component included 1 baseline survey and 8 follow-up surveys over 24 weeks. HCPs completed a web-based survey at baseline and at week 24 to assess their perceptions of OIC burden, treatment patterns, laxative use, and overall treatment satisfaction. The correspondence of patient- and HCP-reported data was evaluated for all similar outcomes from these 2 databases. RESULTS: Patients (N = 489) reported a mean (SD) number of bowel movements (BMs) per week and spontaneous BMs per week of 3.7 (2.9) and 1.4 (2.3), respectively, at baseline. Most (87%) reported chronic pain of ≥ 2 years duration; 65% had used opioids for ≥ 2 years; and the mean pain score at baseline was 6.3, consistent with a moderate-to-severe pain population. Most (97%) patients at baseline reported any gastrointestinal-related symptom of at least moderate intensity, with 82% reporting the same intensity of any symptom at week 24. Of the 405 patients who had seen their HCPs in the past month, 63% reported that they had spoken to their HCPs about constipation, and 62% reported that their HCPs had asked them if they had constipation in the past month. The proportion of agreement between HCPs and their patients on the presence of constipation at baseline was 61%. Similar average pain ratings between HCPs and patients (5.9 vs. 6.0) at week 24 suggested clear communication regarding the level of pain experienced by the patient; however, OIC symptoms, laxative use and effectiveness, and impact of OIC on pain management and HRQL were not fully appreciated by HCPs. CONCLUSIONS: The importance and severity of OIC are perceived differently by patients and their HCPs, a discordance that complicates pain management and demonstrates a need for greater communication. These disparate perceptions indicate a need for clinical education and coordination of care by HCPs to improve understanding and proactively manage OIC in patients with chronic noncancer pain.


The proposed perception evolution network (PEN) is a biologically inspired neural network model for unsupervised learning and online incremental learning. It is able to automatically learn suitable prototypes from learning data in an incremental way, and it does not require the predefined prototype number or the predefined similarity threshold. Meanwhile, being more advanced than the existing unsupervised neural network model, PEN permits the emergence of a new dimension of perception in the perception field of the network. When a new dimension of perception is introduced, PEN is able to integrate the new dimensional sensory inputs with the learned prototypes, i.e., the prototypes are mapped to a high-dimensional space, which consists of both the original dimension and the new dimension of the sensory inputs. In the experiment, artificial data and real-world data are used to test the proposed PEN, and the results show that PEN can work effectively.


BACKGROUND
Fusional vergence therapy is typically performed under conditions that permit the patient to direct considerable attention and effort to the visual task. Unless visual function is sufficiently automatic as to require minimal attention and effort, attention directed toward visual function may detract from that available for cognitive processing. This report describes a method to develop greater automaticity of fusional vengence through the use of concurrent demands.

METHODS
A retrospective pilot study of patient records was performed to assess the use of a concurrent motor demand (bouncing on a rebounder) to develop automaticity of fusional vergence.

RESULTS
In most cases, patients who achieved adequate fusional vergence without the concurrent motor demand demonstrated a decrease in fusional vergence ranges when the motor demand was added, and then improved with practice so that vergence ranges while bouncing on the rebounder approached those achieved while seated. This pattern was obtained in 75 percent of the base-out and 57.1 percent of the base-in protocols. Some patients who showed a decrement in performance with introduction of the concurrent demand failed to improve with practice; this pattern was observed in 28.6 percent of the base-in protocols, but in none of the base-out protocols. Some patients showed no decrease in performance when the concurrent distracting task was introduced (observed in 25 percent of the base-out protocols and 14.3 percent of the base-in protocols).

CONCLUSIONS
In most cases, maximum automaticity is not achieved when fusional vergence is trained under conditions that permit the patient to devote full attention to the vergence task. Introducing concurrent distractors may be desirable to automate performance and enable the patient to maintain fusional vergence even while attention is directed to the concurrent task. Heightened automaticity may reduce the effort and attention that must be directed toward binocular function, and hence maximize attentional capacity available for information-processing, comprehension, and performance on the task at hand.


Nowadays, the importance of financial crises and defaults of countries are becoming clear due to the globalization in the economic area and investments. Generalized partial linear model (GPLM) is a combination of two different regression models connecting with the mean of the dependent variable with the help of a link function. It is adequate to high-dimensional, non-normal data sets having the flexibility to reflect all anomalies effectively. The nonlinear patterns are also easily explained by the nonparametric component of the model. In this study, we introduce a newly developed conic GPLM (CGPLM) to predict default probabilities of 45 emerging markets using the contribution of a continuous model CMARS and a discrete model logistic regression. We present its application results on a data set with 13 macroeconomic variables in 25 years' time. To predict debt crises, CGPLM gives better results than a single CMARS and a single logistic regression. In fact, we have 91.81% and 89.31% accuracy rates, computed according to the correctness of the model output, for training and validation sample, respectively. This improvement in prediction of crises can contribute to new prospects and developments in financial mathematics to make more accurate previsions for investments and to take measures due to coming risks.


Anal acoustic reflectometry (AAR) is a technique that is currently under investigation for the assessment of faecal incontinence. It uses reflected sounds waves to measure cross sectional area at different pressures leading to a profile of the anal canal, and in particular the high pressure zone of the anal sphincters. The cross sectional area from the high pressure zone is then plotted on a graph to give seven characteristic parameters. AAR has been shown to be reproducible and reliable, able to distinguish between continence and incontinence, correlate with the severity of incontinence and able to discriminate between the three patterns of incontinence (urge, passive and mixed). Opening pressure has been shown to be an independent predictor of success with peripheral nerve evaluation, the trial period before sacral nerve stimulation. This thesis aimed to validate AAR against manometry and explore its physiological and clinical potential. A retrospective analysis of 265 patients who had undergone AAR was undertaken in order to develop a surrogate marker for anal canal length. The surrogate marker did find the expected difference between men and women but this was not clinically significant. Furthermore, the surrogate marker was unable to differentiate between incontinence and continence. A technical limitation (Gibbs phenomenon) of AAR was subsequently shown to explain this unexpected result.Prior manometry could possibly interfere with the interpretation of AAR, and therefore a prospective randomised cohort study of 30 patients was conducted to assess two orders of data collection. Reassuringly it does not matter which one of these investigations is undertaken first. In order to test the hypothesis that the greater the challenge to the anal sphincter, the greater the response, the effect of two rates of anal canal stretch was investigated in a prospective randomised cohort study of 50 patients with faecal incontinence. No difference was found between normal or fast rates of AAR. This study has validated a faster method of AAR that can be used alongside manometry in any order.A pudendal nerve block was used to investigate whether AAR assesses primarily internal or external sphincter function in a prospective cohort study of 15 patients using both AAR and manometry. Bilateral pudendal nerve block reduced the function of the external anal sphincter but had no effect on the internal sphincter using both techniques. This study suggests that AAR at rest is predominately an investigation of the internal anal sphincter. A prospective study of 30 patients with faecal incontinence was carried out to establish if AAR can predict the outcome from posterior tibial nerve stimulation. Posterior tibial nerve stimulation improved rectal sensation, manometry squeeze pressures, quality of life, severity of incontinence and was more effective for patients with urge incontinence. A variety of demographic, clinical and physiological measures were unable to predict the success of posterior tibial nerve stimulation.The results presented in this thesis suggest that the full clinical potential of AAR has yet to be realised and it will be necessary to compare it with high resolution anal manometry in the future. Progress in this field would be greatly facilitated by establishing the normal values for this technique and the development of a robust AAR assessment of the external anal sphincter.


Van Valin (Journal of Child Language 29, 2002, 161–75) presents a critique of Rowland & Pine (Journal of Child Language 27, 2000, 157–81) and argues that the wh-question data from Adam (in Brown, A first language, Cambridge, MA, 1973) cannot be explained in terms of input frequencies as we suggest. Instead, he suggests that the data can be more successfully accounted for in terms of Role and Reference Grammar. In this note we re-examine the pattern of inversion and uninversion in Adam's wh-questions and argue that the RRG explanation cannot account for some of the developmental facts it was designed to explain.


This study explores the conflict management styles used by auditors when resolving disputes with clients concerning financial statement issues. Rahim's (1983a, 1990) ROCI–II conflict management instrument was used to establish both the styles generally used and also those used in a scenario concerning possible inventory obsolescence. Size of the client and the strength of its corporate governance mechanisms were manipulated in the scenario. It was found that auditors indicate that they primarily use the integrating style to resolve disputes. The compromising and dominating styles are used to a lesser extent while the obliging and avoiding styles are rarely used. Partners are more likely than managers to use more assertive styles of conflict management. The size of the client and the strength of corporate governance mechanisms in place have a significant but relatively minor impact on the choice of styles. The study also identifies the parties whom the auditor would expect to help resolve the dispute. It was found that, when resolving a dispute with the client's chief financial officer, the audit committee is perceived to give the most assistance, followed by the chief executive of icer.


RARE EVENT SAMPLING IN APPLIED STOCHASTIC DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS by YiMing Yu Predicting rare events is a challenging problem in many complex systems arising in physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science. Simulating rare events is often prohibitive in such systems due to their high dimensionality and the numerical cost of their simulation, yet analytical expressions for rare event probabilities are usually not available. This dissertation tackles the problem of approximation of the probability of rare catastrophic events in optical communication systems and spin-torque magnetic nanodevices. With the application of the geometric minimum action method, the probability of pulse position shifts or other parameter changes in a model of an actively mode-locked laser subject to noise from amplified spontaneous emission can be quantified. Similarly, by applying importance sampling with biasing functions motivated by optimal control, read and write soft error rates of macrospin and coupled-spin systems of spin-torque magnetic nanodevices can be efficiently estimated. RARE EVENT SAMPLING IN APPLIED STOCHASTIC DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS


In today's highly connected cyber-physical world, people are constantly disclosing personal and sensitive data to different organizations and other people through the use of online and physical services. Such data disclosure activities can lead to unexpected privacy issues. However, there is a general lack of tools that help to improve users' awareness of such privacy issues and to make more informed decisions on their data disclosure activities in wider contexts. To fill this gap, this paper presents a novel user-centric, data-flow graph based semantic model, which can show how a given user's personal and sensitive data are disclosed to different entities and how different types of privacy issues can emerge from such data disclosure activities. The model enables both manual and automatic analysis of privacy issues, therefore laying the theoretical foundation of building data-driven and user-centric software tools for people to better manage their data disclosure activities in the cyber-physical world.


In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using 3.5-Fr (3 Fr = 1 mm) circular phased-array intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheters for minimally invasive, image-guided hyperthermia treatment of tumors in the brain. Feasibility was demonstrated in two ways: (1) by inserting a 3.5-Fr IVUS catheter through skull burr holes, for 20 MHz brain imaging in the pig model, and (2) by testing a modified circular array for therapy potential with 18.5-MHz and 9-MHz continuous wave (CW) excitation. The imaging transducer's performance was superior to our previous 9-MHz mechanical IVUS prototype. The therapy catheter transducer was driven by CW electrical power at 18.5 MHz, achieving temperature changes reaching +8°C at a depth of 2 mm in a human glioblastoma grown on the flank of a mouse with minimal transducer resistive heating of +2°C. Further hyperthermia trials showed that 9-MHz CW excitation produced temperature changes of +4.5°C at a depth of 12 mm—a sufficient temperature rise for our long-term goal of targeted, controlled drug release via thermosensitive liposomes for therapeutic treatment of 1-cm-diameter glioblastomas.


Abstract This paper describes a possibility to control of laser ablation using material functionality. As an example, a remarkable difference is shown in the laser ablation of a polystyrene film coated with a photovoltaic perylene/phthalocyanine bilayer when compared with a bare polystyrene film after irradiation at an intensity range of 109 ∼ 1010W/cm2 (λ=1064 nm, 1.1-ns FWHM). Without the bilayer coating, the laser pulse formed spiky structures in the polystyrene film as self-focusing traces of the laser pulse, while for the coated film, the uniform surface ablation trace without the spiky interior structures was observed. The phenomena in the presence of the organic photovoltaic coating material agree with the required ablation to achieve high-density compression of the fuel capsule for inertial fusion energy.


Polycarbonate (PC) nanocomposites were prepared by melt intercalation technique in an intermeshing co-rotating twin-screw extruder. Both unmodified (Na+MMT) and organo-modified (Cloisite 10A & OMMT) clays were used for the preparation of nanocomposites. The effect of addition of clays on the morphological and dynamic mechanical properties of PC matrix has been studied. The wide angle X-ray (WAXD) studies reveal a dominated exfoliated morphology of the nanocomposites at a clay content of 5%. The intercalated morphology is predominated upto clay content of 3%. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated the co-existance of intercalated/exfoliated morphology in all the composites. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) shows an increase in storage modulus indicating higher stiffness in case of organomodified clay filled composites as compared to unmodified & virgin matrix.


: Mineral density of bone tissue was assessed in 22 patients with oligoamenorrhea caused by primary hyperprolactinemia. Primary hyperprolactinemia in the presence of pituitary adenoma was diagnosed in 8 patients, primary functional form of the disease in 14. Fifteen healthy women were controls. Blood serum concentrations of prolactin, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, hydrocortisone, LH, and FSH were measured. Bone tissue mineral density was assessed by monophoton absorptiometry in the distal portion of the radial bone at sites 1/3 and 1/20 of its length two times with one-year interval. Abnormal loss of mineral density of bone tissue in 1/3 site was detected in 4 out of 14 patients with functional and in 3 out of 8 patients with tumorous hyperprolactinemia, in site 1/20 in 9 out of 14 and in 8, respectively. Reduction of mineral density of bone tissue was associated with pronounced hormonal imbalance in all the patients with accelerated loss of bone tissue, no matter what form of primary hyperprolactinemia they developed.


Pension is a necessity and a vital investment to ensure financial security after retirement. Primary pensioners need to transition to civilian life and the surviving spouses of deceased veterans facing widowhood. Maximizing the availment of pension benefits will alleviate the financial distress of military pensioners and promote life satisfaction after many years in the military service. The study was conducted to determine the awareness and availment of the pension benefits of military pensioners and the challenges they have encountered in availing of these benefits. The findings of this study were utilized to prepare an action plan to cater better to the concerns of primary pensioners and surviving spouse beneficiaries.


After reaching a twenty-year low in the late 1980s avalanche deaths in the United States soared during the 1990s and spiked in 2007/08 with 36 deaths, the highest number killed in the modern era (post 1950). During the 10-year study period 281 people died in 237 fatal avalanche accidents. (In the previous 10 years—1989/90 to 19998/99 avalanches killed 220, an increase of 27 percent.) Data from these accidents have been compiled to draw a profile of the modern avalanche victim. The mean age for all victims is 33 (median, 31); however, the average age varies significantly by gender. The average age for men is 34, while the average age for women is 38 (M-W, P<0.0001). Ninety percent of the victims are men but only ten percent are women. For males the 20–29 age group suffered the most deaths; however, for females, surprisingly it is the 40–49 age group. Recreationists account for 96% of the avalanche deaths. Snowmobilers account for 40% of avalanche deaths—largest single category; however, the combined totals of all skiers and snowboarders is very close at 39%. January, February, and March are the most deadly months. Colorado experienced 19% of the fatalities in the last 10 years (down from 28% during the 1990s); however, Alaska's fatality rate per population is nearly six times greater than Colorado's. Additional data and information are presented regarding US avalanche fatalities by month, state, activity, and the shifting profile of the typical victim.


The essay intends to explore some aspects of a methodology that looks at social enterprises' activities through social impact measurement and assessment, in order to qualify and quan-tify the creating added-value, both in the community and to social enterprise itself. The fo-cus is on a document published in 2015 by the GECES Sub-group on Impact Measurement for the European Commission titled "Proposed Approaches to Social Impact Measurement in European Commission legislation and in practice relating to: EuSEFs and the EaSI". The analysis of the proposed model aims to examine the actual possibilities of combining mar-ket competitiveness, product quality and solidarity. Looking at these issues raises attention to the risks related to the use of this model. From the point of view of subsidiarity, the es-tablishment of a single European market for social entrepreneurship financing, combined to application of a meritocratic principle, can pose a problem of equity, since in contradiction with the ideas and principles that govern the social action's effectiveness.


Study of military-epidemiological importance of typhoid-paratyphoid infections in military operations of XIX and XX centuries. Despite the research progress, and new means of special prevention, the problem has not been solved yet. In wars water becomes an important factor of typhoid spread in the troops and civil population, so water supply should be closely supervised by the civil authorities and military medics.


It is difficult to meet all the different material and economical requirements posed to a MEMS structural layer that can be integrated with the electronics on the same substrate using a single layer process. Therefore a multilayer process, which uses a combination of a CVD crystallization layer and a high-growth rate PECVD bulk layer was developed. High-quality films with excellent electrical and mechanical properties can be obtained at low temperature (#450°C) and high deposition rates (~100 nm/min). Fine-tuning of the stress gradient is accomplished by the use of a top stress compensation layer, whose optimal thickness was estimated from an evaluation of the stress gradient profile over thickness. These layers have been used for processing a 10 µm thick poly-SiGe gyroscope on top of a standard 0.35 µm CMOS process.


One of the basic and for many, defining tenets of action research is contained in the "slogan" ascribed to Kurt Lewin: "In order to understand it, you have to change it". The slogan clearly resembles what Francis Bacon claimed for experimental science, however, and also Karl Marx' well known stance in his Feuerbach-theses. In this text I discuss this "change imperative" and relate it to its "pre-history" before action research. Most action researchers are not willing to subscribe to terms like "social engineering" but still call what they do for "interventions". The text argues that what most people spontaneously think of as "change" may not be necessary for calling what is done for action research. Yet, the alternative is not to withdraw to a disengaged, spectator position. The change imperative raises important questions about what kind of change action research initiates, and what kind of knowledge results from different forms of change. The text challenges the "slogan" as to what kind of change is appropriate and legitimate in working with changes in individuals, culture, communities, and organisations, and suggests ways forward through developing forms of practitioner research and native or indigenous research. To illustrate, insights from Aristotle and Hegel are invoked. Action researchers are challenged to discuss and clarify answers to questions about what kind of change is produced, and what kind of knowledge is generated.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of preceptor nurses` self-leadership on role recognition and job satisfaction. Method: The participants were 171 preceptor nurses worked in one of three general hospitals in Seoul. The data were collected from April 12 to May 12, 2011 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, pearson correlation, Scheffe, and regression with SPSS Win 19.0 program. Result: The results of the study were as followed. The average score for preceptor nurses` self-leadership was 3.55, for role recognition, 3.81 and for job satisfaction, 3.28. The factors of the preceptors` self-leadership affecting role recognition were self-expectation (β=260, p=.002) and goal setting (β=199, p=.030), and those factors accounted for 18.9% of explanatory power. The factors of self-leadership influencing job satisfaction were self-expectation (β=18.3, p=.021), and rehearsal (β=-168, p=.030), and those factors accounted for 31.3% of explanatory power. Among the factors of self-leadership, self-expectation influenced both role recognition and job satisfaction. Conclusions: The results of the study indicate that to improve preceptor`s role recognition and job satisfaction, there should be special training programs to enhance preceptor`s self leadership.


The article presents the results of comprehensive studies carried out by the research team of Saint Petersburg Mining University in cooperation with the specialists from the State Museum-Preserve "Tauric Chersonese" in 2019. The purpose of the work was to discover and map antique and medieval crypts (ancient burial structures) on the territory of suburban necropolis of Tauric Chersonese in the Karantinnaya balka. The complex of geophysical methods included continuous ground penetrating radar sounding at two center frequencies of 350 and 500 MHz and contactless electrical tomography. To minimize spatial errors in the process of studies, topographic and geodetic works were carried out. For the first time wave electromagnetic effects were identified, which indicated the positions of hidden underground crypts. Geological factors were established that are favorable for cutting crypts in the layered thickness of Sarmatian limestones. The obtained results allowed to justify the feasibility of continuing geophysical works at the necropolis in order to study interior space of the discovered crypts and to determine the boundaries of archaeological heritage.


We present a new technique for helping developers understand heap referencing properties of object-oriented programs and how the actions of the program affect these properties. Our dynamic analysis uses the aliasing properties of objects to synthesize a set of roles; each role represents an abstract object state intended to be of interest to the developer. We allow the developer to customize the analysis to explore the object states and behavior of the program at multiple different and potentially complementary levels of abstraction. The analysis uses roles as the basis for three abstractions: role transition diagrams, which present the observed transitions between roles and the methods responsible for the transitions; role relationship diagrams, which present the observed referencing relationships between objects playing different roles; and enhanced method interfaces, which present the observed roles of method parameters. Together, these abstractions provide useful information about important object and data structure properties and how the actions of the program affect these properties. We have implemented the role analysis and have used this implementation to explore the behavior of several Java programs. Our experience indicates that, when combined with a powerful graphical user interface, roles are a useful abstraction for helping developers explore and understand the behavior of object-oriented programs.


Occlusion of a cerebral artery impairs blood flow leading to neuronal death. Reperfusion of the tissue is associated with inflammation, increased reactive oxygen species, necrosis and apoptosis. Hence, damage to the brain will continue even after the blood flow is restored. Isosteviol has been demonstrated to have protective effects against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in the rat heart and the current study was undertaken to determine whether it is also effective in preventing IR injury in the brain. Rats were divided into six groups: a sham-operation control group and 5 IR groups that were pre-treated with either isosteviol 5 mg.kg (-1), 10 mg.kg (-1), 20 mg.kg (-1), nimodipine 5 mg.kg (-1), or saline. Cerebral ischemia was induced for 2 hours. Twenty-two hours after re-perfusion the rats were assessed for neurobehavioral deficit, infarct volume, histological changes, and malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase (SOD), Bcl-2 and NF-kappaB levels in brain tissue. Pre-treatment with isosteviol reduced infarct volume, ameliorated cell death and infiltration of neutrocytes, improved neuro-locomotor activity, increased SOD activity, induced Bcl-2, suppressed lipid superoxidation and the expression of NF-kappaB, and therefore retarded necrosis and apoptosis of neurons and inflammation. These positive effects were dose-dependent with an isosteviol dose of 20 mg.kg (-1), thus being as effective as nimodipine.


The use of peer assessment has been investigated for decades. However, the results of different studies are mixed. In this study, the implementation of peer assessment was attempted to assess students' reading aloud and oral presentation in two higher diploma/associate degree English language courses in Hong Kong. Students' opinions towards the implementation were obtained from the online questionnaire and follow-up interviews. In the end, 163 students from the two courses completed the questionnaire and 11 of them were involved in the interviews voluntarily. Apart from focusing on students' perceptions of peer assessment, the effects of the use of an online platform for peer assessment were explored. The results showed that more than half of the students were positive towards peer assessment because of their perceived benefits such as consolidating subject knowledge, engaging critical thinking and encouraging active student involvement in the assessment process. Regarding peer feedback, a few participants expressed that they were not confident in their abilities and English levels. Also, the majority of students interviewed commented negatively about the quality of their peers' feedback. Based on the findings, some implications for education and future studies were drawn.


Astrobiology is a scientific discipline devoted to the study of life in the universe--its origins, evolution, distribution, and future. It brings together the physical and biological sciences to address some of the most fundamental questions of the natural world: How do living systems emerge? How do habitable worlds form and how do they evolve? Does life exist on worlds other than Earth? As an endeavor of tremendous breadth and depth, astrobiology requires interdisciplinary investigation in order to be fully appreciated and examined. As part of a concerted effort to undertake such a challenge, the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) was established in 1998 as an innovative way to develop the field of astrobiology and provide a scientific framework for flight missions. Now that the NAI has been in existence for almost a decade, the time is ripe to assess its achievements. At the request of NASA's Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate (SMD), the Committee on the Review of the NASA Astrobiology Institute undertook the assignment to determine the progress made by the NAI in developing the field of astrobiology. It must be emphasized that the purpose of this study was not to undertake a review of the scientific accomplishments of NASA's Astrobiology program, in general, or of the NAI, in particular. Rather, the objective of the study is to evaluate the success of the NAI in achieving its stated goals of: 1. Conducting, supporting, and catalyzing collaborative interdisciplinary research; 2. Training the next generation of astrobiology researchers; 3. Providing scientific and technical leadership on astrobiology investigations for current and future space missions; 4. Exploring new approaches, using modern information technology, to conduct interdisciplinary and collaborative research among widely distributed investigators; and 5. Supporting outreach by providing scientific content for use in K-12 education programs, teaching undergraduate classes, and communicating directly with the public. The committee s assessment of the NAI's progress in these five areas is presented in Chapters 2 to 6, respectively.


Studies in 1 + 1 dimensions suggest that causally discontinuous topology changing spacetimes are suppressed in quantum gravity. Borde and Sorkin have conjectured that causal discontinuities are associated precisely with index 1 or n − 1 Morse points in topology changing spacetimes built from Morse functions. We establish a weaker form of this conjecture. Namely, if a Morse function f on a compact cobordism has critical points of index 1 or n − 1, then all the Morse geometries associated with f are causally discontinuous, while if f has no critical points of index 1 or n − 1, then there exist associated Morse geometries which are causally continuous.


Context. CH Cyg is one of the most studied symbiotic stars. Its properties, however, are still not well known. Two main periods, about 15 years and 750 days, are known in the photometric and spectroscopic variations, and two models are proposed for these origins. One is a binary system with an orbital period of 15 years consisting of a hot component and pulsating red giant with a 750-day period. The other is a triple system consisting of an inner symbiotic binary with an orbital period of about 750 days and third component with an orbital period of 15 years. Several active stages have been observed since the 1970s during which the object brightened up by ΔU = 3−5 mag and prominent emission lines appeared. Large mass outflows were observed at some active stages.
Aims. The spectral variation of CH Cyg has been monitored at Asiago Observatories to understand the problems mentioned above. We have analysed spectra obtained in the time period from 1995 to 2004 which covers an active stage during the years 1998−2000.
Methods. High- and low-resolution optical spectra obtained at the Asiago Observatories are used.
Results. Narrow absorption lines of Fe I, Cr I, Ti I, and so on appeared in 1998 at an early phase of the active stage. These lines are clearly distinguished from those of the M-type giant and are typically found on the spectrum of early A-type dwarfs. They were redshifted by about 30 km s−1 with respect to the absorption lines of the M-type giant. Assuming that their radial velocities represent the orbital motion of the hot component, its semi-amplitude is estimated to be 37.0 ± 0.5 km s−1. The masses of the hot component and the M-type giant are estimated to be 0.32 ± 0.02 M⊙ and 4.6 ± 0.2 M⊙, respectively, where a circular orbit with a period of 756 days is adopted. If the inner binary system has an elliptical orbit, e = 0.33, and a period of 750.1 days, the masses of the two components are 0.21 ± 0.01 M⊙ and 2.2 ± 0.1 M⊙, respectively. Our results lend support to the triple system model, because if the period of the symbiotic binary were 15 years, the mass of the hot component would be expected to exceed the Chandrasekhar limit. Highly blueshifted absorption components of H I and He I lines appeared at a later phase of the active stage. Mass ejections with velocities on the order of 1000 km s−1 seem to have occurred along the orbital plane from December 1998 to March 1999. The highest outflow velocity, − 2383 km s−1, was observed on 1999 February 26. Narrow absorption components of Na I D1, D2, and Fe II lines redshifted by 10−15 km s−1 coexisted with the highly blueshifted broad absorption components of H I and He I lines. This phenomenon might have been related to an inner disc inflow expected in wind-compressed discs. In contrast to the bipolar mass outflows at the past active stages, high-velocity equatorial mass ejections likely occurred at the active stage during the years 1998−2000. There should have been an eclipse of the hot component by the M-type giant in the inner binary system in the time period of December 1998 to January 1999. A clear light curve of the eclipse, however, was not detected. Possibly, the luminosity of the hot component was due mainly to free-free emission from the ejected circumstellar matter which was likely more extended than the M-type giant. On the other hand, another eclipse by the third component with the period of 15 years began at the end of May 1999 during which the hot component as well as the emitting regions of Hβ and Fe II lines were well eclipsed. The obscuring matter around the third component should have been much more extended than the M-type giant, and it was likely semi-transparent, because the spectrum of the M-type giant was well seen during the eclipse. The third component appears to be similar to the invisible secondary component in the long-period eclipsing binary ϵ Aur.


Shiga toxin from Shigella dysenteriae type I and shiga-like toxins produced by several serotypes of Escherichia coli are involved in bacillary dysentery, haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (O'Brien et al., 1992, Current Topics Microbiol Immunol 180: 65±94), although their exact role in the pathogenesis is not fully understood. These cytotoxins are composed of an enzymatic A subunit linked to a multimeric receptor-binding B subunit. The enzymatic activity of both shiga and shiga-like toxins so far described is surprisingly similar to that identi®ed for ricin and other plant ribosome-inactivating proteins (Barbieri et al., 1993, Biochim Biophys Acta 1154: 237±282): adenine is removed from the major rRNA at a speci®c adenosine residue thus blocking ribosome function (Endo et al., 1988, Eur J Biochem 171: 45±50). For over a decade it has been common belief that ribosome-inactivating proteins could act only on rRNA within ribosomes. Recently, however, it has been shown that all ribosome-inactivating proteins from plants also depurinate other polyriboand polydeoxyribonucleotides besides rRNA in ribosomes (Barbieri et al., 1994, Nature 372, 624; Barbieri et al., 1997, Nucleic Acids Res 25, 518±522), and the denomination polynucleotide:adenosine glycosidases has been proposed. This prompted us to verify if shiga-like toxin I has polynucleotide:adenosine glycosidase activity. Here we report that indeed activated shiga-like toxin I extensively depurinates DNA from two different sources. The adenine release by activated shiga-like toxin I is reported in Table 1 and Fig. 1. The depurination rate observed with herring-sperm DNA as substrate is similar to the highest reported for plant ribosome-inactivating proteins (Barbieri et al., 1997, ibid ), and in particular is much higher than the rates observed for plant ribosomeinactivating proteins consisting of an A and a B subunit (ricin and related toxins). Activity was detected only with the activated toxin and not with the whole toxin, at odds with the observation made with the above-cited plant toxins, for which removal of the receptor-binding B chain has no effect on the depurination rate on DNA (Barbieri et al., 1997, ibid ). DNA from calf thymus was less sensitive than herring-sperm DNA to enzymatic depurination by shiga-like toxin I, possibly because of the different preparation procedures used, which may yield DNA with nonidentical physicochemical properties. The possibility that the activity observed is due to a contaminant and not to the shiga-like toxin itself is ruled out by (i) the high grade of puri®cation of the toxin prepared by receptor±ligand chromatographic interaction, and (ii) the fact that a signi®cant activity was observed only after activation of the toxin. Shiga-like toxin I also depurinated naked rRNA, tRNA and poly(A), albeit less ef®ciently. Molecular Microbiology (1998) 29(2), 661±669


This paper studies how weather variability affects credit scores and credit access in developing countries. Using rich administrative data on loans to coffee farmers from a large Colombian bank, I show that negative weather shocks lead to lower loan repayment, lower credit scores and more frequent denials of future loan applications. I present evidence that affected farmer's income and ability to repay recover more quickly from weather shocks than credit access. Therefore, the interplay of weather variability and credit scores can lead to the exclusion from credit markets of farmers who could repay a loan.


Aeroecology is an emerging interdisciplinary science focused on the study of airborne organisms with the aim of deepening understanding about the ecological functions of the aerosphere and the bio-organisms that move through it. In addition to having important applications to the understanding of animal migration and foraging movements, global pest and disease control, biodiversity and conservation issues, and monitoring of the effects of climate change, aeroecology has also been critical in ensuring the safety of military and civilian aircraft from bird strikes. Although the capability of radar to observe bioscatter has been known for nearly 70 years, radar aeroecology has now entered an exciting new phase, with the prospect of continent-wide monitoring of flying animals by means of networks of operational weather radars. In this work, the technological challenges of using radar for the detection, characterization, and monitoring of birds, bats, and insects is discussed in detail. Current efforts to further develop radar signal processing algorithms for aeroecology is discussed in light of a multi-national European research initiative, ENRAM.


[1] In the fall of 2007 concurrent air sampling field measurements were conducted for the first time in Guangzhou (at Wan Qing Sha (WQS)) and Hong Kong (at Tung Chung (TC)), two cities in the rapidly developing Pearl River Delta region of China that are only 62 km apart. This region is known to suffer from poor air quality, especially during the autumn and winter months, when the prevailing meteorological conditions bring an outflow of continental air to the region. An interesting multiday O3 pollution event (daily maximum O3 > 122 ppbv) was captured during 9–17 November at WQS, while only one O3 episode day (10 November) was observed at TC during this time. The mean O3 mixing ratios at TC and WQS during the episode were 38 ± 3 (mean ± 95% confidence interval) and 51 ± 7 ppbv, respectively, with a mean difference of 13 ppbv and a maximum hourly difference of 150 ppbv. We further divided this event into two periods: 9–11 November as Period 1 and 12–17 November as Period 2. The mixing ratios of O3 and its precursors (NOx and CO) showed significant differences between the two periods at TC. By contrast, no obvious difference was found at WQS, indicating that different air masses arrived at TC for the two periods, as opposed to similar air masses at WQS for both periods. The analysis of VOC ratios and their relationship with O3 revealed strong O3 production at WQS during Period 2, in contrast to relatively weak photochemical O3 formation at TC. The weather conditions implied regional transport of O3 pollution during Period 1 at both sites. Furthermore, a comprehensive air quality model system (Weather Research and Forecasting–Community Multiscale Air Quality model (WRF-CMAQ)) was used to simulate this O3 pollution event. The model system generally reproduced the variations of weather conditions, simulated well the continuous high O3 episode event at WQS, and captured fairly well the elevated O3 mixing ratios in Period 1 and low O3 levels in Period 2 at TC. The modeled surface O3 distributions and flow structures clearly illustrated the occurrence of O3 formation and the impact of regional transport on O3 levels in Period 1 in the Pearl River Delta. Further analysis of O3 formation indicated that horizontal transport was the main contributor to the O3 increase at TC during Period 1, while at WQS O3 levels were dominated by photochemical production during both periods. The low O3 levels at TC during Period 2 were attributable to lower temperatures and the arrival of fresh maritime air masses brought in by strong easterly winds. This study highlights how contrasting precursor concentrations and photochemical conditions can occur over a very small distance, and it provides a rare opportunity to better understand ozone production and precursor source origins on a finer scale in this region.


In this project it has been focused on the use of a 7.42 um, 4 mW Quantum Cascade Laser in trace gas detection spectroscopy. Norsk Elektro Optikk (NEO) is in possession of a Nanoplus G2102/DFB2/5-12 QCL laser, that can be used in spectroscopic detection of H2O, CO2 and SO2 It has been attempted to construct a setup that can be used for spectroscopic measurements using a self constructed current driver module to produce current pulses for the QCL. The QCL is operated in pulsed mode, with pulses of <500 ns width, and a 1 kHz pulse repetition frequency. Temperature control of the laser has been conducted with a LaserGas II SP monitor module, and temperature has been kept at 280 K during testing. Initially, various test have been conducted to ensure the general functionality of the driver module, and to avoid damage to the QCL. Two different solutions for the transmission line from the driver to the QCL have also been examined, and it has been concluded that the current pulses supplied to the laser are of good quality with minor broadening and short rise/fall times. Furthermore an I-V characteristic for the laser has been produced by incrementing the laser driving current, and measuring the corresponding laser voltage. Measurements of the laser output power have been conducted using a CaF2 collimating lens to focus the laser beam onto a PVI-2TE-8 Vigo photovoltaic detector from Vigo Systems S.A. It has proved difficult to obtain a good signal from the detector, with the maximum voltage measured across a 50Ω shunt resistor being 3 mV. This is 100-200 mV less than what should be expected. Various methods of noise reduction have been applied to improve the detected signal, none have however provided any noticeable improvements. Several possible reasons for the generally low output have been examined.


OBJECTIVES: Radiation delivery at very high dose rates has demonstrated enhanced biological effect which may be exploited to enhance the therapeutic ratio. Precise dose administration at very high dose rates (~100 Gy/s) requires accurate control of beam flux on a millisecond time scale and online monitoring of the integral and dose delivery time structure. To this end, we have developed and validated a technique to deliver and monitor precise millisecond bursts of proton radiation with a clinical radiotherapy system. METHODS: The IBA Proteus Plus proton therapy system at the University of Pennsylvania was used to deliver a range 32.0 g/cm2 (~226 MeV) beam on the fixed beam line in the dedicated research room. The proton flux was modulated by an arbitrary waveform generator driving a 020 mA current pulse, with pulse widths ranging from 10-100 milliseconds, to the beam current regulation unit of the IBA system. Maximum beam current from the cyclotron was varied within clinical operating parameters, 5-300 nA. Absolute dose was measured according to the Code of Practice TRS-398 (IAEA, 2001) using a parallel plate chamber with NIST traceable calibration certificate. An online transmission parallel plate chamber was cross calibrated with the absolute dose measurements and both sets of readings were validated against an absolute integral charge measurement using a Faraday cup (Cascio and Gottschalk, IEEE, 2009). Time structure of the proton flux was obtained using a NaI detector to measure prompt gamma rays emitted from nuclear excitations at the beam line exit window. RESULTS: The measured dose varies linearly with pulse width and dose rate. Dose rates exceeding 100 Gy/s can be delivered with variations less than 5%. The beam current response latency is approximately 50 microseconds. CONCLUSIONS: A clinical proton therapy system operating within clinical range of cyclotron operating parameters can be adapted to deliver very high therapeutic dose levels exceeding 100 Gy/s at with low uncertainty. The dose delivery and online monitoring system can be used for radiobiological investigation of effects of very high dose rate proton radiation. Open Access Abstract


. Interleukin-23 (IL-23, also known as IL23A), is an important proinflammatory cytokine whose role in the development and progression of tumors remains controversial. The present study on IL-23 focused on its impact on the tumor microenvironment. Existing studies on its direct role on tumor cells are limited. Previously, we reported that the expression level of IL-23 in human bladder urothelial carcinoma was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues as determined by immunohistochemistry. In this study, we further validated the results of immunohistochemistry using the Oncomine database and we found that IL23A expression in non-muscle invasive bladder urothelial carcinoma (NMIBC) was significantly higher than that in muscle invasive bladder urothelial carcinoma (MIBC). Expression of IL23A was negatively correlated with the clinical stage of bladder urothelial carcinoma and had a positive correlation with prognosis. In vitro experiments revealed that different concentrations of IL-23 had different effects on T24 cells. A low concentration of 20 ng/ml IL-23 promoted T24 cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT transformation, while a high concentration of 40 ng/ml IL-23 inhibited these functions. These results indicated that IL-23 plays a dual role in the progression of bladder cancer. Low concentrations of IL-23 promote bladder tumor progression, while high concentrations of IL-23 have the opposite effect.


Dendrobium amoenum is an epiphytic orchid used as tonic because it has many derivatives of phenols. The crude extract of this orchid has been shown to have antioxidant activity. The objectives of this research are to explore the cytotoxic activity of antioxidant-rich crude extract against the human cervical carcinoma and glioblastoma cell lines by MTT assay and to detect the compounds by GC-MS. Methanol (DAM) extract of D. amoenum showed high cell growth inhibition percentage against the tested cell lines. DAM extract showed high cytotoxic activity against HeLa cells (IC50 – 110.22 μg/ml) and least activity against U-251 cells (IC50 – 550.55 μg/ml). Thirteen compounds were detected and identified in the extract. Based on abundance, four major compounds detected were: (E)-13-docosenoic acid; oleic acid; 11-octadecenoic acid, methyl ester; and hexadecanoic acid, 2,3-dihydroxypropyl ester. The cytotoxic activity of DAM extract is probably due to the presence of these bioactive compounds, confirmation of which needs further investigation. The result also highlighted the potential of this orchid as the source of natural anticancer drug and to explore their isolation, identification and characterization.Botanica Orientalis – Journal of Plant Science (2017) 11: 38–42


Academic language is a challenging yet increasingly important skill for Adult Basic Education/English as a Second or Other Language learners. Related to academic language learning is an adult's developmental perspective. Developmental perspectives have been shown to vary in adulthood and shape qualitatively distinct ways of reasoning and learning experiences. Using Kegan's constructive-developmental theory, which derives from Western psychology but has been implemented cross-culturally, this qualitative case study explores the academic language–learning experiences of nine Adult Basic Education/English as a Second or Other Language learners. The data include 18 semistructured qualitative interviews and class observations. Analysis includes the dual lenses of grounded theory and constructive-developmental theory. Findings suggest that developmental perspectives made a qualitative difference in how learners experienced academic language learning. Notably, "instrumental" learners described what looks like struggle, but from their developmental perspectives, represents a logical pathway toward success. Learners transitioning toward "self-authoring" brought unique learning agendas and capacities for self-monitoring.


Student engagement is a slippery concept. Internationally there is wide disagreement about how it should be understood, and in the UK there is added complexity. Historically, student engagement in the UK has been taken to refer to students' roles in decision-making (e.g. through student representation systems and participation in university governance). However, there is also growing interest in students' engagement with their own learning, which is closer to how engagement is understood elsewhere in the world. This growing interest is most clearly seen in the development of the UK Engagement Survey (UKES), which is the UK adaptation of an instrument widely used across the globe. UKES was first introduced in 2013 and is being used by 31 institutions in 2016, including the University of Aberdeen. In this talk I will explore the complexity and confusion around student engagement, and locate the development of UKES in that context. I will discuss the relationship between UKES and the National Student Survey, and explore the prospect of using measures of student engagement as indicators of teaching quality, for example in the Teaching Excellence Framework.


Carbon-encapsulated Cobalt nanoparticles were synthesized with sucrose as carbon source and cobalt nitrate as metal source in nitrogen atmosphere. The weight of purified sample could arrive around 12-20 grams at one time. The as-prepared CECNPs sample was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed CECNPs was typical core / shell structure on nanometer scale, the core was cobalt single crystal, the shell was graphitic carbon, and the particle size was about 30nm. The magnetic measurement revealed that CECNPs was ferromagnetic material with the quite small remanent magnetizations Mr of 3.7emu/g and coercive forces Hc of 275Oe at room temperature.


Studies to date have failed to agree on a consensus as to whether people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are more likely to be compliant in their behaviour. Victimisation and ostracism have been shown to increase compliance in the typically developing population. The study objective was to ascertain whether people with ASD are more compliant than typically developing individuals, using both self-report and a novel experimental test of compliance. The role of victimisation, anxiety, fear of negative evaluation and self-esteem, which have been shown to be related to increased compliance, was also assessed. A cross sectional design was utilised, and compared 19 people with ASD and 19 age and gender matched typically developing controls. The ASD group were significantly more compliant on self-reported compliance compared with the control group. However, no differences were found in observed compliance. Of the psychological constructs, only anxiety was found to be significantly higher in the ASD group. In the ASD group, there appeared to be a relationship between higher levels of past victimisation and self-reported compliance, with this relationship trending towards significance. Hierarchal multiple regression demonstrated that a significant amount of the variance in self-reported compliance was accounted for by fear of negative evaluation and a history of victimisation. These results would suggest that individuals with ASD who have experienced victimisation and ostracism are also likely to have a tendency towards over compliance; this finding has important implications across a range of settings.


Two cases of multiple myeloma (MM) developed late in the course of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). An 81-yr-old white female developed, after 6 yr of CLL, IgAk MM with sheets of plasma cells abutting sheets of lymphocytes in the bone marrow, multiple pathologic fractures, and 0.26 g/24 free k light chains in the urine. A 74-yr-old white male developed, after 16 yr of CLL, k light chain MM with 20% plasma cells in the bone marrow, multiple panthologic fractures, and 3.7 g/24 hr free k light chains in the urine. In both cases the CLL had responded well to intermittent low-dose chlorambucil therapy, but the MM failed to respond to cyclic melphalanprednisone therapy. A review of 105 cases of CLL seen at the Geisinger Medical Center failed to turn up any other cases of MM developing during the course of CLL. The suggestion that there is an increased prevalence of MM in CLL is an attractive one because both diseases are B cell neoplasms and because of the increased frequency of asymptomatic monoclonal gammopathies in CLL found by others.


A lthough I am not a card-carrying epidemiologist it has not been difficult for me to realise that there is something terribly frustrating about the neurological complications of coeliac disease literature. No wonder such strong emotions are aroused—the protagonists are arguing over flawed and contradictory data. Gerald Grossman from Cleveland, Ohio, sets out all the methodological problems for us on page 77, warns us about the conflict between serological and histological diagnosis (just what is the diagnostic gold standard for coeliac disease supposed to be?), gives us his best bet of a bottom line and what to do with the next patient, and makes the very reasonable suggestion that far better studies need to be done. Maybe more neurologists should get some qualifications in epidemiology, or at the very least work with epidemiologists, rather than producing any more flawed studies. After all we are dealing here with potentially curable neurological problems, and just by changing the diet—no expensive drugs with adverse effects, giving the lie that all new therapeutic interventions are inevitably terribly expensive. The Liverpool group run us through the familiar problem of the ''MR normal myelopathy'' patient on page 90; the latest addition to the list of causes appears to be copper deficiency, a diagnosis brilliantly revealed by Google in a case recently presented to the Association of British Neurologists. Graeme Hankey takes up the challenge of the TIA patient who goes on having TIAs despite best efforts to stop them on page 104. Neurologists in Western countries do not expect to find exotic infections in their patients; in India they perhaps do, but not balamuthia (page 112) which clearly surprised Kameshwar Prasad and his colleagues in New Delhi (but note they kept on worrying about the diagnosis until they found the right answer in a very distant country). Imaging the superior oblique muscle seems a bit recherché but it can be done (page 122), and Harding's syndrome (page 118) keeps the memory alive of the irrepressible Anita Harding, who died far too young. And what connects these diverse disorders? They are all what can be seen by the alert practical neurologist who maintains an interest across the whole of our specialty.


The TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data and the Geosat altimeter data from the Exact Repeat Mission (ERM) have been analyzed to show the basin-scale features of annual sea surface height anomalies in the Labrador Sea. A complex empirical orthogonal function (CEOF) analysis is used to extract spatial and temporal patterns of altimetric sea surface height anomalies. The analysis of TOPEX/POSEIDON data has revealed that the first eigenmode has an annual variation with amplitudes of ∼5 cm, positive in summer and negative in winter. The Geosat data analysis implies similar results but shows only the sea surface height variabilities relative to those of the subtropical gyre circulation and the North Atlantic Current due to an orbit error correction. The steric height anomalies of the climatological monthly-mean Levitus data and the sea surface height anomalies of a wind-driven barotropic model are also analyzed using the CEOF technique. The annual cycle in the Levitus data, dominated by thermal expansion, has an amplitude of ∼4 cm and is nearly in phase with the TOPEX/POSEIDON data. The wind-driven annual signal is approximately in phase with the TOPEX/POSEIDON and Levitus data, but its amplitude is less than ∼1 cm. A correlation analysis suggests that the basin-scale features deduced from TOPEX/POSEIDON data are dominated by the steric height variability of the Levitus data, supplemented to much less extent by the wind-driven response of the barotropic model. The Geosat results are found to represent the steric effect only. It is modified by the orbit error correction so much that the phase changes by 180°.


In our previous work, we demonstrated the principle that various types of transient disturbance sources in a network may be approximately located by examining the changes in the instantaneous power and energy flows caused by the disturbance (see Proc. 8/sup th/ Internat. Conf. on Harmonics and Quality of Power, Athens, Greece, p.693-9, 1998). The directions of the power and energy flows indicate whether a disturbance source is located in front of or behind a recording device. This information can be useful for locating trouble spots in the network or in assigning liability for power quality "pollution". In this work, we focus on capacitor switching disturbances, presenting calculations that will further justify the basic ideas presented in the previous paper. Furthermore, additional rules for locating the disturbance sources based on the characteristics of the disturbance power and energy are presented. These rules are tested on actual recorded capacitor switching disturbance events.


We introduce an algorithm for learning sparse, time-varying undirected probabilistic graphical models of Molecular Dynamics (MD) data. Our method computes a maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimate of the topology and parameters of the model (i.e., structure learning) using L1regularization of the negative log-likelihood (aka 'Graphical Lasso') to ensure sparsity, and a kernel to ensure smoothly varying topology and parameters over time. The learning problem is posed as a convex optimization problem and then solved optimally using block coordinate descent. The resulting model encodes the time-varying joint distribution over all the dihedral angles in the protein. We apply our method to three separate MD simulations of the enzyme Cyclophilin A, a peptidylprolyl isomerase. Each simulation models the isomerization of a different substrate. We compare and contrast the graphical models constructed from each data set, providing insights into the differences in the dynamics experienced by the enzyme for the different substrate.


We utilize the 2000 cohort of university graduates from the National Graduate Survey (NGS) to estimate the extent to which the choice of field of study is influenced by expected returns to those fields of study. The expected returns are based on earnings equations estimated from the earlier 1990 NGS cohort for the years 1992 and 1995 -- years that are around the time when the 2000 cohort would be applying to university and forming expectations of their expected returns by field of study. We estimate those expected returns using conventional OLS earnings equations as well as IV estimates to account for the potential endogeneity of the returns by field of study since selection effects may bias the expected returns. Our IV estimates utilize measures of skill-biased technological change as instruments. Overall, our results suggest that prospective students do choose fields of study in part at least on the basis of earnings they can expect to receive in those fields. Furthermore, earnings expectations formed around the time they are applying are more influential than earnings expectations based on years further away from that time, although both generally have an impact on the choice of field of study.


Based on the Compressive strength, workability and raw material consumption of concrete, a mathematical model is established for mix proportion design of high performance concrete (hereinafter referred to as HPC) with chlorine ion's diffusion coefficient and per cubic meter cost as its optimized objectives. Matlab's Sequential Quadratic Programming method is used for the solution of constrained nonlinear problems, with which the calculation and optimization of mix proportion of concrete are solved satisfactorily. HPC with optimized design can meet all requirements for its type and has obvious economic benefit.


Theories on the bosonic nature of dark matter are a promising alternative to the cold dark matter model. Here we consider a dark matter halo in the state of a Bose-Einstein condensate, subject to the gravitation of a black hole. In the low energy limit, we bring together the general relativity in the Schwarzschild metric and the quantum description of the Bose-Einstein condensate. The model is solvable in the Fermi normal coordinates with the so called highly nonlocal approximation and describes tidal deformations in the condensate wave function. The black hole deforms the localized condensate until the attraction of the compact object overcomes the self-gravitation and destabilizes the solitonic dark matter. Moreover, the model can be implemented as a gravitational analog in the laboratory; the time-dependent potential generated by the galactic black hole can be mimicked by an optical trap acting on a conventional condensate. The results open the way to new laboratory simulators for quantum gravitational effects.


H. pylori infection is the most important environmental risk to develop gastric cancer, mainly through its virulence factor CagA. In vitro models of CagA function have demonstrated a phosphoprotein activity targeting multiple cellular signaling pathways, while cagA transgenic mice develop carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract, supporting oncogenic functions. However, it is still not completely clear how CagA alters cellular processes associated with carcinogenic events. In this study, we evaluated the capacity of H. pylori CagA positive and negative strains to alter nontransformed MCF-10A glandular acini formation. We found that CagA positive strains inhibited lumen formation arguing for an evasion of apoptosis activity of central acini cells. In agreement, CagA positive strains induced a cell survival activity that correlated with phosphorylation of AKT and of proapoptotic proteins BIM and BAD. Anoikis is a specific type of apoptosis characterized by AKT and BIM activation and it is the mechanism responsible for lumen formation of MCF-10A acini in vitro and mammary glands in vivo. Anoikis resistance is also a common mechanism of invading tumor cells. Our data support that CagA positive strains signaling function targets the AKT and BIM signaling pathway and this could contribute to its oncogenic activity through anoikis evasion.


Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus and long-finned pilot whales Globicephala melas are the most abundant species among the community of deep-diving cetaceans occurring off the west coast of Ireland, northeast Atlantic. To address a knowledge gap on these elusive species in an area subject to increasing levels of anthropogenic noise, fixed bottom-mounted autonomous acoustic recorders were deployed from 2014 to 2016 at 13 locations. Acoustic data were collected over 2410 cumulative days, for a total of 9179 h of recordings, with sperm whale clicks and pilot whale whistles detected on 79 and 53% of the days monitored, respectively. Diel, lunar and seasonal effects on the acoustic occurrence of sperm whales and long-finned pilot whales were investigated for individual recording sites and for each recording year using generalised estimating equations. Large differences in acoustic occurrence across stations for both species highlighted the existence of more critical locations throughout the year, especially to the north of the shelf edge. Temporally, significant modulations were found for both species at all scales investigated, but the lack of consistency across the study area emphasises the need to exercise great caution when inferring general tendencies based on local patterns. The variability of spatio-temporal patterns indicates a flexibility in the distribution of sperm whales and long-finned pilot whales off the west coast of Ireland, highlighting the challenge in establishing management and mitigation measures and stressing the need of long-term, year-round monitoring.


The current status of research and development of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) electron field emitters is reviewed. The physical aspects of electron field emission that underlie the unique emission properties of CNTs are considered. Physical effects and phenomena affecting the emission characteristics of CNT cathodes are analyzed. Effects given particular attention include the electric field enhancement near a CNT tip; electric field screening by neighboring nanotubes; statistical spread of the parameters of the individual CNTs comprising the cathode; the effects of heat leading to thermal degradation of nanotubes during emission, and adsorbate effects on the surface of the emitter. Advances in vacuum electronics due to the use of CNT field cathodes are reviewed.


The Paris agreement on climate took effect on 4 November 2016. The agreement plans on holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. This paper compares an ecological modernisation (EM) development path with a degrowth development path, using urban and land-use planning impact on housing and transportation as cases. The two positions (EM and degrowth) agree on the need for a fundamental reduction in climate gases but disagree on which strategies should be pursued. EM transitions do not challenge the values associated with the capitalistic market economy and believe that policies, such as the right-price signals, should nudge producers and consumers in an environmentally benign direction. Conversely, degrowth rejects the EM belief in green growth, and holds that it will not be possible to decouple the economy from environmental loads to the necessary extent if the economy keeps growing. We conclude that we need a fundamental transformational change in society, i.e., a steering away from the growth ideology, and pursue policies that introduce maximum housing standards and limit mobility to succeed with the goals of the Paris agreement.


In this study we show that honey bee colonies placed in a greenhouse for pollination of strawberry can simultaneously be used to indicate the presence of the plant pathogenic bacterium Erwinia pyrifoliae. This was demonstrated by using two methods of qualitative sacrificial and non-sacrificial bio sampling of the honey bee colony. A novel method for non-sacrificial subsampling, named the Beehold device, was applied. Applying the Beehold device did not disturb or affect negatively the honey bee colony. The study demonstrated that the integration of pollination service and bio-sampling functioned. In the sacrificially derived honey bee subsamples, E. pyrifoliae was detected prior to any visible infection in the plant; however, E. pyrifoliae was detected via non-sacrificial sampling at the same time as plant infection was first observed. The Beehold device is a practical tool for monitoring plant pathogens via forager bees during flowering until fruit onset, but is not as sensitive as directly sampling honey bees.


: The mutual dispositions of the genital apertures in the anoplocephalidean strobila and their taxonomical significance were considered. The irregular alternations of single genital apertures from the alternations of its seria on the proglottid margins could be distinguished. The serial alternation as an intermediate type in the transformation from the irregular to unilateral dispositions of the genital apertures were considered. The conclusion about the Anoplocephaloides spp. with the serial alternations of genital apertures as a separate taxon was presented. The validity of the genus Gallegoides was renewaled. New genus Paranoplocephaloides gen. n. and a new species P. schachmatovae sp. n. from the voles Microtus oeconomus were described. Diagnoses on these taxa were given. A new combination Paranoplocephaloides rauschi comb. n. was designed.


Multiple theories of conscious phenomenology have been postulated within neuroscience; here we put evidence towards the "windowsto consciousness" (Win2Con) framework. This framework predicts that high connectivity states between the modular sensory hubs, and the frontalparietal network, before stimulus onset is a crucial factor in guiding the contents of consciousness. We tested this prediction by using the Rubin9s vase illusion - an image that evokes a bistable perception that alters between a pair of faces or a vase - while measuring magnetroencephalographic (MEG) response in 18 human subjects. Behavioural results indicated a stochastic trial-by-trial report of the vase or faces, subjects fluctuate between reporting a vase or faces. Sensor analysis revealed pristimulus differences in 12-17Hz low-frequency power, subsequent source projection suggested part of the power effect was present in the right lateral occipital area (LO) an area functionally relevant in object perception. Evoked effects were present in the sensor analysis, with a difference during the 350 - 375 msec time window. Source projection revealed that part of this difference resided in the right face-sensitive occipital face area (OFA). Using these two sources (i.e. LO and OFA) as seeds, we conducted a source space connectivity analysis, revealing variant connectivity to right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG): for the LO seed there was greater connectivity for vase vs. faces reports, conversely, for the OFA seed there was greater connectivity for face vs. vase reports. Our results support the framework of the Win2Con, as well as showing frontal and OFA connectivity effects face perception.


We discuss some generic properties of lepton number violating ( L/ ) processes and their relation to different entries of the Majorana neutrino mass matrix. Present and near future experiments searching for these processes, except the neutrinoless double beta decay, are unable to probe light(eV mass region) and heavy(hundred GeV mass region) neutrinos. On the other hand due to the effect of a resonant enhancement, some of L/ decays can be very sensitive to the intermediate mass neutrinos with typical masses in hundred MeV region. These neutrinos may appear as admixtures of the three active and an arbitrary number of sterile neutrino species. We analyze the experimental constraints on these massive neutrino states and discuss their possible cosmological and astrophysical implications.


ABSTRACT This article assesses the role of segregation in explaining gender employment gaps through the United Kingdom's Great Recession and its subsequent period of recovery and fiscal austerity. The analysis reaffirms that gender employment gaps in the UK respond to the business cycle, and it evaluates to what extent these short-term changes in the employment gap can be explained by the industry sectors and occupations where women and men work. A counterfactual analysis accounts for the specific role of combined gender segregation across industry sectors and occupations that existed at the onset of the Great Recession. The results contradict the existing narrative that men's employment was more harshly affected than women's employment; segregation accounts for over two and a half times the actual fall in the gender gap between 2007 and 2011.


A new LHW antenna will be used in LHCD system on tokanak HT-7U, where a high-power microwave waveguide power divider is a key device. This paper presents the power divider structure whose coupling element is in the common narrow wall between two identical waveguides, a certain of which is completely excavated. Green's Function Method is used to analyze the electric field distributions of the structure, and consequently the graphs between the scattering matrix and the geometrical dimensions are given. The graphs can be straightly applied to the process of the power divider.


From the 1990s, the level of increase in corruption on the global plane has been astronomical and has hitherto generated cause for concern. Many countries have adopted anti-corruption policies, [1] legislations, setting up of  anti-corruption institutions but unfortunately, from available records, little or no progress has been made. Corruption has permeated almost all facet of human endeavous while the "monster" is developing and growing in a geometric progression while remedial actions are growing in an arithmetical progression. Nigeria as a country has been rated as one of the most corrupt nations in the world. [2] This assessment of Nigeria is annoying and degrading to the extent that the negative image created by this "monster" is following all Nigerians every where they go. Outside the shores of the country, every Nigerian is treated with circumspect. The government is not folding its arm in attempting to stamp out this menace but it appears that the more the noise on stamping out corruption, the greater the rate at which it develops. The question that then readily come to mind is Where lies the problem? Does it lie with the inadequacy of legislation-national and international or is the problem that of implementation and enforcement or both. This paper seeks to examine holistically the concept of corruption, causes,  and effects of corruption, detailed examination of legal instrument national and international put in place to address the menace of corruption and the extent to which these laws are effective and end with conclusion and recommendations. [1] See Leautier, F.A. (2006) "Preface" in Stapenhurst R. et al (eds) The Role of Parliament in Curbing Corruption Washington DC, World Bank. P. ix. [2] See Report of the Transparency International, 2013.


: Guidelines to establish the principles for the standard of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) for trials on medicinal products in human beings were coming into operation in the European Community in 1991. These recommendations are more extensive than those of the German drug regulatory act (AMG). Included are outlines for the protection of the patient, the responsibilities of the investigator, for biometrics and the quality assurance. Although most of the studies in pediatric oncology optimizing treatment schedules do not belong to the studies as defined by the AMG, certain rules and regulations are strictly adhered to, e.g. the Declaration of Helsinki for the protection of human rights, medical justification of involved risks, adequate and freely obtained informed consent of the patient and the parents. Furthermore, the approval of Ethics Committees must be requested.


A few decades ago, when the development of the information society started, the need has arisen to apply a modern language technology in the second language pedagogy. It should be noted that the digital language resources and language analysis tools have not entered yet into the process of the Lithuanian as the second language learning and teaching, however, other European countries can boast of a better integration of language technology (corpora, corpus tools and corpus-based materials) into language learning programmes. This article discusses the pedagogical application features of corpus and accentuator (http://donelaitis.vdu.lt) for Lithuanian as the second language learning and teaching. The first case study focuses on the use of the accentuator. The second case study focuses on a good practice in development, use and promotion of the corpus of Contemporary Lithuanian Language for language learning and teaching, with a focus on both technological and pedagogical innovation and on the direct use of this corpus in the classroom. Analysis of basic Lithuanian units showed that the corpora could effectively complement the traditional foreign language learning and teaching. However, attention is drawn to the fact that the contemporary Lithuanian technology still does not provide accurate data, so in some cases, the language tools should be used with caution. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sal.0.24.7067


Workplace exposures to dusts and chemicals in industrialised countries continue to decrease overall (while they remain constant or are even increasing in the developing world). However about 10%–25% of asthma morbidity in adulthood is still estimated to be associated with occupational exposures.1 Exposures to high molecular weight occupational allergens such as animal antigens, flour, grain dust, and latex and their relevance to health have been extensively studied in the past2–4 and prospective cohort studies on this topic have also been published.5 6 What has not yet been prospectively studied over a long period is the association between low molecular weight allergen and irritant exposures and their association with respiratory health in young adults followed from the start of their professional life well into adulthood.7 So far general population cohort studies and studies among specific trades have indicated that these exposures also contribute to the burden of asthma and rhinitis in adulthood.1 6 8–12 However as they were mainly confined to small numbers in specific trades or only followed participants …


Abstract : Current military affairs indicate that future military warfare requires safer, more accurate, and more fault-tolerant weapons systems. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are one answer to this military requirement. Technology in the UAV arena is moving toward smaller and more capable systems and is becoming available at a fraction of the cost. Exploiting the advances in these miniaturized flying vehicles is the aim of this research. How are the UAVs employed for the future military? The concept of operations for a micro-UAV system is adopted from nature from the appearance of flocking birds, movement of a school of fish, and swarming bees among others. All of these natural phenomena have a common thread: a global action resulting from many small individual actions. This "emergent behavior" is the aggregate result of many simple interactions occurring within the flock, school, or swarm. In a similar manner, a more robust weapon system uses emergent behavior resulting in no "weakest link" because the system itself is made up of simple interactions by hundreds or thousands of homogeneous UAVs. The global system in this research is referred to as a swarm. Losing one or a few individual unmanned vehicles would not dramatically impact the "swarms" ability to complete the mission or cause harm to any human operator. Swarming reconnaissance is the emergent behavior of swarms to perform a reconnaissance operation. An in-depth look at the design of a reconnaissance swarming mission is studied. A taxonomy of passive reconnaissance applications is developed to address feasibility. Evaluation of algorithms for swarm movement, communication, sensor input/analysis, targeting, and network topology result in priorities of each model's desired features. After a thorough selection process of available implementations, a subset of those models are integrated and built upon resulting in a simulation that explores the innovations of swarming UAVs.


Mutations in the gene encoding nucleophosmin (NPM1) carry a prognostic value for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Various techniques are currently being used to detect these mutations in routine molecular diagnostics. Incorporation of accurate NPM1 mutation detection on a gene expression platform would enable simultaneous detection with various other expression biomarkers. Here we present an array-based mutation detection using custom probes for NPM1 WT mRNA and NPM1 type A, B, and D mutant mRNA. This method was 100% accurate on a training cohort of 505 newly diagnosed unselected AML cases. Validation on an independent cohort of 143 normal-karyotype AML cases revealed no false-negative results, and one false positive (sensitivity 100.0% and specificity 98.7%). Based on this, we conclude that this method provides a reliable method for NPM1 mutation detection. The method can be applied to other genes/mutations as long as the mutant alleles are sufficiently highly expressed.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To examine practice variation in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) nursing and to identify the gap between recommended standards of practice and actual practice across settings. Additional practices relevant to HSCT nursing also were explored.

RESEARCH APPROACH
Cross-sectional, descriptive survey.

SETTING
National and international cancer centers.

PARTICIPANTS
A convenience sample was obtained from the 2006 Oncology Nursing Society Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplant Special Interest Group membership list (N = 205). Most participants were women (94%) with a median age of 45 years. The primary role was bedside nurse (46%), with an adult-only population (78%) in an academic (84%), inpatient (68%-88%) center. 39 (94%) U.S. states and 7 (6%) non-U.S. countries were represented.

METHODOLOGIC APPROACH
Survey development was guided by Dillman Mail and Internet survey design. Electronic questionnaires were conducted with Zoomerang Market Tools.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Infection control practices across bone marrow transplantation settings.

FINDINGS
Descriptive statistics revealed minimal practice variation regarding infection control across transplantation types or conditioning regimens. Practices regarding implementation of restrictions on patients' hygiene, diet, and social interactions varied by phase of transplantation, with the greatest variations occurring during the post-transplantation phase. Sixty-two percent of respondents reported using published guidelines; 72% reported using organization-specific policies.

CONCLUSIONS
Although published standards are under consideration, practice variation exists across transplantation centers. Whether the variation is caused by a lack of compliance with published guidelines or by the poor delineation of details for providers to translate the guidelines into practice is not known.

INTERPRETATION
Identifying gaps in the literature and inconsistencies in HSCT practices is an important first step in designing evidence-based projects that can be used to standardize practice and link best practices to improved patient outcomes.


We investigate the impact of the Sarbanes–Oxley (SOX) Act on the cost of debt through its effect on the reliability of financial reporting. Using Credit Default Swap (CDS) spreads and a structural CDS pricing model, we calibrate a firm-level corporate opacity parameter in the pre- and post-SOX periods. Our analysis shows that corporate opacity and the cost of debt decrease significantly after SOX. The median firm in our sample experiences an 18bp reduction on its five-year CDS spread as a result of lower opacity following SOX, amounting to total annual savings of $ 844million for the 252 firms in our sample. Furthermore, the reduction in opacity tends to be larger for firms that in the pre-SOX period have lower accrual quality, less conservative earnings, lower number of independent directors, lower S& P Transparency and Disclosure ratings, and are more likely to benefit from SOX-compliance according to Chhaochharia and Grinstein's (2007) criteria.


In this paper I will focus on changes between the 1950s and 1970s. Our data are drawn from a sample of men and women (157 persons in all) who were members of two major East Los Angeles gangs during their adolescence. Few researchers have considered gangs as long-lasting or quasi-institutionalized groups, but when we consider the differences between the two cohorts in family characteristics, behavior and values, at least three distinct interpretations are possible. First, since the earlier gang members were largely children of Mexican immigrants and the parents of later members were born in the United States, we would expect the older cliques to be more "Mexican" and the younger, more acculturated. To some extent this also implies that the more 'Mexican' families may be more likely to be traditional.The younger ones may be more likely to be disorganized. Second, it might be argued that the gang is a 'deviant," and hence socially isolated group,with its own subculture. As such, we might expect that deviant group subculture to evolve on its own. Finally, it may be that today's gangs are developing into a fraction of an emergent underclass in these Chicano communities, parallel to developments in Black communities elsewhere in the nation (cf. Wilson 1987). To deal with these interpretations we must first describe the major differences we found between older and younger cliques in three basic respects: (1) family background; (2) behavior and values relating to the gang; and (3) current status. Throughout this discussion, 'older members' will mean those cliques of the gang active in the 1950s. The "younger members" are those active in the 1970s.


Matrix Gla protein (MGP/Mgp) is a protein expressed predominantly by vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and by chondrocytes. Transgenic mice lacking Mgp die 1-3 months after birth due to calcification of elastic fibers and rupture of large elastic arteries such as the aorta [6]. Here, we report on cartilage formation that commonly occurs in calcified arteries of Mgp m / m mice. Using histology, von Kossa staining, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting, together with examination of cellular markers for VSMCs and extracellular matrix markers for cartilage, we provide evidence for cell transformation from VSMC to chondrocyte in the arterial media in the absence of Mgp. At 2 weeks of age in the aorta of Mgp m / m mice, VSMCs lose immunostaining for smooth muscle f -actin concomitant with the appearance of cartilage molecules as shown by immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting for aggrecan, link protein, and type II collagen. These data provide evidence that the absence of Mgp, and/or calcification of the ECM, in the arterial media can trigger chondrocyte differentiation and cartilage formation in blood vessels.


There is evidence that the mass and metabolic status of the adipose tissue that produces adipokines significantly affect the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and the synthesis of testosterone. This is due to the fact that adipokines, such as leptin, adiponectin, visfatin and resistin have an important role in the regulation of the male HPG axis and steroidogenesis in the testes. The regulation of the HPG axis by adi- pokines can be carried out both through the changes the plasma levels of adipokines (a systemic regulation) and through the changes in the expression and activity of adipo- kines in the pituitary and testes, the components of the HPG axis (an autonomous regu-lation). This review presents the comprehensive analysis of the involvement of leptin, adiponectin, resistin and visfatin in the regulation of the male HPG axis and the testosterone production, as well as of the possible mechanisms of this regulation. The role of adipokines in the dysregulation of the male reproductive system and the impaired steroidogenic activity in the testes in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus are also discussed. and AdipoR1 genes. These data indicate that AdipoR1 plays an important role in the regulation of spermatogenesis, while AdipoR2 is very important for the T synthesis by Leydig cells.


Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults are a unique and vulnerable population who are largely overlooked by the gerontological literature and by aging service providers. As the number of older adults in the United States continues to grow so does the LGBT older adult population, which is expected to double from approximately three million to six million by 2030. The literature highlights disparities in physical and mental health, socioeconomic status, and social support among LGBT older adults. Aging services providers are undoubtedly unprepared to serve this population; there is little training or education on sexual minority seniors. Most aging service providers assume their clients are heterosexual, and LGBT older adults are reluctant to be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity due to lifetime experiences with discrimination and internalized stigma. This mistrust of providers leads to delayed care and nonparticipation in services for older adults, which directly contributes to disparities. This research proposal aims to address these issues in Allegheny County by assessing staff at the fifty-five senior centers contracted with the Area Agency on Aging. The proposed research is relevant to the field of public health because it seeks to address the lack of culturally competent providers who serve LGBT older adults, which is specifically mentioned in Healthy People 2020. Using a mixed methods approach, the proposed study will examine 1) policies of senior centers in Allegheny County that seek to address the needs of LGBT seniors, 2) staff attitudes towards and perceptions of LGBT older adults, and 3) differences in perceptions and experiences between executive staff and direct service staff. First, senior center staff will participate in focus groups to determine community norms and attitudes. Next, a survey will be administered electronically to senior center staff through email. These data will be analyzed and will help inform future senior programming at senior centers in Allegheny County. While the sampling frame is somewhat limited and results from this convenience sample will not be generalizable, this study hopes to identify areas for future research and identify training needs within the senior center network.


This research is a single case study using a qualitative approach that produces descriptive data consisting of written or oral words resulted from interviews and observation. The research was carried out at Buddhist Higher Education Institute, the Institute of Advanced Buddhist Studies – Plum Village Buddhist Monastery Upper Hamlet of France. The research procedures used in this case study consist of six steps of case study research by Robert K. Yin. The research data collection was obtained by purposive sampling and snowball sampling. Data analysis techniques are used through pattern matching, explanation making, and analyzing data time series. This research found that mindful leadership can develop concentration and be more focused and have clarity. Clarity within the leader can bring up conditions of calm and peace that give a significant effect on how to respond to an existing condition. By being calm, then the leader has clarity and creativity. This situation helps the leader to recognize what is happening and helps further to decide what to do. This decision helps leadership in responding to the situation. Mindful leadership focuses on actions and internal circumstances, not on intellectual quality. The development of the leaders' internal state is related to the behavior and emotional state of each of them. Leadership that provides democratic qualities in the delivery of opinions and decision-making processes both personally and collectively strengthen the effectiveness of his leadership, and develop essential behaviors related to emotional and social intelligence.


OBJECTIVES
Does addition of Intralipid to sildenafil and enoxaparin immunotherapy improve pregnancy outcome?

MATERIALS AND METHOD
Report of a striking case of a patient with history of 4 recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL) and IVF failures.

RESULTS
Adding of Intralipid resulted in giving birth to a healthy male baby in the 3th IVF cycle.

CONCLUSION
Combination therapy that includes Intralipid may generate successful IVF outcome, although this problem merits further study, especially regarding safety issues.