Problem background: There has been an extensive amount of research done within the field of learning among children. Research regarding the teaching and the context of which this research is aimed to be performed on, is on the other hand scarcer. Costa Rica is one of the countries that has focused on human rights, and with this background, this thesis intends to study how the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is communicated to children in Costa Rica. We will preform our study on two types of schools; both private and public. We will also examine the impact the context has on communication for teachers when instructing about children's rights.Purpose: We aim to study the development communication and contexts of which the principles of the CRC are communicated and taught to school children in Costa Rica. Method: This thesis contains qualitative research. We have relied upon conversational interviews with a hermeneutical approach.Conclusion: This thesis clearly indicates that choice of communication channel has an impact on the interaction between teachers and pupils. Digitized channels are effective in the sense of speed and quantity of information regarding the CRC. However, the context in which the pupils receive and the teachers teach about the CRC is of great importance. The teachers experience many difficulties when teaching since the context not only builds barriers but also challenges them to find more creative ways of teaching. The material used when communicating the CRC varied depending on the economic status of the school. The children wanted and expected technology and digitalization to be a fundamental part of their education.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To describe the administration and handling requirements of oncolytic viruses in the context of talimogene laherparepvec (Imlygic™), a first-in-class oncolytic immunotherapy.
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DATA SOURCES
Study procedures employed in clinical trials, in particular the OPTiM study.
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DATA SYNTHESIS
Evaluation of nursing considerations for administration of talimogene laherparepvec.
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CONCLUSIONS
Talimogene laherparepvec is administered through a series of intralesional injections into cutaneous, subcutaneous, or nodal tumors (with ultrasound guidance as needed) during an outpatient clinic visit. A single insertion point is recommended; however, multiple insertion points are acceptable if the tumor radius exceeds the needle's radial reach. Talimogene laherparepvec must be evenly distributed throughout the tumor through each insertion site. Talimogene laherparepvec requires storage at -90°C to -70°C and, once thawed, should be administered immediately or stored in its original vial and carton and protected from light in a refrigerator (2°C to 8°C).
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IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
Because talimogene laherparepvec can be administered in the outpatient setting, nurses will be pivotal for appropriate integration and administration of this unique and effective therapy.


TURKEY Turkey, Islamists and Democracy: Transition and Globalization in a Muslim State, by Yildiz Atasoy. London, UK and New York: LB. Tauris, 2005. xii + 190 pages. Tables. Refs. to p. 214. Index to p. 227. $45. In Turkey, Islamists and Democracy, Yildiz Atasoy seeks to analyze the growth of the Islamist movement in Turkey by focusing on the internal and international context of Turkey's political and economic development. Although the author notes that "Islamic politics" has its roots in the Ottoman Empire, she offers only a few observations regarding state-society relations during the Ottoman period. Rather, the main thrust of the book is on the modern Turkish Republic, with special emphasis on the secularization policies that were implemented during the formative years of the Republic, the emergence of new trends in Turkish politics, economy, and foreign policy following the transition to democracy after World War II, and the growing political power of the Islamist parties in the 1990s, which coincided with the end of the Cold War and economic globalization. The author's principal argument is that Islam in Turkey should be analyzed in terms of the domestic responses to global developments and the "opportunities and constraints [that] are presented to the citizens within these larger mechanisms of change" (p. 21). Its lofty theoretical ambitions notwithstanding, this study is essentially a general survey of political and economic changes in Turkey since the 1920s and some of the major developments in the international system which had an impact on Turkish politics, economy, and foreign policy. The book also provides a similarly general overview of the origins and growth of the Islamist movement in Turkey, with special emphasis on what Atasoy calls the "Islamist search for selfhood." Arguably the strongest sections of the study are those that analyze the Islamist responses to the Republic's modernization project following the onset of political liberalization and multi-party politics in the late 1940s and the impact of the increased globalization of the world economy on the growth of Islamist business activities in Turkey. Although the main arguments of the book are largely based on secondary sources, it is sprinkled with a few personal observations of the author. In one of these, Atasoy offers useful information drawn from interviews she conducted in a youth hostel in a small town near Ankara (organized by a prominent religious sect, Suleymanclar) about the inroads that the Islamists have made into the education of young students in Turkey in recent years. Despite these interesting insights, however, the book breaks no new ground, especially on the critical issue of Turkey's efforts to accommodate Islam within the framework of democratic politics. Those who are familiar with Turkish politics and the country's international political and economic relations, will not find much that is new in Atasoy's overview of the events that have shaped the course of the country's development and its role in the international system since the 1920s. …


PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Treatment of primary bone tumors of the proximal humerus is a major challenge, both in terms of oncological cure and limitation of functional handicap. Extracorporal radiation and reimplantation have provided satisfactory results for the treatment of bone tumors and the inverted shoulder prosthesis has be found to be effective in treating rotator cuff deficiency. We therefore assessed patients treated with a combination of these two treatments in order to search for a better functional outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS Conservative resection of the tumor with reconstruction using an inverted shoulder prosthesis was performed in six patients with a tumor of the proximal humerus of type Ia or Ib in the Malawer classification or type S3-S4-S5 in the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society classification. Patients whose tumor involved the deltoid or the glenohumeral joint were not considered for this procedure. The series included four men and two women (4 left and 2 right shoulders) aged 51 years on the average at the time of surgery. RESULTS Mean follow-up was 12 months. The mean age- and sex-adjusted Constant score was 74% (70-85%). The patients were generally satisfied and were able to continue their daily activities. There were two displacements, one of which was diagnosed immediately and reduced without anesthesia. An abduction pad was worn for six months after reduction. The post-operative period was uneventful. No local recurrence has been observed. DISCUSSION Our results compared favorably with other therapeutic options for resection-reconstruction reported in the literature: functional outcome was better and more predictable, at least in the short term; oncological results were satisfactory although the follow-up is short, particularly for the three primary malignant tumors. It is known however that the long-term oncology result depends on the quality of the resection and the efficacy of the extracorporeal radiation. Shoulder motion outcome was the least satisfactory in patients who experienced peri-operative complications. We were unable to find any relation between less satisfactory functional outcome and the number of surgical procedures for local recurrence before extracorporeal radiation and arthroplasty (deltoid dystrophy). Normal deltoid function appeared to be crucial for optimal functional outcome with this prosthesis which allows sacrifice of the rotators. The rate of complications was low and recovery of active shoulder movement was more rapid. Despite the short-term nature of these results, and despite the risk of loosening, the inverted shoulder prosthesis appears to be an interesting therapeutic option for these patients.


The gender gap in the physical sciences is well known, with consistent gaps in performance on many assessment types, including standard tests. Many possible reasons for the gap have been proposed, including innate differences in males and females, and differences in experiences. In this paper we examine in detail the gender gap on one particular multiple choice question from the 2013 Australian Science Olympiads Examination for Physics, which asks how a tight screw can most effectively be loosened. The question is easily answered if one has experience of using a screwdriver; otherwise, an exceptional understanding of torque and friction is required to correctly answer the question.

We find that there are different choices of distractors by males and females and that while males perform better on this question than females overall, the gender gap reverses for high achieving students. This may indicate that very high-achieving girls are more likely than very high-achieving boys to have experience using a screwdriver. We conclude that providing experience using hand tools would be of benefit to all students, male and female.


The Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo L.) is often referred to as one of Ireland's 'Lusitanian' species to describe its disjunct distribution, since it is absent from Britain and is mainly found around the Mediterranean Sea and on the Iberian Peninsula. In Ireland, it is regarded as native in the south-west and in Co. Sligo. However, a recent genetic study suggests that it could have been introduced to Ireland directly from northern Spain. This possibility was previously dismissed, since palynological and archaeological evidence showed it to be present in south-west Ireland 4,000 years ago. Here, we examine how an introduction might have occurred prior to this date, by first reviewing what is known of its distribution, ecology and history in Ireland along with archaeological information. Then, combining an updated distribution of A. unedo where it is regarded as native in Ireland with historical accounts, palynological and archaeological records and other information from the literature, we present two online maps, designed to be an ongoing accessible resource. The information has enabled us to propose a means by which A. unedo might have arrived in Ireland with miners who came to work the first known copper mine in north-west Europe, in the Chalcolithic phase of the Late Neolithic, which was at Ross Island on Lough Leane in Co. Kerry. The species' distribution today suggests that it then spread with subsequent Bronze Age copper mining activity in south-west Ireland, though this is unlikely to account for its arrival in Co. Sligo. Previous suggestions that A. unedo was once much more widely distributed in Ireland and subsequently contracted due to preferential cutting for smelting, are shown to be unfounded.


Regular physical exercise tends to benefit people with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). The effects have been observed regarding aerobic power and strength; however, results concerning flexibility have been controversial. In general, studies have evaluated specific joints or tests involving only a single body movement. The aim of this study was to compare the flexibility profile of FMS and asymptomatic women using a more comprehensive test protocol regarding the number of movements and joints involved. The sample consisted of 30 women divided into two groups: asymptomatic (n = 15; mean age: 50.2 ± 8.2 years; mean weight: 63.0 ± 9.6 kg; mean height: 157 ± 6 cm) and fibromyalgia (n = 15; mean age: 47.3 ± 9.4 years; mean weight: 61.9 ± 12.2 kg; mean height: 159 ± 7 cm). Flexibility was measured using the Flexitest, which was evaluated by the global index of flexibility (Flexindex), and the five indices of variability of joint mobility: intermovement (IVIM), interjoint (IVIA), flexion-extension (IVFE), between segment (IVES) and distal-proximal (IVDP). All of the indices were calculated based on the results of the 20 movements of the Flexitest. There was no difference between groups (44.4 ± 3.7 vs. 45.7 ± 4.1 points, for asymptomatic and fibromyalgia, respectively; p = 0.379; 95% confidence interval (CI): -4.2 to 1.6). Most of the sample (83%) showed an average level of flexibility based on reference values for gender and age. Only IVIM showed a significant difference between the groups. Asymptomatic and fibromyalgic women have similar overall levels of flexibility but with different profiles.


Array processing techniques for source detection and localization in an underwater acoustic environment are highly sensitive to both environmental modeling errors, such as sound propagation conditions, and sensor gain mismatch. Sonar arrays, which are normally rigorously calibrated before placement, may develop gain mismatch due to mechanical failures or local environmental variations, such as sediment build-up. In order to avoid performance degradation of detection and localization algorithms, a sensor gain calibration process can be carried out periodically. This paper proposes a maximum likelihood algorithm for sensor gain calibration in a shallow water environment. In the presence of environmental uncertainties, a robust algorithm is required, and such an algorithm is consequentially developed. The proposed method is based on the simultaneous estimation of the relative gains and the acoustic transfer function. To improve the accuracy of the sensor gain estimation, a-priori knowledge of the relationship between the sensor gains at different frequencies is exploited. The performance of the proposed calibration method is evaluated via simulations.


This article develops a framework for assessing thought experiments in normative political theory. It argues that we should distinguish between relevant and irrelevant hypotheticals according to a criterion of modality. Relevant hypotheticals, while far-fetched, construct imaginary cases that are possible for us, here and now. Irrelevant hypotheticals conjure up imaginary cases that are barely conceivable at all. To establish this claim, the article interrogates, via a discussion of Susan Sontag and Judith Butler's accounts of representations of violence, the frames through which hypotheticals construct possible worlds, and concludes that some frames are better than others at sustaining a link with the world as we know it. Frames that disrupt this link can be charged with failing to offer action-guidance.


Background: Following treatment for acute decompensated heart failure, in-hospital observation on oral diuretics (OOD) is recommended, assuming it provides actionable information on discharge diuretic dosing and thus reduces readmissions. Methods: In the Mechanisms of Diuretic Resistance (MDR) cohort, we analyzed in-hospital measures of diuretic response, provider's decisions, and diuretic response ≈30 days postdischarge. In a Yale multicenter cohort, we assessed if in-hospital OOD was associated with 30-day readmission risk. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of in-hospital OOD. Results: Of the 468 patients in the MDR cohort, 57% (N=265) underwent in-hospital OOD. During the OOD, weight change and net fluid balance correlated poorly with each other (r=0.36). Discharge diuretic dosing was similar between patients who had increased, stable, or decreased weight (decreased discharge dose from OOD dose in 77% versus 72% versus 70%, respectively), net fluid status (decreased discharge dose from OOD dose in 100% versus 69% versus 74%, respectively), and urine output (decreased discharge dose from OOD dose in 69% versus 79% versus 72%, respectively) during the 24-hour OOD period (P>0.27 for all). In participants returning at 30 days for formal quantification of outpatient diuretic response (n=98), outpatient and inpatient OOD natriuresis was poorly correlated (r=0.26). In the Yale multicenter cohort (n=18 454 hospitalizations), OOD occurred in 55% and was not associated with 30-day hospital readmission (hazard ratio, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.93–1.05]; P=0.51). Conclusions: In-hospital OOD did not provide actionable information on diuretic response, was not associated with outpatient dose selection, did not predict subsequent outpatient diuretic response, and was not associated with lower readmission rate. Additional research is needed to replicate these findings and understand if these resources could be better allocated elsewhere. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02546583.


A spoken dialog system performs best when users speak within the grammar that the system understands. We conducted a simple study to investigate how easily users can be persuaded to speak to a system using a restricted, less-thannatural-language input style. In a Wizard-of-Oz setting, users of a spoken dialogue system for information access were given brief instructions to "speak simply" to the system. During their interactions, conversational or complex input was rejected by the system while simpler, "just-the-facts" input was accepted. We found that all users were able to adapt their language to successfully complete tasks, and participants' post-experiment comments showed that they were consistently mindful of the form of acceptable input. These results will support further investigation into more precise shaping of user input, leading to more effective and efficient human-machine speech interaction.


The modelling and simulation of smart meter controlled load blocking scheme to support primary frequency response is investigated. In the proposed scheme, the domestic loads are grouped based on their criticality and essentiality and depending on the drop of frequency each group is blocked. The simulation results were obtained for different losses of generation in the GB power system under high penetration of wind.


To understand how people behave in an uncertain world - and to make viable recommendations about how the law should try to shape that behavior - legal scholars must employ a model or theory of decision making. Only with an understanding of how people are likely to respond to legal rules can legal scholars, judges, legislators, and regulators craft rules that are likely to encourage desirable behavior and discourage undesirable behavior. Rather than rely on rational choice theory, behavioral law and economics scholars (or legal decision theorists) have turned to Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky's "prospect theory" to inform their analyses of law and legal behavior. Prospect theory contains several empirical propositions relevant to legal analysis, but this paper focuses primarily on prospect theory's insight that people often make risk-averse choices when selecting between "gains" and risk-seeking choices when selecting between "losses." The paper surveys efforts in the legal literature to use this insight to inform the way legal scholars think about law and behavior in several doctrinal areas. The paper acknowledges some limitations associated with this work (e.g., external validity, differences in individual decision making, differences in group vs. individual decision making), but it concludes that prospect theory is nonetheless a valuable tool for legal scholars and policy makers.


To establish the method for generating a large number of mature human mast cells, we cultured cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) in several conditions in the presence of Steel factor (SF). Among several cytokines tested, IL-6 enhanced SF-dependent mast cell growth from purified CD34+ cells for more than 8 wk in culture. When CBMC were cultured instead of CD34+ cells, IL-6 enhanced the mast cell development in the presence but not in the absence of PGE2. PGE2 enhanced the SF- and IL-6-dependent development of mast cells from CBMC probably by blocking granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) secretion from accessory cells, because 1) PGE2, or anti-GM-CSF enhanced the mast cell development induced by SF and IL-6 from CBMC, but not from CD34+ cells; 2) GM-CSF inhibited the enhancing effect of IL-6 on the mast cell development from CD34+ cells; and 3) PGE2 inhibited GM-CSF secretion from CBMC. The mast cells cultured in the presence of SF, IL-6, and PGE2 for >10 wk were 99% pure, and seemed to be functionally mature, because 1) they contained 5.62 micrograms of histamine and 3.46 micrograms of tryptase per 10(6) cells; and 2) when sensitized with human IgE and then challenged with anti-human IgE, the cells released a variety of mediators such as histamine, and an increase in intracellular Ca2+ was found in advance of the activation of membrane movement by using a confocal laser-scanning microscope. Electron-microscopic analysis revealed that some of the cultured mast cells are morphologically mature since they filled with scroll granules and contained crystal granules.


Cyber-crime is growing exponentially and Canadian governments at all levels have not kept pace quickly enough to protect both themselves and private enterprise. Evolving technology allows for ever-more sophisticated cyber-threats to intellectual property, but some businesses and governments have neither changed their pre-internet thinking nor established adequate safeguards. Protection should start with educational campaigns about the scope and varieties of risk that permeate the private sector, e-commerce and smart cities using the internet of things. Thirty years ago, just 32 per cent of the market value of Standard & Poor's 500 companies was based on intangible assets, mainly intellectual property. Today, that figure stands at 80 per cent and protecting those assets from cyber-crime is of vital importance. While cyber-criminals look to make money off of phishing scams, their interests have also extended to infiltrating proprietary industrial designs, resource management and information affecting acquisitions. The fact that some countries see this type of crime as a normal way to gain access to foreign business information is often poorly understood by Canadian businesses accustomed to functioning under much higher ethical standards. The e-commerce realm faces its own cyber-threats including those affecting privacy, data sovereignty, location of data centres, data security and legislation. E-commerce merchants must protect themselves by ensuring the security of their clients' computers, communication channels, web servers and data encryption. It sounds daunting, but it shouldn't be. Merchants can take steps such as doing risk assessments, developing security policies, establishing a single point of security oversight, instituting authentication processes using biometrics, auditing security and maintaining an emergency reporting system. Government can assist with cyber-security in Canada's private sector through awareness campaigns, rewarding businesses for best practices, providing tax credits to offset the cost of security measures, and offering preferential lending and insurance deals from government institutions. The federal government's 2015 Digital Privacy Act was a good first step, but there is much territory left to be covered. The act offers little assistance in making the leap from a pre-internet governmental model of doing business with the private sector. Nor does it acknowledge the full costs organizations must face when contemplating improving their cyber-security.  The growth of smart cities, connected to the internet of things, creates new susceptibilities to cyber-crime. By 2021, there will be approximately 28 billion internet-connected devices globally and 16 billion of those will be related to the internet of things. However, smart cities appear to be low on the list of cyber-security priorities at all levels of government. There is a lack of local guidance and commitment, an absence of funding programs and tax incentives for risk-sharing arrangements, and nothing in the way of a federally initiated smart-cities strategy.  The key to keeping ahead of the cyber-criminals is to recalibrate our understanding of the threats accompanying the technology. New ideas, new economic policies, new safeguards, new regulations and new ways of doing business will all help to keep Canada safe in the burgeoning knowledge economy.


OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to determine whether cerclage placement in women with a short cervix on transvaginal ultrasonography reduces the rate of preterm delivery.

STUDY DESIGN
A retrospective cohort study identified patients with an ultrasonographic short cervix (cervical length < or =15 mm) between 14 and 24 weeks' gestation. Cerclage placement was performed at the discretion of the attending physician. Clinical characteristics and outcome with and without cerclage were compared.

RESULTS
Seventy patients met inclusion criteria; 25 (36%) underwent cerclage placement. Patients managed with cerclage had a lower gestational age at diagnosis (19.6 weeks vs 21.3 weeks, P <.01) but had a similar median cervical length, presence of funneling, and a history of cervical surgery, in comparison with those managed without cerclage. The rate of spontaneous preterm delivery was not different between groups. Patients with cerclage had a higher rate of preterm premature rupture of membranes than those without cerclage (65.2% vs 36.4%, P <.05).

CONCLUSION
Cervical cerclage in patients with a short cervix did not reduce the rate of spontaneous preterm delivery and increased the risk of preterm premature rupture of membranes.


Since the middle/end of the 2000s wage inequality has increased in some European countries (such as Portugal or the UK) and decreased in others (especially in Hungary and Poland). In this article, we analyse the role of the minimum wage and of workers' and firms' observed characteristics behind these diverging trends in wage inequality. Our findings indicate that compositional changes as regards education are a key factor pushing up inequality in the majority of the countries, but particularly in Italy and Portugal. Other factors either contribute to increased or decreased inequality, specifically minimum wage changes, the percentage of non-native employees and native wage premiums. Minimum wage changes seem to be of crucial importance in Greece, Hungary and Poland. Finally, the presence of non-natives in the labour market is a key determinant in the UK, but also to some extent in Austria and Hungary.


Space-time coding has been proposed recently for MIMO wireless communication systems. Most of these space-time coding schemes use the assumption that either no channel state information, or the channel mean/covariance information, is available at the transmitter. We propose a new space-time coding scheme for a close-loop transmission system, where quantized channel phase information is available at the transmitter. A new performance criterion is derived for the quasi-static fading channel. This design criterion is then used to construct a new class of space-time trellis codes. The proposed code construction is based on the concatenation of a standard M-TCM outer code with an inner code. The inner code is selected from a series of inner codes using the channel phase feedback. The series of inner codes is constructed based on the systematic set partitioning of two classes of space-time signal designs. Simulation results show significant improvement over other space-time trellis codes. In addition, the proposed coding scheme enjoys low peak-to-average power ratio, simple decoding, and easy implementation without complicated eigenanalysis.


Islet transplantation has recently emerged as an effective therapy and potential cure for type 1 diabetes mellitus. Recent reports show that the two-layer method (TLM), which employs oxygenated perfluorochemical (PFC) and University of Wisconsin (UW) solution, is superior to simple cold storage in UW for pancreas preservation in islet transplantation. Moreover, we recently reported that islet yield was significantly higher in the ET-Kyoto solution with ulinastatin (MK)/PFC preservation solution compared with the UW/PFC preservation solution in the porcine model and that the advantages of MK solution are trypsin inhibition and less collagenase inhibition. In this study, we compared ulinastatin with another trypsin inhibitor, Pefabloc, in preservation solution for islet isolation. Islet yield before purification was higher in the MK/PFC group compared with the ET-Kyoto with Pefabloc (PK)/PFC group. The stimulation index was higher for the MK/PFC group than for the PK/PFC group. These data suggest that ET-Kyoto with ulinastatin was the better combination for pancreas preservation than ET-Kyoto with Pefabloc. Based on these data, we now use ET-Kyoto solution with ulinastatin for clinical islet transplantation.


This chapter discusses the procedure for defendants responding to the claim. A defendant who intends to contest proceedings must respond to the claim by filing an acknowledgment of service and/or by filing a defence. Defended claims become subject to the court's case management system, with the court making provisional track allocation decisions, followed by the parties filing directions questionnaires. If a defendant fails to make any response to a claim a default judgment is usually entered within a relatively short period after service.


I have now been researching the history of the Oxford English Dictionary for a little over a decade, at the same time as continuing to work as a member of the team of lexicographers preparing the third edition of the Dictionary. My article considers some of the challenges, frustrations, and compensations of researching and writing about the development of the project from its origins in the mid nineteenth century to the present day, and reflects on what it means to be both a lexicographical historian and a historical lexicographer. I also recount some of the discoveries I have made along the way, as well as some of the mysteries which I have not yet solved, and some aspects of the history of the OED which would benefit from further investigation.


Hormone therapy, rather than chemotherapy, is recommended for hormone-receptor positive (HR+), human epidermal receptor 2 negative (HER2-) advanced or metastatic breast cancer (A/MBC) according to the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, unless in visceral crisis in which chemotherapy is indicated. Hormonal monotherapy of selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) or selective estrogen receptor down-regulator (SERD), aromatase inhibitor (AI), or their combination as doublets, used to be the mainstay options as first-line (1L) therapy for most patients. More recently, combination targeted drugs plus AI or SERD (such as fulvestrant) has been extensively investigated in both 1L and second-line (2L) treatments of HR+ HER2- patients. Cyclin-D kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) can halt tumor proliferation by blocking the ER related transcription signaling that drives the CDK4/6-dependent cell cycle in HR+ tumors, and they work best together with AI or SERD. On the other hand, favorable results were reported from inhibition of m-TOR pathway, both in 2L setting when PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway is frequently overexpressed, as well as in 1L setting. Currently, the major guidelines have all included CDK4/6i plus AI as a standard 1L therapy, while Everolimus plus AI, and CDK4/6i plus fulvestrant, are recommended 2L options. Selecting appropriate patients for such therapeutic options and harnessing the sequence of these new therapies in the new paradigm of managing HR+ HER2- A/MBC are the key priorities for future clinical research.


Abstract Obesity and neoliberalism are two concepts that generate plenty of concern and debate, arguably leading to more heat than light when terms like 'epidemic' are thrown into the fray. Drawing from critical weight studies, this paper offers critical commentary on the recent designation of obesity as a 'neoliberal epidemic' that can be attributed to energy-dense foods and a toxic mode of political economic organization. After delineating neoliberalism and the use of this concept in health studies, discussion turns towards contrasting invocations in the 'fat field' before seeking to navigate a course through this terrain. In addition to contributing to critical weight studies and the obesity debate, this commentary engages discussions on the perils of invoking neoliberalism in public health critique. In conclusion, we move from critique to hope with reference to epistemologies derived from alternative health practices, notably frameworks incorporating Indigenous knowledge(s).


Pneumocystography and positive contrast cystography using solutrast® were carried out immediately after surgery and on the second operative day following dorsal and ventral cystotomy in 22 adult mongrel dogs. In all the radiographs, there was no contrast observed in the abdominal cavity and the apex of the bladder had a straight border margin (rather than a curved margin). In both cystotomies, the bladder showed mural defects, which appeared as irregular outline along the bladder suffered. Luminal filling defects were observed in the dorsal cystotomies and in the dorsal cystotomies an obvious indentation was observed on the dorsal surface of the bladder. The absence of contrast in the abdominal cavity suggested that there was no urine leakage from the bladder following the surgery at the second postoperative day. The strait border on the apex was most probably as a result of extra mural pressure produced by the small or large bowel on the bladder. The mural defects observed wee due to the incision wounds while the luminal fillings defects observed would most probably be due to the presence of blood clot and or air in the cavity of the bladder at the time the radiographs obtained. The obvious dorsal indentation observed is most probably due to the inflammatory response of the surgical wound.


Choledocholithiasis is identified in approximately 10–15% of the population with symptomatic cholelithiasis (1,2). Treatment is indicated, particularly when symptomatic, as the consequences may be serious. Ensuing complications from choledocholithiasis include pain, cholangitis, pancreatitis, hepatic abscess and in chronic obstruction, biliary cirrhosis and portal hypertension (1,3).


Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency can cause beriberi leading to cardiac involvement or, more commonly, peripheral neuropathy. Common causes of thiamine deficiency are alcohol use, maternal thiamine deficiency, poor dietary diversity, unhygienic food preparation, and unsafe cooking practices. This report presents an analysis of suspected peripheral neuropathy outbreaks recorded at the Royal Centre for Disease Control between 2020 and 2021. The suspected outbreaks were reported from schools and monastic institutes with the main complaints of numbness and swelling of lower limbs. Three of the four events were confirmed due to thiamine deficiency by laboratory analysis. Of 34 samples tested, 27 (79%) had thiamine deficiency, defined as a thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) level <75.0 nmol/L. The mean ThDP level was 56.5 nmol/L. There were no statistically significant differences in the average ThDP level among the patients of different age groups. Given the fact that micronutrient deficiency was established as the cause of the current peripheral neuropathy outbreaks, we recommend that the supply of fortified rice across both government and private institutes in the country be initiated. Holistic approaches should be implemented to reduce the burden of micronutrient deficiencies in the country.


Adult Japanese speakers judged the grammaticality of isolated simple bitransitive sentences involving an illegitimate extra argument in addition to three legitimate arguments. The sentences therefore violated Chomsky's principle of Full Interpretation. The extra argument was a mere repetition of a preceding legitimate argument. The role of emphasis placed on the extra argument in the judgments was studied. The role of argument type, subjective and objective, was also investigated for sentences different in argument order, basic and transformed. Findings showed first that the sentences were judged moderately on a 7-point scale. Second, the transformed sentences were judged less grammatical than basic sentences. Third, sentences having two objective arguments (objective sentences) were judged more grammatical than those having two subjective arguments (subjective sentences) both for the basic and for the transformed sentences. Lastly, for the transformed sentences emphasis slightly increased the judged grammaticality of both the subjective and the objective sentences. These findings are not compatible with Chomsky's theory of knowledge of language that he claims every speaker possesses.


Full-length isoform sequencing has advanced our knowledge of isoform biology1–11. However, apart from applying full-length isoform sequencing to very few single cells12,13, isoform sequencing has been limited to bulk tissue, cell lines, or sorted cells. Single splicing events have been described for <=200 single cells with great statistical success14,15, but these methods do not describe full-length mRNAs. Single cell short-read 3' sequencing has allowed identification of many cell sub-types16–23, but full-length isoforms for these cell types have not been profiled. Using our new method of single-cell-isoform-RNA-sequencing (ScISOr-Seq) we determine isoform-expression in thousands of individual cells from a heterogeneous bulk tissue (cerebellum), without specific antibody-fluorescence activated cell sorting. We elucidate isoform usage in high-level cell types such as neurons, astrocytes and microglia and finer sub-types, such as Purkinje cells and Granule cells, including the combination patterns of distant splice sites6–9,24,25, which for individual molecules requires long reads. We produce an enhanced genome annotation revealing cell-type specific expression of known and 16,872 novel (with respect to mouse Gencode version 10) isoforms (see isoformatlas.com). ScISOr-Seq describes isoforms from >1,000 single cells from bulk tissue without cell sorting by leveraging two technologies in three steps: In step one, we employ microfluidics to produce amplified full-length cDNAs barcoded for their cell of origin. This cDNA is split into two pools: one pool for 3' sequencing to measure gene expression (step 2) and another pool for long-read sequencing and isoform expression (step 3). In step two, short-read 3'-sequencing provides molecular counts for each gene and cell, which allows clustering cells and assigning a cell type using cell-type specific markers. In step three, an aliquot of the same cDNAs (each barcoded for the individual cell of origin) is sequenced using Pacific Biosciences ("PacBio")1,2,4,5,26 or Oxford Nanopore3. Since these long reads carry the single-cell barcodes identified in step two, one can determine the individual cell from which each long read originates. Since most single cells are assigned to a named cluster, we can also assign the cell's cluster name (e.g. "Purkinje cell" or "astrocyte") to the long read in question (Fig 1A) – without losing the cell of origin of each long read.


The aim of physical exercise learning is to prepare one's body for being a dancer. Besides maximum quality in movement, a dancer also needs a strong body. Learning effectively is a must in view of limited time. To achieve effectiveness in physical exercise learning, data collection by observation and interview is needed. Technique of data processing is conducted by structure analysis covering a concept, method, approach, and theory. The research results show that physical exercise has used theory based on self-defense called karate since the beginning of 1980. A new method of physical exercise according to the dancer's need is required. There are many steps in physical exercise such as warming up, movement variation and cooling down ; generally, all of them can be applied. Some movements which are compatible with a dancer's demand need interpreting to make them more effective. It means the training takes less time but the result will support  the endurance of a   prospective dancer. Key words  :  physical exercise, effectiveness, dancer, method


To address the environmental impacts of agricultural production, economic models have to better take into account the relationship between inputs (fertiliser, animal feeding), outputs and the environment. We present an integrated approach which introduces yield response functions to nitrogen in our economic model AROPAj. The farm-type approach for each EU region, relying on an agro-pedo-climatic database, and the linking of a crop model (STICS) to an economic model are an innovation. The methodology was applied to two French regions and focuses here on GHG emissions. The results showed that variables were more sensitive to crop price variation.


BACKGROUND Anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) is a widely accepted surgical technique for the treatment of degenerative disc disease. ACDF is associated with adjacent segment degeneration (ASD). OBJECTIVE To assess whether physiological aging of the spine would overcome ASD by comparing adjacent to adjoining segments more than 18 yr after ACDF. METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging of 59 (36 male, 23 female) patients who underwent ACDF was performed to assess degeneration. The mean follow‐up was 27 yr (18‐45 yr). Besides measuring the disc height, a 5‐step grading system (segmental degeneration index [SDI]) including disc signal intensity, anterior and posterior disc protrusion, narrowing of the disc space, and foraminal stenosis was used to assess the grade of adjacent and adjoining segments. RESULTS The SDI of cranial and caudal adjacent segments was significantly higher compared to adjoining segments (P < .001). The disc height of cranial and caudal adjacent segments was significantly lower compared to adjoining segments (P < .001, P < .01). The SDI of adjacent segments in patients with repeat cervical procedure was significantly higher than in patients without repeat procedure (P = .02, P = .01). The disc height of the cranial adjacent segments in patients with repeat procedure was significantly lower than in patients without repeat procedure (P = .01). CONCLUSION The physiological aging of the cervical spine does not overcome ASD. The disc height and the SDI in adjacent segment are significantly worse compared to adjoining segments. Patients who underwent repeat procedure had even worse findings of disc height and SDI.


The current religion and science dialogue begs for greater clarity on the relation of God to nature. In "God and Nature" two scholars who embrace contemporary insights from science and religion explore the complexities of this debate. As the narrative unfolds, classical and contemporary thinkers are engaged as discussion partners in articulating a philosophical theology of nature. Conceptual pairs, in which two concepts play off of each other, provide the structure for each of the seven chapters, with usually the first concept being more scientific in character and the second more religious in tone. These pairs of concepts from chronology and creation to creativity and creator help to thematize and structure the progressing narrative. Within each chapter the two concepts are first investigated independently, then interdependently, and finally in relation to the divine. At the story's completion nature has emerged as alive with possibility that is as alluring as the actuality it evokes. Envisioned is a divine Creator who works in and through the possibility of creation to lure it into fuller manifestations via creative transformation."


X ray CT and MRI can identify brain lesions in organic syndromes attributed to chronic alcoholism. Cortical atrophy which improves with abstinence can also be identified. Magnetic resonance relaxation times are altered and may provide a means of monitoring improvement or deterioration in response to abstinence or continued drinking. Altered relaxation times may be due to altered free-to-bound ratios of water and may act as a marker for biochemical change in alcoholic brain disease.


Introduction: The primary goal of intensivist bedside ultrasonography (INBU) is the assessment of patient hemodynamic and volume status. Inevitably, INBU examinations provide views of various thoracic and abdominal structures. Despite the rapid recent increase in utilization of INBU, there are no published descriptions of incidental findings and/or their significance in this setting. Methods: Echocardiographic and vena cava examinations were performed by noncardiologist intensivists in 124 Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) patients using hand-carried ultrasound. In addition, any findings that were deemed "incidental" were recorded. Information analyzed included patient demographics, time to complete INBU examination, and the nature of each incidental finding. Incidental findings were grouped into cardiac, pulmonary, and abdominal. To determine whether incidental INBU findings may have influenced subsequent diagnostic testing patterns, radiographic, and echocardiographic examinations directly relevant to the INBU findings and performed within 48 h of the INBU examination were reviewed. Results: Fifty-eight out of 124 (46.8%) patients in the study group had at least one incidental finding. There were 86 incidental findings, with 23 patients having more than one incidental finding. Forty-eight of 86 incidental findings (55.8%) were cardiac-related, 30 (34.9%) were pulmonary-related, and 8 (9.30%) were abdominal. There were significantly more diagnostic tests performed within 48 h of INBU in the incidental finding group (1.56/patient) than in the nonincidental group (1.18/patient, P< 0.04). The most common post-INBU diagnostic tests were chest radiogram (62%), formal trans-thoracic echocardiography (21%), and abdominal roentgenogram (14%). Computed tomography, formal abdominal ultrasonography, and trans-esophageal echocardiograms were performed less often. Four of 58 patients (6.9%) had a significant change in clinical management associated with the incidental INBU findings. One patient underwent percutaneous drainage of a pleural effusion; three underwent formal echocardiography, with subsequent change in medical management. Conclusions: Nearly half of all SICU patients who underwent INBU were found to have at least one incidental finding. The presence of an incidental finding may have influenced the subsequent pattern of clinical diagnostic testing. In addition, incidental findings on INBU were associated with a significant change in clinical management in nearly 7% of patients. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Medical knowledge, Patient care, Practice based learning and improvement, Systems based practice. Republished with permission from: Stawicki SP, Shiroff AM, Hayden GE, Panebianco NL, Kirkpatrick JN, Horan AD, Gracias VH, Dean AJ. OPUS 12 Scientist 2008;2(3):11-14.


Quantification of Reality. On the Unbearable Imperative of Counting Everything The goal of the article is to explore mechanisms related to the quantification and indexing of individuals. On the basis of literature analysis, the author puts forward the hypothesis that we are dealing with an increasingly visible quantified self, which becomes an important touchstone of the condition of postmodern culture. Indicating is understood as a vast process of exercising control, allowing the making of comparisons and evaluations, and consequently increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of individuals. The article also explains what the power of statistics in contemporary societies is, which becomes the emanation of power technology in Foucault's approach. The author refers to the achievements of the trend referred to as datatization, which recognizes data as the only possible method which enables a knowing of social reality. Quantification intensifies the processes of depersonalization and reification, making dehumanization a social fact.


BACKGROUND
Several agents are used to clear secretions from the airways of people with cystic fibrosis. Inhaled dry powder mannitol is now available in Australia and some countries in Europe. The exact mechanism of action of mannitol is unknown, but it increases mucociliary clearance. Phase III trials of inhaled dry powder mannitol for the treatment of cystic fibrosis have been completed. The dry powder formulation of mannitol may be more convenient and easier to use compared with established agents which require delivery via a nebuliser.

OBJECTIVES
To assess whether inhaled dry powder mannitol is well tolerated, whether it improves the quality of life and respiratory function in people with cystic fibrosis and which adverse events are associated with the treatment.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group Trials Register which comprises references identified from comprehensive electronic databases, handsearching relevant journals and abstracts from conferences.Date of last search: 16 April 2015.

SELECTION CRITERIA
All randomised controlled studies comparing mannitol with placebo, active inhaled comparators (for example, hypertonic saline or dornase alfa) or with no treatment.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Authors independently assessed studies for inclusion, carried out data extraction and assessed the risk of bias in included studies.

MAIN RESULTS
The searches identified nine separate studies (45 publications), of which four studies (36 publications) were included with a total of 667 participants, one study (only available as an abstract) is awaiting assessment and two studies are ongoing. Duration of treatment in the included studies ranged from two weeks to six months with open-label treatment for an additional six months in two of the studies. Three studies compared mannitol with control (a very low dose of mannitol or non-respirable mannitol); two of these were parallel studies with a similar design and data could be pooled, where data for a particular outcome and time point were available; also, one short-term cross-over study supplied additional results. The fourth study compared mannitol to dornase alfa alone and to mannitol plus dornase alfa. There was generally a low risk of bias in relation to randomisation and blinding; evidence from the parallel studies was judged to be of low to moderate quality and from the cross-over studies was judged to be of low to very low quality. While the published papers did not provide all the data required for our analysis, additional unpublished data were provided by the drug's manufacturer and the author of one of the studies. There was an initial test to see if participants tolerated mannitol, with only those who could tolerate the drug being randomised to the studies; therefore the study results are not applicable to the cystic fibrosis population as a whole.For the comparison of mannitol and control, we found no consistent differences in health-related quality of life in any of the domains, except for burden of treatment, which was less for mannitol up to four months in the two pooled studies of a similar design; this difference was not maintained at six months. Up to and including six months, lung function in terms of forced expiratory volume at one second (millilitres) and per cent predicted were significantly improved in all three studies comparing mannitol to control. Beneficial results were observed in these studies in adults and in both concomitant dornase alfa users and non users. A significant reduction was shown in the incidence of pulmonary exacerbations in favour of mannitol at six months; however, the estimate of this effect was imprecise so it is unclear whether the effect is clinically meaningful. Cough, haemoptysis, bronchospasm, pharyngolaryngeal pain and post-tussive vomiting were the most commonly reported side effects on both treatments. Mannitol was not associated with any increase in isolation of bacteria over a six-month period.In the 12-week cross-over study (28 participants), no significant differences were found in the recorded domains of health-related quality of life or measures of lung function between mannitol versus dornase alfa alone and versus mannitol plus dornase alfa. There seemed to be a higher rate of pulmonary exacerbations in the mannitol plus dornase alfa arm compared with dornase alfa alone; although not statistically significant, this was the most common reason for stopping treatment in this arm. Cough was the most common side effect in the mannitol alone arm but there was no occurrence of cough in the dornase alfa alone arm and the most commonly reported reason of withdrawal from the mannitol plus dornase alfa arm was pulmonary exacerbations. Mannitol (with or without dornase alfa) was not associated with any increase in isolation of bacteria over the 12-week period.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is evidence to show that treatment with mannitol over a six-month period is associated with an improvement in some measures of lung function in people with cystic fibrosis compared to control. There is no evidence that quality of life is improved for participants taking mannitol compared to control; a decrease in burden of treatment was observed up to four months on mannitol compared to control but this difference was not maintained to six months. Randomised information regarding the burden of adding mannitol to an existing treatment is limited. There is no randomised evidence of improvement in lung function or quality of life comparing mannitol to dornase alfa alone and to mannitol plus dornase alfa.Mannitol as a single or concomitant treatment to dornase alfa may be of benefit to people with cystic fibrosis, but further research is required in order to establish who may benefit most and whether this benefit is sustained in the longer term.The clinical implications from this review suggest that mannitol could be considered as a treatment in cystic fibrosis; however, studies comparing its efficacy against other (established) mucolytic therapies need to be undertaken before it can be considered for mainstream practice.


After over thirty years as an artist-teacher in Canada, as well as in Australia and the UK, David Latham shares deeply held convictions about acting training with Diana Belshaw: a core commitment to "the making of meaning"; the need for specificity in approaches to acting training; the complexities of language and culture; the tension between "employability" and "vision," "vocational training" and "artistry"; and the primacy of the development of the imagination. Recorded 4 October 2013.


A small group of Year 4 students, selected from a regular primary school to which a support unit for physically disabled children was attached, were trained to work as peer tutors with three of the unit children. Their attitudes towards disabled children in general and their interactions with specific disabled children were measured at three different times during the school year; prior to the peer-tutoring intervention, immediately on termination of the intervention and three months after the intervention had ceased. In addition, all non-disabled Year 4 children from the same regular school who had experienced different levels of academic, social and physical exposure to the unit children were assessed on the same attitudinal measures. Results were compared with a control group of Year 4 students from a neighbouring school of similar socio-economic status, with no support unit on site, to see whether general attitudes towards disability were affected by exposure to disabled students. This indicated that, while the measured attitudes of peer tutors did not appear to change over the three occasions, observations of interactions suggested both a trend for increased positie socialisation immediately after the intervention and a corresponding decrease three months after termination, which was not exhibited by other Year 4 students. There were no differences in general attitude measures among the four different Year 4 classes, suggesting that measured attitudes towards disability do not appear to change as a result of differential exposure to disabled students. However, as there was some evidence that changes in interactions by a small group of target students were not paralleled by corresponding changes in measured attitudes towards disability, it is suggested that both procedures should be used to gauge the effectiveness of integration programs.


Primary objective: Preliminary study of whether severe diffuse traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases extent of frontal tissue recruited by cognitive control tasks. Research design: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on N-back working memory (WM) and arrows inhibition tasks in a 46 year old man who had severe diffuse TBI 1 year earlier, a 44 year old man (inhibition task) and three women (working memory task), age 20-26 years. Images were acquired by 1.5 T magnet with BOLD method and PRESTO pulse sequence and analysed using SPM. Main outcomes and results: Frontal activation increased under 2-back relative to 1-back condition of working memory in all participants with more extensive activation in the TBI patient relative to controls. Frontal activation increased with inhibition on the arrows task, but was greater in the TBI patient. Conclusion: Severe diffuse TBI results in recruitment of additional neural resources for cognitive control.


The thermally coupled distillation configuration (TCDS) could reduce energy consumption and capital investment compared with conventional distillation sequences. But their use was still limited. The five kinds of conventional distillation sequences and five kinds of thermally coupled distillation sequences were performed in separation of quaternary mixtures with distillation rigorous simulations. The energy savings of a series of thermally coupled distillation sequences were compared. The results showed that the feed composition and ease of separation of the composition have great effect on the choice of the thermally coupled sequences. In the most cases, the TCDS with side rectifier or striper had the more energy saving effect.


This year marks the 60th anniversary of the start of World War II; while there is a myriad of literature on warfare, little is known about nutritional or food issues. Indeed, there have been several films on prisoner of war escape attempts but the day-to-day conditions (including food) have been largely ignored. This is a great shame as the examples of the Royal Air Force (RAF) prisoners of war (POW) in Germany provide an informative (and rare) glimpse at nutritional issues in the context of war. This study hopes to provide an insight into the struggles of POWs, but also provide valuable lessons about nutrition in relation to future warfare.

Prior to any analysis, it is important to appreciate that in 1939 the only legislation on POW treatment was the Geneva Convention. This was an agreement signed by all the world's major powers that stipulated that POWs should receive the same amount of food as depot troops (the soldiers in the country that POW's were captured in). The Convention had no enforcement or punitive policy, and further this study will illustrate that it was (and indeed is now) completely impractical. In terms of nutritional guidelines the most publicised guidelines are listed in table 1.1–3

View this table:

Table 1
The three most prominent publications on nutritional guidelines in the first half of the 20th century

The above guidelines, along with the Geneva Convention, will be used to examine the quantity of food given to RAF prisoners. This study does not focus on malnutrition because the key issue at the time of the war for all concerned (the Red Cross, the Geneva Convention, both governments and the prisoners themselves) was the quantity of the food. The issue of vitamin deficiency, though recognised in medical literature, was rarely commented on in letters, diaries or Red …


For many dental and facial restorations, acrylic resins are the materials of choice because of their appropriate physical and mechanical properties. When making the ocular prosthesis from such materials, it is essential to add the perfect shade in order to match the colour of normal eye. This, however, might have a significant effect on the mechanical properties of acrylic resins.

 The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of adding the white oil paint (titanium dioxide) to clear acrylic resins on their impact strength.

 20 samples were constructed from heat cured acrylic resins, and divided into two groups (control and experimental) and each group had 10 samples. The first group was made from clear acrylic resin without the addition of white oil paints, and the second group (experimental) comprised the addition of 1 ml of the white oil paints to acrylic samples. Such samples were prepared with dimensions of (80 mm X10 mm X4 mm) length, width, and thickness, respectively. All the samples were tested by the Charpy's impact strength test. They were exposed to the load till the fracture occurred. All the values were analyzed using SPSS version 20, and the independent T-test was used for comparison between the 2 groups.

 A statistically significant decrease (P-value < 0.001) was found in the impact strength of acrylic resins after the addition of titanium dioxide oil paints (experimental group: 5.97 + 1.11, control group: 9.42+1.32 KJ/M2).

 This study concluded that the addition of titanium dioxide oil paint significantly reduces the impact of strength of the acrylic resin. It is suggested to use different stains which will have no negative effect on impact strength of the acrylic resin.


Water quality problems associated with agricultural nonpoint-source pollution remain significant in the majority of US watersheds. In this dissertation, I present a theoretical model of water quality that captures the main characteristics of agricultural pollution (the unobservability and the interactions between the field-level emissions, the imperfect knowledge of the abatement costs), propose and empirically estimate a simplified proxy model for the complex process that characterizes the fate and the transport of agricultural pollutants, and apply this model in a variety of empirical studies to evaluate alternative policy programs designed to improve water quality. Under a linear approximation of the abatement function, more flexible policies like the performance standard or trading program may outperform a command-and-control program in terms of abatement costs, but they may also result in the non-attainment of the abatement goal. However, the incentive-based policies can overcome, partially or totally, the issue of cost asymmetries, since the regulator does not need to know the farm-level abatement costs.I propose and estimate an approach for linearizing the abatement function using a system of point coefficients that measure the impact of an abatement action on the overall abatement level. The point coefficients are estimated for nitrogen and phosphorus with consideration that the two pollutants have separate abatement functions.The empirical assessments of the proposed policies for two agricultural watersheds in Iowa show an overall good performance of the incentives based programs: the deviations from the abatement goals are not significant and sizable cost savings relative to the command-and-control programs are realized. A robustness analysis shows that the results are consistent across different: (a) pollutants (nitrogen and phosphorus), (b) sets of point coefficients (field-specific level, subbasin-specific, or watershed-specific), and (c) the distribution of historical weather. The point approximation procedure is extended to two pollutant markets, where each market uses a separate set of point coefficients. Given that the same abatement actions that have the potential to increase the amount of carbon sequestration in soil, the point-based trading program is extended to allow trading participants to enter a market for carbon, including selling the carbon offsets associated with the abatement actions.


The authors have analyzed the outcomes of intraoperative truncal scleroobliteration of the greater saphenous vein, which was used instead of stripping in patients presenting with varicose disease of the lower limbs. Obtained were three variants of the condition of the vessel concerned following the intervention: complete obliteration, preserved lumen, and alternating portions of obliteration and patency. It was determined that varicosity of saphenous veins and incompetent perforating vein of Dodd were more often encountered in preserved patency of the trunk of the greater saphenous vein on the femur, which required additional treatment. Tested were methods of non-surgical correction of the surgical outcomes by means of echosclerotherapy.


In terms of fish dynamic population, reproduction is a process related with corporal size of each population member, which is tied with the spawning time and number of eggs produced. In order to relate the size of female little tuny (Euthynnus alletteratus), located in the southwest Gulf of Mexico, and its contribution in reproductive process, cycle and reproductive characteristics were analyzed by different size groups. Biological data were obtained by the artisanal fishing fleet of Antón Lizardo Veracruz community (Mexico). A total of 480 fish were caught from December 2009 to November 2012. Size structure, gonadosomatic index and duration and intensity spawning index were determined. The gonadosomatic index showed a decrease in the population after April and July. Nevertheless, this months and the fraction of spawning female may vary depending on size groups. According with the IDI, the individuals with the highest contribution in reproductive process belong to sizes from 44 to 56 cm. Therefore, in order to guarantee the conservation of this species, it is imperative to mainly direct the management measures towards the females from these sizes.


Route charges are fees that airlines pay in order to utilize the Air Navigation Services (ANS) of a European state. The fee is based on three values; the weight of the aircraft, the length of the flight, and the state's specific unit rate. The unit rate of each state is in turn based on the forecasted costs of providing ANS for that state and the amount of traffic forecasted for the year to come.This makes for different unit rates for different states, which leads to different costs for flying different routes in the European airspace. A state having costs that are increasing faster than the amount of traffic is increasing will lead to a higher unit rate. A higher unit rate may lead to airlines avoiding the state's airspace due to higher costs, thus accounting for even less traffic and an increase in unit rate.This thesis examines the relationship between unit rate and amount of traffic, and specifically tries to find out how much the unit rate affects the traffic count. This has been done by reading previous papers on the subject, and creating a model to easily present facts found.The result of the thesis suggests that states actually profits more by increasing the unit rate rather than actively trying to reduce it. This contradicts the idea of lowering prices always being a good thing. There is a limit to how much the unit rate can be increases however, at which all traffic will choose to circumnavigate the airspace. Finding a good balance between traffic lost and unit rate increased is suggested as the best way to go.


Sleep has a number of health benefits, including memory and learning, vitality and energy as well as high quality of life levels. Lack of sleep impairs judgment, impacts longevity and safety, and increases the risk of a number of diseases including obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, mood disorders, and impaired immune function. In addition lack of sleep or disturbance of normal sleep cycle could have a major impact on people's lives and working performance such as driving. Daily sleepiness is a problem concerning professions with a non-fixed schedule. Specifically, professional long-haul drivers confront sleepiness problems and in combination with fatigue, they are prone to driving accidents and other incidents. Sleep quality and quantity are closed related to fatigue which is one of the most common reasons for driving and working accidents. In recent years, car accidents involving professional drives have increased significantly. The main reasons for those accidents were fatigue and sleepiness due to long hours of driving or difficult working conditions according to the recent European report (Driver Fatigue in European Road Transport - etf-europe.org).Lifestyle Medicine addresses health risk factors in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of developing disease rather than on acute care and reacting to illness, injury, and disease. Lifestyle Medicine strategies target modifiable risk factors, such as diet, sleep, stress, and physical activity. By applying those regimes the investigators could improve physical and mental health levels that can affect the quality of sleep, reducing daily sleepiness and fatigue, in professional drivers operating coaches and trucks. Any intervention that could improve alertness and reduce fatigue and sleepiness in those people, will automatically improve safety, reduce driving accidents and save lives and resources.The study is registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov public website (NCT05096130).


We shall discuss the problem of rail vehicle safety studies using simulation methods. The contemporary methods and criteria used for safety assessment of railway vehicles by railways Europe are shown, whereas special attention is paid to the criteria and research programs applied to the vehicle approval procedures in Poland. Taking advantage of these safety criteria and codes of practice, a number of computer simulations have been conducted in order to study the safety issues. Presented results of the computer simulations include a rail vehicle running on a tangent and curved track for different simulation parameters such as: running velocity, load level, condition of wheel profiles, track irregularities. The track irregularities represent different maintenance quality levels which are set according to UIC518 code. In this paper there has also been made a comparison between the results of computer simulation safety assessment studies and the measurements taken in real conditions during the safety tests of a Shimmns(s) type freight vehicle.


Background Pregnancy is widely viewed as dependent upon an intimate dialogue, mediated by locally secreted factors between a developmentally competent embryo and a receptive endometrium. Reproductive success in humans is however limited, largely because of the high prevalence of chromosomally abnormal preimplantation embryos. Moreover, the transient period of endometrial receptivity in humans uniquely coincides with differentiation of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) into highly specialized decidual cells, which in the absence of pregnancy invariably triggers menstruation. The role of cyclic decidualization of the endometrium in the implantation process and the nature of the decidual cytokines and growth factors that mediate the crosstalk with the embryo are unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings We employed a human co-culture model, consisting of decidualizing ESCs and single hatched blastocysts, to identify the soluble factors involved in implantation. Over the 3-day co-culture period, approximately 75% of embryos arrested whereas the remainder showed normal development. The levels of 14 implantation factors secreted by the stromal cells were determined by multiplex immunoassay. Surprisingly, the presence of a developing embryo had no significant effect on decidual secretions, apart from a modest reduction in IL-5 levels. In contrast, arresting embryos triggered a strong response, characterized by selective inhibition of IL-1β, -6, -10, -17, -18, eotaxin, and HB-EGF secretion. Co-cultures were repeated with undifferentiated ESCs but none of the secreted cytokines were affected by the presence of a developing or arresting embryo. Conclusions Human ESCs become biosensors of embryo quality upon differentiation into decidual cells. In view of the high incidence of gross chromosomal errors in human preimplantation embryos, cyclic decidualization followed by menstrual shedding may represent a mechanism of natural embryo selection that limits maternal investment in developmentally impaired pregnancies.


Chronic ulceration of the lower limb represents a significant clinical challenge in today's aging society. Depletion of growth factors at the chronic wound site by proteinases and reactive oxygen species, can lead to a protracted non-healing wound. Growth factors are known to act in concert to promote wound repair, but their topical application rarely leads to a significant clinical improvement in chronic wounds, due to premature inactivation in the wound environment. The aim of this Study was to synthesise and characterise a polymer-growth factor conjugate and to investigate whether the novel concept, called Polymer-masking-UnMasking-Protein Therapy (PUMPT), may be used to generate bioresponsive, polymer therapeutics, promoting tissue repair. Dextrin and recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) were chosen as a first model combination. Dextrin was first modified by succinoylation and conjugated to rhEGF. The synthesised dextrin-rhEGF conjugate exhibited increased stability towards proteolytic degradation by the clinically relevant enzyme, neutrophil elastase. The dextrin component was degraded on exposure to physiological levels of a-amylase, leading to sustained release of free rhEGF. Biological activity was assessed in proliferation assays in vitro, using cells involved in the normal healing response. Polymer conjugation reduced rhEGF bioactivity, however, after exposure to physiological concentrations of a-amylase, dextrin degradation led to restoration of bioactivity of rhEGF, to the level observed with unmodified rhEGF. Dextrin-rhEGF was demonstrated to induce phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and confirmed a mechanism of action by stimulation of classical signal transduction pathways. Analysis of ex vivo acute and chronic wound fluids, confirmed the presence of a-amylase, at levels similar to those used in vitro. Chronic wound fluid also contained active neutrophil elastase. In an ex vivo organotypic model of acute corneal wound healing, a-amylase-exposed dextrin-rhEGF was demonstrated to enhance wound healing, above that of free rhEGF. In an in vivo model of impaired wound healing in the genetically diabetic (db/db) mouse, dextrin-rhEGF was observed to significantly enhance dermal wound healing, on topical application, at delayed intervals. This is the first application of the PUMPT hypothesis in vivo, and supports the further development of polymer-protein conjugates as bioresponsive nanomedicines for tissue repair.


Global near-surface wind fields are projected to change as a result of climate change. An enhanced knowl- edge of the changes in wind energy availability in the twenty- first century is essential for improving the development of wind energy production. We use the PRECIS regional model over the East Mediterranean to dynamically downscale the results of the Had3CM Atmosphere-Ocean coupled Global Circulation Model. Wind field changes during the 21st cen- tury are determined by comparing the current climate sim- ulation (1961-1990) with the IPCC A2 emissions scenario simulation (2071-2100). The consistency of the current cli- mate simulation of wind speeds is assessed by comparing its results to the ERA40 re-analysis data. The comparison of the wind field from ERA40 re-analysis to that from the PRE- CIS current climate simulation shows relatively large mean differences that could partly be attributed to the difference in the spatial resolution of the two sources of data. Wind speeds in 2071-2100 exhibit a general increase over land and a de- crease over the sea, with the exception of a noticeable in- crease over the Aegean Sea.


§ 1. Introduction.—While engaged in accumulating materials for the definition of the range in space and time of the British Pleistocene Mammalia, I was forcibly struck by the peculiar character of those found in the Brick-earths and gravels of the lower part of the Thames Valley, as compared with those from low-level deposits in other parts of Britain which seem stratigraphically to be of the same date, and which occupy the same horizon above the sea. I propose, therefore, to bring before the Society an analysis of my notes relating to the remains found on the north side of the Thames, at Ilford and Grays Thurrock in Essex, and on the south side at Crayford, Erith, and Wickham in Kent, together with some notices of the strata in which they occur. § 2. Literature.—The first to call attention to these deposits was Professor Morris, who published a valuable paper on Grays Thurrock, in 1836*, and extended his investigations in 1838† to the other localities under consideration. After a careful analysis of the evidence afforded by the mollusca, he inferred that "their connexion with the ancient beds of gravel was a subject requiring further elucidation," and abstained from drawing any conclusions about their exact age. Dr. Falconer, in 1857‡, in his masterly treatise on the Mastodon and Elephant, recognized "the true Pliocene assemblage of species" at Grays Thurrock and the lower beds at Brentford, and thence inferred that they were of an earlier age than any part of the Till or


Finding the hand of Christopher Marlowe in the plays of his contemporaries is nothing new, but the enterprise never had significant influence on the stories told by theater historians about his place in the playhouse world of early modern London. One reason why is that Victorian scholars and editors (given few biographical details) developed an implicitly antagonistic narrative in which Marlowe, having preceded William Shakespeare to London and professional success, remained somewhat apart. When documents of Marlowe's final few years did surface in the 1920s and 1930s, they appeared to reinforce his otherness rather than a friendship network with players, fellow dramatists, and playing companies. Another reason is that the activity of disintegrating Shakespeare's canon lost favor in the first quarter of the twentieth century due to the influence of Shakespeareans such as E. K. Chambers and W. W. Greg, who were at the same time codifying narratives of the history of the late Elizabethan playhouse world. However, practitioners of authorship studies have regained the attention of textual scholars and theater historians. Their computerized programs appear to make the identification of dramatists' hands scientific (rather than impressionistic), and textual disintegration is again in fashion. In this essay, I consider the implications  of current work in stylometry for theater historians. Not contesting the in- progress reportage of these claims, I consider how recent authorial attributions mash up with stock narratives of Marlowe as a radical personality at some professional distance from the workaday world of the 1590s theatrical marketplace. Keywords : Marlowe, Stylometry, Theater history, Authorship, Elizabethan theatrical marketplace


Background: Irisin is a hormone involved in energy metabolism. To date, however, there are scant data regarding irisin levels in infarcted tissues.
Objective: To evaluate changes in irisin levels in the cardiac tissue of rats during experimentally induced myocardial infarction (MI).
Methods: A total of 21 rats, comprising three groups of seven animals each (MI-1, MI-2 and a control group), were used. Isoproterenol (150 mg/kg once daily for two days ) was used to induce acute MI. The rats in the MI-1 group were evaluated at the end of the first week after the development of MI; rats in MI-2 were evaluated at the end of the second week after the development of MI. Following decapitation, irisin levels in the removed cardiac tissue were examined using polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical methods.
Results : Following Masson trichrome stain, irisin levels were found to be increased in the cardiac tissue of MI-1 and MI-2 rats compared with the control group. Furthermore, polymerase chain reaction findings demonstrated that messenger RNA levels of irisin increased by a mean (± SD) factor of 23.3±0.2 in MI-1 rats and 15.9±0.3 in MI-2 rats compared with the control group (P=0.001 for both groups). In addition, immunohistochemical methods revealed that the strength and prevalence of irisin immunoreactivity displayed a significant increase in MI-1 rats (+3 strength) and MI-2 rats (+2 strength) compared with the control group (+1 strength) (P=0.01).
Conclusion: The present study demonstrated an increase in irisin levels in the cardiac tissue of rats with experimentally induced MI. Further studies will determine the significance of this increase in the pathogenesis of MI.


Expressive is the joint symposium on Computational Aesthetics, Non-Photorealistic Animation and Rendering, and Sketch-Based Interfaces and Modeling. Expressive 2014 is the fourth annual Expressive event and we have returned to Vancouver, where the first Expressive was also held.

Expressive's three subconferences have distinct but related agendas. Computational Aesthetics bridges the analytic and synthetic by integrating aspects of computer science, philosophy, psychology, and the fine, applied, and performing arts. CAe seeks to facilitate both the analysis and the augmentation of creative behaviors. Non-Photorealistic Animation and Rendering is concerned with computational techniques for visual communication; such techniques usually generate imagery and motion which is expressive, rather than photorealistic, although possibly including realistic elements. The goal of the Sketch-Based Interfaces and Modeling symposium is to explore the models, algorithms, and technologies needed to enable effective sketch-based interfaces. SBIM investigates novel methods for classification and recognition of hand-drawn shapes, and ways of using these techniques for creating or editing text, mathematics, and 3D shapes.


Bolometer arrays on large antennas at high, dry sites have unveiled a dusty population of massive, luminous galaxies - submillimetre galaxies, or SMGs - which make a significant contribution to the star formation rate density at z > 1. The most crucial piece of information required to derive the history of obscured star formation is the redshift distribution of this galaxy population, N(z), which breaks degeneracies in the models and allows the mass and dynamics of the galaxies to be explored via high-resolution three-dimensional imaging in CO and by determining their level of clustering. Many SMGs are extremely faint, optically; some have no plausible counterparts, even in the infrared (IR), making the determination of an unbiased N(z) very difficult. The arrival of the Herschel Space Observatory and next-generation ground-based submm cameras will likely exacerbate this so-called redshift deadlock. Here, we report the first test of a new method for determining redshifts, based on the observed dependence of maser and IR luminosities. We have searched the dusty, lensed, hyperluminous quasar, APM 08279+5255, for the 1612-, 1665- and 1667-MHz hydroxyl lines as well as the 22-GHz water line. At z = 3.9, these are shifted to 329, 340 and 4538 MHz. Our relatively shallow test data reveal no convincing maser activity, but we set a meaningful constraint on the OH maser luminosity and we approach the expected thermal noise levels, meaning progress is possible. As an aside, we present deep new submm and radio imaging of this field. Using a simple shift-and-add technique, we uncover a new submm galaxy, conceivably at the redshift of APM 08279+5255.


With the coming of information age and the development of computer science, digitalization of whole garment is becoming more and more important. The surface of whole garment is sequent and glossy so that it is lack of the texture characteristic which is the key of digital 3D modeling. According to this reason, the structure illumination is steered into a method of this paper. The paper proposes the method by which 3D model of whole garment is created from 2D image sequences directly but not by the common techniques using general CAD model. In the paper the structure illumination is generated by the slide projector and the modeling of whole garment is based on the strict theory of the digital photogrammetry, computer vision and image processing pattern recognition. Because whole garment is lack of the applicable texture for matching, the characteristic texture generated by the structure illumination is added onto the surface of whole garment. After the characteristic texture is extracted from images and is matched well, 3D coordinates of the characteristic texture can be calculated out by the space forward intersection. Then the whole garment model is acquired by connecting all neighbour space points in the TIN and rendering the real texture of whole garment automatically. The 3D modeling method is untouched so that it is nondestructive which is just suitable for the messaline and the clothing. The method of whole garment 3D modeling proposed in the paper is flexible, effective and practical, which is confirmed by the results of the reconstructing experiments.


Abstract. During the Neoproterozoic (∼  1000–550 Ma), Earth experienced several climate excursions of extreme cold, often referred to as the Snowball Earth events. During these periods, thick flowing ice, referred to as sea glaciers, covered the entire planet's oceans. In addition, there is evidence that photosynthetic eukaryotic algae survived during these periods. With thick sea glaciers covering the oceans, it is uncertain where these organisms survived. One hypothesis is that these algae survived in marine embayments hydrologically connected to the global ocean, where the flow of sea glacier could be resisted. In order for an embayment to act as a refugium, the invading sea glacier must not completely penetrate the embayment. Recent studies have shown that straight-sided marine embayments could have prevented full sea-glacier penetration under a narrow range of climate conditions suitable for the Snowball Earth events. Here we test whether promontories, i.e., headlands emerging from a side shoreline, could further restrict sea-glacier flow. We use an ice-flow model, suitable for floating ice, to determine the flow of an invading sea glacier. We show that promontories can expand the range of climate conditions allowing refugia by resisting the flow of invading sea glaciers.


Cross-cultural comparisons of the prevalence of invisible/imaginary companions are difficult due to the use of various methods of data gathering and the lack of sampling in developing countries. The present study took place among 443 children (3-8-year-olds) in four different countries (Kenya, Malawi, Nepal and the Dominican Republic) employing the same interview method. Among all the children 21% affirmed that they had invisible/imaginary companions at the time of the interview. But the rates between countries varied significantly from a low of 5% in Nepal to a high of 34% in the Dominican Republic. The results suggest that the potential for the phenomenon transcends cultural particularity even as culture plays an important role for supporting or discouraging invisible/imaginary companions.


The development of modern information technology and digitalization of our daily lives brings security database new challenges. It is necessary for a security database to provide access control and privacy protection mechanism to ensure the legal use of data and to prevent privacy breach. This paper introduces an integrated security model which can provide the functions of privacy protection and access control simultaneously by building the connection between the validity of query in parameterized authorization view model and the suspiciousness of a conjunctive select-project-join query in online query audit model, it also designs a polynomial time detecting algorithm and two incorporating frameworks for the integrated model. The integrated security model can provide higher performance and fine-grained access control in modern database systems.


Power systems do not always operate under fully balanced conditions because of unbalanced loads and untransposed transmission lines. Under such conditions, commonly used positive sequence equivalent will no longer be valid. On the other hand, use of full three-phase model will add significant computational burden for the considered application. This paper describes a simple approach to address this issue for the specific application of state estimation. The main idea is to exploit the linearity of the estimation problem when the system is measured solely by phasor measurements. The linear problem lends itself to decoupling via modal transformation unlike the nonlinear formulation with SCADA measurements. A further improvement is introduced via the use of the least absolute value (LAV) estimator, which has the desirable property of automatic bad-data rejection. The paper illustrates how a robust LAV estimator designed for a positive sequence model can be efficiently used for the solution of an unbalanced three-phase state estimation problem.


Maintaining the structure of protein and peptide drugs has become one of the most important goals of scientists in recent decades. Cold and thermal denaturation conditions, lyophilization and freeze drying, different pH conditions, concentrations, ionic strength, environmental agitation, the interaction between the surface of liquid and air as well as liquid and solid, and even the architectural structure of storage containers are among the factors that affect the stability of these therapeutic biomacromolecules. The use of genetic engineering, side-directed mutagenesis, fusion strategies, solvent engineering, the addition of various preservatives, surfactants, and additives are some of the solutions to overcome these problems. This article will discuss the types of stress that lead to instabilities of different proteins used in pharmaceutics including regulatory proteins, antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates, and then all the methods for fighting these stresses will be reviewed. New and existing analytical methods that are used to detect the instabilities, mainly changes in their primary and higher order structures, are briefly summarized.


Introduction Work-related stress (WS) has been proposed as a risk factor for the development of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). The number of studies, however, is limited, and results are conflicting. The occupational health physician can give an effective contribute to clarify this point by systematically collecting data from workers waiting for medical examination. Methods During 2016, the workers were invited to complete a questionnaire that included the Effort-Reward Imbalance scale (ERI) of Siegrist and the Support scale from the DCS model of Karasek, before their medical examination in the workplace. 1904 persons (male 32.6%, female 67.4%) participated in the study. The mean age was 47.35±9.38. Health data were obtained from medical surveillance records. Results The prevalence of workers with high blood pressure (316, 16.6%), high cholesterol/reduced HDL-cholesterol (511, 26.8%), high triglycerides (195, 10.2%), high blood glucose (91, 4.8%), and obesity (677, 35.6%) led to a diagnosis of MetS in 196 workers (10.3%). In univariate logistic regression analysis, WS was significantly associated with the occurrence of MetS (OR 1.82; 95% CI: 1.41 to 2.35). ERI was also significantly associated with hypertriglyceridemia (OR 1.64; 95% CI: 1.27 to 2.13) and with overweight (OR 1.33; 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.59). The association was still significant in multivariate models, after correction for confounders. Discussion The observed association between WS and MetS deserves particular attention. The root causes of stress in workers must be investigated so as to have information for prevention.


Tacit coordination occurs when parties have to coordinate but communication is not possible. People are able to coordinate remarkably successfully through the use of focal points, choices that possess some characteristic that makes them significant to both parties. While a great deal of research has been undertaken to understand the mechanisms of focal points themselves, little research has directly and empirically investigated the role of the identity of the coordination partner. This study aimed to identify the effects of social distance, age, ethnicity and gender on tacit coordination in order to understand more about the contextual sensitivity of tacit coordination. An empirical repeated-measures design was used to collect data through the playing of two games. The first experiment was tested on 58 pairings of individuals, 29 pairs of strangers and 29 pairs of colleagues who knew each other relatively well. Subjects attempted to match choices on a table with their partner. The second experiment used a resource-allocation game with (n = 28) subjects each undergoing four treatments, a control treatment, a treatment with a partner of the opposite gender, a treatment with a partner of a different ethnicity and a partner much older than the subject. Results overall revealed that subjects who knew each other outperformed strangers in a matching scenario. Furthermore, subjects who had to share resources were more tentative about claiming resources from partners older than them or belonging to a different ethnicity. This indicates a low level of certainty of the actions of people with different social histories to the subject, as their focal points, saliences and norms are likely to be different. As tacit coordination underpins a large number of social and economic everyday interactions it is interesting to see the impact of a relatively simple visual or social cue on coordination success and coordinating behaviour. The research concluded with the practical implications of the research and suggestions for future research to build on the foundation of this research project.


Polylactide (PLA) as a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer has had a lot of interest as an alternative to petrochemical-based polymers. PLA is synthesised from bio-renewable resources by the ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of cyclic monomer lactide (LA). A variety of polymers can be synthesised with variations of microstructure and molecular weight. Initiators currently utilized in industry exhibit little stereocontrol, allowing a high demand for active stereoselective initiators. This thesis will discuss the synthesis of initiators, as well as investigations into co-polymerisations with other monomer. Chapter 1 initially introduces the synthesis of PLA, with a detailed discussion of possible polymer architectures along with previously reported initiators will be discussed and their influences on the polymeric physical properties. To date, the formation of lactide co-polymers and investigations into the morphology and microstructures of the resulting co-polymers. Chapter 2 describes a series of Group 4 isopropoxide complexes using inexpensive, commercially available ligands. Interesting coordination chemistry of such complexes will be discussed and their potential as initiators in the ROP of PLA will be investigated with kinetic studies to probe the control of architecture and molecular weights. Chapter 3 concerns the formation of lactide co-polymers using inexpensive, commercially available co-monomers. The study of block co-polymers by either one-pot or sequential polymerisations will be assessed and subsequent thermal properties analysed. Chapter 4 initially details the synthesis of cyclic monomers for lactide co-polymerisations. The ability to synthesise random or alternating lactide co-polymers in a one-pot synthesis will be probed with a variety of different cyclic monomers with varying stoichiometries and their properties examined. Chapter 5 reports the overall conclusions of the thesis and what work should be carried forward. Chapter 6 provides details analytical techniques, procedures and characterisations used throughout this thesis.


In the past, a lot of resources have been invested into the research and development of unmanned aerial vehicles. Landing gear is one of the major components for the structure; the theoretical analysis of landing gear's load has many external limitations. Therefore, in order to ensure the flight safety, flying measurement becomes a necessary step. Before the flying measurement takes place, ground calibration test (GCT) is required to obtain the relationship between the structural strain and the load. Traditionally, we utilize regression analysis method to analyze GCT test data. To ensure the accuracy of regression method, we use the GM(1,1) model of grey system theory at the same time. There are a lot of successful applications about grey system theory in the domain of engineering. In this study, we try to utilize GM(1,1) model in grey system theory to analyze the experiment data. After compare with regression analysis results, it is proved that grey system theory can also produce the same accurate outputs. The comparison for analysis is consistent with each other. We can find that it is quite match for our purpose, especially in reliability and also proves the potential of grey system theory in the domain of aerospace technology.