Background: We previously reported that Miteff scoring system on pre-tPA CTA was able to predict good functional outcomes in AIS, conversely substantial collateral recruitment on the 24hr CTA led to worse outcomes. We now aimed to determine if the degree of collateral circulation at a specific timing affects its ability to prognosticate outcomes.

Methods: Patients treated with IV-tPA during 2018-2012 were included. Patients were stratified by onset-to-CTA timing from 0-60, 61-120, 121-180 and >180 minutes. Two independent neuroradiologists evaluated intracranial collaterals using the Miteff's system, Maas system, and Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score (ASPECTS) 20-point methodology. Good and severely poor outcomes at 3-months were defined by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0-1 points and 5-6 points, respectively. SICH was intracranial bleed with NIHSS increase of ≥4 points.

Results: 250 Consecutive AAIS patients were included. 52 patients in the 0-60 group, 89 in the 61-120 group, 59 in the 121-180 group and 40 patients in the >180 group. On multivariate analysis from 0-120 minutes, good collaterals by Miteff classification showed a trend to good outcomes (OR 2.460 95%CI 0.985- 9.770, p =0.06) and significantly prevented severely poor outcomes (OR 0.199 95% CI 0.053-0.743, p=0.016) and SICH (OR 0.196 95%CI 0.045-0.862, p=0.03). However the association with prevention of unfavourable outcomes was no longer present in the 121 -180 and > 180 minutes groups.

Conclusions: Good collaterals are associated with better functional outcomes however this benefit may be time dependent.


Description Risky research on lab-modified self-spreading viruses has yet to present credible paths to upsides An evidence-based norm collectively established and reinforced through the work of generations of virologists is that laboratory modifications of self-spreading viruses are genetically too unstable to be used safely and predictably outside contained facilities. That norm now seems to be challenged. A range of transformational self-spreading applications have been put forward in recent years. In agriculture, for example, self-spreading viruses have been proposed as insecticides, or as vectors to modify planted crops. In health care, self-spreading viruses have been promoted as vaccines (1, 2). Yet, glossed over by these proposals is that the self-spreading dynamics of a virus repeatedly passing from host-to-host (passaging) give it substantial potential to alter its biological properties once released into the environment (see the box). We explore the consequences of this apparent norm erosion in the context of recent proposals to develop self-spreading genetically modified viruses, in wildlife management and in self-spreading vaccines.


The following analysis takes as its starting point a divergence in views on what
philosophers and linguists call 'effability' or 'expressibility' (the extent to which it is
possible, through the use of a public language, to make one's thoughts available to
others). While philosophers and linguists (Searle, Katz, Recanati) defend stronger or
weaker forms of effability, the 'struggle of the poet to defeat the ineffable' is a
recurring motif in most 20th century critical thinking. In trying to explain this apparent
divergence, I reconsider a wide range of interdisciplinary issues of particular interest
to linguists, psychologists, literary theorists and philosophers of art; these include the
limits of linguistic expression, the role of perceptual representations in our mental
tapestry, the existence or otherwise of a property of literariness or essence of art, the
distinctiveness of the poetic/ artistic mind and the nature of aesthetic experience.
In due course, my discussion brings to light a novel account of the possible
evolutionary origins of art and sketches an empirically tractable model of aesthetic
experience that lend us significant insight on the actual mental goings-on behind the
poet's discontent with language. In view of the distinct ways in which, as it will be
argued, an artistic mind is creative and the psycho-cognitive particularities of the kind
of action art is, the 'struggle of the poet to defeat the ineffable' is soon ranked as a
problem of an entirely different order than had been previously thought. The thesis
takes the thread from the empirical observation that the limitations of speaking out the
contents of the mind are so much more intensely felt in the literary mentality, in order
to arrive at a deeper understanding of this very mentality, of the kind of action art is
and the mind that brings it to light.


The questions concerning the prevalence of poverty and the deepening gulf between rich and poor have always been the burning issues all over the world. These issues, irrespective of their causation factors, bear far reaching economic and political consequences. The federation of Pakistan displays complex regional diversities; the component units differ not only in linguistic, cultural, and social characteristics but also in the level of economic development. Although the constitution of Pakistan guaranties equitable shares for all provinces in national resources, the level of growth across regions has not been uniform. During the past half a century, investment in physical and social sectors concentrated in selected parts of the country, particularly in big cities. This practice has led to creation of economic disparities and a number of socio-political problems like terrorism, regional tensions, weakening of the federation and difficulty in arriving at consensus on issues of national interest. Growth theory provides a powerful analytical framework to analyse the issue of regional convergence. Given the assumption of perfect markets, the countries within a geographical region are supposed to converge overtime to a common steady state level of income, provided they are similar in other socio-economic conditions. Put differently, if countries differ significantly in these conditions, then each unit is likely to follow an independent growth path. This is also true for different regions within the same country/ political entity. The objective of this study is to investigate empirically if there is any evidence of convergence across different regions of Pakistan. The study utilises the conventional analytical tools and time series data over the period 1979-2005 for the four provinces, disaggregated into rural and urban sectors. As expected, no evidence of absolute convergence could be observed obviously due to presence of vast differences across the provinces in terms of the growth determinants. In contrast, the income disparities across the regions exhibited a widening tendency during the period under reference. However, the data did support conditional convergence, which implies that different regions followed independent growth paths. The findings further indicate that certain socio-economic conditions are crucial to explain the persistence of income disparities. The question as to why these conditions differ so widely across the different parts of Pakistan is often discussed at different economic and political forums. The study concludes with some policy recommendations that may improve the situation.


The Institutional File System (IFS) project is a joint project of the Center for Information Technology Integration at the University of Michigan and the IBM Corporation. The goal of the IFS project is to offer network file services that are institution-wide, transparent, reliable, and secure. The mechanisms used to control access to system services on the IFS project are described. A logical overview of access control at the IFS project is given and is followed by an enumeration of the services on which the project relies, their interdependencies, and the mechanisms by which access to these services is secured. Present vulnerabilities and future plans are described.<<ETX>>


Swedish unemployment was very low up to the early 1990s when it rose rapidly. At the same time manufacturing employment fell by more than 20 %. The decentralisation of wage bargaining that started in 1983 may have contributed to this by making employment more shock sensitive or by increasing wage mark-ups. In Swedish plant-level data for manufacturing 1970–96 relatively less employment is in low-productivity plants after decentralisation than before, but the correlation between industry wage costs and productivity becomes stronger. Our conclusion is that decentralisation of bargaining in Sweden has not allowed more low-productivity plants in manufacturing to survive. On the contrary, the evidence indicates that a higher wage mark-up may have resulted from the decentralisation. This would weed out low-productivity plants and decrease manufacturing employment.


Depression and schizophrenia are two disabling psychiatric diseases which are complicated by insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and abnormal homocysteine metabolism. In the present study serum levels of homocysteine and insulin have been measured by ELISA using commercial kits and fasting blood glucose and lipid profile was estimated in Depression (n = 56), Schizophrenia (n = 53) and age and sex matched control subjects (n = 56). The data are compared by ANOVA and post-hoc analysis. The serum homocysteine is markedly elevated compared to control both in Depression and schizophrenia subjects, but to a significantly higher extent in the latter. HOMA-IR is increased in the depressive subjects only compared to control. Likewise, Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were significantly higher in both depression and schizophrenia compared to control group. Overall, 38.89% of men and 25% of women have satisfied criteria of metabolic syndrome among depression. On the contrary, prevalence of metabolic syndrome was higher in women (30.77%) compared to men (23.53%) in case of schizophrenia. The analysis of the present data and those published by others suggest that depression and schizophrenia is associated with higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Hypertension and dyslipidemia is very common in both groups, but they often remain undetected. This study also indicates that homocysteine metabolism a plays role with respect to depression as well as schizophrenia irrespective of development of metabolic syndrome.


Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) rely on their olfactory system to process environmental information. This information has to be transmitted without system-relevant loss by the olfactory system to deeper brain areas for learning. Here we study the role of several parameters of the fly's olfactory system and the environment and how they influence olfactory information transmission. We have designed an abstract model of the antennal lobe, the mushroom body and the inhibitory circuitry. Mutual information between the olfactory environment, simulated in terms of different odor concentrations, and a sub-population of intrinsic mushroom body neurons (Kenyon cells) was calculated to quantify the efficiency of information transmission. With this method we study, on the one hand, the effect of different connectivity rates between olfactory projection neurons and firing thresholds of Kenyon cells. On the other hand, we analyze the influence of inhibition on mutual information between environment and mushroom body. Our simulations show an expected linear relation between the connectivity rate between the antennal lobe and the mushroom body and firing threshold of the Kenyon cells to obtain maximum mutual information for both low and high odor concentrations. However, contradicting all-day experiences, high odor concentrations cause a drastic, and unrealistic, decrease in mutual information for all connectivity rates compared to low concentration. But when inhibition on the mushroom body is included, mutual information remains at high levels independent of other system parameters. This finding points to a pivotal role of inhibition in fly information processing without which the system efficiency will be substantially reduced.


Potato is a drought-sensitive crop whose global sustainable production is threatened by alterations in water availability. Whilst ancestral Solanum tuberosum Andigenum landraces retain wild drought tolerance mechanisms, their molecular bases remain poorly understood. In this study, an aeroponic growth system was established to investigate stress responses in leaf and root of two Andigenum varieties with contrasting drought tolerance. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed widespread differences in the response of the two varieties at early and late time points of exposure to drought stress and in the recovery after rewatering. Major differences in the response of the two varieties occurred at the early time point, suggesting the speed of response is crucial. In the leaves and roots of the tolerant variety, we observed rapid upregulation of ABA-related genes, which did not occur until later in the susceptible variety and indicated not only more effective ABA synthesis and mobilization, but more effective feedback regulation to limit detrimental effects of too much ABA. Roots of both varieties showed differential expression of genes involved in cell wall reinforcement and remodeling to maintain cell wall strength, hydration and growth under drought stress, including genes involved in lignification and wall expansion, though the response was stronger in the tolerant variety. Such changes in leaf and root may help to limit water losses in the tolerant variety, while limiting the reduction in photosynthetic rate. These findings provide insights into molecular bases of drought tolerance mechanisms and pave the way for their reintroduction into modern cultivars with improved resistance to drought stress and yield stability under drought conditions.


Method: Because of the heavy physical workloads along with monotonous body postures, the workers are dealing with low performance and Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs). WMSDs result in high compensation costs for companies and totally decrease the life quality of the workers. In order to improve the efficiency of assembly lines, the companies should not only consider cycle time and precedence constraints, but also physical workloads of the stations. This paper addresses Assembly Line Balancing Problem (ALBP) Type 2 where the number of workstation lines is known. The main objective is balancing the cycle time and physical workload of the stations simultaneously. Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method from the literature is proposed to determine workload of operations.


Abstract Interpreters face distinct challenges when deployed remotely via video link, due to their virtual presence but physical absence in the conversation. Depending on the interpreting service, interpreters can also be exposed to greater spontaneity and hence increased pressure if video-mediated interpreting is offered as an instant service. The examples discussed in this paper draw on an interpreting studies-based analysis of the Austrian pilot project "Video-mediated interpreting in healthcare." In this study data were generated by means of an observational protocol, five recordings of authentic video-mediated interpreted communicative events, five retrospective interviews with the interpreters from the recorded video-mediated interpreted communicative events, and eight expert interviews with all interpreters from the pilot project. The scope of this article is to present some of the main findings and draw attention to a crucial strategy used in remote interpreting, namely a reliance on relevant sensory awareness.


The sailing tracks of single otter trawl vessels were simulated using cubic hermite spline (cHs) interpolation method based on the automatic identification system (AIS) data of 6 sampled vessels that were fishing in the Zhoushan fishing grounds after the close of the fishing season from September 2012 to January 2013. The vessels' status (i.e. whether the vessels were fishing or not) were determined based on the integrated information of speed method and the simulated tracks. Generalized additive model (GAM) was built according to the logbook data of the 6 vessels in 2010, and then the GAM was applied to the AIS data of the same 6 vessels from September 2012 to January 2013 to estimate the monthly catches of these vessels in this period. The results show that the error of the simulated tracks increase with the increase in time interval, and the time interval of AIS data should be shorter than 30 minutes to prevent low accurate results. GAM can give viable estimates of catches when they do not greatly fluctuate over years. The step-by-step GAM analyses indicate that the factors, which affect catch, are ordered by their importance as date, sea surface salinity (SSS), latitude, sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface height (SSH) and longitude. This research is a new attempt for the study of fisheries resources in China using new data sources, which will be helpful for the improvement of fishery research in such datapoor countries as China.


OBJECTIVE
Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is generally applied as a bolster for split-thickness skin grafts (STSG) after the graft has been secured with sutures or skin staples. In this study, NPWT was applied to secure STSGs without any sutures or staples. Surgical outcomes of using NPWT without sutures was compared with a control group.

METHODS
Patients with STSGs were divided into two groups: a 'no suture' group using only NPWT, and a control group using conventional fixings. In the no suture group, the grafts were covered with meshed wound dressing and ointment. The NPWT foam was placed over the STSG and negative pressure applied. In the control group, grafts were fixed in place using tie-over bolster, securing with fibrin glue, or NPWT after sutures.

RESULTS
A total of 30 patients with 35 graft sites participated in the study. The mean rate of graft take in the no suture group was 95.1%, compared with 93.3% in the control group, with no significant difference between them. No graft shearing occurred in the no suture group. Although the difference did not reach statistical significance, mean surgical time in the no suture group (31.5 minutes) tended to be shorter than that in the control group (55.7 minutes).

CONCLUSION
By eliminating sutures, the operation time tended to be shorter, suturing was avoided and suture removal was not required meaning that patients could avoid the pain associated with this procedure. Furthermore, the potential for staple retention and its associated complications was avoided, making this method potentially beneficial for both medical staff and patients.


The subject of this investigation is to study the buckling of orthotropic cylindrical thin shells under torsion, which is a power function of time. The dynamic stability and compatibility equations are obtained first. These equations are subsequently reduced to a time dependent differential equation with variable coefficient by using Galerkin's method. Finally, the critical dynamic and static loading, the corresponding wave numbers, the dynamic factors, critical time and critical impulse are found analytically by applying the Ritz type variational method. Using those results, the effects of the variations of the power of time in the torsion load expression, of the loading parameter, the ratio of the Young's moduli and the ratio of the radius to thickness on the critical parameters are studied numerically. It is observed that these factors have appreciable effects on the critical parameters of the problem in the heading.


This thesis examines the neurodevelopment of two under-studied cohorts of children who are at risk of hearing and communication problems. Assessment methods included clinical and experimental tests of auditory function, speech discrimination and psychoacoustics evaluation, and the use of parental questionnaires. Advanced MRI methods were used to examine the effects of the two conditions on neurodevelopment and brain microstructure. The first group of children had all been diagnosed with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). Difficulties with speech discrimination were seen in the ANSD group as expected, and associations were found with temporal processing abilities as well as with brain MRI measures. Children from the second group were diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) through the Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme. In the CH group, hearing and communication problems were found for some children along with evidence of structural white matter abnormalities in the brain and associations between white matter microstructure and hearing abilities. This thesis shows that children with ANSD and children with CH have variable outcomes for hearing and communication and provides evidence that advanced MRI methods can support our understanding of the development of children with these conditions.


We propose an approach that combines an asymmetric fan-beam configuration and a new reconstruction algorithm to enhancing spatial resolution in computed tomography (CT). The asymmetric configuration can be achieved by changing the center of rotation (COR) from the conventional symmetric configuration. It does not, however, require new detectors and X-ray source nor alter the relative geometry between the detector and the X-ray source. By effectively reducing the distance of the COR to the X-ray source, the asymmetric configuration can increase the effective sampling density in projection data without reducing the size of the field of view (FOV). The proposed algorithm, on the other hand, can reconstruct images directly from data acquired with this asymmetric configuration. We performed numerical studies to demonstrate and validate the proposed acquisition/reconstruction approach. Results in these studies confirm that the proposed approach can lead to enhanced spatial resolution in reconstructed images. The proposed acquisition/reconstruction approach may find applications in micro-CT and industrial CT in which the CORs may be changed.


We outline the guiding ideas behind mechanisms-based theorizing in analytical sociology as a fruitful alternative to economics-inspired research on identification of causal effects, and discuss the potential of mechanisms-based theorizing for further development in organization and innovation studies. We discuss the realist stance on providing broader explanations as an identifying characteristic of the mechanism approach, its focus on the dynamic processes through which outcomes to be explained are brought about, and outline theoretical and methodological implications for organization and innovation studies.


By the use as tracers of 42K, 86Rb and 32P it has been shown that in the metabolism of Bact. lactis aerogenes (а) the alkali-metal ion enters the cell during oxidation of the carbon substrate (glucose, succinic acid, acetic acid), whether or not a nitrogen source is provided, so that growth occurs; in either event the alkali-metal ion subsequently leaves the cell again; (б) if the pH is lowered the maximum uptake of the cation by the functioning cell is raised, although increased hydrion concentration first causes displacement of alkali-metal ions from resting cells; (c) in the early stages of growth, or of glucose oxidation without growth, the flow into the cell of alkali cations and of phosphate anions takes place in a parallel way.


To investigate the presence of the postulated shearing motion in the micromechanics of the inner ear during sound stimulations we measured the vibratory response of the tectorial membrane and the reticular lamina in the third cochlear turn in an isolated temporal bone preparation using confocal laser heterodyne interferometry. The mechanical response of the tectorial membrane had the same frequency of maxima as the underlying reticular lamina, but was not as sharply tuned. When the two-dimensional motion was calculated from measurements made from several viewing angles it was found that the vibration of the reticular lamina had significant components both normal and tangential to its surface. The tectorial membrane motion, however, was primarily in a direction approximately perpendicular to the surface of the reticular lamina. The results indicate that shearing motion is produced predominantly by the radial motion of the reticular lamina.


This paper propose a new modeling concept in garment product promotion. The design concept suppose to make a copy of a real shop in the virtual environment and to enable users to visit this store rooms and interact (translation, rotation and individual body simulation) with objects-garment product products. The virtual reality is often used to describe a wide variety of applications commonly associated with advanced image quality, 3D environments. The 3D Virtual environment is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical human body presence in places in the real world. The primary virtual reality environments are visual experiences, displayed either on a computer, but some simulations include additional sensory information, such as haptic devices. The virtual environment for garment product simulation covers remote communication environments which provide virtual presence of users with the concepts of telepresence and telexistence or a virtual artifact either through the use of standard input devices such as a keyboard and mouse. The simulation of the environment - assuming that we refer to the e-shop area, can be similar to the real store. This virtual environment involves gaining access and rapid communication between various modules that provide 3D scanned objects and clothing products, 3D simulation CAD; patterns obtained on virtual models. The software development for virtual world involves graphics hardware acceleration and sometimes supposes that the user have headed mounted displays and database gloves. The positive aspect of implementation of the 3d clothing stores is that it can reduce the waste of time allocated for showcase products and user trying garment on body - the body obtained by scanning 3D virtual.


ABSTRACT Oncogenic Ras mutants such as v-Ha-Ras cause a rapid rearrangement of actin cytoskeleton during malignant transformation of fibroblasts or epithelial cells. Both PI-3 kinase and Rac are required for Ras-induced malignant transformation and membrane ruffling. However, the signal transduction pathway(s) downstream of Rac that leads to membrane ruffling and other cytoskeletal change(s) as well as the exact biochemical nature of the cytoskeletal change remain unknown. Cortactin/EMS1 is the first identified molecule that is dissociated in a Rac–phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate (PIP2)-dependent manner from the actin-myosin II complex during Ras-induced malignant transformation; either the PIP2 binder HS1 or the Rac blocker SCH51344 restores the ability of EMS1 to bind the complex and suppresses the oncogenicity of Ras. Furthermore, while PIP2 inhibits the actin-EMS1 interaction, HS1 reverses the PIP2 effect. Thus, we propose that PIP2, an end-product of the oncogenic Ras/PI-3 kinase/Rac pathway, serves as a second messenger in the Ras/Rac-induced disruption of the actin cytoskeleton and discuss the anticancer drug potential of PIP2-binding molecules.


BACKGROUND: Characterisation of the essential oils from O. glandulosum collected in three locations of Tunisia, chemical composition and the evaluation of their antioxidant activities were carried out. RESULTS: The essential oils from Origanum vulgare L. subsp. glandulosum (Desf.) letswaart collected from three localities of north Tunisia - Krib, Bargou and Nefza - were obtained in yields of 2.5, 3.0 and 4.6% (v/w), respectively. The essential oils were analysed by GC and GC/MS and assayed for their total phenolics content, by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant effectiveness, using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The main components of these essential oils, from Nefza, Bargou and Krib, were p-cymene (36%, 40% and 46%), thymol (32%, 39% and 18%), gamma-terpinene (24%, 12% and 16%) and carvacrol (2%, 2% and 15%), respectively). The ability to scavenge the DPPH radicals, expressed by IC50, ranged from 59 to 80 mg L-1. The total phenolic content, expressed in gallic acid equivalent (GAE) g kg(-1) dry weight, varied from 9.37 to 17.70 g kg(-1) dw. CONCLUSIONS: A correlation was identified between the total phenolic content of the essential oils and DPPH radical scavenger capacity. The occurrence of a p-cymene chemotype of O. glandulosum in the northern region of Tunisia is demonstrated. (C) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry


This thesis studies the application of readability in reading materials selection and coursebook design for college English in an EFL context in China. Its aim is to develop rationales which coursebook writers can utilise in selecting materials as texts and as a basis for designing tasks.

This study, through a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, argues that readability is applicable in the EFL Chinese context, and readability plays a important role in determining the selection of materials and the task design for college English. As the term readability is used in a more comprehensive sense which includes text factors as well as reader factors, existing measures of readability should be critically examined. Objective and statistical measures such as readability formulae need to be refined in line with recent research into the relationship between lexico-grammar and discourse organisation, and with recent research into second language/ foreign language acquisition. Ease of reading can be manipulated by highlighting the use of discourse signals in the text, and by raising high order questions. It is argued that high-order-tasks such as "thinking skill" activities facilitate students' interaction with the text and the development of language awareness.

The application of three highly regarded formulae and the analysis of language features of the chosen texts indicate that word difficulty and sentence complexity are significant in materials selection. However, the findings in the questionnaires and interviews show that readability formulae in use today ignore the critical functions of discourse signals and organisation. Nor do they consider cognitive processing factors such as exercise design, readers' interest, motivation and prior knowledge which play an equally important part as word difficulty and sentence length. Consequently, the suggestion is that both objective and subjective research methodologies are necessary in setting up new criteria. Objective statistics gained from appropriate readability formulae serve as an index to the difficulty of a text in terms of language. However, subjective opinion from experienced teachers on reader factors functions as an aid, and exercise design functions as an adjustment to students' comprehensibility. Among the three, exercise or task design deserves more exploration and experimentation from coursebook writers.

Process-based and activity-centred approaches are suggested in raising questions and designing tasks, because they focus on the reader and emphasise developing students' interpretation of the relations between forms and meanings. It is argued that they lead students into the process of learning - learn to learn, which is the ideal goal of English teaching, to which coursebook writers of college English have so far paid insufficient attention.

Therefore, new criteria for materials selection and coursebook design for college English are proposed:
• The textbooks have to meet the requirement stated in the National English Syllabus.
• The chosen passages have to be authentic.
• The chosen texts have to be interesting in topic, and substantial in content.
• The texts have to be right in difficulty level from the linguistic point of view.
• The tasks designed should provide students with opportunities to make use of their
prior knowledge to interact with the text.
• The exercises should lead the students to deeper, more personal engagement.

It is hoped that these criteria will function as basic guidelines for future coursebook writing in college English.


ABSTRACT Bovicarabodes jacquelinae sp. nov. is easily differentiated from other congeners by paired rounded to ovate prodorsal cavity with internal ovoid incision; presence of medial eye pillar; two cuticular ridges anterior to interlamellar setae; and incomplete bothridial ring with bothridial tooth. Notogastral anterior depression ovoid, with two posterior semicircular zones delimited by prominent furrow; notogastral anterior depression extending to beyond c2 and da setae. Tutorium a strongly curving cuticular thickening; humeral apophysis elongate; small triangular discidium. Genital opening smaller than anal opening; aggenital and ad3 setae in close proximity. B. jacquelinae is similar to B. deharvengi, differentiated principally by shape and position of elevated interlamellar process; position of interlamellar setal insertion; notogastral anterior depression; and shape of humeral process. Tuberocepheus longus (Balogh, 1962) is redescribed, with clarification being obtained by the use of optical and scanning electron microscopy. The genus is characterized by the combination of the following characters: Prodorsum divided into two ear-like processes; shallow lamellar furrow not clearly delimited; smooth narrow bothridal ring; bothridial tooth a finger-like projection; and conspicuous polyhedral posterior prodorsal depression. Notogaster 12 pairs of setae; seta c absent; medium-sized elevated zone situated between notogastral anterior depression and notogastral posterior depression; two pairs lateral paired elevations; three pairs central paired elevations; pedotectum I larger than tutorium. Epimeres poorly delimited; anterior genital furrow simple, lacking lateral depression; well-developed depression surrounding genital opening; depressions surrounding genital opening and anterior genital furrow connected by a narrow channel; anal opening larger than genital opening.


Benzene is pollutant well-known to be a carcinogen. Recent studies have shown that low-level benzene exposure can affect the hematological system. The present study examined the relationship between low-level benzene inhalation exposure and neutrophil counts in shoemanufacturing workers. Segmented-neutrophil counts were measured in blood samples from 78 benzene-exposed workers in Bogor. Benzene exposure was measured according to S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA) concentrations in urine samples. Demographic data, exposure, and blood test data were analyzed using Pearson's chi-square test. The results showed that the average age of the study population was 29 years (range 18–56 years). The average SPMA concentration was 1.618 μg/g creatinine but the SPMA concentration varied considerably. No correlation was found between neutrophil counts and other characteristics of the subjects. The odds ratios (ORs) indicates that the workers even with low SPMA concentrations were at risk of having abnormal segmented-neutrophil counts. The workers with fair SPMA concentrations were 4.5 times more likely to have abnormal segmented-neutrophil counts. These data suggest that low-level benzene exposure may be hemotoxic. A longitudinal study with direct measurements of workers' benzene exposure is needed to confirm the toxicity of low-level benzene exposure. Clinical article (J Int Dent Med Res 2019; 12(2): 837-841)


The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) surveyed its leaders to determine their perceptions of the prevalence of problematic research practices and the possible roles AADR should play in promoting scientific integrity. Seventy-six of the 98 program chairs and Association officers (1990-1995) surveyed responded. In general, these respondents did not think that serious misconduct or sloppy science occurred more often in AADR than in other scientific disciplines. Overall, respondents rated practices that undermine the trustworthiness of science (falsifying or fabrication of research data, retaliation, failure to present negative results, failure to disclose involvement with commercial enterprises, failure to maintain research records, etc.) as more serious, but less prevalent, than practices considered disrespectful of the work of others (gift authorship, citing sources without reading them, dividing a project into many small units, etc.). All respondents said that they had observed each of the less serious problematic practices one or more times, whereas 10% reported having observed retaliation, 30% reported having observed falsification, and 54% reported having observed plagiarism one or more times. AADR leaders had observed many more instances of misconduct and other problematic research practices than had faculty surveyed by Swazey et al. (1993), supporting conclusions by Greenberg and Goldberg (1994) that status and years of experience are associated with more frequent observations of misconduct. With respect to the possible roles the AADR might play in promoting research integrity, 88% thought that AADR should develop ethics cases and materials for educational use, 78% thought that AADR should create a process for addressing allegations of misconduct, 72% thought that the Association should develop an ethics committee or consultation service, 55% thought it should create a yearly ethics symposium, and 45% thought that the AADR should develop a more specific code of ethics to complement the general code recently developed by the IADR.


This paper seeks to examine the Gbagyi/Gbari: Origin, Identity and impact of Knunu ("Tradition/Culture") with a view to make recommendations towards further understanding of the Gbagyi/Gbari as an ethnic group, by an extensive review of literature on the origin, identity and impacts of Knunu within the writing on theGbagyi/Gbari people. The methodological strategy adopted for the study is Ethnography. The data sourced is from both primary and secondary. Participant observation and semi structured interviews were conducted with (30) Gbagyi/Gbarinatives and documents related to the origin, identity and impact were reviewed. The data was analysed using content and thematic analysis. The results show that the origins, identity and language are important socio-cultural distinctions that give the Gbagyi/Gbari their relevance and locate them within the larger Nigerian family as a separate ethnic group with exceptional uniqueness in the Middle Belt (central Nigeria) region. Based on the results obtained recommendations were made to assist in the academia, practice and policy.


The SVENSK project is developing an integrated toolbox of language processing components and resources for Swedish.
SVENSK employs GATE, General Architecture for Text Engineering from the University of Sheffield as a platform in which
the components are to be integrated. The goal is that the resources included in SVENSK should be freely available for noncommercial
use. A wide range of different modules have been incorporated so far, both in-house modules, commercially
available modules, and modules from academia.
The results of the integration of the modules in the GATE environment are very encouraging: it is possible to mix
modules from different sources, written in programming languages from completely different paradigms and have them
interact with each other, thus maintaining a high degree of reuse of algorithmical resources. However, the use of Tcl/Tk
and the associated API for processing structurally relatively complex data, is time consuming and considerably slows the
processing in GATE.


To develop safer and more cost-effective high-pressure hydrogen tanks used in fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), the metallic materials with the following three key properties, i.e. lightweight, high strength and excellent resistance to hydrogen embrittlement should be explored. In this study, the compatibility of high-strength, precipitation-hardened aluminum alloy 7075-T6 was evaluated according to the four types of mechanical testing including slow-strain rate tensile (SSRT), fatigue life, fatigue crack growth (FCG) and fracture toughness tests in high-pressure gaseous hydrogen environments (95 ∼ 115 MPa) at room temperature. Even though numerous publications have previously reported significant degradation of the mechanical properties of 7075-T6 in some hydrogenating environments, such as moist atmosphere, the understanding with regards to the performance of this alloy in high-pressure gaseous hydrogen environments is still lacking.
 In SSRT tests, the alloy showed no degradation of tensile strength and ductility. Furthermore, fatigue life, fatigue crack growth and fracture toughness properties were also not degraded in hydrogen gas. Namely, it was first demonstrated that the material has big potential to be used for hydrogen storage tanks for FCVs, according to its excellent resistance to high-pressure gaseous hydrogen.


A questionnaire surveying the attitudes of general practitioners, health visitors, community midwives and district nurses towards the psychological aspects of miscarriage was distributed to a random sample of 50 staff in each professional group. The response rate was 78%. A large majority of all staff surveyed (76%) agreed that miscarriage is frequently associated with significant psychological distress and 90% agreed that women should be routinely encouraged to explore and discuss their feelings following such an event. Overall, health visitors and community midwives were seen to be the most appropriate members of the primary health care team to offer such counselling. The gap between perceived need and provision of care for women who have had a miscarriage is highlighted, and ways of narrowing this are discussed.


We show that two important problems that have applications in computational biology are ASP-complete, which implies that, given a solution to a problem, it is NP-complete to decide if another solution exists. We show first that a variation of BETWEENNESS, which is the underlying problem of questions related to radiation hybrid mapping, is ASP-complete. Subsequently, we use that result to show that QUARTET COMPATIBILITY, a fundamental problem in phylogenetics that asks whether a set of quartets can be represented by a parent tree, is also ASP-complete. The latter result shows that Steel's QUARTET CHALLENGE, which asks whether a solution to QUARTET COMPATIBILITY is unique, is coNP-complete.


The demand for freshwater is increasing due to growing population and their increased needs. Wastewater is emerging as a potential source for demand management after essential treatment. The treated wastewater can be used for irrigation purpose due to increased water scarcity. This study assessed the water quality of effluent sample collected from sewage treatment plant ofGMRIT. The present works was carried out by collecting effluent water samples to assess the effluent water quality for its suitability for irrigation purpose. The main aimof this study is to compare the effluent water quality with reference to irrigation standards. Water quality parameters such as pH, turbidity, chlorides (Cl), sodium adsorption ratio, BOD, COD, iron (Fe), electrical conductivity (E.C), sulphate (SO4 2-), nitrates (NO3 -), and zinc (Zn) were analyzed. These parameters were estimated using standard procedures and the results were compared with irrigation quality standards. The results indicated that the some of the water quality parameters that is zinc and COD which exceeds the permissible limits of irrigation standards.


PURPOSE
Osseointegration has been defined in many ways, from both basic science and clinical perspectives, but generally represents the restoration of bony homeostasis following implant placement and is usually judged by some form of bone/implant disruption test. In this study, bone anchorage to two different implant surfaces, in tensile and shear modes, was compared to investigate the relation between implant surface topography and osseointegration over time. The purpose was to determine if mathematical parameters could be derived that would reflect the biologic relevance of the implant surface design.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Rectangular titanium implants (n = 244) were placed in the distal femora of 122 male Wistar rats proximal to the knee joint. Implants were either microsurfaced (MS) or nanosurfaced (NS). Animals were euthanized at one of six time points ranging from 5 days to 6 months, and the force required to disrupt the bone implant interface, in either shear or tension, was measured using an Instron machine. Data were analyzed by fitting the function F = C (1-e-x/τ), where F is the measured disruption force, C is the predicted average maximum disruption force, x is the time postimplantation, and τ is a time constant defined as the time required for F to reach 63.2% of C.

RESULTS
Analysis showed that shear testing resulted in significantly larger values of C than seen in tension, but no significant difference was observed when comparing the values of C for NS and MS implants in shear (P = .7). Thus, in accord with clinical reports, both implants performed equivalently at longer implantation periods. The differences in C were significant in tension (P < .05). Importantly, NS implants had a significantly smaller τ than the MS implants (P < .01, in shear), but no significant differences were observed in τ due to mechanical testing vector. The disruption force values reached a plateau with time, representing bony homeostasis as a result of osseointegration. With time, both implant surfaces reached the same maximum (C) values, in shear. However, the value of τ was smaller in NS compared to MS implants, which represented a higher rate of osseointegration.

CONCLUSION
Thus, τ emerges as a measureable and biologically relevant parameter that can be employed to compare the osseointegration potential of putative implant surfaces.


2-Chloroacetophenone as a Chemical Probe for Studying Reduction Reactions in Anaerobic Sediments Thea E. Reilkoff, B.S. M.S., Oregon Graduate Institute January 2000 Thesis Advisor: Dr. Paul G. Tratnyek Reduction reactions contribute to a significant portion of the chemical transformations that take place in anaerobic sediments. While these processes are known to be strongly linked to microbial activity, little is known about the specific reducing agents responsible for contaminant reduction. One approach to identifying these i reductants is to use molecular probes that give reaction products (or kinetics) that are diagnostic for particular reaction mechanisms. A method using 2-chloroacetophenone (2CAP) has been developed for this purpose. 2-CAP is reduced by electron transfer to form acetophenone (AcPh) and by hydnde transfer to form 2-chloro-1-phenylethanol (2-CPE). AcPh can be further reduced by hydride transfer to form 1-phenylethanol (1-PE). Using an appropriate extraction technique and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), 2-CAP and its reduction products can be detected and quantified in anaerobic sediments. The results of numerous batch experiments consistently showed that 2-CPE formation is favored over AcPh production in sediment collected from a tributary of Rock Creek in Beaverton, Oregon. AcPh reduction to 1-PE was rarely observed and control experiments showed that the kinetics of this reaction are very slow in comparison to 2-CAP reduction. 2-CAP reduction and product formation appear to follow first-order reaction kinetics. However, further analysis revealed that the observed kinetics actually represent the combined effects of adsorption and reduction processes. Detailed kinetic modeling will be necessary to fit both adsorption and reduction data simultaneously. Model systems allow the 2-CAP probe response to be calibrated in ways that may eventually allow the probe to be used to identify particular reductants. In the presence of NADPH and Thermoanaerobium brockii alcohol dehydrogenase, 2-CAP has been shown to react by hydride transfer to form 2-CPE. In the absence of the enzyme, 2-CAP was not reduced. Previous s tules in sediments have shown that production of 2-CPE is temperature dependent and distribution of the 2-CPE stereoisomers suggests that the reducing agents are enantioselective. Both phenomenon are indicative of an enzymemediated reaction. To further validate the notion of an enzyme-mediated transformation, the effects of enzyme inhibitors (p-chloromercuribenzoate, 1-formylpiperidne, and pyrazole) on 2CAP reduction were studied in an NADPHIdehydrogenase model system. The results showed small, but consistent, decreases in the rate of 2-CAP reduction with increasing inhibitor concentration. When applied to sediment, all three inhibitors caused a decrease in both the rate of 2-CPE formation and the amount of 2-CPE formed, but had only minor effects on 2-CAP reduction. In contrast, product inhibition, employing the addition of 2CPE, successfully inhibited 2-CAP reduction, causing a decrease in the rate of reduction with increasing inhibitor concentration. The results obtained with these inhibitors are further evidence that reduction of 2-CAP in sediment is an enzyme-mediated process. Additional studies were performed using 2-bromoacetophenone (2-BAP) and 2,2dichloroacetophenone (2,2-CAP) as complimentary probes to 2-CAP. Both compounds were reduced by hydride and electron transfer in Rock Creek tributary sediment. Preferential production of AcPh from 2-BAP, in a system where hydride activity is apparently high (based on observed ZCAP reduction trends), may provide evidence for the presence of NAD(P)H which is capable of reducing 2-BAP external to a deh ydrogenase enzyme.


Introduction Acute traumatic spinal cord injury is routinely managed by surgical decompression and instrumentation of the spine. Guidelines also suggest elevating mean arterial pressure to 85 mmHg to mitigate secondary injury. However, the evidence for these recommendations remains very limited. There is now considerable interest in measuring spinal cord perfusion pressure by monitoring mean arterial pressure and intraspinal pressure. Here, we present our first institutional experience of using a strain gauge pressure transducer monitor to measure intraspinal pressure and subsequent derivation of spinal cord perfusion pressure. Case presentation The patient presented to medical attention after a fall off of scaffolding. A trauma assessment was completed at a local emergency room. He did not have any motor strength or sensation to the lower extremities. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the thoracolumbar spine confirmed a T12 burst fracture with retropulsion of bone fragments into the spinal canal. He was taken to surgery for urgent decompression of the spinal cord and instrumentation of the spine. A subdural strain gauge pressure monitor was placed at the site of injury through a small dural incision. Mean arterial pressure and intraspinal pressure were then monitored for 5 days after surgery. Spinal cord perfusion pressure was derived. The procedure was performed without complication and the patient underwent rehabilitation for 3 months where he regained some motor and sensory function in his lower extremities. Conclusion The first North American attempt at insertion of a strain gauge pressure monitor into the subdural space at the site of injury following acute traumatic spinal cord injury was performed successfully and without complication. Spinal cord perfusion pressure was derived successfully using this physiological monitoring. Further research efforts to validate this technique are required.


A novel low-complexity two-stage digital feedforward carrier phase estimation algorithm based on the rotation of constellation points to remove phase modulation for a 64-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) system is proposed and analyzed both experimentally and through numerical simulations. The first stage is composed of a Viterbi and Viterbi (V&V) block, based on either the standard quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) partitioning algorithm using only Class-1 symbols or a modified QPSK partitioning scheme utilizing both Class-1 and outer most triangle-edge (TE) symbols. The second stage applies the V&V algorithm after the removal of phase modulation through rotation of constellation points. Comparison of the proposed scheme with constellation transformation, blind phase search (BPS) and BPS+MLE (maximum likelihood estimation) algorithm is also shown. For an OSNR penalty of 1 dB at bit error rate of 10-2, the proposed scheme can tolerate a linewidth times symbol duration product (Δν · Ts) equal to 3.7 × 10-5, making it possible to operate 32-GBd optical 64-QAM systems with current commercial tunable lasers.


This volume provides a concise but authoritative overview of the #MeToo Movement and its enormous impact on American society, from the studios of Hollywood to factories, campuses, and offices across the country.
 The 21st Century Turning Points series is a one-stop resource for understanding the people and events changing America today. The #MeToo Movement is devoted to the issue that brought sexual harassment out of the shadows of American culture and into the spotlight.
 Sparked by revelations of decades of sexual harassment by powerful Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein, the movement quickly uncovered similar abusive behavior by numerous other famous public figures. It also revealed the extent to which sexual harassment has been a persistent problem in many workplace settings across America and the ways in which girls and women are subjected to degrading and discriminatory treatment because of their gender.
 The book provides a broad perspective on these issues. It discusses late twentieth-century efforts to identify sexual harassment as a longstanding societal problem; explains how the 2016 presidential election brought new attention to this issue; introduces activists who helped to launch the #MeToo Movement; and surveys the impact of the movement on American politics, business, and entertainment.


Introduction Augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality devices are enabling technologies that may facilitate effective communication in healthcare between those with information and knowledge (clinician/specialist; expert; educator) and those seeking understanding and insight (patient/family; non-expert; learner). Investigators initiated an exploratory program to enable the study of AR/MR use-cases in acute care clinical and instructional settings. Methods Academic clinician educators, computer scientists, and diagnostic imaging specialists conducted a proof-of-concept project to 1) implement a core holoimaging pipeline infrastructure and open-access repository at the study institution, and 2) use novel AR/MR techniques on off-the-shelf devices with holoimages generated by the infrastructure to demonstrate their potential role in the instructive communication of complex medical information. Results The study team successfully developed a medical holoimaging infrastructure methodology to identify, retrieve, and manipulate real patients' de-identified computed tomography and magnetic resonance imagesets for rendering, packaging, transfer, and display of modular holoimages onto AR/MR headset devices and connected displays. Holoimages containing key segmentations of cervical and thoracic anatomic structures and pathology were overlaid and registered onto physical task trainers for simulation-based "blind insertion" invasive procedural training. During the session, learners experienced and used task-relevant anatomic holoimages for central venous catheter and tube thoracostomy insertion training with enhanced visual cues and haptic feedback. Direct instructor access into the learner's AR/MR headset view of the task trainer was achieved for visual-axis interactive instructional guidance. Conclusion Investigators implemented a core holoimaging pipeline infrastructure and modular open-access repository to generate and enable access to modular holoimages during exploratory pilot stage applications for invasive procedure training that featured innovative AR/MR techniques on off-the-shelf headset devices.


In our today competitive world, customers are the main focus of attentions for organizations; and their satisfaction is the main factor of acquiring competitive advantages for the companies. Also to attract customers' satisfaction and meet the needs of them would not be achieved unless you have the exact recognition of customers' requirements, expectations, tendencies, abilities and their limits in purchasing products. So by access to such information and using effective factors, making proper decisions, success in marketing and corporation progress will be achievable. To know different dimensions of customers' tendencies and prioritize the related indicators in a standard frame is the most considerable, which in this study; the mentioned frame is marketing mix (the major variable) and its subdivision. By presenting the primitive model of research, according to the fact that in real world the variables have effect on each other, the first questionnaire is used to find out the quality of variables relations and to finalize the research method by means of DEMATEL method. The next two questionnaires are used to find out the weight of variables in marketing success and access to competitive advantages by means of ANP (analytical network process) and AHP (analytical hierarchy process) methods. Due to the study results, it is proved that the variable of product     has the most influence on marketing success.


This thesis has been developed inassociation with Strangbetong AB, Sweden. A few years backCementa AB introduced a new type of cement on the Swedish market: Byggcement,which is a Portland Limestone Cement. This type of cement is better for theenvironment and cheaper than Rapid Hardening Cement which is used today at StrangbetongAB. Strangbetong AB isvery interested in a change of cement in the factory and wants to know what ittakes to make a transition from Rapid Hardening Cement to Byggcement. This final projectaims at investigating how the workability and strength development are affectedby a transition from the existing cement to Byggcement and how we can change theproperties of the concrete by adding different types of superplasticizers. Laboratory and factoryexperiments were made, to investigate the transition.


Close-packed planar arrays of nanometer-diameter metal clusters that are covalently linked to each other by rigid, double-ended organic molecules have been self-assembled. Gold nanocrystals, each encapsulated by a monolayer of alkyl thiol molecules, were cast froma colloidal solution onto a flat substrate to form a close-packed cluster monolayer. Organic interconnects (aryl dithiols or aryl di-isonitriles) displaced the alkyl thiol molecules and covalently linked adjacent clusters in the monolayer to form a two-dimensional superlattice of metal quantum dots coupled by uniform tunnel junctions. Electrical conductance through such a superlattice of 3.7-nanometer-diameter gold clusters, deposited on a SiO2 substrate in the gap between two gold contacts and linked by an aryl di-isonitrile [1,4-di(4-isocyanophenylethynyl)-2-ethylbenzene], exhibited nonlinear Coulomb charging behavior.


Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that has resulted in a global pandemic. It is a highly contagious positive strand RNA virus and its clinical presentation includes severe to critical respiratory disease that appears to be fatal in ∼3-5% of the cases. The viral spike (S) coat protein engages the human angiotensin-converting enzyme2 (ACE2) cell surface protein to invade the host cell. The SARS-CoV-2 S-protein has acquired mutations that increase its affinity to human ACE2 by ∼10-15-fold compared to SARS-CoV S-protein, making it highly infectious. In this study, we assessed if ACE2 polymorphisms might alter host susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 by affecting the ACE2 S-protein interaction. Our comprehensive analysis of several large genomic datasets that included over 290,000 samples representing >400 population groups identified multiple ACE2 protein-altering variants, some of which mapped to the S-protein-interacting ACE2 surface. Using recently reported structural data and a recent S-protein-interacting synthetic mutant map of ACE2, we have identified natural ACE2 variants that are predicted to alter the virus-host interaction and thereby potentially alter host susceptibility. In particular, human ACE2 variants S19P, I21V, E23K, K26R, T27A, N64K, T92I, Q102P and H378R are predicted to increase susceptibility. The T92I variant, part of a consensus NxS/T N-glycosylation motif, confirmed the role of N90 glycosylation in immunity from non-human CoVs. Other ACE2 variants K31R, N33I, H34R, E35K, E37K, D38V, Y50F, N51S, M62V, K68E, F72V, Y83H, G326E, G352V, D355N, Q388L and D509Y are putative protective variants predicted to show decreased binding to SARS-CoV-2 S-protein. Overall, ACE2 variants are rare, consistent with the lack of selection pressure given the recent history of SARS-CoV epidemics, however, are likely to play an important role in altering susceptibility to CoVs.


We report progress in the study of thick CZT strip detectors for 3-d imaging and spectroscopy and discuss two approaches to device design. Unlike double-sided strip detectors, these devices feature both row and column contacts implemented on the anode surface. This electron-only approach circumvents problems associated with poor hole transport in CZT that normally limit the thickness and energy range of double-sided strip detectors. The work includes laboratory and simulation studies aimed at developing compact, efficient, detector modules for 0.05 to 1 MeV gamma radiation measurements while minimizing the number and complexity of the electronic readout channels. These devices can achieve similar performance to pixel detectors for both 3-d imaging and spectroscopy. The low channel count approach can significantly reduce the complexity and power requirements of the readout electronics. This is particularly important in applications requiring large area detector arrays. We show two single-sided strip detector concepts. One, previously reported, features rows established with collecting contacts and columns with non-collecting contacts. Another, introduced here, operates on a charge sharing principle and establishes both rows and columns with collecting contacts on the anode surface. In previous work using the earlier strip detector concept we reported simulations and measurements of energy and spatial resolution for prototype 5 and 10 mm thick CZT detectors. We now present the results of detection efficiency and uniformity measurements conducted on a 5 mm thick detector using a specific configuration of the front-end electronics and event trigger. We discuss limitations associated with implementation of this approach.


Six Sigma was developed in 1980s in manufacturing industry and became popular as a process improvement method. However, the adoption of this concept is new in construction industry and the aim of this study is to evaluate Six Sigma as a process improvement method within construction context.This thesis includes Literature Review and three interviews. Literature Review had discussed process improvement methods used in construction industry and analyzed the basic features and principles of Six Sigma. Three interviews were conducted about the basic principles of Six Sigma and Quality Concept. Interviewers are a Project Manager, Field and Cost Engineer. The approach of the interview to Six Sigma is based on quality, performance and management aspects.This study defends that there is no doubt about the positive effects of Six Sigma on construction projects. Particularly, Six Sigma can provide a broader quality concept, detailed performance measurement, coordinated and repeatable process/performance improvement. It has increased quality directly/indirectly and has positive effects on production efficiency. As a2management approach, Six Sigma is discussable within construction context due to differences of manufacturing and construction industry. Since construction industry includes lots of unrepeatable tasks and different process design techniques, Six Sigma does not seem applicable as a whole management approach in construction industry. Furthermore, it can be integrated to the existing management procedures of companies. Taking everything into consideration, it is obvious that Six Sigma has a lot in order to accelerate fundamental and cultural challenges construction industry needs.


BACKGROUND AND AIM
Proximal migration of biliary stents presents a technical challenge for the therapeutic endoscopist. It may require multiple, complicated corrective procedures resulting in significant morbidity to the patients. In this study we evaluated the utility of balloon biliary sphincteroplasty with CRE (Controlled Radial Expansion) Balloon Dilator on retrieval of proximally migrated biliary stents.

METHODS
We identified patients from our ERCP database who presented with proximal migration of biliary stent, between August 2011 and October 2013. Patients in whom the stent could not be retrieved with conventional methods, balloon sphincteroplasty was performed with a 12 mm CRETM Balloon Dilator (Boston Scientific). Stent removal was attempted with extraction balloon or basket thereafter.

RESULTS
We identified 28 patients with proximal migration of biliary stents, placed for benign diseases of the common bile duct. Stent removal was successful in 18 patients (64.28%) with help of an extraction balloon or basket. Of the remaining 10 patients, balloon sphincteroplasty was successfully followed by stent removal in eight patients.

CONCLUSIONS
Balloon biliary sphincteroplasty increases the success rate of retrieving proximally migrated biliary stents. The procedure is safe, technically easy and yields a good success rate in our experience.


Mathematical software has been playing an important role in teaching and learning. This paper reports the students' performance and reaction on the use of MATLAB for a modeling project at the National Taiwan Normal University. It was the first time a mathematical modeling project had been incorporated into the Applied Mathematics course for such students at this University. It was also the first time the students experiencing applied mathematical modeling as well as using the mathematical software. The outcomes of the project were encouraging and the approach of using MATLAB seems to be an effective method in learning mathematics.


What prompts the students to respond in online dialogic discussion? Why some students chose to fall out? This case study through the lens of phenomenography observation attempts to explain the five decision steps of students to respond in Meta-cognitive Learning in Free Online Groups (MetaL-FrOG) discussion. It presents a part of a research project by the name of Triarchy Perspective on Meta-cognitive Learning in Free Online Groups. The research setting was online learner community on the platform of Free Online Group web intended for post-graduate students enrolled for the paper Psychology of Learning in Faculty of Education, University Malaya, Malaysia. Preliminary study revealed three factors contributed to MetaL-FrOG success: Motivation, Cognitive Resources and Pro-learning Behaviors. This paper only presents a part of the findings under the Pro-Learning Behaviors Subtheory. We found striking similarities between the model proposed by Latane & Darley (1971), Five Essential Steps to a Pro-social Response in an Emergency, and our research subject. The model which explains the course of a pro-social decision was borrowed and modified as surrogate theory to explain the online discussion response of the students. The insights help educators to better understand what holds students back from fruitful online peer diologic discussion.


We study the long-time asymptotics of reaction–diffusion-type systems that feature a monotone decaying entropy (Lyapunov, free energy) functional. We consider both bounded domains and confining potentials on the whole space for arbitrary space dimensions. Our aim is to derive quantitative expressions for (or estimates of) the rates of convergence towards an (entropy minimizing) equilibrium state in terms of the constants of diffusion and reaction and with respect to conserved quantities. Our method, the so-called entropy approach, seeks to quantify convergence to equilibrium by using functional inequalities, which relate quantitatively the entropy and its dissipation in time. The entropy approach is well suited to nonlinear problems and known to be quite robust with respect to model variations. It has already been widely applied to scalar diffusion–convection equations, and the main goal of this paper is to study its generalization to systems of partial differential equations that contain diffusion and reaction terms and admit fewer conservation laws than the size of the system. In particular, we successfully apply the entropy approach to general linear systems and to a nonlinear example of a reaction–diffusion–convection system arising in solid-state physics as a paradigm for general nonlinear systems.


Factor graphs have been increasingly used as probabilistic graphical models. Belief propagation is a prominent algorithm for inference in factor graphs. Due to the high complexity of inference, parallel techniques for belief propagation are needed. In this paper, we explore task parallelism for belief propagation in an acyclic factor graph. Our approach consists of building a task dependency graph based on the input factor graph and then using a dynamic task scheduler to exploit task parallelism. We conducted experiments on a state-of-theart multi-core system using a variety of acyclic factor graphs. The experimental results show the efficiency and scalability of the proposed approach with a 37× speedup on a 40-core system.


: The influence of temperate rocky reef habitat factors on associated fish assemblages is poorly understood. In particular, the effect of depth on fish abundance and species composition is understudied in coastal environments (and the transition zone of macroalgae to non-macroalgae reefs) due to limitations of traditional visual survey methods. This study used a 'drop camera' survey method for 37 reef sites off the coast of Sydney, Australia, between 6 and 57 m depth, to create explanatory models linking relative fish abundance, species richness, and species com - position with reef habitat factors. Generalised linear mixed modelling revealed that total fish abundance and species richness increased with small-scale structural complexity and biological cover. Reefs with greater density of surrounding reef substrate also had increased species richness. Although depth did not influence fish abundance or species richness, a multivariate analysis showed that it did influence species composition, with a decline in herbivores and omnivores with depth compensated by a general increase in other groups. The response of species composition to habitat factors was measured using multivariate generalised linear modelling and latent variable modelling. We found a weak response to depth and habitat complexity, but the lack of strong patterns and correlation between fish species shows that reefs within the ~300 km 2 of coastline investigated here are difficult to classify based on habitat-driven patterns in their associated fish assemblages. These findings enhance our understanding of temperate rocky reefs, and have relevance for the management of coastal habitats, including habitat zonation and the deployment of coastal artificial reefs.


This study reviews the emerging structure of employment services in India, with specific focus on the nature, role and outcomes of partnerships in delivering employment services and active labour market policies (ALMP). The relevance and performance of the National Employment Service (NES) of the Government of India, designed to mitigate labour market mismatches, enhance skills and increase employment opportunities, had been waning over the years. The NES is currently undergoing dramatic changes in its structure. In this revamped employment service set-up, partnerships between the public and private sectors play a key role. After delineating the background for the establishment of the refashioned NES through the National Career Service (NCS), this study traces the nature of the partnerships that are evolving, and the lessons learnt.


The study addresses the role of developmental differences in the use of behavioral information that is acquired at different points in time in the person perception/attribution process. The topic of temporal separations was considered to be potentially important because of the possibility that age differences in information use might at least partially explain developmental differences in children's conceptualizations of personality traits and abilities and more generally, because integration over time is an aspect of naturalistic perception processes that has not been widely studied from a developmental perspective. The result of the study supported the general hypothesis that younger and older children respond differently to temporally distributed patterns of behavior. Specifically, it was found that younger children use behavioral information that was observed in the past primarily when an actor's immediate behavior conflicts with stereotypical expectations for behavior. When there is no conflict, younger children seem to use only an actor's current, immediate behavior when forming an impression. The implications of this finding for the maintenance of the stereotypical beliefs and expectations regarding persons are discussed along with the implications for children's understanding of psychological dispositions.


The stabilizing capacity of the ligaments and articular surface in the ankle was determined under defined physiologic loading conditions. The concept of primary and secondary constraints was adapted to the ankle. With physiologic loading, the articular surface ac counted for 30% and 100% of stability in rotation and version, respectively. That the articular surface was the sole source of inversion and eversion stability under the prescribed physiologic loading conditions has not been previously reported. The demonstration that the articular surface resists inversion displacement in the loaded ankle supports the conclusion of previous studies that rotation, rather than inversion, may account for a type of clinically sympto matic ankle instability. Further, ankle instability may occur during loading and unloading but not once the ankle is fully loaded. The results of our study confirm the importance of the anterior talofibular and calcaneo fibular ligaments and suggest an important role for the deltoid ligament.


We present an analysis of corrected quadrature rules based on the method of undetermined coefficients and its associated degree of accuracy. The correcting terms use weighted values of the first derivative of the function at the endpoint of the subinterval in such a way that the composite rules contain only two new values. Using Taylor's expansions and Peano's kernels we obtain best truncation error bounds which depend on the regularity of the function and the weight parameter. We can minimize the bounds with respect to the parameter, and we can find the best parameter value to increase the order of the error bounds or, equivalently, the degree of accuracy of the rule.


Abstract
Women constitute the most rapidly growing population with human immunodeficiency virus infection in Canada. Problems unique to women and related to HIV include gynecological disorders such as recurrent candidiasis, cervical dysplasia, and neoplasia. Women also face unique psychosocial issues related to their socioeconomic status, pregnancy, and sex. This article addresses these issues.


As the number of functional IP blocks connected on a die increase, SoC development becomes constrained by the capabilities of the on-chip interconnect that connects these IP blocks together. And as the use of commercial IP increase to encompass 80% or more of a commercial SoCs functionality, innovation and differentiation between competing designs could only be expressed in how the IP is connected, as implemented by the on-chip interconnect. To keep up with the demands of the SoC, the interconnects have also become fairly complex and sophisticated. The desire for satisfying the needs of next generation SoCs, while optimizing the area, processing efficiency and power consumption, is driving innovation in switch designs, routing algorithms, transport mechanisms, Quality of Service and coherency schemes. The problem space is big and perhaps more complex in certain ways than that of data networks. The changing application requirements is also changing how we look at Service Level Agreements (SLAs) within the SoC. The SLAs for next generation Interconnects have to go beyond delay and bandwidth considerations to also include resiliency, fault tolerance, and security. In this talk, I will discuss the challenges in building next generation Interconnects, the innovation taking place to address these challenges and how the SoC interconnects are different from the interconnects in data networks.


Background IPF acute exacerbations (IPF-AE) have no proven etiology and although they represent the development of diffuse alveolar damage upon usual interstitial pneumonia, international guidelines recommend high dose steroids. However, the prognosis remains unacceptably dismal. Aims and objectives Assuming that IPF-AE is an ARDS of unknown cause we tested the hypothesis whether ARDS treatment and withdrawing or withholding immunosuppression plus broad spectrum antibiotics influence survival (Papiris et al AJRCCM 2012;185:587-8) Methods We studied patients hospitalized in our clinic from 2007 to 2012 with IPF deterioration. Our protocol consists of immediate cessation of immunosuppression (if any), best supportive care, broad spectrum antibiotics and thorough evaluation to detect reversible causes of respiratory deterioration. All patients were followed up for survival; after discharge none received immunosuppression. We analyzed our data using logistic regression analysis. Results Out of 77 admissions, after excluding other causes of deterioration such as respiratory infection, heart failure, sepsis, pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax, disease progression or progression to the final end, 22 (29%) fulfilled IPF-AE criteria. Among them 50% survived; 3 out of 11 (27%) survived in the group previously receiving immunosuppression whereas 8 out of 11 (73%) in the group not receiving immunosuppression (p=0.033). The median survival of IPF-AE survivors was 11.5 months. Conclusions Survival of patients treated with the non-steroid approach is better than published data. Previous treatment with immunosuppression is related with increased mortality. No administration of immunosuppression post-discharge is related with prolonged survival.


Starting from the behavioral point of view a system is defined by its set of behaviors. In discrete time this is a relation over D N and hence a very infinite object. A model is a relation over D N for some finite N that can be extended to a behavior. Furthermore properties of a system is defined in terms of its behavior. Starting from a constructive point of view we need to be able to represent and manipulate systems. A natural choice is to use some a constructive model, i.e. one that can be finitely represented and manipulated. We will consider four such classes of models: polynomial and linear relations over finite and infinite fields. There are a number of restrictions on the geometric (or behavioral) operations that are possible for each of these classes and still remain within the class. If we want to interpret our models as systems and analyze system properties, then several properties become impossible to compute. Some examples: The set of reachable states for a polynomial model over an infinite field is in general impossible to compute. It may converge to be fractal. The set of reacable states ik steps or less in a linear model cannot be represented as a linear set in general.


Introduction Technology is emerging as a solution to develop home-based, proactive 'real-time' symptom monitoring and management in cancer care. The Advanced Symptom Monitoring and Management System—Canada (ASyMS-Can) is a remote phone-based symptom management system that enables real-time remote monitoring of systemic chemotherapy toxicities. Methods and analysis This study is an open-label, prospective, mixed-method, Phase II, 2-arm parallel group assignment (ASyMS-Can vs usual care) feasibility study in patients with cancer receiving systemic (neo-adjuvant or adjuvant) chemotherapy at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. A total of 114 patients will be recruited in oncology clinics prior to initiation of chemotherapy. Patients in both arms will complete a demographic and a set of questionnaires at enrolment, mid and end of treatment. Patients in intervention arm will be provided with an encrypted, secure, preprogrammed ASyMS phone for symptom reporting daily for the first 14 days of each chemotherapy treatment cycle up to sixth cycle (16 weeks). Feasibility metrics (recruitment, retention and protocol adherence) and outcomes to assess impact of ASyMS—Can include symptom severity, emotional distress, quality of life and acceptability to patients and clinicians. Ethics and dissemination The study has received ethical and institutional approvals from the University Health Network. Dissemination will include presentations at national/international conferences, and publications in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number NCT03335189.


Alexander disease is a rare progressive leukoencephalopathy inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. The infantile form is the most common, with onset before 2 years of age. The typical clinical signs include psychomotor retardation and regression, seizures, and megalencephaly. Juvenile and adult forms are also recognized. The neuropathology of Alexander disease is characterized by abundant presence of Rosenthal fibers in astrocytes in the brain. GFAP has been identified to be the only gene associated with Alexander disease since 2001. Only 1 patient with Alexander disease confirmed by genetic testing has been reported in mainland China. To get further information of the clinical and genetic characteristics of Chinese patients, we analyzed an additional 3 cases with the infantile or juvenile form. A novel mutation, Y83H, and a previously reported mutation, R88C, were identified in these patients. Both mutations were heterozygous and de novo. The results of this research expand the number of patients with Alexander disease found to have GFAP coding mutations in mainland China. A novel missense mutation, Y83H, is identified.


Abstract An anticyclonic mesoscale eddy, encountered during a hydrographic survey in the Sargasso Sea in September 1979, is described. Embedded in the eddy at a depth of 800 m was an isopycnal lens of anomalous water which extended 150 m vertically and ∼40 km horizontally. The source of the lens is not known but may be related to frontal processes in the area.


This submission won second place in the 2020 Images of Research competition. The competition celebrates undergraduate contributions to research at the University of Texas. The following caption accompanied the image submission:
Rickettsia rickettsii is the bacteria responsible for the tick-borne disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever. This disease can become fatal if not treated within the first week, and there are currently no diagnostic tools to respond within that one-week time frame. Physicians primarily rely on patient history to prescribe the needed medication. Treatment should not be determined by how well a patient can advocate their story. We no longer need to look at this disease through an anecdotal lens. Instead, we can look at it through an orange filter. By shining blue light on our samples and viewing them through a filter, we can see our positive samples fluoresce. If the solution within the tube looks translucent, as seen on the right, there hasn't been significant DNA amplification to suggest infection. And if the solution glows a bright neon yellow, as seen on the left, we can say the sample is infected. Using this new methodology, we can determine if a person needs a prescription within just hours by looking at the issue through a new lens.


Reports of dissatisfaction with arbitration are increasingly frequent. A recent article by Eisenberg and Miller suggests that businesses are fleeing arbitration, while [a]necdotal evidence suggests that franchisors are either abandoning arbitration altogether or using more 'carve-out' provisions (exempting specific categories of disputes from the franchise agreement arbitration clause). This paper examines whether the use of arbitration clauses has changed over time - in other words, whether there has been a flight from arbitration. It compares the use of arbitration clauses in franchise agreements from the same franchisors in 1999 and 2007 to see how, if at all, the clauses have changed. We find little evidence of a flight from arbitration by franchisors, at least in the aggregate. The percentage of franchisors using arbitration clauses is almost identical in 2007 as in 1999, although some franchisors have stopped using arbitration while others have started. Likewise, there is little indication that franchisees are fleeing arbitration by avoiding franchisors that use arbitration clauses. As for other terms in arbitration clauses, the most notable change has been the substantial increase in class arbitration waivers (from 50% to over 80% of clauses). With some exceptions, few terms seem to have been modified in response to the risk of court invalidation. Instead, other common changes appear to be designed to hold down costs, such as providing for a sole arbitrator instead of a panel of three arbitrators.


: The adhesion of neoplastic mouse fibroblasts of line L was investigated during the formation of initial cell-substrate contact after the settling of spherical cells from suspension. nu (t), part of cell population which remained attached to the substrate after the impulse action of detaching force in the moment t, is used as a quantitative measure of the initial attachment process. The effects of the detaching force value and of the experimental medium composition on the main parameters of sigmoidal function nu (t) are studied. It is shown that 1) with the change of the detachment force three main parameters of function nu (t) are changed; 2) with the increase of the concentration of serum added in the Eagle medium the cell attachment becomes monotonely weaker and slower; albumin has the similar effect.


Dry rot.BULLER52 describes the destruction of pine paving blocks in Birmingham, England, by Lentinus lepideus Fr. This fungus produces a dry rot which in its microscopic and chemical aspects resembles the destruction of wood by Merulius lachrymans. Cellulose is removed from the walls and hadromal is left behind. The ravages of the fungus were somewhat checked by a dipping in creosote which the blocks had received before being laid down. -H. HASSELBRING.


Prolactin (PRL) is a 23 kDa protein hormone that is produced and secreted by the pituitary lactotrophs. Although PRL was initially regarded as an exclusive pituitary hormone, many nonpituitary tissues were later found to contain and produce this hormone. The most established extrapituitary sites that produce PRL are the decidua, the immune system, brain and endometrium. In the immune system, PRL acts as a cytokine where it plays an important role in human immune responses, including in autoimmune diseases. Here, we will discuss the regulation of PRL gene expression in human lymphocytes and review the functions of PRL made by the immune cells, including its involvement in autoimmunity.


We report that highly crystallized iron oxide nanoparticles (HCIONPs) made by thermal decomposition and further coating with a polysiloxane-containing copolymer can be used as effective mediators for photothermal therapy. Irradiation of a HCIONP solution containing 0.5 mg mL-1 Fe, for instance, with an 885 nm diode laser at a power of 2.5 W cm-2, induces a temperature increase of 33 °C from room temperature, while water produced only a ∼3 °C increase as the control. In vivo studies are further evaluated for effective photothermal therapy using the as-prepared HCIONPs. Benefiting from the great antibiofouling property of the polymer coating and minimized hydrodynamic size (whole particle size: 24 nm), the nanoparticles intravenously administered to SUM-159 tumor-bearing mice can effectively accumulate within the tumor tissue (5.3% of injection dose) through the enhanced permeability and retention effect. After applying the same laser conditions to irradiate the tumors, complete tumor regression is observed within three weeks without disease relapse over the course of three months. Conversely, control mice exhibit continuous tumor growth leading to animal mortality within four weeks. To better understand the photothermal effect of HCIONPs and potentially improve their photothermal efficiency, we compare their photothermal effect and crystal structures with commercially available magnetic nanoparticles. Our data show that after applying the same laser to commercially available magnetic nanoparticles from FeREX at the same iron concentration, the temperature is only increased by 7.4 °C. We further use synchrotron-XRD and high-resolution TEM to compare the crystal structures of both magnetic nanoparticles. The data show that both magnetic nanoparticles are Fe3O4 but as-prepared HCIONPs are highly crystalline and have preferred lattice plane orientations, which may be the cause of their enhanced photothermal efficiency. Taken together, these data suggest that HCIONPs, with unique lattice orientations and small size as well as antifouling coating, can be used as promising mediators for photothermal cancer therapy.


Income-expenditure and investment-disinvestment behaviour of different groups of households in a small rural community of Bangladesh has been investigated by cash flow approach. Both cash inflows and outflows of rich and middle households were much higher than those of poor and landless. The latter two groups were heavily dependent on disinvestment of assets, loans and gifts for their survival. Although they spent most of the income for consumption, particularly for foodgrain, their level of consumption was very low. While the poor and landless households felt the need for credit throughout the whole year, the rich and middle households felt that need seasonally, particularly in hero season. To reduce rural poverty, credit programmes for the rural poor should be designed for both on-farm and off-farm activities.


INTRODUCTION
Acromegaly due to a pituitary tumor has so far only been described in 3 dogs. The present case report describes a 7-year-old male-castrated Labrador Retriever which was referred because of difficult-to-control diabetes. Physical examination revealed markedly enlarged head, tongue and paws, widened interdental spaces and thickening of the skin in the head and neck area. IGF-1 and GH were increased and the latter continued to be abnormal after somatostatin application. Computed tomography demonstrated a space-occupying lesion in the pituitary gland and the diagnosis of acromegaly due to a GH-producing tumor of the pituitary was made. The dog underwent radiation therapy with a 6MV linear accelerator (3×8Gy) and improved substantially. Two and a half years after radiation therapy the dog developed lethargy and anorexia and was euthanized. Necropsy was not permitted. This case report represents the description of a dog suffering from pituitary-dependent acromegaly which was successfully treated and had a long-term survival.


Child mortality may affect spacing through biological and behavioral channels. The death of a child may elicit a desire to have another one soon; further, it may interrupt breastfeeding and shorten the sterile period following childbirth. The hypothesis that the child mortality-spacing linkage varies across parities, being strongest in the middle parities, is examined using microdata from Malaysia and the Cox-regression technique. The empirical results lend support to the hypothesis.


Fix positive integers k and l. Consider a random k-partite graph on n vertices obtained by partitioning the vertex set into V_i, (i=1, \ldots,k) each having size Ω (n) and choosing each possible edge with probability p. Consider any vertex x in any V_i and any vertex y. We show that the expected number of simple paths of even length l between x and y differ significantly depending on whether y belongs to the same V_i (as x does) or not. A similar phenomenon occurs when l is odd. This result holds even when k,l vary slowly with n. This fact has implications to coloring random graphs. The proof is based on establishing bijections between sets of paths.


: Investigation of the properties of antibiotic-resistant variants obtained experimentally from various species of Brucella indicated that benzylpenicillin, ampicillin and ceporin induced significant changes in the main properties of Brucella, i.e. phagolysability, agglutinability, production of brucellacin and hydrogen sulfate, attitude to dyes. Only the nutrient requirements of Brucella did not change when it was grown on synthetic media which is of great importance for investigation of changed Brucella strains.


The reintegration constituents of displaced populations are understudied, despite increased attention being paid to return and reintegration outcomes. In this paper, we explore how various factors related to the migration cycle, including returnees' displacement experiences and return conditions, are associated with reintegration outcomes. For this aim, we take a multidimensional approach to the measurement of reintegration. In addition to objective reintegration outcomes, measured by food security, we address subjective assessments such as feelings of reintegration. We focus on the unique case of returnees in Burundi and make use of a database consisting of a sample of 189 former internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 194 former refugees, which allows for a comparison of the reintegration of these two groups. The analyses highlight that objective and subjective reintegration do not necessarily align and that displacement experiences and return conditions relate to reintegration outcomes in different ways. Land and livestock ownership upon return are for example positively correlated with feelings of reintegration and subjective wealth, whereas community support is crucial to cope with food security. Moreover, we show considerable variation in reintegration outcomes between refugees and IDPs, with refugees showing more positive outcomes when individual characteristics are controlled for. This result calls for more in-depth research on the contextual and structural factors that elucidate the variation across groups going beyond individual level explanations. Overall, the findings emphasise the diversity in reintegration outcomes and identify the role of experiences during displacement and return conditions for the reintegration of refugees and IDPs.


The ATOC AST measurements in July 1996 used simultaneous broadband waveforms in bands near 28 and 84 Hz to study frequency‐dependent differences in long‐range propagation. The low band was below the normal operating range of the Hydroacoustics HLF6 transducer. The nonlinearity of the source, driven exceedingly hard in the low band, generated the high band waveform. Both m‐sequence based and prescription FM waveforms were used. The desired level in each band was 135 W. This paper describes the procedures used to generate the transmitted waveforms and to process the receptions for multipath travel times and modal analysis. [Work supported by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program through ARPA.]


There is no conclusive empirical evidence about the relationships between social expenditure and economic outcomes, notwithstanding a theoretical framework characterized by the equality-efficiency trade-off. Some statistical problems arise from wide differences in the design of the social protection schemes and in the sources of financing. New Oecd data about net total social expenditure referred to 2005 help us to prevent such problems, sketching a new system of social accounting focused on the sum of public net social expenditure and private out-of-pocket spending. In the Oecd countries, a low public social expenditure implies an high private spending, so that the shares of national product devoted to social purposes are similar in Continental Europe and in Anglo-Saxon countries. However, such differences in the public-private mix of social spending have an impact on effective protection from social needs and on the distribution of social well-being.


monitoring and evaluation at regular intervals. The report gives two model plans for the prevention of coronary heart disease: at a Regional level and at a District Health Authority level. These plans are ambitious and could be modified to suit local conditions and the resources. The report is well written and should prove useful to all those engaged in preventive and promotive health services. M. R. BAHL


This paper examines how roles of memory, notions of pastness and belonging interact within a contemporary art practice in a practice-led PhD project. It aims to challenge generally held ideas of the functions of memory that are based on outdated metaphors and expressions, in order to go beyond what has already been discovered and search for new forms of expression.
The importance of this research project lies in the hunt for an art practice that circumvents repetition of ‗the same', the expected, the ‗already discovered', deceptive or erroneous notions of the themes involved in my practice; an art practice that poses encounters and challenges preconceived ideas of how pastness and our experiences of it can be expressed. Gilles Deleuze hence serves as a key figure within my research; across his oeuvre he encourages experimentation, the creation of new concepts, the creative discarding of that which has already been discovered, and the disruption of dominant languages (2004).
The paper will discuss various historical and contextual relations, before connecting to the art practice that drives this research project, and will reference not only other art practices and Deleuzian thought, but also photographic theory, fictional writing and a brief history of metaphors of memory.