Oral health is an important contributor to overall health for individuals and the population. Maintaining good dental health is important not only because it prevents pain and suffering and the loss of work that results from dental disease, but also because tooth loss can adversely affect how the jaws and teeth functions. Furthermore, unhealthy teeth are considered unattractive, and negative responses to the appearance of any individual's teeth can impair the individual's social confidence. Dental caries both untreated and treated, tooth loss and other indicators of oral health can be used to monitor oral health status.


Power quality is one of the most important subjects in the field of power engineering. Especially in the Off-Grid systems, isolated networks, the power quality (PQ) is highly observed aspect. The fundamental Off-Grid feature can be intended an ability to operate regardless external power system, operation with an equal balance of energy production and consumption and as well as the ability of energy storage and energy conversion, mainly from renewable sources. This paper describes the relations between PQ and appliances connected into the Off-Grid system. The measurement and analysis are performed by the Off-Grid monitoring system and PQ analyser. Results of analysis will lead to consideration of how to maintain the power quality within desired range. The high PQ level is required in power systems during steady-state conditions as well as during non-stationery situations (i.e. interconnection of various appliances) to ensure the long lifespan af electrical equipment.


In Victoria, single women and lesbian couples are prohibited from accessing clinically based assisted reproductive services unless they are classified as 'clinically infertile'. This article argues that recent judicial decisions illustrate that the discrimination perpetrated against these women may create serious legal and social issues. A maze of legislation regulating the legal parentage of children born as a result of assisted reproductive services is examined. It is argued that amending the Infertility Treatment Act 1995 (Vic) to eradicate the need for 'clinical infertility' is the first small step towards dismantling existing discriminatory barriers.


In this paper, we propose an MPC-based motion planning algorithm, including a decision-making module, an obstacle-constraints generating module, and an MPC-based planning module. The designed decision module effectively distinguishes between structured and unstructured roads and processes them separately, so that the algorithm is more robust in different environments. Besides, the movement of obstacles is considered in the decision-making and obstacle constraints generating module. By processing obstacles with lateral and longitudinal speed separately, obstacle avoidance can be done in scenarios with moving obstacles, including moving obstacles crossing the road. Instead of treating the vehicle as a mass point, we explicitly consider the geometric constraints by modeling the vehicle as three intersecting circles when generating obstacle constraints. This ensures that the vehicle is collision-free in motion planning, especially when the vehicle turns. For non-convex obstacle constraints, we propose an algorithm that generates up to two alternative linear constraints to convexify the obstacle constraints for improving computational efficiency. In MPC, we consider the vehicle kino-dynamic constraints and two generated linear constraints. Therefore, the proposed method can achieve better real-time performance and can be applied to more complicated traffic scenarios with moving obstacles. Simulation results in three different scenarios show that motion planning can achieve satisfactory performance in both structured and unstructured roads with moving obstacles.


ABSTRACT The henipaviruses, Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV), are lethal emerging paramyxoviruses. EphrinB2 and ephrinB3 have been identified as receptors for henipavirus entry. NiV and HeV share similar cellular tropisms and likely use an identical receptor set, although a quantitative comparison of receptor usage by NiV and HeV has not been reported. Here we show that (i) soluble NiV attachment protein G (sNiV-G) bound to cell surface-expressed ephrinB3 with a 30-fold higher affinity than that of sHeV-G, (ii) NiV envelope pseudotyped reporter virus (NiVpp) entered ephrinB3-expressing cells much more efficiently than did HeV pseudotyped particles (HeVpp), and (iii) NiVpp but not HeVpp entry was inhibited efficiently by soluble ephrinB3. These data underscore the finding that NiV uses ephrinB3 more efficiently than does HeV. Henipavirus G chimeric protein analysis implicated residue 507 in the G ectodomain in efficient ephrinB3 usage. Curiously, alternative versions of published HeV-G sequences show variations at residue 507 that can clearly affect ephrinB3 but not ephrinB2 usage. We further defined surrounding mutations (W504A and E505A) that diminished ephrinB3-dependent binding and viral entry without compromising ephrinB2 receptor usage and another mutation (E533Q) that abrogated both ephrinB2 and -B3 usage. Our results suggest that ephrinB2 and -B3 binding determinants on henipavirus G are distinct and dissociable. Global expression analysis showed that ephrinB3, but not ephrinB2, is expressed in the brain stem. Thus, ephrinB3-mediated viral entry and pathology may underlie the severe brain stem neuronal dysfunction seen in fatal Nipah viral encephalitis. Characterizing the determinants of ephrinB2 versus -B3 usage will further our understanding of henipavirus pathogenesis.


Vascular permeability is a hallmark of several disease states including acute lung injury (ALI). Endocytosis of VE‐cadherin, away from the interendothelial junction (IEJ), causes acute endothelial barrier permeability. A novel protein, p18, anchors to the endosome membrane and plays a role in late endosomal signaling via MAPK and mammalian target of rapamycin. However, the fate of the VE‐cadherin‐positive endosome has yet to be elucidated. We sought to elucidate a role for p18 in VE‐cadherin trafficking and thus endothelial barrier function, in settings of ALI. Endothelial cell (EC) resistance, whole‐cell ELISA, and filtration coefficient were studied in mice or lung ECs overexpressing wild‐type or nonendosomal‐binding mutant p18, using green fluorescent protein as a control. We demonstrate a protective role for the endocytic protein p18 in endothelial barrier function in settings of ALI in vitro and in vivo, through enhanced recycling of VE‐cadherin‐positive early endosomes to the IEJ. In settings of LPS‐induced ALI, we show that Src tethered to the endosome tyrosine phosphorylates p18 concomitantly with VE‐cadherin internalization and pulmonary edema formation. We conclude that p18 regulates pulmonary endothelial barrier function in vitro and in vivo, by enhancing recycling of VE‐cadherin‐positive endosomes to the IEJ.—Chichger, H., Duong, H., Braza, J., Harrington, E. O., p18, a novel adaptor protein, regulates pulmonary endothelial barrier function via enhanced endocytic recycling of VE‐cadherin. FASEB J. 29, 868–881 (2015). www.fasebj.org


Abstract In time series econometric theory, the sign of the parameter may be pre-assigned, that is the parameter may be ordered or restricted. Estimation of this restricted parameter is then a vital problem. If we know the parameters are restricted by some constraints, it is reasonable to expect that we should be able to do better by incorporating such additional information than by ignoring them. The paper concerned with estimating and testing restricted hypotheses in Panel data regression model. The aim of the paper: constructing a modified LM test statistic to test the joint effect of heteroscedasticity and serial correlation in a random effect error component model, where the hypotheses are restricted. Monte Carlo results show that the tests have good size and power under various forms of heteroscedasticity and serial correlation. Keywords: Panel Data Model, heteroscedasticity, serial correlation, unconstraint and constraint based LM test


Abstract. Infrared limb sounding from aircraft can provide 2-D curtains of multiple trace gas species. However, conventional limb sounders view perpendicular to the aircraft axis and are unable to resolve the observed airmass along their line-of-sight. GLORIA (Gimballed Limb Observer for Radiance Imaging of the Atmosphere) is a new remote sensing instrument that is able to adjust its horizontal view angle with respect to the aircraft flight direction from 45° to 135°. This will allow for tomographic measurements of mesoscale structures for a wide variety of atmospheric constituents. Many flights of the GLORIA instrument will not follow closed curves that allow measuring an airmass from all directions. Consequently, it is examined by means of simulations, what spatial resolution can be expected under ideal conditions from tomographic evaluation of measurements made during a straight flight. It is demonstrated that the achievable horizontal resolution in the line-of-sight direction could be reduced from over 200 km to around 70 km compared to conventional retrievals and that the tomographic retrieval is also more robust against horizontal gradients in retrieved quantities in this direction. In a second step, it is shown that the incorporation of channels exhibiting different optical depth can further enhance the spatial resolution of 3-D retrievals enabling the exploitation of spectral samples usually not used for limb sounding due to their opacity. A second problem for tomographic retrievals is that advection, which can be neglected for conventional retrievals, plays an important role for the time-scales involved in a tomographic measurement flight. This paper presents a method to diagnose the effect of a time-varying atmosphere on a 3-D retrieval and demonstrates an effective way to compensate for effects of advection by incorporating wind-fields from meteorological datasets as a priori information.


After some time using a product or service, the consumer tends to feel less pleasure with consumption. This reduction of pleasure is known as hedonic adaptation. One of the emotions that interfere in this process is surprise. Based on two experiments, we suggest that negative surprise – differently to positive – influences with the level of pleasure foreseen and experienced by the consumer. Study 1 analyzes the influence of negative (vs. positive) surprise on the consumer's post-purchase hedonic adaptation expectation. Results showed that negative surprise influences the intensity of adaptation, augmenting its strength. Study 2 verifies the influence of negative (vs positive) surprise over hedonic adaptation. The findings suggested that negative surprise makes adaptation happen more intensively and faster as time goes by, which brings consequences to companies and consumers in the post-purchase process, such as satisfaction and loyalty.


With new standards and increasing pressure on educators from state and national governments, it is essential that schools are able to keep up with the increasing demands placed upon them. However, increasing standards has led to an increase in the number of students that fail to meet grade level requirements. In the attempt to help more students to meet standards, the issue of social promotion, or the policy of allowing a student who did not meet requirements to continue on to the next grade, has come under fire. In this thesis, the objective was to analyze the effectiveness of the policy of social promotion. To do this, a simple survey was given to students to assess attitudes towards school in general, homework, respect for authority, and parental involvement. To gain additional data, several students volunteered access to their permanent records for analysis of their major exams and grade level scores. The scores were averaged, and based upon the results students were assigned to one of three groups: Control, At Risk, or Socially Promoted. The groups were then reassessed after the final exam in June 2006 to see if their original grouping was a good indicator of their final grade. In addition, the socially promoted group was analyzed to see how many students were able to pass after being allowed to continue on after previous failure. The major contribution of this study was to add new research on the topic of social promotion. It was found throughout the course of this study that students who were socially promoted from one grade to another continued to do poorly in school. It was also observed that students who were deemed to be "at risk" continued to pass by the slightest of margins.


Most of existing automation, signalling and telecommunications systems in EC accession states are worn enough and require renovations. In accordance with Technical Specifications for Interoperability, migration from class B control, command and signalling systems to class A is foreseen. Throughput capacity is considered to be one of the most important operational characteristics. Though infrastructure (especially in the 1520mm gauge countries) is quite similar, there exist many different approaches for increasing throughput capacity. The aim of this work was to find out the interdependence between speed of train and a throughput capacity for lines with implemented dynamic block sections, and to compare it with characteristic interdependence of a line with automatic block system; and also, to decide about the optimal train speed for reaching maximum throughput capacity. This paper describes in details calculation of train braking distance, speed and influencing forces for conventional lines with automatic block systems and for lines with dynamic block sections, as it considerably influences the throughput capacity. It is shown, that a greater throughput capacity can be reached if dynamic block sections are implemented. Throughput capacity in the case of dynamic block sections is not a monotonically rising speed function; not like for automatic block systems. Throughput capacity has extreme point. From this extreme point the train speed can be determined, under which the best value of a throughput capacity can be reached. Ill. 4, bibl. 11 (in English; summaries in Lithuanian, English, Russian).


ABSTRACT A widely recognized phenomenon of modern and ancient river systems is downstream decrease in grain size. Over the past two decades, theoretical formulations, observations of modern rivers, flume studies, and numerical models have significantly increased our understanding of sediment transport in mixed-grain-size river systems. These have established that downstream fining in modern and ancient rivers can be attributed to a combination of selective sorting, abrasion rate, and accumulation rate. However, no detailed multiple-grain-size sediment transport model has been used to address how much subsidence rate, sediment flux, water discharge, hydraulic geometry, and the mechanics of sediment transport influence grain-size distribution and facies belt development in ancient fluvial systems. We have combined the results of recent empirical and theoretical studies with a multiple-grain-size sediment transport model (MIDAS) to test the sensitivity of downstream fining trends to those controlling mechanisms. Our results demonstrate that subsidence and sediment feed rate are the most important mechanisms controlling downstream fining trends in a foreland basin if the evolution of hydraulic geometry is known. To illustrate the application of this result, we have replicated the textural trends of the Mississippian upper Pocono Formation and Burgoon Sandstone of Pennsylvania. This methodology can be applied to constrain plausible values of accumulation and subsidence rate for ancient alluvial deposits and enhances our ability to interpret paleohydraulic conditions from such facies in a foreland basin.


This article describes experimental tests to determine PM fibers Panda style responses to a thermal source with different initial temperature. The aim of this study was to determine the sensitivity of a polarization maintaining fiber to the radiating heat, and to upgrade the space configuration and time response when using the 635 nm light. The sensitivity of the polarization maintaining fiber during excitation of both polarization modes is the principle of this sensor function. This excitation is caused by temperature change and by absorption of thermal radiation. This mechanism is used as an indicator for detection of temperature field disturbance. This article also provides links to previously published results and compares them to the results in this article.


AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To explore how older people maintained and improved their self-efficacy in managing home rehabilitation and their adherence to rehabilitation exercise programmes following orthopaedic surgery.

BACKGROUND
Successful postoperative orthopaedic rehabilitation for older people depends on building their confidence about adherence to exercise programmes designed to improve their functional performance. Many older people, however, do not reach a satisfactory level of functional ability before discharge and some fail to adhere to their rehabilitation exercise programme at home. This contributes to a reduced quality of life. Although many studies report the influences of self-efficacy, little is known about the factors that help rebuild self-efficacy beliefs towards postdischarge exercise following orthopaedic surgery.

DESIGN
A descriptive exploratory qualitative study.

METHODS
Semi-structured interviews were used with 15 older people who had returned to their homes following orthopaedic surgery.

RESULTS
Findings emphasise the importance of social support from family, friends and community to nurture self-efficacy. Accessing personal beliefs and attitudes, adaptive strategies and goal setting were all sources and ways participants rebuilt their confidence and motivation in regard to adhering to a rehabilitation programme.

CONCLUSION
Facilitating self-efficacy assists older people to manage home rehabilitation and planning care with family and friends to create a support system in early discharge planning allows a safer and smoother recovery.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
Rehabilitation programmes and education should encourage an understanding of self-efficacy as a means to improve individual functional performance.


Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPSs) are in the focus of research, industry and politics: By applying new IT and new computer science solutions, production systems will become more adaptable, more resource efficient and more user friendly. The analysis and diagnosis of such systems is a major part of this trend: Plants should detect automatically wear, faults and suboptimal configurations. This paper reflects the current state-ofthe-art in diagnosis against the requirements of CPPSs, identifies three main gaps and gives application scenarios to outline first ideas for potential solutions to close these gaps.


Various fields in engineering explore the applicability of deep learning within condition monitoring. With the resurgence of nuclear energy due to electricity and carbon-free power generation demand, ensuring safe operations at nuclear power plants is important. Nuclear safety systems can undergo vibrations due to operating loads such as pump operations, flow-induced, etc. Safety equipment-piping systems experience degradation over the course of time due to flow-accelerated erosion and corrosion. Undetected degradation at certain locations can be subjected to a buildup of cyclic fatigue due to operational vibrations and thermal cycles. A condition monitoring framework is required to avoid fatigue cracking and for early detection of degraded locations along with severity of degradation. This study aims to propose a condition monitoring methodology for nuclear equipment-piping subject to pump-induced vibrations during normal operations by designing a novel feature extraction technique, exploring parameters and developing a deep neural network, incorporating uncertainty in degradation severity, conducting a thorough investigation of predicted results to analyze erroneous predictions, and proposing strategic recommendations for "safe" pump operating speeds, as per ASME design criteria. Even with nondestructive testing, detection of fatigue in pipes continues to be a difficult problem. Thus, this novel strategic recommendation to the operator can be beneficial in avoiding fatigue in piping systems due to pump-induced vibrations. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is demonstrated on a Z-piping system connected to an auxiliary pump from Experimental Breeder Reactor II nuclear reactor and a high prediction accuracy is achieved.


Introduction: Alteration in ocular perfusion pressure and increased venous resistance are known to be associated with glaucoma. Examination of spontaneous venous pulsations can be a surrogate method for assessing the circulation status of optic nerve head and retina. This study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of the spontaneous venous pulsation (SVP) over the optic disc in patients with open angle glaucoma and its co relation to ocular perfusion pressure. Aim: To analyze the co relation between the presence of spontaneous venous pulsations and ocular perfusion pressure in POAG, NTG, OHT and controls Materials and Methods: This cross sectional, prospective study. Study period was conducted from September 2013 to June 2015. The study included 334 eyes of 167 patients, (52 patients POAG, 35 each in NTG, OHT and 45 in control group). Spontaneous venous pulsations (SVP) were observed on dilated fundus examination using slit lamp bio microscopy (frequency observed for 20sec) by two ophthalmologists who confirmed each other's findings. Blood pressure was measured in all these patients and ocular perfusion pressure was analysed. Statistical analysis: Data was analysed using SPSS 16.0 software. Univariate analysis was done. Results: SVP was absent in 64.4% of POAG (P<0.001) 15.7% of NTG (P=0.871), 10.3% of OHT (P=0.252) and 16.67% of controls. Correlation of mean ocular perfusion pressure and absence of SVP did not show any statistically significant association. Systolic perfusion pressure showed statistically significant co relation to absence of SVP in NTG (p=0.002), OHT (p=0.03). Diastolic Perfusion pressure and absence of SVP was significant in OHT group (p=0.03). Conclusions: Spontaneous Venous Pulsation has a predictive value as a surrogate method of assessing ocular blood flow, probably an indicator of vascular resistance in the pathogenesis of open angle glaucoma.


This tutorial discusses the Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) concept, its advantages and limitations. It will present examples of state-of-the-art display configurations, appropriate real-time rendering techniques, details about hardware and software implementations, and current areas of application. Specifically, it will describe techniques for optical combination using single/multiple spatially aligned mirror-beam splitters, image sources, transparent screens and optical holograms. Furthermore, it presents techniques for projectorbased augmentation of geometrically complex and textured display surfaces, and (along with optical combination) methods for achieving consistent illumination and occlusion effects. Emerging technologies that have the potential of enhancing future augmented reality displays will be surveyed.


C4 photosynthesis has evolved in over 60 different plant taxa and is an excellent example of convergent evolution. Plants using the C4 photosynthetic pathway have an efficiency advantage, particularly in hot and dry environments. They account for 23% of global primary production and include some of our most productive cereals. While previous genetic studies comparing phylogenetically related C3 and C4 species have elucidated the genetic diversity underpinning the C4 photosynthetic pathway, no previous studies have described the genetic diversity of the genes involved in this pathway within a C4 crop species. Enhanced understanding of the allelic diversity and selection signatures of genes in this pathway may present opportunities to improve photosynthetic efficiency, and ultimately yield, by exploiting natural variation. Here, we present the first genetic diversity survey of 8 known C4 gene families in an important C4 crop, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, using sequence data of 48 genotypes covering wild and domesticated sorghum accessions. Average nucleotide diversity of C4 gene families varied more than 20-fold from the NADP-malate dehydrogenase (MDH) gene family (θπ = 0.2 × 10−3) to the pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) gene family (θπ = 5.21 × 10−3). Genetic diversity of C4 genes was reduced by 22.43% in cultivated sorghum compared to wild and weedy sorghum, indicating that the group of wild and weedy sorghum may constitute an untapped reservoir for alleles related to the C4 photosynthetic pathway. A SNP-level analysis identified purifying selection signals on C4 PPDK and carbonic anhydrase (CA) genes, and balancing selection signals on C4 PPDK-regulatory protein (RP) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) genes. Allelic distribution of these C4 genes was consistent with selection signals detected. A better understanding of the genetic diversity of C4 pathway in sorghum paves the way for mining the natural allelic variation for the improvement of photosynthesis.


Abstract The policy feedback literature developed in an era in which the level of polarization and the intensity of party competition were far lower than today. These background conditions narrowed the scope of many policy debates and facilitated the consolidation of programmatic expansions after their enactment. As a result, the feedback literature emphasized the ways that new policies build supportive constituencies and become entrenched. While the core insight that policies can generate major political repercussions remains solid, American political development (APD) scholars should pay greater attention to the role of negative feedback processes and backlash politics in an era of disunity. Based on a review of New York Times articles mentioning policy backlash between 1960 and 2019, I show that the 2010s was a period of heightened countermobilization. Backlash forces have diffused from civil rights into many other arenas—including health, trade, and immigration—due to partisan polarization, conflicts over cultural shifts, and the negative feedback from activist government itself.


Purpose of reviewRates of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO), including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria, continue to rise among the population of chronic hemodialysis. Antimicrobial exposure is the main risk factor for MDRO emergence and dissemination. Up to 30% of antimicrobial doses administered in out-patient dialysis units may not be indicated. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) improve antimicrobial prescribing patterns. The purpose of this review is to highlight the key elements and interventions of ASP. Recent findingsThe Infectious Disease Society of America and the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America have provided evidence-based guidelines for the development and implementation of an ASP. Many of their recommendations can be adapted to the out-patient dialysis setting. SummaryDeveloping and implementing an ASP by following key elements and interventions in the out-patient dialysis setting can lead to reduced mortality, adverse events, costs, and improvement in antimicrobial susceptibility rates.


Alternative metabolic options of exoelectrogenic biofilms in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) are important not only to explain the fundamental ecology and performance of these systems but also to develop reliable integrated nutrient removal strategies in BESs, which potentially involve substrates or intermediates that support/induce those alternative metabolisms. This research focused on dissimilatory nitrate reduction as an alternative metabolism to dissimilatory anode reduction. Using the exoelectrogenic nitrate reducer Geobacter metallireducens, the critical conditions controlling those alternative metabolisms were investigated in two-chamber, potentiostatically controlled BESs at various anode potentials and biofilm thicknesses and challenged over a range of nitrate concentrations. Results showed that anode-reducing biofilms facultatively reduced nitrate at all tested anode potentials (-150 to +900 mV vs Standard Hydrogen Electrode) with a rapid metabolic shift. The critical nitrate concentration that triggered a significant decrease in BES performance was a function of anode biofilm thickness but not anode potential. This indicates that these alternative metabolisms were controlled by the availability of nitrate, which is a function of nitrate concentration in bulk solution and its diffusion into an anode-reducing biofilm. Coulombic recovery decreased as a function of nitrate dose due to electron-acceptor substrate competition, and nitrate-induced suspended biomass growth decreased the effluent quality.


With the threat of terrorist attack looming large, the ability of a building to mitigate progressive collapse is of key interest to government agencies. Alternate load path (ALP) approach is one of the direct methods to assess progressive collapse resistance by introducing a column removal scenario. An experimental program, comprising eight reinforced concrete (RC) beam-column sub-assemblages and seven RC frames, was carried out to investigate structural behavior and progressive collapse resistance of RC frame members subjected to a middle column removal scenario (MCRS), in particular, large-deformation behavior. Each sub-assemblage specimen consisted of a two-bay beam, a middle beam-column joint (just above a removed column) and two end-column stubs. Each frame specimen comprised a two-bay, a middle joint and two side columns, and most of frame specimens also include beam extensions. With increasing two-bay beam deflection, three different structural mechanisms, i.e. flexural action, compressive arch action (CAA) and catenary action, can be sequentially mobilized in a load-deflection history. Flexural action capacity is determined with a conventional plastic hinge mechanism. CAA is developed accompanied by beam axial compression and catenary action is mobilized when beam axial force changes from compression to tension. On top of flexural action capacity, both CAA and catenary action can significantly increase structural resistance, suggesting large potential of structures. However, compared with CAA, catenary action involves much large deflections and requires large rotation capacities of RC beams. In the sub-assemblage tests, the effects of specimen detailing, top and bottom reinforcement ratios at the middle joint regions, and span-to-depth ratios of two-bay beams on structural behavior were investigated. In the frame tests, the effects of boundary conditions of the frame specimens and specimen detailing are studied. In particular, three special detailing techniques were introduced, targeting at increasing beam-end rotation capacities.


In this paper, we investigate how to embed small cells into a macro cell to enhance the performance of two-tier heterogeneous networks. Conventionally, overlay and underlay schemes are adopted by small cells, where the former enables a small cell to use the macro cell idle bands with transmitter detection, while the latter enables a small cell to use the macro cell busy bands with a certain access probability. To enhance the performance of small cells, we propose to exploit more busy band opportunities for small cells through passive receiver detection, i.e., identifying the location of an active macro user that occupies a certain band. Then, a small cell may access the busy band when the active macro user is far away from the small cell. In our method, the small cell uses the energy of the received signal from the macro cell as the test statistic. We obtain the closed-form distribution of the test statistic and design two detectors with one and two thresholds, respectively. Our results demonstrate that the proposed detectors achieve about 100% to 300% more transmission opportunities than the conventional energy detector in typical two-tier heterogeneous networks without requiring any prior information of the macro user signal.


In accordance with the predominant view on the neurobiology of schizophrenia, most of the research on the differences in the illness between men and women has been studied on the basis of sex difference as a biological category rather than on the basis of gender as a psychosocial category. There are gender- identity difficulties observed in schizophrenia. Problems associated with gender can be a major source of instability and vulnerability during the development of the first and later psychotic episodes. There is a need for future research to view sex difference through gender perspectives. Findings from a gender study may have utility for the development of differential treatment interventions for men and women and may improve the outcome of the illness in general. The study of the complex role of gender in illness processes is an important research direction that would enhance our understanding of the heterogeneity in the manifestation and subjective experience of schizophrenia.


In this work, we aim to learn an unpaired image enhancement model, which can enrich low-quality images with the characteristics of high-quality images provided by users. We propose a quality attention generative adversarial network (QAGAN) trained on unpaired data based on the bidirectional Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) embedded with a quality attention module (QAM). The key novelty of the proposed QAGAN lies in the injected QAM for the generator such that it learns domain-relevant quality attention directly from the two domains. More specifically, the proposed QAM allows the generator to effectively select semantic-related characteristics from the spatial-wise and adaptively incorporate style-related attributes from the channel-wise, respectively. Therefore, in our proposed QAGAN, not only discriminators but also the generator can directly access both domains which significantly facilitate the generator to learn the mapping function. Extensive experimental results show that, compared with the state-of-the-art methods based on unpaired learning, our proposed method achieves better performance in both objective and subjective evaluations.


Microstructures and textures of the hot forged bar and hot-extruded tubes of Ni47Ti44Nb9 alloy as well as influence of heat treatment on them were studied in order to obtain a desired preferred orientation along the tube radial direction. The results show that B2 phase in hot-extruded tubes has a fine fibred shape and the main texture components are close to γ-fibre. Many fine recrystallized grains are formed for tubes heat treated at 600°C and γ-fibre is enhanced, which is beneficial to improving shape memory performances along the tube radial direction. Grain growth occurs at 850°C, and strong texture components deviate from γ-fibre.


Nanocapsule-based Eudragit RS100 and Eudragit E100 containing indomethacin have been prepared. The nanosuspensions have been included into pectin microgels of different polysaccharide concentrations, 28-61 μm-ranged polymer microgels with size and size polydispersity highly depending on the pectin amount being thus obtained. Study of the drug release revealed that indomethacin was released at a slower and more controlled rate from the microgels containing nanocapsules than from the empty pectin microgels. Also, the rate of released indomethacin increased with the augmentation of pectin amount into the microgels.


This thesis concerns a highly efficient nanoparticle-based capillary electrochromatography separation technique and its coupling with mass spectrometric detection. From chromatographic theory, it is well known that the separation efficiency increases with decreasing particle size. However, as the particle size decreases, the pressure required to push a liquid through the column also increases. This increase in back pressure results in problems both in packing and use of the columns. Therefore, there is a limitation on how small the particles used in traditional chromatography can be. In this thesis, a method is described that is based on capillary electrochromatography using a suspension of nanoparticles as a pseudostationary phase. With these nanoparticle suspensions, separation efficiencies as high as 1.1 million plates per meter were obtained. The technique can be used with very small particles, and there is rather an upper limit on particle sizes due to loss of suspension stability. The nanoparticles have a charge-to-size ratio that is different from that of the analytes. Consequently, the velocity of the nanoparticles is different from the velocity of the analytes under an applied electric field. The analytes are thus separated due to the difference in their partitioning between the liquid phase and the nanoparticle phase. In the thesis, three fundamentally different nanoparticle types have been synthesised and used. Molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles have been used for enantiomer separations, highly charged nanoparticles have been used for ion chromatographic separations, and hydrophobic nanoparticles have been used for reversed-phase separations. Thus, the technique can be applied to a broad range of different separation problems, and some examples are demonstrated here. The presented technique has several advantages over traditional chromatography performed with immobilised interaction phases. The nanoparticle suspension is exchanged after every separation, and thus, problems due to adsorption of sample components to the interaction phase are absent. Also, inexpensive bare fused silica capillaries are used and clogging or other damage to the capillary does not result in high costs. Therefore, the technique has great potential for analysis of complex samples such as blood plasma and urine. Determination of theophylline in spiked blood plasma was performed. Also, changes in interaction phase, in terms of type and amount, can be made without changing the column or capillary. Combinations of different nanoparticles can be used to resolve complex samples in a novel multimode fashion. This technique was used for simultaneous separation of the enantiomers of two different analytes. Compared to other separation techniques that employ relatively low molecular weight pseudostationary phases, such as proteins, surfactants and cyclodextrins, the nanoparticle-based interaction phases was shown to have improved compatibility with mass spectrometric detection. With an orthogonal electrospray ionisation interface, the analytes could be separated from the nanoparticles prior to mass spectrometric detection. Sensitive detection of the analytes without degradation of analyte signal intensity was achieved. (Less)


Large clinical trial evidence favours the use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) in primary and secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD). In response, major cardiology organizations have developed practice guidelines to guide clinicians through their decision-making. Although agreement exists on the use of ICDs in cardiac arrest survivors (i.e. secondary prevention), more discussion has been generated by the recommendations for the use of ICDs in primary prevention of SCD. The dramatic differences in enrolment criteria among the primary prevention trials have created debates amongst experts when it comes to defining the use of ICDs in primary prevention: robust recommendations with a firm level of evidence could be formulated for some patient groups but guidelines remain underpowered for other populations. In the future, more studies are needed to strengthen guidelines for patients with well-characterized risk profiles. Second, a robust assessment of device performance in unselected patient populations is also required. Third, an even closer collaboration between clinicians and industry is justified in order to address the technological challenges posed by the continuous expansion of indications for ICDs.


Machine recognition of handprinted Chinese characters has recently become very active in Japan. Both from the practical and the academic point of view, very encouraging results are reported. The work is described systematically and analyzed in terms of so-called feature matching, which is likely to be the mainstream of the research and development of machine recognition of handprinted Chinese characters. A database, ETL8 (881 Kanji, 71 hirakana, and 160 variations for each category), is explained, on which many experiments were performed. Recognition rates reported using this database can be compared, and so somewhat qualitative evaluation of these methods is described. Based on the comparative study, the merits and demerits of both feature and structural matching are discussed and some future directions are mentioned.


For equation P$_I^2$, the second member in the P$_I$ hierarchy, we prove existence of various degenerate solutions depending on the complex parameter $t$ and evaluate the asymptotics in the complex $x$ plane for $|x|\to\infty$ and $t=o(x^{2/3})$. Using this result, we identify the most degenerate solutions $u^{(m)}(x,t)$, $\hat u^{(m)}(x,t)$, $m=0,...,6$, called {\em tritronqu\'ee}, describe the quasi-linear Stokes phenomenon and find the large $n$ asymptotics of the coefficients in a formal expansion of these solutions. We supplement our findings by a numerical study of the tritronqu\'ee solutions.


Pointing calibration is an offline correction applied in order to obtain the true pointing direction of a telescope. The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) aims to have the precision to determine the position of point-like as well as slightly extended sources, with the goal of systematic errors less than 7 arc seconds in space angle. This poster describes the pointing calibration concept being developed for the CTA Medium Size Telescope (MST) prototype at Berlin-Adlershof, showing test results and preliminary measurements. The MST pointing calibration method uses two CCD cameras, mounted on the telescope dish, to determine the true pointing of the telescope. The "Lid CCD" is aligned to the optical axis of the telescope, calibrated with LEDs on the dummy gamma-camera lid; the "Sky CCD" is pre-aligned to the Lid CCD and the transformation between the Sky and Lid CCD camera fields of view is precisely modelled with images from special pointing runs which are also used to determine the pointing model. During source tracking, the CCD cameras record images which are analysed offline using software tools including Astrometry.net to determine the true pointing coordinates.


Underwater flow sensing is important for many robotics and military applications, including underwater robots and vessels. We report the development of micromachined, distributed flow sensors based on a biological inspiration, the fish lateral line sensors. Design and fabrication processes for realizing individual lateral line sensor nodes are discussed in this paper, along with preliminary characterization results.


The sanitation target of the Sustainable Development Goals is that everyone should have a 'safely-managed' sanitation facility by 2030 and that open defecation be eliminated. The scale of this target is unprecedently large: ∼5.6 billion additional people will require safely-managed sanitation by 2030 (∼1 million per day), and ∼1.3 billion people will need to switch from open to fixed-defecation in a sanitation facility by 2030 (240,000 per day). Safely-managed shared sanitation and container-based sanitation are both likely to be part of the solution, particularly in urban slums. The SDG hygiene target covers facilities for handwashing with soap, menstrual-hygiene management, and food hygiene, but only handwashing with soap is monitored by WHO/UNICEF. In 2015, the percentage of people with handwashing-with-soap facilities at home ranged from 15% in Sub-Saharan Africa to 76% in Western Asia and North Africa. The costs to meet these targets are around US$46 billion in urban areas, and US$25 billion in rural areas, per year during 2016–2030. Benefit-cost ratios are ∼18 in rural areas. There is a correspondingly considerable need for training local sanitation and hygiene professionals, so that they can plan and design interventions to meet the SDG target.


It is impossible to prevent natural disasters but the applications of recent technologies can be implemented for reducing their effects by developing disaster early warning strategies, preparing and implementing developmental plans to provide resilience to such disasters, and helping in rehabilitation and post disaster reduction. In all cases the circulation of precise, current and reliable information plays a significant role. An integrated approach using scientific and technological advances should be adopted to mitigate and to manage natural hazards using the proper information system for disaster management should be present to tackle the disaster and to manage it. The proposed study is about Uttarakhand (India) which is devastated by natural disaster (cloudburst and flash flood, 15 - 16 June 2013) before a couple of months and it also can be implemented in another provincial. The proposed study aims preparing an efficient disaster management information system for risk prevention and reduction in time to reach in emergency situations using web based interface and feed forward back propagation neural network.


TiC/Ni cermet cladding layer on the surface of 16Mn steel was fabricated with plasma cladding process. Different additions of Mo were 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% in mass percent. The cladding layer was composed of ceramic particles and Ni alloy binder. And the gradient distribution of ceramic particles was observed. And Mo was found in TiC ceramic particles in solid solution. The mechanical properties of the cladding layers with different Mo additions were all better than the cladding layer without Mo. However, the cladding layer with 10% Mo had more defective microstructure and worse mechanical properties.


Three types of prototype (Lege) traps with different numbers of entrance valves were evaluated in River Rima, north western Nigeria. The traps contained 4,6 and 8 valves, tagged 4-V, 6-V and 8-V respectively. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with one factor each replicated three times. Data collected on fish diversity, number, biomass and sizes were subjected to descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. The results of the catch composition showed close diversity index of 0.86 for 6-V, 0.80 for 8-V and 0.60 for 4-V Lege traps. However, the number (41%) and biomass (48%) of fish caught in the 6-V Lege trap were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those caught in the other traps. There was no definite trend in the sizes (length and girth) of fish caught in the traps. On the basis of species diversity, and the number and biomass of fish caught, the 6-V Lege showed preference for adoption than the other two traps. However, further studies are recommended on the appropriate mesh size net for the trap in line with the provisions of fisheries edicts


Abstract This article presents a fast and highly efficient algorithm developed to reconstruct a three-dimensional (3D) volume with a high spatial precision from a set of field ion microscopy (FIM) images, and specific tools developed to characterize crystallographic lattice and defects. A set of FIM digital images and image processing algorithms allow the construction of a 3D reconstruction of the sample at the atomic scale. The capability of the 3D FIM to resolve the crystallographic lattice and the finest defects in metals opens a new way to analyze materials. This spatial precision was quantified on tungsten, analyzed at different analyzing conditions. A specific data mining tool, based on Fourier transforms, was also developed to characterize lattice distortions in the reconstructed volumes. This tool has been used in simulated and experimental volumes to successfully locate and characterize defects such as dislocations and grain boundaries.


American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is one of the most commonly used herbal medicines in the West. It has been reported to possess significant antitumor effects that inhibit the process of carcinogenesis. However, the mechanisms underlying its anticancer effects remain largely unresolved. In this study, we investigated the cancer chemopreventive effects of American ginseng on the progression of high fat (HF) diet-enhanced colorectal carcinogenesis with a genetically engineered Apc(Min/+) mouse model. The metabolic alterations in sera of experimental mice perturbed by HF diet intervention as well as the American ginseng treatment were measured by gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) and liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOFMS) analysis. American ginseng treatment significantly extended the life span of the Apc(Min/+) mouse. Significant alterations of metabolites involving amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates were observed in Apc(Min/+) mouse in sera, which were attenuated by American ginseng treatment and concurrent with the histopathological improvement with significantly reduced tumor initiation, progression and gut inflammation. These metabolic changes suggest that the preventive effect of American ginseng is associated with attenuation of impaired amino acid, carbohydrates, and lipid metabolism. It also appears that American ginseng induced significant metabolic alterations independent of the Apc(Min/+) induced metabolic changes. The significantly altered metabolites induced by American ginseng intervention include arachidonic acid, linolelaidic acid, glutamate, docosahexaenoate, tryptophan, and fructose, all of which are associated with inflammation and oxidation. This suggests that American ginseng exerts the chemopreventive effects by anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms.


In the health and social professions, including occupational therapy and social work, interactions and exchanges with people are essential. Populations encountered by professionals in these fields are becoming increasingly diverse in terms of age, origin, language, health status, and socio-economic background. Sometimes, professionals can have potential misinterpretations regarding intentions and actions, health beliefs and practices, or verbal and non-verbal communication. To overcome obstacles related to practice in a context of diversity, universities must develop students' intercultural competence. Scientific literature stresses the importance of encountering diversity to improve awareness and sensitivity and to bring attention to biases and prejudices. Considering students' intercultural experiences before their 10.46303/jcve.2020.6 Journal of Culture and Values in Education Volume 4 Issue 1, 2021 Tétreault, S., et al. (2021). Intercultural Experiences Prior to the Educational Program: Occupational Therapy and Social Work Students Journal of Culture and Values in Education 2021 E-ISSN: 2590-342X https://cultureandvalues.org 16 formation could be a basis to achieve this educational goal. The present study aims to document this topic. Semi-structured interviews with 51 first-year students from two educational institutions in French-speaking Switzerland were conducted to capture the participants' descriptions of these experiences in private or professional contexts. The interviews were transcribed and submitted to a thematic analysis approach. A thematic map was generated and three main themes emerged: (1) perception of diversity; (2) communication challenges; and (3) transformation of attitudes toward the "Other." They are described and discussed in terms of developing intercultural competence. Recommendations regarding intercultural education emerge from these findings.


The major challenge faced by designers of ad hoc network is the deployment of end-to-end quality-of-service support mechanisms for streaming media services over an ad hoc group network. Group-oriented services over large ad hoc networks has a big impact on the needs of streaming services communication in terms of mobility, quality of service (QoS) support and multicasting. In ad hoc networks, where such features are not embedded with its architecture, it is necessary to develop QoS multicasting strategies. This paper focuses on the basic building blocks of an ad hoc group communication scheme, which achieves multicasting optimal QoS efficiency OptiQ_Policy algorithm by tracking resource availability in a node's neighborhood based on resource reservations, which announces the required QoS before each session initiation. The primary quality of service (QoS) issues such as required bandwidth, message delay, traffic type and hop count per route improves the efficiency of streaming services over ad hoc network. Streaming services support voice, data and video traffic by assessing and adjusting for various levels of QoS. The performance analysis is performed on functional prototype of QASAN ad hoc mobile wireless network with emphasis on service satisfaction for multiple group conference sessions. The performance of QASAN network is well compared with QoS-aware versions of AODV and TORA, well-known ad hoc routing and limited QoS protocols. Using the SPRUCE bandwidth traffic gathering tool, with a set of C++ modules an extensive set of performance experiments were conducted for these protocols with QASAN on a wide variety of mobility patterns and reservation strategies


Care has come to dominate much feminist research on globalized migrations and the transfer of labor from the South to the North, while the older concept of reproduction had been pushed into the background but is now becoming the subject of debates on the commodification of care in the household and changes in welfare state policies. This article argues that we could achieve a better understanding of the different modalities and trajectories of care in the reproduction of individuals, families, and communities, both of migrant and nonmigrant populations by articulating the diverse circuits of migration, in particular that of labor and the family. In doing this, I go back to the earlier North American writing on racialized minorities and migrants and stratified social reproduction. I also explore insights from current Asian studies of gendered circuits of migration connecting labor and marriage migrations as well as the notion of global householding that highlights the gender politics of social reproduction operating within and beyond households in institutional and welfare architectures. In contrast to Asia, there has relatively been little exploration in European studies of the articulation of labor and family migrations through the lens of social reproduction. However, connecting the different types of migration enables us to achieve a more complex understanding of care trajectories and their contribution to social reproduction.


ABSTRACT The Pleistocene Port Durnford Formation comprises fossiliferous, upward coarsening sandy clays of lagoonal origin overlain by backbarrier peat or bioturbated sand with Ophiomorpha, followed by barrier overwash sands and eolian deposits. The basal lagoonal deposits contain oysters and other molluscs, cirripeds, fossil wood, and a variety of vertebrate remains including crocodile, turtle, fish, antelope, rhinoceros, buffalo, elephant and hippopotamus. Primary structures such as lenticular, wavy and flaser bedding are largely destroyed by bioturbation. Overwash deposits consist of landward dipping plane-beds, with planar and trough cross-bed intrasets. Lagoonal infilling and landward barrier migration are thought to have accompanied the rise of the sea to its last interglacial (Sa gamon) level of approximately +8 m. Eolian sands, in large-scale sets of high-angle cross-beds, were probably deposited as coastal dunes during the subsequent Wisconsin regression. Syndepositional deformation took place in two main phases, the first immediately following infilling of the lagoon, and the second after a cover of washover sands had been deposited. The resulting coherent structures, chiefly upright and locally overturned folds, and subordinate overthrusts and normal faults, resemble, on a reduced scale, those produced by tectonism. Deformation was concentrated in the upper few meters of lagoonal strata and extended to the prevailing sediment-water interface, resulting in small growth faults, open-cast folds, and other contemporaneously buried structures. Deformation is thought to have involved gravity gliding and clay diapirism, probably operating in concert. Landward gravity gliding would have been facilitated by the steep NW to WNW paleoslope on d ssected basement. The presence of two dominant fold wavelengths, giving rise to anticlmoria with second-order folds, is explained by the diapiric rise of two pressurized, buoyant, clay-rich layers beneath denser barrier and eolian sands.


In August 2016 the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee announced a package of measures, with mutually reinforcing elements, to support growth and return inflation to target. The measures included a Term Funding Scheme (TFS), which provided funding to participating banks and building societies at interest rates close to Bank Rate. The design of the TFS reflected its primary objective which was to reinforce the pass‑through of the August 2016 cut in Bank Rate to the interest rates faced by households and businesses, against a backdrop where Bank Rate was close to zero. The Scheme appears to have achieved its primary objective with evidence suggesting that the reduction in Bank Rate was passed on to lower lending rates on loans such as mortgages, without significant compression in lenders' net interest margins or the supply of credit to the economy.


Regional development policy and practice took significant transformations over the last five decades. Its relevance has been challenged in recent years by the new economic geography that emerged in view of globalization and as most nations veer towards a more democratic and decentralized approach to plan and implement their various development activities. Given these advances, the emergence of new regional dynamics calls on countries to fine-tune current regional development perspectives and/or to develop new ones that are not only more in sync with the present and future global context and with the governance systems being adopted that are becoming more and more decentralized and grassroots oriented. The Philippines is one of the developing countries that have made great strides in adopting regional development perspectives in national development planning. As early as the mid-70s, serious efforts have been taken to put regional planning in the mainstream of national development activities. After about thirty years of regional planning, it is an opportune time to reexamine the country's experience thus far and reflect on how the current policy and practice can be reconfigured to suit present and likely future development concerns. This study is an attempt to put together these long years of experience through a reexamination of the original ideas and concepts of regional development and reflecting on how the same have influenced the perspectives of the country's policymakers in actual regional policy and planning. The objectives of this study also align with the current realization that there is a need to provide a stronger research base that will aid in the more meaningful integration of regional concerns in national development policy analysis and formulation. It is hoped that this attempt at providing a comprehensive assessment of regional development theories and practices and suggesting a research agenda will help jumpstart more studies that will fill such gap.


As individuals go through life earning income they invest, they implicitly engage in dollar cost averaging (with the same investment they buy more when prices are low, and less when prices are high). They rebalance their stock-bond mix periodically, by selling appreciated assets, or buying more of depreciated assets. They do all of this on autopilot. They are told not to try to time the market. Instead, life and rigid rules dictate the timing of their investment. Does this passive behavior increase the risk that they will miss their retirement targets? The author concludes that just the opposite may actually occur. He shows that while the purported cost advantage of dollar cost averaging for a long-term investor is doubtful (asset prices increase over time, so delaying investment is costly), the reduction of investment risk is not. By investing smoothly over time rather than in large discrete chunks (or once up front), investors reduce not only the standard deviation of the terminal value of their investment upon retirement, but also the expected amount by which they may fall short in case they miss their retirement goal. The author argues that the latter measure is a much better metric of risk than the standard deviation or beta of a stock or portfolio.


The big-headed turtle ( Platysternon megacephalum ) is heavily harvested to support tremendous demands from food and pet markets, and thus its ecology remains poorly understood. The presence of self-sustaining populations in Hong Kong (22°09'-22°37'N, 113°50'-114°30'E) provides important opportunities to advance our understanding of this species. We employed mark-recapture surveying, radio-tracking of two gravid females, and directed streamside searches to document the reproductive ecology of the species between September 2009 and June 2011 in Hong Kong. We found seven gravid females between 20-27 June 2010 and 2011, and which subsequently oviposited on average three eggs (range 2-8), with mean length and width of 36 mm and 21 mm, in early July. There was positive correlation between the size of females and clutch sizes. We found one clutch in leaf litter 1.6 m away from the stream, which hatched between 14 to 18 October. The incubation period was estimated to be between 103 and 110 days. The results of this study provide important information to formulate conservation plan for this endangered species.


A pattern database (PDB) is a heuristic function implemented as a lookup table. It stores the lengths of optimal solutions for instances of subproblems. Most previous PDBs had a distinct entry in the table for each subproblem instance. In this paper we apply learning techniques to compress PDBs by using neural networks and decision trees thereby reducing the amount of memory needed. Experiments on the sliding tile puzzles and the TopSpin puzzle show that our compressed PDBs significantly outperforms both uncompressed PDBs as well as previous compressing methods. Our full compressing system reduced the size of memory needed by a factor of up to 63 at a cost of no more than a factor of 2 in the search effort.


In Wolof (Atlantic, Niger-Congo), the grammatical uses of the word for HEAD (bopp) with a possessive modifier range from direct and indirect reflexive pronoun to adnominal intensifier through an intermediary genitival reflexive. This study analyzes the semantic continuity between those different uses, and the various ways they are conditioned by their contexts. With direct and indirect (or oblique) reflexives, the reflexive anaphora has scope over two different semantic roles (agent vs. patient or beneficiary) of the same referent. Being restrictively used for typically other-directed processes, those reflexive constructions imply that alternative (more expected) agents are discarded, producing an emphasis on self-affectedness or self-benefit. This 'centering' effect on the actual participant is even clearer with the genitive reflexive and the adnominal intensifier due to their adnominal function. In those constructions, the reflexive anaphora creates a re-identification of the referent in the same role, producing an intensive effect by centering on the identity of the referent, discarding again alternative participants. Altogether, the various reflexive constructions in Wolof, emphasizing the agentivity, responsibility or identity of the referent, point to a metonymical use of the HEAD for the PERSON or INDIVIDUAL, which is in accordance with its various lexical uses.


Aside from his impeachment, President Clinton's most noteworthy impact on the Constitution has been in the area of war powers. President Clinton's air war against Serbian military and civilian targets in spring and summer of 1999, while broader in scale and destructiveness, was only the latest in a pattern set by similar military interventions over the last eight years in places such as Bosnia, Afghanistan, the Sudan, Iraq, Haiti, and Somalia. In none of these cases did the Clinton administration receive congressional authorization for its decisions to use force abroad. In fact, the President has justified his military interventions more often on the need to uphold our obligations to the United Nations or NATO, than upon congressional approval. President Clinton refused to acknowledge that the War Powers Resolution constrained his discretion to act. This paper discusses the constitutional implications of the Clinton Administration's war power activities. First, it will explain that President Clinton's claim of unilateral executive war power, while at times rhetorically overbroad, can find support in the Constitution's text and original understanding. In creating a flexible system of war powers, the Constitution allows the President to exercise significant initiative in war matters, while providing Congress with the ample authority to check presidential adventurism by refusing to fund military operations. Second, this Essay examines the increasingly multilateral nature of the American use of force. Kosovo and other Clinton-era operations, in which American military forces participate as part of multinational forces under international mandate, may prove to be the model for the future. This Essay addresses whether the Constitution imposes any limitations on the President's ability to send American troops to serve under international command. It then will turn to two other questions raised by Kosovo: whether the President gains any constitutional authority vis-a-vis Congress when using force pursuant to treaty, and whether the President may violate international law in the course of ordering the military to intervene abroad. Kosovo shows, I conclude, that the President is free to pursue the goals of multilateral organizations, even to the point of waging war without congressional authorization or of violating international law. Nonetheless, the Constitution places limits on the federal government's ability to cooperate with international organizations, particularly in its restrictions on delegating authority under federal law to non-U.S. officers, and in Congress's discretion to use the legislative power to block presidential foreign policy.


In this paper, we argue that human consciousness model should take into consideration the mind-body-spirit as integral aspect which is neglected in the so-called Freudian mental model. In particular, two approaches to cancer treatment derived from such an integral triune view of human consciousness are explored: (a) Healing frequency approach as advised by Royal Rife and David Hawkins, and (b) Relational therapy, based on recent research on the healing role of love and compassion.


Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that not only plays major roles in the immune system, but also serves as a coordinator between the nervous and endocrine systems. IL-6 is produced in multiple cell types in the CNS, and in turn, many cells respond to it. It is therefore important to ascertain which cell type is the key responder to IL-6 during both physiological and pathological conditions. In order to test the role of astrocytic IL-6 in neuroinflammation, we studied an extensively-used animal model of multiple sclerosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), in mice with an IL-6 deficiency in astrocytes (Ast-IL-6 KO). Results indicate that lack of astrocytic IL-6 did not cause major changes in EAE symptomatology. However, a delay in the onset of clinical signs was observed in Ast-IL-6 KO females, with fewer inflammatory infiltrates and decreased demyelination and some alterations in gliosis and vasogenesis, compared to floxed mice. These results suggest that astrocyte-secreted IL-6 has some roles in EAE pathogenesis, at least in females.


Awareness of groundwater‐borne dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) loadings into lakes and its role in lake eutrophication is increasing, albeit DIP of natural origin is often ignored. Release of geogenic DIP from an adjacent aquifer and its transport with groundwater into a eutrophic lake is described by combining hydrogeochemical data collected in this study (sampling of piezometers, hydrogeochemical profiles, and seepage meters) with groundwater flow and discharge rates from earlier studies. The major part of the DIP that entered the lake with discharging groundwater was mobilized from iron hydroxides reduced by organic matter buried in the sediments of the old lake bottom. This is indicated by the correlation between DIP and ferrous iron (Fe2+) concentrations, with a DIP/Fe2+ molar ratio of 0.06, and an increase in pH. One‐dimensional reactive transport modeling indicated that high discharge rates (> 0.1 m d−1) of anoxic groundwater upwelling in areas adjacent to the lakeshore prevent downward diffusion of oxygen into the aquifer and do not leave enough time for DIP to become rebounding to the mineral phases at the sediment‐water interface. The groundwater‐controlled DIP input into the lake calculated along a two‐dimensional cross‐section averaged 0.01 mol DIP m−2 yr−1. A 2 m wide offshore high discharge zone delivered approximately 13% of the DIP into the lake. The continuous, external loading of geogenic DIP sustains lake eutrophication and explains the failure of two previous lake restoration attempts.


MR. RONALD COLLINS: One of the joys of getting older is the experiencing of the gracious words of the young, however exaggerated. That said, Benjamin, I very sincerely appreciate those kind words, and I only wish my mother were here to hear them. It is a great pleasure, indeed it is an honor, to be at Robert Jackson's Law School, and I want to especially thank Dean Andrews, the faculty here, and most of all, I see the Editor-in-Chief over there in the corner, of the Albany Law Review, for making this event possible. And it's really quite a program, and I'm delighted and honored to be a part of it. I have already had the pleasure of meeting some of the faculty, and I look forward to meeting more, including people outside of my field. Just yesterday I had the opportunity to chat with some people from Tax--from Tax Law and Trust and Estates, and I welcome the opportunity to meet people who work outside of my field. Who knows, I may actually learn something. I'm always looking forward to doing that. Before I begin, at least say a few things about the exchange that will take place today. I have a noted nod of recognition to at least three members of this faculty, whose works over the years I have been the beneficiary of. Of course, there'd be more, but three came to mind. Paul Finkelman, who I gather is not here today, for his incredible work in legal history and Constitutional Law. I have read, and continue to read his works. Vince Bonventre, vehemently an expert on State Constitutional Law, and many years ago, we tilled those fields together, and it's so wonderful to be back at this law school, here with Vince, who I haven't seen in a long time. And Professor Stephen Gottlieb, whose works in Constitutional Law and jurisprudence I have learned much from over the years. So I'd like to just recognize that, and say it's just an honor to be here with them today. And, of course, Benjamin, what this young man has done is remarkable. I did not plan to come to this conference, I just had too much to do, but he wowed me in more ways than one. And if a genuine passion for the law, combined with a divining commitment to excellence is the measure, then he is the man, and I know I speak for all of us in extending a sincere---our sincere appreciation for all the work that Benjamin has done, so Benjamin... (Applause) MR. COLLINS: I am honored and humbled to be the middleman, literally and figuratively, between two legal giants in our profession: Floyd Abrams and Alan Morrison, both of whom I have known for many years. One of them is the leading authority on First Amendment law. If you ask anyone in our profession to name a First Amendment lawyer, they would name Floyd Abrams. Without a doubt. If you asked them to name two, they're hard pressed. Such has life come to be, Floyd. In the area of Public Interest Law, there are few names, if any, to rival the achievements of Alan Morrison. Just last night I discovered that on the D.C. Court of Appeals Historical Society's website, there was this incredible profile, replete with interviews of the work that Alan Morrison has done over the years, and I'll tell you, anybody who remembers the name Louis Brandeis, it is without exaggeration to say that he is the embodiment of that man in our own time. So it's a great pleasure to be here with Floyd and everyone today. The occasion for this exchange between these two distinguished lawyers is, of course, the U.S. Supreme Court's controversial ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. (1) With that case, the First Amendment once again became the center of controversy in the cultural wars that define this nation. Not since the flag desecration cases of the late 1980s and early 1990s (2) and the proposed constitutional amendments following them, have we seen anything in the First Amendment area quite as divisive as the Court's 2010 campaign finance ruling. …


Bolted joints have been widely used in mechanical structures. However, a design of bolted joints has been carried out empirically. In designing a bolted joint, it is necessary to know a ratio of increment Ft in axial bolt force to an external tensile loading W, that is, the load factor φ=Ft/W. In our previous paper, the new formulation for obtaining the value of the load factor φ for a bolted joint in which two hollow cylinders were clamped was proposed by introducing the tensile spring constant Kpt for clamped parts. Then, it is shown that the values of the load factor of bolted joint obtained from our formulation are in a fairly good agreement with the experimental values. In addition, the effect of the position where an external load is applied to the joint is significant on the value of the load factor. In the present paper, a method for obtaining the value of the load factor for bolted T-shape flange joints in which two T-shape flanges are clamped by two bolts and nuts under tensile loadings is demonstrated using two-dimensional theory of elasticity. In the analysis of the load factor φ, the compressive spring constant Kc for a hollow cylinder around the bolt hole is calculated. The value of the correction factor Kc′/Kpt is also analyzed using the two-dimensional theory of elasticity. When the external tensile loads are applied to the joints, the bolts are inclined and as the result, the bending moment occurs in the bolts. A method for analyzing the bending stress in the bolts is also demonstrated. In the numerical calculations, the distance C between the bolt position and the center of T-shape flange is varied and the effect of the distance C on the load factor is examined. For the validation of the analyses, calculations are also carried out. Experiments to measure the load factor and the maximum stress due to the bending moment occurred in the bolts were carried out. The numerical results of the load factor and the maximum stress in the bolts are fairly coincided with the experimental results. Furthermore, a design method for the joints is discussed, that is, how to determine the bolt position C, the bolt preload for the external tensile loading, how to choose the bolt strength.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


Knowledge management is emerging as a promising area to support software engineering activities. The general idea is to use knowledge gained in previous projects to help future ones. We believe this approach is even more relevant when considering software maintenance where maintainers often have to modify a system that they did not develop, that has no documentation, and that nobody knows intimately. Contrasting with this lack of information on the system, maintainers need a lot of knowledge: about the application domain, the organization software maintenance procedures, the system itself, the language used, past development methods, etc. Although one can readily agree with this fact, there is no clear, exhaustive definition of what knowledge would be useful to perform software maintenance. In this paper we describe our research to identify these needs. This research is part of a long term project that aims at building a knowledge management system for software maintenance.


Cairnsian mutations have been defined as nonrandom mutations that occur as specific and direct responses to environmental challenges. This article reviews the evidence for the occurrence of such mutations in Escherichia coli, and concludes that under conditions of prolonged, intense selection Cairnsian mutations occur at several loci, and include base substitution mutations, frameshift mutations, and mutations mediated by excision of mobile genetic elements. Cairnsian mutations occur in nondividing cells. They are thus time-dependent, rather than replication-dependent. The process that produces Cairnsian mutations is so powerful that it can generate double mutations at rates (mutations per cell per day) that approach the rates of the component single mutations under identical conditions. Several mechanisms, including slow repair of mis-matched bases, mutagenic transcription, and a hypothetical "hypermutable" physiological state, have been proposed to explain the occurrence of Cairnsian mutations by an underlying random process, rather than by the instructional, or "directed" process originally proposed by Cairns. Recent evidence, however, argues strongly against all of those proposed mechanisms and leaves us without a viable model to explain this powerful, and potentially very important, process.


ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effects of blending ethanol with gasoline on the exhaust emissions of fuel-injected motorcycles. Regulated gasoline (RF), and 15 (E15) and 30 (E30) vol% ethanol fuel were used as test fuels. Measurements of several air pollutants (CO, HC, and NOx) and organic air pollutant groups were conducted for two new fuel-injected four-stroke motorcycles. In addition, various catalysts were inserted into the motorcycles' tailpipes to determine the characteristics and performance of the catalysts in treating the exhaust.
Compared to using RF, we found that using blended fuel potentially reduced the CO and HC emissions by 30–37% and 19–28%, respectively. New catalytic systems, in conjunction with using different fuels, reduced CO, HC, and NOx emissions in the tailpipe exhaust by 12–61%, 32–39%, and 81–85%, respectively. The CO and HC emissions were directly proportional in quantity to the running mileage of the catalyst, but the NOx emissions were unaffected by this mileage, although they increased as the catalyst aged.
We also discovered that at identical running mileages for a catalyst, the fuel consumption increased by –1.7–6.5% and 4.1–15% when using E15 and E30 fuel instead of RF. Furthermore, the specific surface area and pore volume of the catalyst decreased with the aged catalyst the phosphorus and sulfur content in the catalyst increased with the catalyst's running mileage; adding ethanol to the fuel decreased emissions of paraffins, olefins, and aromatics but increased those of carbonyls; and the ozone formation potential of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the tailpipe exhaust was 16.7–17.2% for paraffins, 22–33% for olefins, 26–45% for aromatics, and 4.9–25% for carbonyls.


Ambient groundwater samples collected from five wells in Pulau Tiga have been studied for selected physico-chemical
and biological parameters to understand general water quality of the island. This preliminary study on groundwater
of Pulau Tiga was undertaken to provide guidance and baseline data for future references. Two field works were
undertaken in August and November 2007 to collect the groundwater samples. Groundwater samples were collected
from five representatives wells at the low lying area of Pulau Tiga in order to study the in-situ parameters such as DO(dissolved oxygen), EC (electrical conductivity), TDS (total dissolved solids), pH, salinity and temperature. In general, groundwater in Pulau Tiga is moderate in conductivity (330 µS/cm – 1005 µS/cm), and serves as a vital freshwater source to both tourists and local inhabitants. However, bacteriological analysis showed that the groundwater quality was poor, with fecal coliform counts exceeding the WHO permissible limits for drinking water. Through this study, human factor was to be blame for the fecal contamination coliform where the polluted ground water might be originated from sanitation facilities located too close to the wells. The occurrence of total and fecal coliform bacteria in counts suggests poor sanitary handling and warns of the potential presence of disease-causing organisms.


BACKGROUND
People with PPPD report imbalance, increase in symptoms and impaired function within complex visual environments, but understanding of the mechanism for these behaviors is still lacking.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate postural control in PPPD we compared changes in center of pressure (COP) and head kinematics of people with PPPD (N = 22) and healthy controls (N = 20) in response to different combinations of visual and cognitive perturbations during a challenging balance task.

METHODS
Participants stood in a tandem position. Static or moving stars (0.2 Hz, 5 mm or 32 mm amplitude, anterior-posterior direction) were displayed through a head-mounted display (HTC Vive). On half the trials, participants performed a serial-3 subtraction task. We measured medio-lateral and anterior-posterior path and acceleration of COP and head.

RESULTS
Controls significantly increased all COP and head parameters with the cognitive task whereas PPPD increased only COP ML path and acceleration. Only controls significantly increased head anterior-posterior & medio-lateral acceleration with moving visual load. Cognitive task performance was similar between groups.

CONCLUSIONS
We observed altered postural strategies in people with PPPD, in the form of reduced movement with challenge, particularly around the head segment. The potential of this simple and portable head-mounted display setup for differential diagnosis of vestibular disorders should be further explored.


"There's one thing certain," said a historian of my acquaintance when he heard the title of this paper, "that's a problem which would never perturb a working-historian." He was wrong: a working-historian first drew it to my attention; and in one form or another it raises its head whenever historians discuss the nature of their own inquiries. Yet in a way he was right. His mind had turned to the controversies of epistemologists, controversies about "the possibility of knowledge"; historians, he rightly felt, do not trouble their-heads about such matters.


Alginate oligosaccharide (AOS) has recently demonstrated the ability to protect against acute doxorubicin cardiotoxicity and neurodegenerative disorders by inhibiting oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated apoptosis, which are both involved in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. In the present study, we investigated whether pretreatment with AOS protects against myocardial I/R injury in mice and explored potential cardioprotective mechanisms. AOS pretreatment significantly decreased the infarct size, reduced the cardiac troponin-I concentration, and ameliorated the cardiac dysfunction. Accompanied with the reduced cardiac injury, AOS pretreatment clearly decreased I/R-induced myocardial apoptosis. With regard to mechanism, AOS pretreatment markedly attenuated nitrative/oxidative stress, as evidenced by decreases in 3-nitrotyrosine content and superoxide generation, and downregulated inducible nitric oxide synthase, NADPH oxidase2, and 4-hydroxynonenal. Moreover, AOS pretreatment decreased myocardial apoptosis by inhibiting the ER stress-mediated apoptosis pathway, which is reflected by the downregulation of C/EBP homologous protein, glucose-regulated protein 78, caspase-12, and Bcl-2-associated X protein, and by the upregulation of the anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma-2. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that AOS renders the heart resistant to I/R injury, at least in part, by inhibiting nitrative/oxidative stress and ER stress-mediated apoptosis.


The effect of zirconia coatings deposited by the sol-gel technique on the oxidation of mild steel was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and measuring weight gain. It was found that the thickness of zirconia coatings is a crucial factor affecting the oxidation kinetics and the multilayer dip–coating is much more effective than the single coatings. Auger electron spectroscope (AES) was used to evaluate the depth composition of scale. The results suggest that the growth mechanism of the oxide scale for coated mild steel change from outward cation to inward anion diffusion, during oxidation.


The Newtown shooting opened up (again) the issue of guns on school grounds, both at the K-12 level and university level, and whether teachers and administrators should be armed. The Newtown shooting also focused attention again on the shootings at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg. In that incident, 32 people were killed and 17 wounded on April 2007. The shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, a senior, ended his killing spree by committing suicide. Following Cho's shooting spree, the National Rifle Association (NRA) created NRA-U, or National Rifle Association University, an organization that reaches out to college students interested in having guns on campus or learning about having guns on campus. In addition to NRA-U, an organization called Students for Concealed Carry was established to promote the cause of students, or more specifically students 21 and over, who want to have a concealed gun on campus. This organization has chapters on various campuses in a number of states. Since 2007, they have held Open Holster protests on campuses, which is as it sounds—students wearing open holsters to demonstrate their desire to carry guns on campus. The push to allow students 21 and over to have guns inevitably involves court cases. The point is that school administrators and teachers are not the only focus of who should be allowed to have guns on campus: There is a broad-based push to allow many to have concealed guns on campus, even people who are not students, administrators, or faculty members, as will be noted in a case from Virginia. This article looks at federal court cases (two United States Supreme Court cases and one Court of Appeals case) and briefly examines how they open ways to examine the issue of guns and schools.


During the turn-on process insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) traverse a quasi-saturation region from the off-state to the on-state (saturation). The additional voltage drop due to the quasi-saturation of the junction hardly depends on the DC-link voltage.Even if this voltage drop is low comparing to the DC link voltage, the losses due to this effect are rather big as its time constant is large for high-voltage high-speed IGBTs. Standard ZCS or ZVS circuits can't help to avoid those losses. We will show that at relatively low switching frequency the on-state voltage drop may never reach the static value and the on-state losses are much bigger than expected.


When PHA-L was injected to dorsomedial part of the subnucleus oralis of the spinal trigeminal nucleus (Vodm), anterogradely labeled varicosities and boutons were observed in the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (Vme). The PHA-L labeling was seen mainly in the Vine ipsilateral to the injection side. If the injection sites were placed more medially containing both Vodm and parvocellular reticular nucleus (PCRt), more PHA-L labeling in contralateral Vme was observed. It appeared that the Vodm neurons projected predominantly to the ipsilateral Vme, while neurons in the PCRt adjacent to the Vodm projected bilaterally to the Vme. It was also seen that many PHA-L labeled varicosities and boutons surrounded or contacted on the Vme neurons counterstained with cresyl violet. These contacts were seen frequently in the ipsilateral Vme, occasionally in the contralateral nucleus. Some Vme neurons ipsilateral to the injection side were retrogradely labeled in a solidly-filled appearance following injection of PHA-L into the Vodm. When PHA-L was applied to the Vodm and HRP was injected to the masseter nerve on the same side, the relationship between PHA-L labeled terminals and HRP labeled Vme neurons was studied. The contacts between PHA-L labeled boutons and HRP labeled somata or processes of the Vme neurons were observed occasionally. PHA-L labeled terminals sometimes contacted on none-HRP-labeled somata counterstained with neutral red. Besides the PHA-L labeling in the Vme, the labeling was also seen in the medial parabrachial nucleus ipsilaterally, in the motor trigeminal nucleus bilaterally with ipsilateral predominance. In addition, an outstanding labeling band along the medial border of the principal sensory trigeminal nucleus (Vp) was observed following injection of PHA-L into the Vodm. The labeled terminals were concentrated in dorsomedial part of the Vp (Vpdm) and in juxtatrigeminal nucleus (JX), meanwhile many labeled fibres were distributed between the Vpdm and JX in the intertrigeminal region.


Lymphomas within the head and neck region (HNR) are relatively uncommon; however, they can mimic common odontogenic conditions leading to diagnostic delays and subsequently the implementation of treatment. We report a case of a chronic infra-orbital swelling which, following excision, was diagnosed as an extranodal low grade Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This paper explains the mode of presentation of extranodal lymphomas in the HNR, so that dental practitioners may consider it as a potential diagnosis when presented with a lump in the HNR. Clinical relevance: Extranodal lymphomas presenting within the head and neck region can have a multitude of clinical presentations, which may often resemble odontogenic conditions. This can cause confusion, resulting in diagnostic delays and treatment. This case highlights the importance of being aware of the features of extranodal lymphoma in the head and neck region, and the diagnostic challenges that may be encountered.


Abstract. The subsurface dissolution of soluble rocks can affect areas over a long period of time and pose a severe hazard. We show the benefits of a combined approach using P-wave and SH-wave reflection seismics, electrical resistivity tomography, transient electromagnetics, and gravimetry for a better understanding of the dissolution process. The study area, "Esperstedter Ried" in northern Thuringia, Germany, located south of the Kyffhäuser hills, is a large inland salt marsh that developed due to dissolution of soluble rocks at approximately 300 m depth. We were able to locate buried dissolution structures and zones, faults and fractures, and potential fluid pathways, aquifers, and aquitards based on seismic and electromagnetic surveys. Further improvement of the model was accomplished by analyzing gravimetry data that indicates dissolution-induced mass movement, as shown by local minima of the Bouguer anomaly for the Esperstedter Ried. Forward modeling of the gravimetry data, in combination with the seismic results, delivered a cross section through the inland salt marsh from north to south. We conclude that tectonic movements during the Tertiary, which led to the uplift of the Kyffhäuser hills and the formation of faults parallel and perpendicular to the low mountain range, were the initial trigger for subsurface dissolution. The faults and the fractured Triassic and lower Tertiary deposits serve as fluid pathways for groundwater to leach the deep Permian Zechstein deposits, since dissolution and erosional processes are more intense near faults. The artesian-confined saltwater rises towards the surface along the faults and fracture networks, and it formed the inland salt marsh over time. In the past, dissolution of the Zechstein formations formed several, now buried, sagging and collapse structures, and, since the entire region is affected by recent sinkhole development, dissolution is still ongoing. From the results of this study, we suggest that the combined geophysical investigation of areas prone to subsurface dissolution can improve the knowledge of control factors, hazardous areas, and thus local dissolution processes.


OBJECTIVE
To analyse the association between use of oral contraception and risk of pelvic endometriosis.

DESIGN
We compared use of oral contraception in women with and without endometriosis.

PARTICIPANTS
Eligible for the study were women with primary or secondary infertility (n = 393) or chronic pelvic pain (n = 424), requiring laparoscopy, consecutively observed between September 1995 and January 1996 in 15 obstetrics and gynaecology departments in Italy.

RESULTS
Out of the 817 women included in the study, 345 had a diagnosis of endometriosis; 164 (47.5%) women with endometriosis and 139 (29.4%) without the disease reported ever using oral contraception. In comparison with never users the estimated odds ratios (OR) of endometriosis were 1.8 (95% CI 1.0-3.3) in current users and 1.6 (95% CI 1.1-2.4) in ex-users. No clear relation emerged between duration of oral contraceptive use and risk of endometriosis. In comparison with never users, the OR was 1.8 (95% CI 1.1-3.0) for women reporting their last use of oral contraception < 5 years before interview and 1.5 (95% CI 0.9-2.5) for those reporting their last use > or = 5 years before interview.

CONCLUSIONS
The study suggests that oral contraception is associated with an increased risk of endometriosis but this finding is based on a selected population and cannot generalised to all women with endometriosis.


OBJECTIVE
Determine the factors that contribute to the technical difficulty of endoscopic clearance of common bile duct (CBD) stones in patients that underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

METHODS
Prospective study included 90 patients, who underwent ERCP and an endoscopic sphincterotomy for the extraction of CBD stone. Between April 2009 and March 2010 at Arzobispo Loayza National Hospital. The technical difficult of CBD stone removal was graded in: easy (1 to 8 attempts) and difficult ( more than 8 attempts or failed).

RESULTS
In the bivariate analysis, we found that factors which are related to the degree of difficulty were: stone greater than or equal to 15 mm, OR = 19.8, CI (5.7 - 68.6); common bile duct greater than or equal to 15 mm, OR= 12.8, CI (3.7 - 44.3) and the use of mechanical lithotripsy, OR= 18.6, CI (1.9 -179). No association was found between the difficulty of the clearance of stone with: age, previous cholecystectomy, number of stones, stone impaction, periampullary diverticulum, sharper distal common bile duct angulation and shorter arm of common bile duct angulation.

CONCLUSIONS
Complete clearance of common bile duct stone was technically more difficult in patients with: stone greater than or equal to 15 mm, diameter of common bile duct greater than or equal to 15 mm and with the use of mechanical lithotripsy.


All small- and medium-sized family owned enterprises need to sooner or later undergo a change of ownership. When the elder generation is approaching their retirement they have to make a choice; either hand over the business to the younger generation or sell it to an outsider. The succession of the family owned business can create a life long dilemma for the entrepreneur. From the view of taxation there are, according to current legislation, no reasons to plan the succession to the younger generation. If no preparation has been done, the optional law system concerning inheritance will divide the property left. This can result in undesired effects, such as shattering the ownership. To plan the succession of generations can be costly and time consuming but contributes to favourable effects. The entrepreneur has the opportunity to decide how the company will be operated in the future with legal transactions. The younger generation will have the opportunity to gain knowledge of the company routines and be educated in the position as executive director. This thesis describes how a succession of generations can be planned and executed. We have attached great importance to the methods gift and sale of the company shares for a price below market value. If the elder generation has attained economic security, a succession of generations throughout the gift method are a good alternative. This method demands that some mandatory requirements are fulfilled. Gift enables for the elder generation to transfer the family business to the younger generation during their lifetime without any taxation. A sale of shares to the younger generation for a price below the market value gives the older generation a compensation that can be used to enhance their standard of living or compensate other offsprings. However, the older generation will more likely be taxed on a part of the sale. We do not consider today's Swedish tax legislation, concerning succession of generations, compatible to fundamental taxation principles.


Using ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and preparative isoelectrofocusing, 9 organ-specific glycoproteins and 16 specific nuclear proteins were isolated from bovine brain nervous tissue in a homogeneous state. The isolation of proteins was controlled by a solid phase immunoenzymatic analysis. The molecular weight, subunit composition and isoelectric points of the proteins were determined and their ability to interact with immobilized calf thymus DNA and concanavalin A was demonstrated. It was assumed that the multiplicity of specific proteins of brain tissue is a molecular basis which provides for the functional specificity of the nervous tissue at large.