The Use of Gypsum and a Coal Desulfurization By-product to Ameliorate Subsoil Acidity for Alfalfa Growth. (December 2003) Dennis John Chessman, B.S., Stephen F. Austin State University; M.S., Kansas State University Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee: Dr. Vincent Haby Dr. J.T. Cothren Acid soils limit the growth of aluminum-(Al) sensitive crops such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Management of acid subsoils can be difficult due to physical and economic constraints. Field experiments were conducted at two locations to evaluate the effectiveness of surface-applied gypsum and a flue gas desulfurization by-product for reducing the toxic effects of acid subsoils on alfalfa. The materials were applied at rates of 0, 5, 10, and 15 Mg ha. In addition, a glasshouse experiment was conducted that used 0, 5, and 10 Mg ha of gypsum only. Field studies were concluded 41 and 45 months after treatment application at the two locations. No effect of material on alfalfa yield or tissue mineral concentration was observed. Also, rate did not affect yield. However, there were differences in plant tissue mineral concentration in several harvests that were related to rate. Soil was sampled periodically to 120 cm and indicated movement of Ca and S into the soil profile to depths of 60 and 120 cm, respectively. Subsoil pHH2O and pHCaCl2 were not affected by treatment. Extractable and exchangeable Al were not reduced by movement of Ca and S into the soil. In the glasshouse study, alfalfa yields and root growth were not affected by gypsum rate. As gypsum rate increased, plant tissue S increased, but K and Mg decreased. Alfalfa roots did not grow below 60 cm, even though there was indication of material movement to 90 cm in the soil. Although sulfur moved to 75 cm, no effect on soil Al was observed. Leachate collected from the bottoms of columns indicated that soil cations were leached as a result of gypsum application. Gypsum and the flue gas desulfurization by-product did not significantly affect the acid soils used in these studies or improve alfalfa growth.


The authors present an analysis of portfolio entries submitted by candidates seeking certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the area of Early Adolescence/Mathematics. Analyses of mathematical features revealed that the tasks used in instruction included a range of mathematics topics but were not consistently intellectually challenging. Analyses of key pedagogical features of the lesson materials showed that tasks involved hands-on activities or real-world contexts and technology but rarely required students to provide explanations or demonstrate mathematical reasoning. The findings suggest that, even in lessons that teachers selected for display as best practice examples of teaching for understanding, innovative pedagogical approaches were not systematically used in ways that supported students' engagement with cognitively demanding mathematical tasks.


The Learn and Play Project was initiated by Solomon Islands Football Federation and aimed at educating and providing football skills training for primary school dropouts. The aim of this paper is to report the implementation of the programme in a case study school. Because the project is still being implemented, this paper is not intended to provide a rigorous evaluation of the project's activities. Rather, this case study research investigates the students' perception of the project. The key findings of the study include improvements in students' confidence, self-esteem and academic performance. The project also has motivated the students to face the future with hope and determination and they have set future plans which are aligned to the vision of the project. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for policy, practice and further research.


The relationships between a resistance curve (R-curve), the corresponding fracture process zone length, the shape of the traction/displacement softening law, and the propagation of fracture are examined in the context of the through-the-thickness fracture of composite laminates. A procedure that accounts for R-curve toughening mechanisms by superposing bilinear cohesive elements is proposed. Simple equations are developed for determining the separation of the critical energy release rates and the strengths that define the independent contributions of each bilinear softening law in the superposition. It is shown that the R-curve measured with a Compact Tension specimen test can be reproduced by superposing two bilinear softening laws. It is also shown that an accurate representation of the R-curve is essential for predicting the initiation and propagation of fracture in composite laminates.


The title, An Oddly Modern Fairy Tale, is a reference to the series edited by Jack Zipes for Princeton University Press, which includes retellings, translations and rediscoveries of fairy tales. To these various forms of engagement with tales of wonder, the author of this article has added what she describes as an 'anti-fairy tale' of three wealthy Sicilian siblings who recused themselves in differing ways from the twentieth century. The youngest, Lucio, was a lyric poet whose work was admired by both Lampedusa and Montale. His older brother, Casimiro, was a photographer and painter of unsettling watercolours of pop-eyed gnomes and sprites. These he claimed to have witnessed going about their otherworldly lives among the exotic plants that their sister, Agata Giovanna, bought for the extensive gardens whose borders she rarely left. The story ends with Lucio's attempt – both farcical and tragic – to secure a future for the family through the birth of an heir, which resembles similar attempts by Tancredi in Lampedusa's masterpiece The Leopard.


ABSTRACT Introduction Antifungal agents are essential in the fight against serious fungal disease, however emerging resistance is threatening an already limited collection of therapeutics. Proteomic analyses of effects of antifungal agents can expand our understanding of multifactorial mechanisms of action and have also proven valuable to elucidate proteomic changes associated with antifungal resistance. Areas covered This review covers the application of proteomic techniques to examine sensitivity and resistance to antifungals including commonly used therapeutics, amphotericin B, echinocandins and the azoles, based predominantly on studies involving Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata from the last 10 years. In addition, non-clinical antimicrobial agents are also discussed, which highlight the potential of proteomics to identify new antifungal targets. Expert commentary Fungal proteomics has evolved in the last decade with increased genome availability and developments in mass spectrometry. Collectively, these have led to the advancement of proteomic techniques, allowing increased coverage of the proteome. Gel-based proteomics laid the foundation for these types of studies, which has now shifted to the more powerful gel-free proteomics. This has resulted in the identification of key mediators and potential biomarkers of antifungal resistance, as well as elucidating the mechanisms of action of novel and established antifungal agents.


MEMS-based storage devices are seen by many as promising alternatives to disk drives. Fabricated using conventional CMOS processes, MEMS-based storage consists of thousands of small, mechanical probe tips that access gigabytes of high-density, nonvolatile magnetic storage. This paper takes a first step towards understanding the performance characteristics of these devices by mapping them onto a disk-like metaphor. Using simulation models based on the mechanics equations governing the devices' operation, this work explores how different physical characteristics (e.g., actuator forces and per-tip data rates) impact the design trade-offs and performance of MEMS-based storage. Overall results indicate that average access times for MEMS-based storage are 6.5 times faster than for a modern disk (1.5 ms vs. 9.7 ms). Results from filesystem and database bench-marks show that this improvement reduces application I/O stall times up to 70%, resulting in overall performance improvements of 3X.


[1] We present the analysis of 205 spatially resolved measurements of the surface composition of Mercury from MESSENGER's X-Ray Spectrometer. The surface footprints of these measurements are categorized according to geological terrain. Northern smooth plains deposits and the plains interior to the Caloris basin differ compositionally from older terrain on Mercury. The older terrain generally has higher Mg/Si, S/Si, and Ca/Si ratios, and a lower Al/Si ratio than the smooth plains. Mercury's surface mineralogy is likely dominated by high-Mg mafic minerals (e.g., enstatite), plagioclase feldspar, and lesser amounts of Ca, Mg, and/or Fe sulfides (e.g., oldhamite). The compositional difference between the volcanic smooth plains and the older terrain reflects different abundances of these minerals and points to the crystallization of the smooth plains from a more chemically evolved magma source. High-degree partial melts of enstatite chondrite material provide a generally good compositional and mineralogical match for much of the surface of Mercury. An exception is Fe, for which the low surface abundance on Mercury is still higher than that of melts from enstatite chondrites and may indicate an exogenous contribution from meteoroid impacts.


Background Campylobacter is a common, but neglected foodborne-zoonotic pathogen, identified as a growing cause of foodborne disease worldwide. Wildlife and domestic animals are considered important reservoirs, but little is known about pathogen infection dynamics in free-ranging mammalian wildlife particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In countries like Botswana, there is significant overlap between humans and wildlife, with the human population having one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world, increasing vulnerability to infection. Methodology/Principal findings We investigated Campylobacter occurrence in archived human fecal samples (children and adults, n = 122, 2011), feces from free-ranging banded mongooses (Mungos mungo, n = 201), surface water (n = 70), and river sediment samples (n = 81) collected in 2017 from the Chobe District, northern Botswana. Campylobacter spp. was widespread in humans (23.0%, 95% CI 13.9–35.4%), with infections dominantly associated with C. jejuni (82.1%, n = 28, 95% CI 55.1–94.5%). A small number of patients presented with asymptomatic infections (n = 6). While Campylobacter spp. was rare or absent in environmental samples, over half of sampled mongooses tested positive (56%, 95% CI 45.6–65.4%). Across the urban-wilderness continuum, we found significant differences in Campylobacter spp. detection associated with the type of den used by study mongooses. Mongooses utilizing man-made structures as den sites had significantly higher levels of C. jejuni infection (p = 0.019) than mongooses using natural dens. Conversely, mongooses using natural dens had overall higher levels of detection of Campylobacter at the genus level (p = 0.001). Conclusions These results suggest that landscape features may have important influences on Campylobacter species exposure and transmission dynamics in wildlife. In particular, data suggest that human-modified landscapes may increase C. jejuni infection, a primarily human pathogen, in banded mongooses. Pathogen circulation and transmission in urbanizing wildlife reservoirs may increase human vulnerability to infection, findings that may have critical implications for both public and animal health in regions where people live in close proximity to wildlife.


Introduction: As the health consequences of climate change (CC) will likely become more manifest in the future, family physicians have to be knowledgeable about these impacts and the ways in which they can affect their patients. The main aim of this study was to propose a competency framework and questionnaire used to conduct a needs analysis to identify and prioritize family physicians' real educational needs regarding the health impacts of CC. Methods: A mixed method combining a qualitative interview and a quantitative online questionnaire was used (n = 24 physicians). The interview assessed key beliefs related to participating in an online continuing medical education (eCME) activity on the health impacts of climate change, and the perception of the key factors or conditions required to ensure the family physicians' satisfaction with this eCME activity. The questionnaire assessed the current and desired levels of competency on five general training themes: general knowledge about CC; heat-related illnesses; CC, extreme weather events and modification of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases; CC, extreme weather events and modification of water-borne diseases; and mental health impacts of natural disasters. Results: Results revealed the need for improved medical education on climate change and health. Results also add to the literature by showing that a 3-hour eCME activity covering these topics would be useful and would allow family physicians to use this knowledge in their daily practice, notably through prevention and counseling. Discussion: Introducing a CME needs assessment framework and a generic instrument that reflects family physicians' needs regarding the health impacts of CC has the added advantage of standardizing the assessment procedure.


In this paper the problem of a particle constrained to move on an axisymmetric surface embedded in three-dimensional Euclidean space, under the influence of a gravitational field, is addressed from a geometrical point of view. Using a covariant geometrical approach at undergraduate level, a variational framework is implemented in order to obtain the particle's motion equation, which is solved in an analytical way for the case where the particle moves on a cylinder and numerically when the particle moves on a catenoid. The trajectories obtained are expressed as functions of conserved quantities such as total energy, E, and the z component of the particle's angular momentum, L3. Moreover, expressions for normal and geodesic curvatures as well as the speed, tangential acceleration and normal force constraining the particle on the surface along the trajectories are obtained.


The aim of the present study was to investigate the predictive role of the 3 × 2 achievement goal model on test anxiety in the specific context of Physical Education (PE). Four hundred and eighty-six French students (mean age = 15.83, standard deviation = 1.20) voluntarily and anonymously filled out the Revised Test Anxiety and Regulatory Dimension of Anxiety in Physical Education scale (RTAR-PE) assessing test anxiety in PE and the Achievement Goal Questionnaire for Sport (AGQ-S) assessing the six achievement goals. The results showed that task-avoidance and self-avoidance goals positively predicted the four negative factors of test anxiety (worry, self-focus, bodily symptoms, somatic tension), while task-approach and self-approach goals negatively predicted them. It was the opposite for perceived control, which is the positive factor of test anxiety. Contrary to academic general test anxiety, other-avoidance goals did not positively predict the negative factors of test anxiety in the PE context, but they negatively predicted perceived control. The previous pattern of results was reversed for task-approach, self-approach, and other-approach goals. Finally, a significant interaction was found between other-avoidance goals and gender in predicting bodily symptoms, but simple slope analyses did not reveal significant findings. Taking students' psychological characteristics into account, such as achievement goals, may contribute to a better understanding of test anxiety in PE.


The study was designed to provide an overview and a unique insight into the musculoskeletal demands of the professional footballer in Scotland.

It can be concluded that preseason training, although non competitive, is a period of high risk and its contents must be re-examined. Emphasis should be placed on injury prevention, especially from overload and overuse injuries, to ensure peak performance and team stability.

During season 1993-1994, 30 players (8.8%) required surgery and shared a total of 33 operations. Almost 1 in 10 players, therefore, required surgery during the season with all that entails. Not surprisingly, knee surgery was the commonest procedure, with 13 operations being performed on 11 players. Two players initially had arthroscopic examinations and subsequently required further reconstructive procedures. Surprisingly, the next most frequent operation was that of groin or hernia repair (6). Interestingly, 68% (23) of injuries requiring surgery during season 1993-1994 occurred during training, rather than as a result of a competitive match. This was confirmed when the mechanism of injury was assessed in detail, as 25 (75%) of injuries which required surgery were non contact. Of the 14 players requiring knee surgery, it is of concern that 6 (44.8%) of these players had previously required knee surgery, although there was no strong statistical evidence of an association (Fisher's exact test, p=0.094). Of the 342 players studied for the full season, 56 had reported previous knee surgery. Therefore, 19% of players who had previously had knee surgery required further surgery which would merit further research. There was also no strong evidence that the proportion of players requiring surgery differs for the different positions (Chi-squared=4.446, df=2, p=0.108).

This study has provided a unique insight into the musculoskeletal demands of professional football. The mechanism and prevention of injury in soccer, has been studied in detail. This will provide a rational basis for future planning in the hope of optimising performance and minimising injury and its recurrence in soccer.


Australia is indicative of a country that is deeply confused and conflicted around a policy discourse of inclusion that is sutured within an existential context heavily committed to the tenets of neoliberalism. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of higher education, in which the proportion of young people from backgrounds of 'disadvantage' has remained implacably stuck at around 15% for several decades. The research from which this paper comes is an innovative community-based university-provided programme for young people for whom university education was never a realistic possibility – because of family histories, interruption to their lives, of having undertaken forms of secondary education that prevented them from gaining university entrance qualification, or who had terminated their education before completing the secondary years of schooling. This paper explores the story of one young person in his first year in a university programme, as he struggled with obstacles and impediments of a higher education system and set of neoliberal policy discourses that remain deeply sceptical and antagonistic to his trajectory.


An IIASA Executive Report based on and IIASA research report by H. Flohn, who has taken a paleoclimatic approach to gaining insights into the implications of global warming produced by he burning of fossil fuels. Using the most reliable radiation models for the relation between carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere and temperature, Flohn selects thresholds of temperature increase, which he then speculates would produce climatic conditions similar to those of earlier periods in the earth's history.

He establishes a four-part scenario. An increase in the global average surface temperature (GAST) of 1 degree C, which could occur around 2000-2010 at the projected rate of fossil fuel consumption, would correspond to the GAST 1,000 years ago during the early middle ages. Warming of 1.5 degrees C could occur around 2005-2030, mimicking conditions 6000 years ago at the peak of the Holocene period. Warming of 2.5 degrees C is considered possible around 2020-2050, corresponding to the last interglacial period 120,000 years ago. Finally, an increase of the GAST by 4 degrees C could be reached 2040-2080, producing conditions that occurred during the late Tertiary Period from 2.5 to 12 million years ago, a remarkable epoch when the North Pole became ice free while the South Pole remained glaciated. The Executive Report briefly describe what is known and generally assumed about the climate of the earth during each of the four periods.


As one of the representative models in the field of image generation, generative adversarial networks (GANs) face a significant challenge: how to make the best trade-off between the quality of generated images and training stability. The U-Net based GAN (U-Net GAN), a recently developed approach, can generate high-quality synthetic images by using a U-Net architecture for the discriminator. However, this model may suffer from severe mode collapse. In this study, a stable U-Net GAN (SUGAN) is proposed to mainly solve this problem. First, a gradient normalization module is introduced to the discriminator of U-Net GAN. This module effectively reduces gradient magnitudes, thereby greatly alleviating the problems of gradient instability and overfitting. As a result, the training stability of the GAN model is improved. Additionally, in order to solve the problem of blurred edges of the generated images, a modified residual network is used in the generator. This modification enhances its ability to capture image details, leading to higher-definition generated images. Extensive experiments conducted on several datasets show that the proposed SUGAN significantly improves over the Inception Score (IS) and Fréchet Inception Distance (FID) metrics compared with several state-of-the-art and classic GANs. The training process of our SUGAN is stable, and the quality and diversity of the generated samples are higher. This clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach for image generation tasks. The source code and trained model of our SUGAN have been publicly released.


Background: The cost of health care is a large part of every household's budget. On the other hand, as an economic entity, the hospital is constantly faced with different aspects of cost and revenue. So, we are dealing with conflicting objectives. Objectives: The main purpose of the research is to help financial management in a specialty hospital. This article provides part of operational research under bi-level optimization for hospital managers to provide targeted financial planning. The method is based on the fact that the objective is to maximize the hospital income on one level, and on the other level, the objective is to reduce the patient's payment. Methods: The hierarchical and decentralized optimization problem is written as a bi-level model that minimizes patient costs and maximizes hospital revenues, which is an NP-Hard problem. The optimal solution to this problem is obtained using a genetic algorithm. Then, the hospital's performance is evaluated by the Pabon Lasso diagram. It is shown that the use of this model has a significant effect on the hospital's performance. Results: Implementation of this model in the studied hospital shows that patient payment costs decreased and hospital income increased (reaching equilibrium point). Conclusion: Hospital performance after model implementation was evaluated by the Pabon Lasso diagram and showed that it has an effective role in hospital performance.


Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is clinically defined as an acute peripheral neuropathy causing limb weakness that progresses over a time period of days or, at the most, up to 4 weeks. GBS occurs throughout the world with a median annual incidence of 1.3 cases per population of 100 000, with men being more frequently affected than women. GBS is considered to be an autoimmune disease triggered by a preceding bacterial or viral infection. Campylobacter jejuni, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae are commonly identified antecedent pathogens. In the acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) form of GBS, the infecting organisms probably share homologous epitopes to a component of the peripheral nerves (molecular mimicry) and, therefore, the immune responses cross-react with the nerves causing axonal degeneration; the target molecules in AMAN are likely to be gangliosides GM1, GM1b, GD1a and GalNAc-GD1a expressed on the motor axolemma. In the acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) form, immune system reactions against target epitopes in Schwann cells or myelin result in demyelination; however, the exact target molecules in the case of AIDP have not yet been identified. AIDP is by far the most common form of GBS in Europe and North America, whereas AMAN occurs more frequently in east Asia (China and Japan). The prognosis of GBS is generally favourable, but it is a serious disease with a mortality of approximately 10% and approximately 20% of patients are left with severe disability. Treatment of GBS is subdivided into: (i) the management of severely paralysed patients with intensive care and ventilatory support; and (ii) specific immunomodulating treatments that shorten the progressive course of GBS, presumably by limiting nerve damage. High-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy and plasma exchange aid more rapid resolution of the disease. The predominant mechanisms by which IVIg therapy exerts its action appear to be a combined effect of complement inactivation, neutralisation of idiotypic antibodies, cytokine inhibition and saturation of Fc receptors on macrophages. Corticosteroids alone do not alter the outcome of GBS.


A good x-ray diffraction pattern has been obtained for the new phase of silver iodide stable in the vicinity of 3 kilobars at room temperature. A stability diagram of the six phases of silver iodide is presented to show the probable position of the narrow stability field of this phase. The x-ray diffraction data indicate that the cell symmetry of the new phase is probably orthorhombic.


We discuss extensions of the Virasoro algebra obtained by generalizing the Sugawara construction to the higher order Casimir invariants of a Lie algebra g. We generalize the GKO coset construction to the dimension-3 operator for g =A N 1 and recover results of Fateev and Zamolodchikov if N = 3. Branching rules and generalizations to all simple, simply-laced g are discussed.


Abstract While most of the world has pursued absolute emission limits for greenhouse gases, the Bush administration has proposed an alternative policy formulation based, among other things, on reducing emissions intensity—that is, emissions per dollar of real gross domestic product (GDP). Critics of this formulation have denounced the general idea of an intensity-based emission target, along with its voluntary nature and modest targets. This raises the question of whether intensity-based emission limits, distinct from the other features of the Bush initiative, offer a useful alternative to absolute emission limits. This essay makes the case that they do, based on how emission targets are framed. The argument draws on four key observations: greenhouse gas emissions will continue to rise over the near term; absolute targets emphasize zero or declining emissions growth while intensity targets do not; developing countries' economic development is integrally tied to emissions growth for the foreseeable future; and intensity targets need not be any more complicated to administer than absolute targets.


Kinbasket and Revelstoke Reservoirs are part of the Columbia River system in eastern British Columbia, Canada. Hydroelectricity from these large reservoirs represents about 30% of the province's generation capacity. Of interest to water use planning is the effect of reservoir operation on pelagic productivity. We address one small part of this question, namely, the supply of nutrients carried by inflows that plunge below the photic zone during the summer. Using an idealized water balance for the photic zone, three cases are considered: (1) a shallow outlet, (2) a deep outlet, and (3) no outflow. For a shallow outlet, all inflow that plunges below the photic zone is upwelled into the photic zone on its way to the outlet. For a deep outlet, inflow that plunges below the photic zone will short circuit or pass directly to the outlet unless entrainment generates upwelling of the inflow into the photic zone. For a reservoir with no outflow, such as a reservoir that is filling, inflow that plunges below the photic zone remains at depth unless either entrainment or a bathymetric effect generates flow into the photic zone; nutrients are then released when the reservoir is drawn down, often in winter.


We propose a polarimetric two-scale surface scattering model employed to retrieve the surface parameters of bare soils from polarimetric synthetic aperture radar or scatterometer data. The scattering surface considered here is composed of slightly rough randomly tilted facets, for which the small perturbation scattering method holds. The facet random tilt causes both a random variation of the local incidence angle and a random rotation of the local incidence plane around the line of sight. Unlike other similar already existing approaches, our method considers both these stochastic effects in the analytical evaluation of the facet scattering matrix, and their statistical modeling is derived from a proper statistical description of the scattering surface. In particular, we assume that the facet slope (i.e., the slope of the large-scale surface roughness) is a Gaussian random variable, in agreement with both classical and fractal surface models. The proposed scattering model is then used to retrieve bare soil moisture and (large-scale) roughness from the co- and cross-polarized ratios. The performance of the resulting retrieval algorithm and its validity limits are finally assessed by comparing obtained results to " in situ" measurements. To this aim, data from different measurement campaigns available in literature are employed.


Adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) is an important crop in Taiwan, Japan and many countries. The bean varieties Kaohsiung No. 8 (KS8) and No. 9 (KS9) were grown in the spring of 2013 and 2014 at an organic certified farm and harvested at maturity from two organic cultivation management systems: organic with integrated pest management (OIPM) and organic without pest management (OWPM). The harvested seeds from OIPM and OWPM cultivations were compared for yield characteristics, seed chemical composition, and seed antioxidant capacity. The yield characteristics were significantly higher in OIPM than OWPM cultivation in 2013 and 2014 of both KS8 and KS9 varieties. The chemical composition of the two varieties for both years showed that OIPM cultivation had relative higher ash and crude protein contents, whereas OWPM produced significantly higher carbohydrate content. The OWPM cultivation expressed higher ABTS and DPPH antioxidant abilities, as well as contained higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents than OIPM. In conclusion, the OIPM increase the yield of Adzuki bean products, whereas OWPM cultivation expose the plants to pests and diseases occurring may increase the antioxidant activity and components. It may suggest that OWPM enhance the chance of the plants responding by inducing a protection system to prevent pathogen attack.


For economic transactions, including debt transactions, to occur in a market system, property rights are essential. The literature has focussed on finding empirical proof of the effect of property right regimes, noting differences between de jure and de facto property rights. We use a novel combination of data on wealth and demographics to investigate the effects of property right regimes on economic outcomes at the individual level. At the Cape, de jure property rights between freehold and loan farms differed. Historians, however, suggest that de facto property rights between these two property types were the same. We exploit the random variation of the birth order, specifically being the eldest son, to estimate whether the type of farm and therefore the type of property rights, mattered for economic activity, in our case, debt transactions. Our results suggest that historians were correct: loan farms were as secure in their de facto property rights, despite differences in de jure property rights. Our results confirm that the local context in which property right regimes are embedded is at least as important as the property right regime itself.


Chitosan cylindrical scaffolds with gradually increasing pore size along the longitudinal direction were fabricated by a novel centrifugation method to investigate pore size effect on cell interactions. The scaffold was fabricated by the centrifugation of a cylindrical mold containing fibril-like chitosans. The pore size ranges of the scaffold could be controlled by adjusting the centrifugal speed: the scaffold with gradually increasing pore size (from ~80 #m to ~400 #m) and porosity (from ~82 % to ~93 %) along the cylindrical axis was obtained by applying the centrifugal speed, 3,000 rpm. The scaffold sections were examined for their in vitro cell interactions using different kinds of cells (fibroblasts, chondrocytes, and osteoblasts) in terms of scaffold pore sizes. It was observed that different kinds of cells were shown to have different pore size ranges in the scaffold for effective cell growth. The chitosan scaffold section with ~400 #m pore size showed better cell growth for chondrocytes and osteoblasts, while the scaffold section with ~190 #m pore size was better for fibroblast growth. The pore size gradient scaffolds fabricated by the centrifugation method can be a good tool for the systematic studies of the interactions between cells or tissues and scaffolds with different pore size.


SOUFFLÉ is an open source programming framework that performs static program analysis expressed in Datalog on very large code bases, including points-to analysis on OpenJDK7 (1.4M program variables, 350K objects, 160K methods) in under a minute. SOUFFLÉ is being successfully used for Java security analyses at Oracle Labs due to (1) its high-performance, (2) support for rapid program analysis development, and (3) customizability. SOUFFLÉ incorporates the highly flexible Datalog-based program analysis paradigm while exhibiting performance results that are on-par with manually developed state-of-the-art tools. In this tool paper, we introduce the SOUFFLÉ architecture, usage and demonstrate its applicability for large-scale code analysis on the OpenJDK7 library as a use case.


The Kronig-Penney model is used to Study the effect of nonlinear interaction on the transmissive properties of both ordered and disordered chains. In the ordered case, the nonlinearity can either localize or delocalize the electronic states depending on both its sign and strength but there is a critical strength above which all the states are localized. In the disordered case, however, we found that the transmission decays as $T\sim L^{-\gamma}$ around the band edge of the corresponding periodic system. The exponent $\gamma$ is independent of the strength of the nonlinearity in the case of disordered barrier potentials, while it varies with the strength for mixed potentials.


Introduction Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a common clinical problem. If untreated or inadequately treated, there is a high risk of fatal PE1 and recurrent venous thrombosis.2-4 The objectives of treatment are to prevent local extension of thrombus, embolization, and recurrent thrombosis. It is now widely accepted that VTE is a single disorder and, therefore, the treatment of venous thrombosis and PE is essentially the same. Four treatment modalities are available. Anticoagulant therapy prevents the growth of an existing thrombus or embolus, thrombolytic therapy accelerates the rate of dissolution of thrombi or emboli, caval interruption intercepts venous thrombi that break off and embolize, thereby preventing dangerous PE, and surgical therapy removes thrombi or emboli.


Resilient modulus is used in the mechanistic analysis of pavement response under dynamic traffic loads, and the evaluation of the material quality is influenced by ambient temperature. This study aims to investigate the effect of hot mix asphalt additives on the resilient modulus (Mr) of crumb rubber (CR) and Buton natural asphalt (BNA)-modified asphalt mixes. Two different HMA additives were used to fabricate HMA specimens. The hot mix asphalt used asphalt Pen 60/70, coarse aggregates, fine aggregates, and filler obtained from the stone crusher machine. The CR is made from scrap tire rubber, in the form of a fine powder through sieve no. 30 (0.6 mm). CR-modified asphalt mixtures were obtained using the wet mixture method, with proportions of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by total weight. BNA was added to the asphalt in proportions of 8%, 10%, and 12% by total weight. The resilient modulus of the specimens prepared having a 100mm diameter and then compacted with a Marshall hammer. The test data using the indirect tensile test with the Universal Material Testing Apparatus (UMATTA) tool were recorded at temperatures of 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 °C. The test results indicate that the levels of CR and BNA on the asphalt decreased the penetration rate, increased the bitumen softening point. The addition of the additive has improved the penetration index thus reducing the sensitivity to temperature. The model was developed by a linear relationship between log Mr and asphalt penetration index.


Despite huge latest advances in the subject of face reputation, enforcing face verification and popularity adroitly at scale offers extreme challenges to modern-day processes. here we gift a machine, referred to as FaceNet that without delay learns a aligning from face photos to a firm Euclidean space in which distances precisely correlate to a degree of face affinity. as soon as this area has been composed, responsibilities such as face popularity, verification and clustering may be effortlessly carried out the usage of standard techniques with FaceNet embedding's as feature trajectory. Our approach uses a deep conventional community educated to at once enhance the embedding itself, in place of an transitional hindrance layer as in preceding wide mastering methods.


PURPOSE
Correctional settings create unique challenges for patients with special needs, including transgender patients, who have an increased rate of overall discrimination, sexual abuse, healthcare disparities, and improper housing. As part of our correctional health quality improvement process, we sought to review and evaluate the adequacy of care for transgender patients in the New York City jail system.

METHODS
Using correctional pharmacy records, transgender patients receiving hormonal treatment were identified. A brief in-person survey was conducted to evaluate their care in the community before incarceration, medical care in jail, and experience in the jail environment.

RESULTS
Survey findings and analysis of transgender patient healthcare-related complaints revealed opportunities for improvements in the provision of care and staff understanding of this population. Utilizing these findings, we conducted lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) trainings in all 12 jail clinics for medical, nursing, and mental health staff. Three months after LGBT training, patient complaints dropped by over 50%. After the development and implementation of a newly revised transgender healthcare policy, complaints dropped to zero within 6 months.

CONCLUSION
Our efforts to assess the quality of care provided to transgender patients revealed significant areas for improvement. Although we have made important gains in providing quality care through the implementation of policies and procedures rooted in community standards and the express wishes of our patients, we continue to engage this patient population to identify other issues that impact their health and well-being in the jail environment.


Abstract In this study the effects of root and foliar treatments of marrow plants with cadmium and lead solutions on the growth of the various parts of plant (roots, stem, leaves and fruits) have been studied. Growth inhibition of the various parts of treated plants has been compared with each other and for the two types of treatment. The toxicity of cadmium on the growth of plant has been compared with the toxicity of lead on the various parts of plants treated by root or by foliar‐treatment with metal ions. Cadmium and lead uptake by plants and the distribution of this uptake between the various parts of treated plants have been determined and commented on. Percentages of cadmium or lead taken by plant from the total amount of cadmium or lead added during treatment have been calculated and found to be very small. This percentage has been found to be higher in foliar‐treated plants and from dilute solutions than in root‐treated plants and from more concentrated cadmium or lead solutions.


Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is a circulating sulfated steroid considered to be a pro-androgen in mammalian physiology. Here we show that at a physiological concentration (1 μM), DHEAS induces the phosphorylation of the kinase Erk1/2 and of the transcription factors CREB and ATF-1 in the murine Sertoli cell line TM4. This signaling cascade stimulates the expression of the tight junction (TJ) proteins claudin-3 and claudin-5. As a consequence of the increased expression, tight junction connections between neighboring Sertoli cells are augmented, as demonstrated by measurements of transepithelial resistance. Phosphorylation of Erk1/2, CREB, or ATF-1 is not affected by the presence of the steroid sulfatase inhibitor STX64. Erk1/2 phosphorylation was not observed when dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) was used instead of DHEAS. Abrogation of androgen receptor (AR) expression by siRNA did not affect DHEAS-stimulated Erk1/2 phosphorylation, nor did it change DHEAS-induced stimulation of claudin-3 and claudin-5 expression. All of the above indicate that desulfation and conversion of DHEAS into a different steroid hormone is not required to trigger the DHEAS-induced signaling cascade. All activating effects of DHEAS, however, are abolished when the expression of the G-protein Gnα11 is suppressed by siRNA, including claudin-3 and -5 expression and TJ formation between neighboring Sertoli cells as indicated by reduced transepithelial resistance. Taken together, these results are consistent with the effects of DHEAS being mediated through a membrane-bound G-protein-coupled receptor interacting with Gnα11 in a signaling pathway that resembles the non-classical signaling pathways of steroid hormones. Considering the fact that DHEAS is produced in reproductive organs, these findings also suggest that DHEAS, by acting as an autonomous steroid hormone and influencing the formation and dynamics of the TJ at the blood-testis barrier, might play a crucial role for the regulation and maintenance of male fertility.


Ded1 is a conserved RNA helicase that promotes translation initiation in steady-state conditions. Ded1 has also been shown to regulate translation during cellular stress and affect the dynamics of stress granules (SGs), accumulations of RNA and protein linked to translation repression. To better understand its role in stress responses, we examined Ded1 function in two different models: DED1 overexpression and oxidative stress. DED1 overexpression inhibits growth and promotes the formation of SGs. ABSTRACT Ded1 is a conserved RNA helicase that promotes translation initiation in steady-state conditions. Ded1 has also been shown to regulate translation during cellular stress and affect the dynamics of stress granules (SGs), accumulations of RNA and protein linked to translation repression. To better understand its role in stress responses, we examined Ded1 function in two different models: DED1 overexpression and oxidative stress. DED1 overexpression inhibits growth and promotes the formation of SGs. A ded1 mutant lacking the low-complexity C-terminal region (ded1-ΔCT), which mediates Ded1 oligomerization and interaction with the translation factor eIF4G1, suppressed these phenotypes, consistent with other stresses. During oxidative stress, a ded1-ΔCT mutant was defective in growth and in SG formation compared to wild-type cells, although SGs were increased rather than decreased in these conditions. Unlike stress induced by direct TOR inhibition, the phenotypes in both models were only partially dependent on eIF4G1 interaction, suggesting an additional contribution from Ded1 oligomerization. Furthermore, examination of the growth defects and translational changes during oxidative stress suggested that Ded1 plays a role during recovery from stress. Integrating these disparate results, we propose that Ded1 controls multiple aspects of translation and RNP dynamics in both initial stress responses and during recovery.


Despite 'race' equality legislation in England, Whiteness – a political and ideological system of power that maintains 'White' raced hegemony, is reproduced everyday in its educational institutions in and through a Eurocentric National Curriculum that implicitly valorizes 'White' raced subjects in subtle ways that often appear neutral or invisible. The persistent and repeated patterning of Whiteness in and through these educational systems and structures is seen to represent a form of tacit intentionality on the part of powerholders and state education policymakers in postcolonial England. However, these institutionalized practices of Whiteness, and the processes of racialization that have historically maintained them, have not yet been critically analysed, which serves to further facilitate and secure their hegemonic power and structured invisibility by enabling them to remain concealed. This thesis critically historicizes how Whiteness, and its structured invisibility, has been socially produced in educational institutions in postcolonial England in and through the curriculum, unconsciously or otherwise. This is a subversive move that intends to critically expose and analyse how Whiteness has tenaciously secured its hegemony, and structured invisibility, over time, in ways that intend to suggest strategies for deconstructing it to make curricular knowledges and practices equitable. Empirical data is drawn from four sources – curricular texts, including English state curriculum policies, examination syllabi and pedagogical resources, teacher participant interview data, classroom observations and a research diary, which are all framed within a qualitative methodological approach. This data is critically analysed using a range of theoretical frameworks – critical Whiteness studies, racialization, Foucauldian, Lacanian and Butlerian theory. Key research findings indicate that the processes of racialization that enable Whiteness to maintain itself, and its structured invisibility, are complex and multi-faceted involving structural, historical, political, discursive, visual, unconscious, affective, micro-social and embodied configurations. This research has implications for state curriculum policymakers, educational institutions, teacher educators and teachers.


BACKGROUND AND AIMS
At present, there are a number of hemodialysis (HD) modalities that appear to be superior to conventional HD. This study sought to compare and assess the effectiveness and safety of the various hemodialysis modalities.

METHODS

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
multiple electronic databases were searched, including Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane Collaboration. Papers were independently selected by 2 researchers.

RESULTS
Thirty-five original papers were included. The outcomes of the largest randomized clinical trial undertaken (the Hemodialysis [HEMO] Study) showed that high- versus low-flux HD did not significantly reduce overall mortality (p=0.23) but did reduce the risk of hospitalization and death due to vascular causes by 10% (p<0.05). The results of the respective studies are controversial as to the benefits of high-flux HD on anemia, nutritional status or cardiovascular risk factors. The only study that provided mortality results for hemodiafiltration failed to observe significant differences between high- and low-flux HD. Similarly, there was no clear evidence of improvements in any of the other outcomes investigated.

CONCLUSIONS
The results of this review do not allow for any conclusion to be drawn as to which HD modality is best in terms of mortality, morbidity and patients' quality of life. The different HD techniques do not show major improvements in any of the outcomes assessed, but these cannot be dismissed since the studies had multiple flaws and lacked long-term follow-up data. Better-quality studies are needed to establish which hemodialysis modalities are best suited to individual patients' specific clinical conditions.


Switched boost inverter (SBI) is a single-stage power converter derived from Inverse Watkins Johnson topology. Unlike the traditional buck-type voltage source inverter (VSI), the SBI can produce an ac output voltage that is either greater or less than the available dc input voltage. Also, the SBI exhibits better electromagnetic interference noise immunity when compared to the VSI, which enables compact design of the power converter. Another advantage of SBI is that it can supply both dc and ac loads simultaneously from a single dc input. These features make the SBI suitable for dc nanogrid applications. In this paper, the SBI is proposed as a power electronic interface in dc nanogrid. The structure and advantages of the proposed SBI-based nanogrid are discussed in detail. This paper also presents a dq synchronous-reference-frame-based controller for SBI, which regulates both dc and ac bus voltages of the nanogrid to their respective reference values under steady state as well as under dynamic load variation in the nanogrid. The control system of SBI has been experimentally validated using a 0.5-kW laboratory prototype of the SBI supplying both dc and ac loads simultaneously, and the relevant experimental results are given in this paper. The low cross regulation and the dynamic performance of the control system have also been verified experimentally for a 20% step change in either dc or ac load of SBI. These experimental results confirm the suitability of the SBI and its closed-loop control strategy for dc nanogrid applications.


Haematuria, macroscopic or microscopic, suggests the presence of a neoplasm of the urinary tract until this has been excluded. At least for bladder tumours,1, 2 early diagnosis and treatment should lead either to cure or to improved survival. If so, clinics set up specifically to investigate patients with haematuria promptly should benefit patients.

In a recent retrospective study Paul and colleagues reported that 40 patients with bladder cancer received significantly faster treatment from an integrated haematuria clinic than they would have done before the clinic was set up.2 Their study of 304 patients presenting with haematuria (average age 60; range 15 to 100 years) also provides interesting data on the causes of haematuria. Urinary tract infection was the commonest diagnosis, made in one quarter of cases. That so many …


ABSTRACT This study seeks to better understand the interactions between police and commercially sexually exploited (CSE) youth. Analysis from 34 interviews conducted with CSE youth revealed four themes including (1) police who arrest youth instead of providing them with help or resources, (2) police whose focus was on exposing the traffickers rather than youths' needs, (3) experiences of violence and threats by the police, and (4) positive treatment of CSE youth by the police. Together, these themes suggest that while some CSE youth have positive interactions with police, most continue to be treated like juvenile delinquents rather than victims of crime. Their needs were overlooked in the criminal justice system, as the apprehension and prosecution of traffickers took precedence. Implications for improving police policy and practice include better laws and enforcement, improved identification, and raising awareness about CSE among police.


A new label-free continuous cell sorting method has been developed for accurate extraction of rare cell. The sorting mechanism is based on antigen-antibody interaction and the secondary flow induced by oblique micro grooves on the channel surface. Specific adhesion between the cell membrane and the wall surface keep the target cells rolling on the wall, while the lateral flow along the groove induces cross-flow displacement of the target cell. Successful separation of cell models and human umbilical-vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) fully supports the proposed mechanism.


Recent work studies the supervised online continual learning setting where a learner receives a stream of data whose class distribution changes over time. Distinct from other continual learning settings the learner is presented new samples only once and must distinguish between all seen classes. A number of successful methods in this setting focus on storing and replaying a subset of samples alongside incoming data in a computationally efficient manner. One recent proposal ER-AML achieved strong performance in this setting by applying an asymmetric loss based on contrastive learning to the incoming data and replayed data. However, a key ingredient of the proposed method is avoiding contrasts between incoming data and stored data, which makes it impractical for the setting where only one new class is introduced in each phase of the stream. In this work we adapt a recently proposed approach (\textit{BYOL}) from self-supervised learning to the supervised learning setting, unlocking the constraint on contrasts. We then show that supplementing this with additional regularization on class prototypes yields a new method that achieves strong performance in the one-class incremental learning setting and is competitive with the top performing methods in the multi-class incremental setting.


African Americans are at high risk for stroke and dementia. Modifications of lifestyle, however, might lower this risk. The Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church encourages both spiritual adherence and a healthy lifestyle. Members are encouraged to exercise and are discouraged from smoking, drinking alcoholic or caffeinated beverages, or eating meat. The present study describes an exploratory project in 2 Black SDA congregations (N582) designed to characterize the lifestyle, dietary, and spiritual health habits of these congregations, and to test the feasibility of collecting such information in the Black SDA community at large. Three separate data collection methods are described and evaluated. Data demonstrate that the sample differs significantly from the African-American community at large in dietary, lifestyle, and spiritual health habits. The Black SDA community represents a unique opportunity to test the effects of diet, lifestyle, and spirituality on risk for stroke and dementia. (Ethn Dis. 2003;13:208–212)


mobile adhoc network is a collection of wireless mobile nodes dynamically forming a network topology without the use of existing network infrastructure or centralised administration. Routing is a significant issue and challenge in MANET. Routing is a task of directing data packets from a source node to a destination node. Many routing protocols has been proposed like DSDV, OLSR, AODV, DSR, ZRP, and TORA so far to improve the routing performance and reliability in MANET. This paper presents a comparative performance analysis of Proactive, Reactive, and Hybrid protocol based on performance metrics like Packet Delivery Fraction (PDF), average end-to-end delay, normalised routing load and throughput by varying network size. KeywordsDSDV, OLSR, AODV, DSR, ZRP and TORA


Functional MR imaging is dependent on the hemodynamic response function of the brain. Cerebrovascular anomalies may lead to hemodynamic artifacts, contorting the true localization of neural activation. This is illustrated in the case of a 4-year-old boy with an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the left central region undergoing extensive functional mapping prior to surgical removal. Intraoperative electrophysiological recording confirmed presurgical results of magnetoencephalography (MEG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) examinations, detecting the sensorimotor hand representation within the brain tissue into which the AVM extended, whereas the activation demonstrated by functional MR (fMR) imaging was proven to be falsely localized by that modality, which showed it to be posterior to the affected central region. Thus, this case demonstrates that functional mapping can be performed even in very young patients and that combining fMR imaging with TMS and MEG is especially important in patients with vascular lesions, in whom fMR imaging can be misleading due to changes in blood flow . (DOI: 10.3171/2009.5.PEDS08466) key W ords • arteriovenous malformation • magnetoencephalography • functional magnetic resonance imaging • transcranial magnetic stimulation


In the new paradigm for studying biological phenomena represented by System Biology, cellular components are not considered in isolation but as forming complex networks of relationships. Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) networks are among the first objects studied from this new point of view. The paper addresses an interesting approach to protein-protein interaction problem using Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) optimization algorithm. In this work, PPI is formulated as an optimization problem. The binding energy and mismatch in phylogenetic profiles of two bound proteins are used as a scoring function for the solutions. Results are demonstrated for three different networks both numerically and pictorially. Experimental results reveal that the proposed method outperforms Differential Evolution (DE) based PPI network design method considering the intra- and inter-molecular energies of the evolved molecules and the phylogenetic profiles of the proteins in the network.


Abstract The Lower Mississippian Alamogordo Member of the Lake Valley Formation in south-central New Mexico represents a well exposed carbonate-dominated homoclinal ramp with little evidence of sediment transport. Biotic components present and evident in thin section have distinct distributions in the level-bottom facies in relation to their shoreward and basinward ramp positions. Assemblages (I–IV) are established along the depth gradient from shallow to deep water, and are useful in palaeobathymetric interpretation; they are similar in composition to the depth-related phases recognized in Dinantian mounds by Lees & Miller (1985). The biotic assemblages shift laterally in successive beds of the Alamogordo Member, indicating variations in sea level during deposition. As a result, deepening and successive shallowing during a transgressive-regressive cycle can be tracked within the Alamogordo Member. The ramp slope is interpreted to have been of the order of 0.5°, based on the maximum depths for green and red algae having been 110m and 250m respectively. The systematic positions of several problematical taxa (Asphaltinella, Sphaerinvia, stacheiins and salebrids) are discussed.


: Histoautoradiography was used to demonstrate the ability of ependyma element of the 3d brain ventricle to incorporate the label after intraperitoneal and intraventricular injection of labeled sexual hormones. The least label incorporation after intraventricular injection of 3H-estradiol and 3H-testosterone and the maximal label incorporation after intraperitoneal injection of 3H-estradiol was demonstrated by beta 1-tanicytes. The basal processes of these cells terminate in the lateral part of the external zone of the median eminence where gonadoliberin is released to the portal capillaries of the hypophysis. The data obtained warrant an assumption that beta 1-tanicytes are responsible for the transport of sexual hormones primarily from the pericapillary space of the median eminence of the hypothalamus to the cerebrospinal fluid, thereby possibly taking part in the regulation of gonadoliberin release to the portal circulation of the hypophysis.


EFFECT OF PROHEXADIONE-CALCIUM ON SPEARMINT (Mentha spicata L.) FEBRUARY 2009 MD J. MEAGY, B. Sc. Ag., BANGLADESH AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY M.S., BANGLADESH AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY M.S., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Prof. Lyle E. Craker Prohexadione-calcium (Pro-Ca), a plant growth regulator used primarily in fruit trees to suppress excessive vegetative growth and to inhibit disease incidence, is known to inhibit dioxygenase enzymes and to inhibit GA biosynthesis. It induces genes for polyphenols synthesis. The objective of this project was to determine if the bioregulator Pro-Ca would alter the yield of essential oil, secondary metabolites, and growth in spearmint. Spearmint shoot cuttings from the same mother plant were used in this study. The plants were treated with 0, 125, 250, 375, and 500 mg/L a.i. of Pro-Ca over four weeks, and growth responses were measured every week and at harvest. Compared with the untreated control plants, plant height, branch length, number of nodes, and fresh weight were decreased with increased concentration of Pro-Ca treatment, and total phenolics accumulation increased. Rosmarinic acid and total chlorophyll content were reduced relative to control after treatment. Treatment with increased concentration of Pro-Ca altered the accumulation of flavonoids compounds. Increased concentration of catechin and eriodictyol-7-glucoside, and decreased concentrations of procyanidin and luteolin occurred compared with the untreated plant. Modification of newly formed flavonoid synthesis could be used as a new potential strategy in plant protection.


The emerging markets (EMs) have been increasingly important in the global economy, especially during the recession. These markets have different characteristics from the developed markets such as high level of market heterogeneity (Burgess & Steenkamp, 2006; Sheth, 2011). This thesis explores how to forecast the demand for cars in a market context that has been experiencing significant and fast growth. Car sales in 2002 were only 1.25 million units in China, while the figure increased to 11.27 million by 2010. Research on car market demand in developed economies is well established, but little attention has been paid to the emerging car markets and the challenges that researchers face when they have to predict the demand or preferences for cars in the EMs. By using the Chinese car market as the market context, this thesis explores how to tackle specific problems associated with forecasting the demand for cars in an emerging market. The thesis contributes to the literature in the following ways. We apply some of the well-known techniques that have been applied in other domains and assess how they fare in predicting the demand and preferences for cars in a new market context. We also take into account that preferences and the way in which consumers make choices in some markets may require a different methodological approach. We demonstrate the importance of understanding local consumer behaviour when it comes to not only collecting the data but we also show that this may mean that we have to modify or reject some of the approaches that have been used in more mature markets. The thesis also proposes novel modelling approaches that are inspired by the specific problems of predicting car demand in China, but these proposed methods can also be replicated and tested for other products in other new emerging market economies.


Densities of Ar metastable states 1s5 and 1s3 are measured by using the tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) in Ar and Ar/O2 mixture dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasma (DF-CCP). We investigate the effects of high-frequency (HF, 60 MHz) power, low-frequency (LF, 2 MHz) power, and working pressure on the density of Ar metastable states for three different gas components (0%, 5%, and 10% oxygen mixed in argon). The dependence of Ar metastable state density on the oxygen content is also studied at different working pressures. It is found that densities of Ar metastable states in discharges with different gas components exhibit different behaviors as HF power increases. With the increase of HF power, the metastable density increases rapidly at the initial stage, and then tends to be saturated at a higher HF power. With a small fraction (5% or 10%) of oxygen added in argon plasma, a similar change of the Ar metastable density with HF power can be observed, but the metastable density is saturated at a higher HF power than in the pure argon discharge. In the DF-CCP, the metastable density is found to be higher than in a single frequency discharge, and has weak dependence on LF power. As working pressure increases, the metastable state density first increases and then decreases, and the pressure value, at which the density maximum occurs, decreases with oxygen content increasing. Besides, adding a small fraction of oxygen into argon plasma will significantly dwindle the metastable state density as a result of quenching loss by oxygen molecules.


From field observations it is possible to establish correlations between geological conditions and landslide oc- currence. However, in general, it is difficult to assess the af- fect of individual factors on slope instability because of their mutual interaction. In addition, the dynamic effect of prop- agating seismic waves significantly increases the complexity of the slope stability problem. Wave diffraction, reflection and focusing effects are dependent on local geological condi- tions and make it difficult to analyse dynamic sliding mech- anisms using field observations alone. As a consequence, in order to examine the influence of various geological and seismic factors on slope movements, it is often necessary to produce numerical models. This paper describes the results of such models as applied to two case studies in Kyrgyzstan: the Ananevo rockslide, located in granite, and the Suusamyr debris slump-flow, situated within soft sediments (see Part A: Havenith et al., 2003). Discrete element modelling (UDEC), adapted both to the discontinuous character of fractured rock and to the heterogeneity of layered mediums, was used. This permitted simulation of deformation mechanisms, including seismically induced bending, block tilting, and slip. Particu- lar attention was paid to the interaction between deformation mechanisms, site-specific amplification effects, and subsur- face structure.


The requirements for reduction of line and space dimensions in IC substrates are driving developments to improve both production yield and capability. In particular the production of substrates with line and space dimension at or below 10 µm is required for the next level of integration. However traditional production techniques using dry film image transfer are already reaching capability limits and are unlikely to achieve satisfactory future production requirements especially considering the production process yield. This paper presents the latest developments in a system for the production of structures based on the copper filling of trenches on a dielectric substrate. The system is being targeted for the manufacture of IC package substrates with capability for sub 8 µm lines and spaces. The resulting package may be characterized by padless vias and shows significant electrical performance improvements in comparison to substrates produced using standard production methods. The trenches are produced by laser ablation of the dielectric which is subsequently metalized, this method of track embedding gives an improved circuit adhesion due to the three point contact to the substrate in comparison to the standard method of production, typically using the semi-additives process (SAP) where tracks are produced with contact only at the base. Recent optimization of the electrolytic copper plating process has resulted in an improved metal distribution and more uniform copper filling of the ablated trenches. The latest results in circuitisation are shown together with data on substrate capability using the trench filling technology.


Approximately seventy specimens of Sahnipushpam deposited at the repository of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow were studied. It was observed that the flower was described upside down by the earlier workers. The receptacle designated by them is in fact the upper part of the multilocular ovary, the basal part of hypanthium is lysigenous and without any vascular supply should also be the upper part. Structures previously interpreted as stamens are actually lacerated lower parts of the hypanthium. The pollen grains described previously are not in situ but fungal spores. The presence of bracts surrounding the peltate plate could only be explained by assuming that these were the basal part of the flower. In view of these observations, Sahnipushpam is emended here to accommodate the female flower and the post fertilized ovary in various stages of fruit formation.


Shift work is not new to Indian Industry. Shift work pattern was introduced in textile and jute mills, and coal mines right from the beginning of those industries. Shift work involves working outside the normal daylight hours. Shift workers might work in the evening, in the middle of the night, overtime or extra-long workdays. They also might work regular days at one time or another. Many shift workers "rotate" around the clock, which involves changing work times from day to evening or day to night. The purposive and random sampling design was used. Forty respondents were selected for descriptive and experimental data. The descriptive data was collected through interview schedule. The experimental data was gathered for different physiological parameters and psychological parameters. The results reveal significant difference in psychological parameters of letter cancellation test and fatigue severity scale denoted stress and fatigue due to rotational job demand.


Potato may have anthocyanin-colored tuber skin, tuber flesh, flowers, leaves, stems and eyes. Anthocyanins protect photosynthetic apparatus of plant cell, scavenge free radicals under stress conditions, increase efficiency of phosphorus and nitrogen uptake, possess osmoregulatory function, antimicrobial activity and have a number of other useful properties. Anthocyanins are also known for their health benefit: diabetes type II and cardiovascular diseases protection, anti-inflammatory effect, etc. Thus, anthocyanins are important for adaptation of plants to unfavorable environment conditions as well as for nutritional value when they are taken with food. Since potato Solanum tuberosum L. is one of the main crop species, possibility to increase anthocyanin content in tuber flesh is important. Anthocyanin concentration in pigmented tuber flesh is similar to that in blueberries, blackberries, cranberries and red grapes. It is important that cooking as well as long storage of potato tubers doesn't affect anthocyanin content. Coloration traits (red or purple tuber flesh) are included in ongoing breeding programs. Therefore, development of tools (convenient diagnostic PCR-markers for anthocyanin biosynthesis genes) for accelerated and efficient selection is of importance. The goal of the current review is to summarize information on the genes regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis in potato and assess possibility of development of diagnostic marker for prediction of tuber flesh color before tuber formation. Anthocyanin biosynthesis takes place in cytosol with the help of enzymes CHS, CHI, DFR, F3H, F3H, F35H and ANS, after that anthocyanins are transported to vacuoles. Activation of biosynthesis is controlled by MBW complex consisting of transcription factors MYB, bHLH and WD40. This complex activates transcription of structural genes encoding the enzymes mentioned above. A number of MYB-encoding genes are identified in potato, among them StAN1 related with anthocyanin biosynthesis. This gene corresponds to the D locus previously revealed with genetic dissection approach and mapped to chromosome 10. The genes encoding bHLH (StJAF13 and StbHLH1) and WD40 (StWD40) have been revealed only by their homology with similar genes of other plant species, but not by genetic dissection, probably because they have no allelic diversity. Thus, the main gene determining high variability of potato by the coloration traits is StAN1. Its allelic variants are described and shown to be related with anthocyanin synthesis efficiency. The StAN1 alleles can be easily distinguished by PCR fragments lengths, what allows constructing convenient diagnostic markers for selection. In some cases, the lack of anthocyanins is due to mutation of a structural gene. This was described in the literature for the R locus encoding DFR enzyme. Mutation of other structural gene, StF35H (locus P), just partially disrupts anthocyanin synthesis, not effecting red pigments, but blue and purple only. This makes the StF3'5'H an attractive target for markerassisted identification of genotypes with different tuber flesh color — purple or red. Thus, there are two main targets for breeding anthocyanin-colored potato — StAN1 and StF35H.


The 74th Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Symposium on Quantitative Biology on Evolution: The Molecular Landscape was dedicated to Charles Darwin on the occasion of the bicentennial of his birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species. The Laboratory celebrated the 100th anniversary in 1959 with its 24th Symposium on Genetics and Twentieth Century Darwinism. What was entirely absent from that Symposium and what dominated the Symposium 50 years later are the contributions molecular biology has made to our understanding of evolution. Even as the details of Darwin's ideas have been modified over the years, evidence from molecular studies has strengthened his fundamental thesis. The 2009 Symposium set out to examine the current state of many of the ideas that Darwin developed in his four great books: On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, and The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals. Leading investigators were invited to present their latest research in a diversity of fields ranging from the origins of life (unicellular and multicellular) to speciation and domestication to the evolutionary basis of human attributes. An overarching theme of the meeting was the extent to which much
of evolutionary biology can now be viewed in a molecular, and often genomic, framework and the extraordinary degree to which many of Darwin's insights remain profoundly relevant today. The Symposium included two rather unusual sessions. Evolutionary concepts have had an impact far
beyond the boundaries of science and there is hardly a field of human endeavor that has not been influenced by evolutionary thinking. To acknowledge this contribution of Darwin, there was a session on "Cultural Evolution" that included presentations on principles of natural selection applied to linguistics, ideas, and economics by, respectively, Daniel Dennett, Matt Ridley, and Niall Ferguson. In the second unusual session,
"Evolution and the Public," Kevin Padian, Ken Miller, Barbara Forrest, and Eugenie Scott discussed so called "intelligent design" and the threat such irrational and antiscientific attitudes pose to education in the United States and elsewhere.


A high perceived stage-environment-fit does not only indicate a successful transition to vocational education and training (VET), but also predicts job satisfaction and productivity in a company. Based on the «family-school-job» research (FASE B in German), we study to what extend the perceived fit is predicted by (1) academic and social competences in primary school (competence development approach), and (2) by managerial determinants (workplace context approach). Results of stepwise regression analyses show that more perceived fit variance can be explained with the workplace approach than with the developmental approach of competence. They also indicate that students' conflict resolution skills contribute to the workplace climate that in turn influences the development of the perceived fit.


The stimulation exerted by the endophytic bacterium Bacillus pumilus strain SE34 in plant defense reactions was investigated at the ultrastructural leve1 using an in vitro system in which rootinducing T-DNA pea (Pisum sativum 1.) roots were infected with the pea root-rotting fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi. In nonbacterized roots, the pathogen multiplied abundantly through much of the tissue including the vascular stele, whereas in prebacterized roots, pathogen growth was restricted to the epidermis and the outer cortex. In these prebacterized roots, typical host reactions included strengthening the epidermal and cortical cell walls and deposition of newly formed barriers beyond the infection sites. Wall appositions were found to contain large amounts of callose in addition to being infiltrated with phenolic compounds. The labeling pattern obtained with the gold-complexed laccase showed that phenolics were widely distributed in Fusarium-challenged, bacterized roots. Such compounds accumulated in the host cell walls and the intercellular spaces as well as at the surface or even inside of the invading hyphae of the pathogen. The wall-bound chitin component in Fusarium hyphae colonizing bacterized roots was preserved even when hyphae had undergone substantial degradation. These observations confirm that endophytic bacteria may function as potential inducers of plant disease resistance.


Abstract: Uncertainty about the H+ buffering capacity in tropical rain forest limits our ability to predict the future effect of anthropogenic deposition on the streamwater chemistry. Export of major ions to the stream and the ion-fluxes via rainfall, throughfall, litter-leachate and soil-water pathways were observed to examine the source of streamwater nutrients in a small catchment in Sabah, Malaysia. The streamwater and the ion-fluxes were measured for 3.75 and 2 y, respectively, by collecting water twice a month and setting ion-exchange-resin columns. Streamwater pH ranged from 6.5 to 7.6 and was not sensitive to water discharge controlling base cations. The NO3−-N, Ca2+ and Mg2+ fluxes were low in atmospheric depositions (0.6, 0.5 and 0.3 kg ha−1 y−1, respectively) and markedly increased in the litter layer. The NO3−-N flux decreased drastically from subsoil (70 kg ha−1 y−1) to the stream (1.4 kg ha−1 y−1) whereas the Ca2+ and Mg2+ fluxes were not different between subsoil (38 and 18 kg ha−1 y−1) and stream (30 and 15 kg ha−1 y−1). Neutral pH in tropical streams was mainly due to the base cation leaching with deep chemical weathering in deeper strata, and a rapid decrease in NO3− leaching from the subsoil to the stream.


The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe the impact of peer teaching on both the students and the classroom environment. Students, enrolled in two Introduction to Teaching courses in agricultural and extension education, were asked to engage in peer teaching activities. The researchers utilized discourse analysis, textual analysis, individual interviews, and focus group interviews to gather data addressing the research objectives. Overall, participants enjoyed both peer teaching and being taught by peers. The peer teaching environment facilitated student interaction which allowed students to assume the role of active participants. Students laughed, talked, and interacted throughout the lessons, creating a warm and inclusive atmosphere. Specifically, students that engaged in peer teaching displayed elements of metacognition, self-reflection, and career formation, coupled with a classroom environment free from the typical instructional and relational constraints associated with instructor/learner interaction.


Introduction: Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) is the most prevalent and troublesome microvascular complication (50%) of Diabetes Mellitus (DM). The factors involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy have not been understood completely. Studies have shown that neuronal dysfunction and inflammation play important roles in the development of DPN.
Aim: To evaluate and compare the inflammatory marker Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and serum markers calcium, urea, and uric acid in diabetic patients with and without peripheral neuropathy.
Materials and Methods: We prospectively studied 118 diabetic patients who visited Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, Karnataka, India during December 2016- June 2017. After obtaining the ethical approval (IEC 791/2016), the patients were grouped into those with DPN (n=55) and without DPN (n=63). NLR and serum markers calcium, urea, and uric acid were estimated.
Results: The data were analysed using Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test and revealed a significantly high uric acid (p<0.001) and low calcium levels (p<0.001) in DPN patients compared to controls. The NLR was significantly high in DPN group {2.62 (2.3-3.1)} compared to that {1.9 (1.6-2.4)} in non-DPN group (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Monitoring the simple biomarkers routinely in diabetic patients may give an early signal to prevent DPN and thus better management of the patients.


Long-term follow up results are analyzed of 10 patients treated by pre-sternal right ileocolic grafts for an esophageal stenosis of a benign nature. Operation in 7 cases had been performed 28 (1 case), 26 (2 cases), 19 (1 case), 16 (1 case), 11 (1 case) and 6 (1 case) years previously. Functional results were generally very satisfactory. Two cologastric anastomotic ulcers were heated by coloduodenal and colojejunal reimplantation respectively. One patient operated upon for stenosis due to chemicals developed malpighian cancer of the cervical esophago-ileal anastomosis 12 years later, but secondary malnutrition did not occur following a gastric bypass operation. Although overall functional results could be considered as very satisfactory, there is a risk of anastomotic cologastric ulcers developing (2 cases), but the risk can be eliminated by routine implantation of colon into duodenum or jejunum. The gastric bypass achieved failed to produce any clinical manifestations in patients operated upon, some of whom have been followed up for nearly 30 years.


The unpredictability of this microwave system is shown in Figure 3. The authors show that the relationship of maximum diameter to ablation time is proportional, but fail to show a correlation coefficient or the sample sizes at each time and power location. At 20 W, the ablation diameter appears to increase from 5 to 10 min, then levels off. At 35 W, the diameter is steady from 5 to 10 min, then increases. At 50 W, the diameter appears to proportionally increase from 5 to 10 min and from 10 to 15 min. It cannot be proven that this proportional increase at 50 W is not due to chance with the lack of a correlation coefficient for the linear regression model, and the non-linear relationship observed at lower power settings.


It is fundamental that the content of the advertisement must be free from any disputable errors. Otherwise; the owner of the advertisement shall be liable for customers' claims in regard to its content. Obviously, advertisements, be it traditional or online are exposed to legal repercussion should it fails to comply with the terms as per advertised. This paper discusses the legal implications of such advertisement from a contract law perspective focusing on an electronic advertisement containing price errors. It refers to the area of mistake in contract law and highlights the common law and equitable approaches in dealing with this issue. In addition, it focuses on the Malaysian legal provisions pertaining to mistake in contract law and also the issues of unfair contract terms. This paper adopts content analysis method where the materials used were largely library-based consisting of primary and secondary data. The primary data was gathered from case-law to explain how the legal principles are applied. English cases are the major references considering their high volume of cases on contractual issues. The secondary data was based on published materials, such as textbooks, journal articles, online databases and the Internet. For analysis, this paper applied a combination method of data analysis, namely, descriptive, critical and comparative approaches. The judges' statements in each case were examined carefully; highlighted loopholes, followed by rational justifications. The findings have established that notwithstanding the common law principle which recognises mistake as a vitiating factor in contract, the application of mistake as a defence in an advertisement containing price error demonstrates divergent approaches by the courts. In addition, a review on the Malaysian legal framework pertaining to this issue reveals that due protection needs to be enhanced in order to warrant justice shall be served to a customer who has an unequal bargain.


This study aims to determine the factors that influence the initial return and return of shares after 7 days after the initial public offering of companies that went public on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in the period 2011-2015. This research is causal design research. The data source of this research is a list of listed companies that made an initial public offering in 2011-2015 on the Indonesia Stock Exchange and a list of initial stock prices, stock prices on the first day and stock prices 7 working days after the IPO on the secondary market. As well as auditor reputation data, ownership retention, and company age. The results of the simultaneous regression analysis show that all the independent variables together affect the initial return.


Background: The disease Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious illness which is rampant in Nigeria.
Setting: The rural coastline of Atlantic Ocean in Lagos State, Nigeria.
Respondents: Women of child-bearing age (WCBA), 15-49 years' old.
Intervention: A prospective, questionnaire-based study to evaluate perception of TB in a coastal geographical setting.
Main outcome measures: Moderately low awareness of TB among WCBA on the coastal area of Lagos. Considerable proportion of women had not heard of TB and a high proportion did not know its cause and did not know how someone may contact the disease.
Results: A total of 818 women of child-bearing age were involved in the study. About half of them were 25-34 years old while majority were married, of the Yoruba ethnicity and traders. Among the respondents, 330 (40.3%) have never heard of the disease known as tuberculosis, especially those aged 25-34 years (172, 52.1%), married (259, 78.5%) and those who had achieved senior secondary level of education (192, 58.2%). Only 56 (6.8%) of the participants, mostly those aged 15-24 years (45, 80.4%) and those with senior secondary education (25, 46.3%), correctly identified bacteria and germs as the cause of TB. About half (400, 48.9%) of the respondents did not know that TB could be contacted from personto- person while 466 (57%) were unaware that it could be contacted through the air when a person with tuberculosis coughs. Approximately 35%, 19% and 16% of the respondents agreed that coughing up blood, weight loss and chest pain are signs and symptoms of TB. In all, about 70% of respondents regarded orthodox medical treatment as the best treatment for tuberculosis although only 51% regarded the disease as treatable while 47% did not know whether it is treatable or not. Common sources of information of TB were health facilities (27%), friends and colleagues (17%) as well as schools and educational institutions (13%). Regression analysis showed that educational level and age group explained a significant 85.0% of the variation in the perception of TB (r2=0.850, P-value<0.005) and also that age group was significantly (r=0.40, t=30.53, P-value<0.005, 95% CI=0.38, 0.43) correlated with awareness of TB.
Conclusion: The study has demonstrated that awareness of tuberculosis as a disease is relatively low among women living on the geographical coastline of Atlantic Ocean in Lagos, Nigeria. There was also some misinformation about this disease that needs urgent attention and correction. Data from this study may also be used to design penetrating health education on tuberculosis in rural coastal and non-coastal areas.
Recommendations: Appropriate authorities and agencies should strengthen or develop effective surveillance system in which cases can be quickly identified. There should also be a spread out of DOTS to riverine and coastal areas. A continuous educational program for rural dwellers on infectious diseases and how to control them is desirable. Secondary schools' curriculum should include further education on how to recognize, and report infectious diseases such as TB.


The present research aims to examine the relationship between features of the Human resource information system (hereinafter HRIS) and gaining the competitive advantage (hereinafter CA). The research adds new insight to the current HRIS/CA literature through emphasizing how HRIS characteristics help gaining CA. For achieving the research purpose, data was collected about HRIS features and the gained CA using structured questionnaire that is conducted with (110) HR professionals, (21) IT technicians and (124) sales managers working in the Egyptian Company for mobile service. The results showed that HRIS features of database network, comprehensiveness and integration have the highest impact on the effectiveness of the transformational HRM practices, which explains the HRIS/CA positive relationship. On the practical side, the suggested HRIS model guides the practitioners in the telecommunications industry to implement the desired modifications in HRIS characteristics to compete in the Egyptian telecommunications market.


A key component in the implementation of Water Framework Directive is the development of a river basin management plan for each river basin district. Water quality models are important tools to test the effectiveness of alternative management plans on the water quality of the respective water bodies. The main objective of the present study was to develop and demonstrate the use of a rather simple water quality model as a tool for the evaluation of alternative water management scenarios for the river basin district of Evrotas. Furthermore an extension of the water quality model based on Monte Carlo simulation to provide for uncertainty identification is also exhibited. The model is based on the basic principles of the Streeter-Phelps model. A hierarchical approach was developed in order to delineate a complex hydrographic network into a series of water bodies being connected by convective terms. The pollution loads which were used as input data were related both to point sources and non-point sources. Based on the results a substantial removal of organic carbon load originating from the industrial activities is needed in order to achieve high dissolved oxygen concentrations throughout the entire hydrosystem even at the dry period.


Traditional leadership education instructors provide an interactive setting to promote communication skills, team building, and problem-solving skills. Simultaneously, the use of distance technology is also well documented. However, no specific research studies comparing distance education and traditional delivery methods in the area of leadership education were discovered in the course of this inquiry. Therefore, this study was initiated to begin an investigation of the plausibility of delivering leadership education courses using distance education technology. A case study method was employed and results indicated that in most instances students enrolled in both distance and traditional classes had the same perceptions of their leadership competencies and usage. This study found no significant differences between the traditional students and the Web-based students' scores on any of the five LSI scales, the Leadership Learning Scale, the Leadership Use Scale, or the Leadership Remember Scale. These results suggest that a graduate level academic leadership course can be taught as effectively as a Web-based course.


This paper studies access to, and adoption of improved seed, as well as the diffusion of improved seed information in a remote area of central Madagascar. The analysis is based on panel data gathered from 2012 to 2014 from 390 households in three villages. In 2013, a randomised control trial was applied. Half of the 390 households were randomly assigned to receive improved lima bean seed ( Phaseolus lunatus ), which were specifically bred for dry regions. Of the seed-receiving households, 50 % were randomly assigned to receive information on how to store, plant, and cultivate the improved seed, as the variety was unfamiliar in the region. The control group and the two treatment groups are compared with respect to baseline characteristics, bean cultivation, information exchange with other farmers, legume consumption, and willingness to pay (WTP) for improved bean seed. To account for non-compliance, contamination and spillover effects, local average treatment effects (LATE) are estimated. Of the seed-receiving households, 54 % cultivated the seed, reaping an average yield of 6.3 kg per kg of seed obtained. Seed information did not lead to higher yields. A small significant positive impact of seed distribution on legume consumption is found. WTP is 171 % of the local market price for bean seed, free provision of seed and information did not result in a higher WTP.


This study theoretically and experimentally investigates the highly directional far-field emission patterns of GaN photonic crystal (PhC) micro-cavity light-emitting diodes (MCLEDs) depending on varying structural parameters. Angular-spectra-resolved electroluminescence measurements reveals the behavior of guided-mode extraction which is significantly affected by the structural parameters of GaN PhC MCLEDs, where the GaN cavity thickness decides the extracted guided mode numbers, PhC lattice constant influences the distribution of far-field emission, and PhC hole depth affects the interaction with guided modes. The proposed GaN ultrathin MCLED (uMCLED) with PhC lattice constant of 420 nm and deep hole depth of 250 nm exhibited a maximum output light extraction efficiency of 248% under one-watt input power compared to GaN non-PhC uMCLED and produced a directional far-field emission pattern at half intensity near 17^ . The present results indicate that highly directional light extraction enhancement could contribute to developments of many applications, especially for etendue-limited applications such as pico- projectors.


The political elite understands the huge role of social networks - realizing both the positive and the negative influences they can have on non-elite. Manipulation of elections through them is a hot topic around the world. Because of this the politicians across the globe are not indifferent to what is happening in the network and how this affects their political life.
This article examines the expanding scandal from the end of March 2018, related to the companies ,,Cambridge Analytica" and ,,Facebook". During an investigation for intervention in the vote of the people, related with the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016, the participation of the consultancy company ,,Cambridge Analytica" for the benefit of the pro-Brexit campaign was revealed. Cambridge Analytica used Facebook to gather personal information of millions of users (up to 87) on the social network. In addition, Cambridge Analytica is related to Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016. Due to these facts, the article presents opinions on the issue expressed by representatives of the political elite in the United States, the United Kingdom and various EU Member States.


Abstract Lacrimal stents were used in the past to preserve the caliber of the lacrimal pathways after surgery, trauma, reconstruction, etc. Recently, their role in preventing functional epiphora has also been highlighted. Over the years, the stents have evolved and different models, materials and surgical techniques for positioning have appeared. Extensive and accurate knowledge of the type and design of the stent, the correct insertion technique offer optimal results depending on the anatomical area and the type of disorder of the lacrimal pathways. We will present the advantages of a simple catheterization technique for the lacrimal sac, endoscopic post-dacryocystorhinostomy.


We consider the following natural heuristic for the Symmetric Traveling Salesman Problem: solve the subtour relaxation, yielding a solution x*, and then find the best tour x-bar that is 'compatible' with x*, where compatible means that every subtour elimination constraint that is satisfied at equality at x* is also satisfied at equality at x-bar. We prove that finding the best compatible tour is NP-hard and show that the tour can have a cost approaching 5/3 that of the optimal tour. We then describe a branch-and-cut algorithm for computing the best compatible tour, and present extensive computational results for TSPLIB instances. It turns out that, in practice, the tour is usually of very good quality. Moreover, the computational effort for computing the compatible tour is considerably smaller than that of solving the full problem with the best available software, i.e., Concorde.