Activated carbons materials have attracted consider abl attention because of their interesting application in many fields, such as catalysis, gas and liquid phase adsorption and gas and energy storage. However, the use of carbon materials in ca talysis is limited since they would gasify to CO 2 (or CO) in the presence of oxygen at relatively low temperatures. On the other hand, it has been shown that it is possible to prepare carbon materia ls with a relatively large amount of phosphorus on the carbon surface by chemical activation of lig nocellulosic materials with phosphoric acid [1]. This activation method leads, in certain operation c ditions, to the generation of phosphorus surface complexes in form of C-O-PO 3, C-PO3 and C3PO groups, which present a very high thermal stability and confer to the carbons certain surface properties of great interest in heterogeneous catalysis applications, such as high oxidation resi stance and surface acidity. The main purpose of the present work is to study the role of the phosph rus surface groups of these activated carbons on the carbon surface oxidation and reduction reaction s. An extensive study of the oxidation evolution of th e activated carbon surface has been carried out by subjecting the carbon to thermal treatments in o xidizing and inert conditions, using different techniques including temperature-programmed desorpt ion (TPD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for the characterization of the obtained carbons. It has been proved that phosphorus surface groups preferentially trap oxyge n and are transformed from less to moreoxidized species prior to carbon gasification, even at low temperature. These experimental results evidence the role of phosphorus surface groups on t he inhibition of carbon oxidation and gasification. The high capacity of these phosphorus species to be oxidized results in activated carbons with a high amount of oxygen surface groups of acidic character and relatively high thermal stability. The reduction and re-oxidation of the (phosphorus) surface groups have also been proved to be reversible through successive thermal treatments in oxidizing and inert conditions. The new surface sites generated during the reduction conditions (pr obably of C-PO type) may react with oxygen from air and regenerate the C–O–PO system, indicati ng the presence of redox sites on the surface of the activated carbon. These results open new and at tractive possibilities for the use of these carbon materials as catalytic supports or as catalysts by themselves for reactions that take place under oxidizing conditions and at relatively high tempera tu es.


In this work, the results of development of optoelectronic system designed for search and rescue maritime operation are presented. Due to integration a number of few data sources in the console of the system operator, the main focus of the paper is signal interfaces and data flow within the developed solution. The structure of the system is described as well as data flow for images and control is presented. Finally, the images showing examples of system operation are shown. Full Text: PDF References G. Bieszczad, T. Sosnowski, H. Madura, M. Kastek, J. Barela, "Image processing module for high-speed thermal camera with cooled detector", Proc. SPIE 8012, Infrared Technology and Applications XXXVII 80120L (2011). CrossRef N.K. Dhar, R. Dat, A.K. Sood in Optoelectronics - Advanced Materials and Devices, S. Pyshkin (Ed.), InTech (2013). DirectLink O.W. Ibraheem, A. Irwansyah, J. Hagemeyer, M. Porrmann, U. Rueckert, 2015 International Conference on ReConFigurable Computing and FPGAs (ReConFig), 1 (2015). DirectLink K.D. Nibir, D. Ravi, K.S. Ashok in Optoelectronics - Advanced Materials and Devices, S. Pyshkin (Ed.), InTech (2013); available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/optoelectronics-advanced-materials-and-devices/advances-in-infrared-detector-array-technology DirectLink E. Norouznezhad, A. Bigdeli, A. Postula, B.C. Lovell, "A high resolution smart camera with GigE Vision extension for surveillance applications", ACM/IEEE Second International Conference on Distributed Smart Cameras ICDSC 2008, 1 (2008). CrossRef A. Rogalski, "Progress in focal plane array technologies", Prog. Quantum Electron. 36(2), 342 (2012). CrossRef A. Rogalski, "Infrared Detectors for the Future", Acta Phys. Polonica A 116(3), 389 (2009). CrossRef A. Rogalski, "Semiconductor detectors and focal plane arrays for far-infrared imaging", Opto-Electr. Review 21(4), 406 (2013). CrossRef T. Sprafke, J.W. Beletic, "High-Performance Infrared Focal Plane Arrays for Space Applications", Optics & Photon. News 19, 22 (2008). CrossRef J. Stachiw, D. Endicott, "Material and Design Considerations for Thermal Imager Windows in Marine Service", Oceans '79, 424 (1979). CrossRef W. Yuan He, K.H. Xiao, Z. Xu, "A high speed robot vision system with GigE vision extension", IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics and Automation, 452 (2011). CrossRef


Mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 that are unable to make use of the enterochelin transport system were used to confirm that streptonigrin requires iron for its bactericidal action. Correlation of viability studies and 55Fe3+ uptake experiments showed that killing by streptonigrin increased with an increase in 55Fe3+ uptake by the cells. Streptonigrin did not kill iron-starved mutants that were unable to import iron. The level of iron uptake by these mutants was manipulated by agents such as (i) the enterochelin biosynthetic precursors 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2 x 10(-5) M) and shikimic acid (2 x 10(-4) M), (ii) citrate (10(-2) M), which promotes iron uptake by an independent pathway, and (iii) the chelating agents desferrioxamine (2 x 10(-4) M) and orthophenanthroline (10(-4) M). Addition of the precursors shikimate and dihydroxybenzoate to strain AB2847 (aroB) and dihydroxybenzoate to strain AN193 (entA), allowing these strains to make enterochelin, resulted in an increase in Fe3+ uptake and a corresponding sharp increase in killing by streptonigrin. Addition of enterochelin itself (10(-6) M) caused an even more pronounced effect. Studies on the effect of citrate in strain AN102 (fep) showed that this mutant was not killed by streptonigrin (4 x 10(-5) M), even in the presence of citrate; however, overnight growth in citrate induced Fe3+ uptake by means of the ferric citrate transport system and resulted in killing by streptonigrin. These studies showed a clear correlation between the change in levels of intracellular iron and the bactericidal effectiveness of streptonigrin.


Stress eating is a behavioral response that is the increase or decrease in food consumption, often used to help cope with difficult situations. Stress eating is present within both genders, a wide variety of age groups, and among multiple ethnicities. The purpose of this paper is to look at the causes and effects, coping strategies, and treatments of stress eating. Research has been conducted on the causes and effects, coping strategies, and treatments of stress eating. However, there are still many unanswered questions of how to reduce this behavior. With chronic life conditions such as obesity, type II diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease on a steady rise, it is more imperative than ever to change the American lifestyle. These chronic conditions are increasing the mortality rate of those that are affected, but not before being passed down through heredity. Individuals can bypass predisposition to these diseases if diet and lifestyle are monitored carefully. The studies reviewed in this paper share common conclusions and data. Although women are more likely to engage in stress eating, it still occurs among men. Stress eating is a precursor to becoming obese as well as other life-threatening conditions. Future research should focus on examining the diet patterns of a mixed group of participants with these chronic health conditions and determining when stress eating appears in the life cycle.


The single-event-upset (SEU) reliability is a concern for three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (ICs), mainly due to the carrier mobility change caused by thermo-mechanical stress from through-silicon vias (TSVs) and the shallow trench isolation (STI). A systematic evaluation method is proposed to identify the vulnerability within 3D ICs at design time. The evaluation flow involves the TSV/STI stress-aware mobility variation calculation, sensitive region marking, insertion of excitation signals and then the simulation of the 3D ICs. This method is able to help 3D IC designers to evaluate and enhance the SEU reliability at design time.


It has been shown in adult rabbits aged 8 months with experimental cholesterol atherosclerosis that administration of trimethylglycinee in a dose of 0.5 g/kg reduces the elevated content of total and ester-bound cholesterol, beta-lipoproteins, total lipids in the blood serum and that of total cholesterol and triglycerides in the liver. Little toxicity and high efficacy of trimethylglycin in experimental atherosclerosis make this compound prospective in the light of its use as an antisclerotic agent.


In this paper we propose a closed-form pricing formula for European basket and spread options. Our approach is based on approximating the risk-neutral probability density function of the terminal value of the basket using a Gauss-Hermite series expansion around the Gaussian density. The new method is quite general as it can be applied for a basket with a large number of assets and for all dynamics where the joint characteristic function of log-returns is known in closed form. We provide a simulation study to show the accuracy and the speed of our methodology.


A detailed, comprehensive compilation, in alphabetical form, of all matters relating to the long and violent conflict in Northern Ireland. It contains detailed lists and references to all important events, political, social and violence-related: these include lists and descriptions of all political parties; all paramilitary groups; all the major bombings, killings and atrocities; along with all political developments, initatives, and historical moments. Each entry is intended to be precise and factual, to give all necessary details while eschewing judgments or personal views. It places emphasis on the vocabulary generated by the conflict, with reference to terms of abuse, slang expressions, nicknames, and new uses of old words. It is organized so that cross-referencing and inter-subject relationships can be extracted and correlated.


In recent years, social work has moved in parallel with medicine and the health sciences to use evidence-based criteria to determine the actions of practitioners (Institute of Medicine, 2001; Parker-Oliver & Demiris, 2006). Consequently, social workers employed in health and mental health settings are compelled to use evidence-based practices in their work. For many practitioners, evidence-based practice means the application of empirically based service models and a trend toward interventions demonstrated to be effective in changing behavior and ameliorating clients' problems. However, social workers, including those in medical and mental health services, are often not involved in the research that informs these practices, and their ability to shape promoted practices is virtually nonexistent. Health and mental health social workers increasingly view evidence-based practice as prescriptive, with researchers in centers of scholarship developing research for practitioners. This situation has exacerbated the rift between researchers and social workers who are expected to carry out empirically supported practices, although they are not involved in the production of research or even in the synthesis of evidence that supports particular practices and rejects others. People with research expertise and the resources to conduct empirical inquiry are generally located in academic institutions and do not necessarily call on practitioners themselves to critically examine evidence-based practice models. When these prescribed practices move from the rarified conditions under which randomized controlled trials are conducted into agency settings, they confront real-world organizational realities, Real-world "intrusions" may limit fidelity to the model produced by this "gold standard" of research. As a result, technology transfer, or reliability for replication of evidence-based practices, may be compromised. Perhaps most disheartening is how this situation encourages passivity among people in the field to engage in research or remain fluent with current research. Continuing knowledge development is a shared responsibility at all levels of the social work profession (Lewis, 2003), and current education and practice structures are not encouraging practitioners to be partners in this process. We assert that people closest to direct services are best positioned to point out practice realities that distort programs. Although practices may be supported by high-level empirical evidence, they may not prove effective or even feasible under real-world conditions. Originally, evidence-based practice was proposed for physicians to make use of the convergence of an explosion of information and technology, so that clinicians could use the growing body of research available through online databases. Ultimately, other health professionals were supposed to formulate clinical questions, critically assess empirical studies, and decide on the best approaches to bring to a dialogue with clients. The clients were meant to be active partners in decision making about their own care. The institution of the Cochrane Collaboration (http://www:cochrane.org./index.htm) and the Campbell Collaboration (http://www. campbellcollaboration.org/) formalized this process, and both apply rigorous, transparent standards to their reviews of research studies. Although they are meant to serve policymakers, health workers, and people who use services, the extent to which medical social workers consult their readily available Web sites is unclear. Unlike nursing, speech therapy or rehabilitation therapy, or other health professions that have produced a burgeoning literature on information literacy skills as a central concern for educators (Jacobs, Rosenfeld, & Haber, 2003; Nail-Chiwetalu & Bernstein Ratner, 2007), the social work literature is for the most part silent in this area. With the exception of two recent texts that promote a bottom-up approach to evidence-based practice (Courneyer, 2004; Gibbs, 2003) and Gary Holden's remarkable informatics Web site for social workers (http://www:nyu. …


Abstract Academic developers are important interpreters of policy, yet little research has focussed on the interplay of policy and academic development practice. Using methods from critical discourse analysis, this article analyses a national learning and teaching policy, charts its development, and explores its interpretation by the academic development community. The findings suggest that while developers played a strategic role in the policy's development nationally, their influence on and use of policy institutionally was more limited. The article calls on developers to take a more overt leadership role in an area of higher education practice where they clearly have (often unharnessed) expertise.


In this paper we are presenting observations, data and some conclusions regarding the water turbidity and transparency of the aquatic ecosystem of Butrinti Lake in southern Albania. Located amidst a major tourist attraction area, Butrinti Lake is fed by fresh waters from surrounding areas and discharges into Ionian Sea. Although development is preset in the area, it is still minor as part of the area is a National Park. Turbidity, as an optical property which describes the cloudiness of the water, is a measure of the degree to which the water becomes less transparent due to the presence of suspended particulates, including sediments and phytoplankton. The water turbidity parameters were measured every two weeks over a year, monitoring three selected stations in this water ecosystem. Turbidity of water in such ecosystems is measured in FTU (Formazin Turbidity Units) using a portable turbid meter (in our case type HANNA HI 93703-11), which measures the intensity of light scattered at 90 degrees, as a beam of light passes through a water sample. In addition, turbidity is evaluated using a Secchi disk. The depth (Secchi depth) until the disk can be no longer seen by the observer is recorded as a measure of the transparency of the water (inversely related to turbidity). The Secchi disk has the advantages of integrating turbidity over depth (where variable turbidity layers are present). The relationship between the depth of the viewing disk and the turbidity can be characterized by an inverse curvilinear one. The defined trend line can be expressed by the same curve related to the data of Butrinti Lake. An R2 Value of 0.85 was calculated for the above equation. Variations were observed on turbidity level of the selected stations in this ecosystem. These differences on the turbidity values of selected stations of water body can be explained by the communications sea-lagoon, fresh water supply as well as by the pollution due to human activity near a certain station. The monitored water ecosystem can be characterized by certain level of turbidity, based on the trophic state classification by Hakanson and Carlson. Furthermore, relationship between turbidity and trophic state evaluated by other bio-indicators of the monitored ecosystems is analyzed.


In the upper atmosphere, greenhouse gases produce a cooling effect, instead of a warming effect. Increases in greenhouse gas concentrations are expected to induce substantial changes in the mesosphere, thermosphere, and ionosphere, including a thermal contraction of these layers. In this article we construct for the first time a pattern of the observed long-term global change in the upper atmosphere, based on trend studies of various parameters. The picture we obtain is qualitative, and contains several gaps and a few discrepancies, but the overall pattern of observed long-term changes throughout the upper atmosphere is consistent with model predictions of the effect of greenhouse gas increases. Together with the large body of lower atmospheric trend research, our synthesis indicates that anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases are affecting the atmosphere at nearly all altitudes between ground and space.


PURPOSE
To measure orbital venous pressure (OVP) and determine the effects of changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) on OVP, intraocular pressure (IOP), episcleral venous pressure (EVP), and ciliary and choroidal blood flows.

METHODS
The experiments were performed in anesthetized rabbits. In all animals, MAP, IOP, and OVP were measured by direct cannulation of the central ear artery, the vitreous, and the orbital venous sinus, respectively. Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to measure choroidal blood flow in one group, and ciliary blood flow in a second group. A servonull micropressure system was used to measure EVP in a third group. The protocol for all three groups entailed varying MAP mechanically with occluders on the aorta and vena cava.

RESULTS
The OVP and IOP relationship correlated linearly (r = 0.99) during mechanical manipulation of MAP. EVP also correlated well with OVP (r = 0.9). Resistance calculations based on choroidal and ciliary blood flows and the pressure gradients indicate active adjustment of arterial resistance and passive changes in venous resistance in response to changing MAP in both circulations.

CONCLUSIONS
The rabbit orbital venous sinus permits continuous measurements of OVP. The present findings show that OVP is not static and suggest that OVP may play an important role in IOP homeostasis and ocular hemodynamics.


Sesamum indicum (black seasame) is a plant growing and cultivated in Africa, India and Asia including some parts of Iran. This plant was used in Iranian folk medicine for their digestive, carminative, antispasmodic, sedative, analgesic, tonic and diuretic as well as for functional gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this study was to overview its bioactive properties. This review article was carried out by searching studies in PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and Iran Medex databases .The initial search strategy identified about 102 references. In this study, 43 studies was accepted for further screening and met all our inclusion criteria (in English, full text, Antioxidant activity of seasame and dated mainly from the year 1990 to 2016).The search terms were "Antioxidant activity, Sesamum indicum, pharmacological activity, chemical compound, alternative medicine. The results of this study was indicated that this plant is commonly used for its antioxidant properties. It showed that Sesaminol inhibited the lipid peroxidation in LDL in a concentration dependent manner. Free radical scavenging capacity, inhibition of low density lipoprotein cholesterol and metal chelating capacity of extracts of sesame seeds was shown that it has high antioxidant activity. These antioxidative components are effective via synergistic action. Antioxidative activity of refined unroasted seed oil is mainly attributed to Sesaminol. Antioxidant agent of sesame was introduced to be related to the Presence of various new antioxidative lignan phenol compounds in sesame seed and oil. Sesaminol as a new antioxidative principle in raw sesame salad oil was introduced. The mechanism of the superior antioxidative activity of roasted sesame oil was associated to its synergistic effect of the browning products with tocopherol, sesamol, and sesamin. Seasame is widely used for its antioxidant activities that trigger its significant value. Various combinations and numerous medicinal properties of its seed, oil, cake, coat demand further and more studies about the other useful and unknown properties of this multipurpose plant.


A fully ionised hydrogen plasma of initial density approximately=5*1017 cm-3 and temperature approximately=12 eV is heated using a 1.053 mu m laser beam focussed to a spot of 200 mu m diameter with an irradiance of 5*1013 W cm-2. The resulting evolution of the plasma is monitored by Thomson scattering of a second laser beam at 5265 AA. Comparison with a one-dimensional two fluid hydrodynamic simulation shows that the inverse bremsstrahlung absorption coefficient should be modified to include the strong field correction and that the maximum heat flux is about 0.1 of the free streaming limit. The ratio of the electron mean free path to the temperature scale length is about 0.1 and Te/Ti approximately=5. The level of ion acoustic turbulence is observed to be small, close to thermal. The ion-electron equilibration rate is found to agree with the usual classical value.


This paper deals with the correction of exterior orientation parameters of stereo image sequences over deformed free-form surfaces without control points. Such imaging situation can occur, for example, during photogrammetric car crash test recordings where onboard high-speed stereo cameras are used to measure 3D surfaces. As a result of such measurements 3D point clouds of deformed surfaces are generated for a complete stereo sequence. The first objective of this research focusses on the development and investigation of methods for the detection of corresponding spatial and temporal tie points within the stereo image sequences (by stereo image matching and 3D point tracking) that are robust enough for a reliable handling of occlusions and other disturbances that may occur. The second objective of this research is the analysis of object deformations in order to detect stable areas (congruence analysis). For this purpose a RANSAC-based method for congruence analysis has been developed. This process is based on the sequential transformation of randomly selected point groups from one epoch to another by using a 3D similarity transformation. The paper gives a detailed description of the congruence analysis. The approach has been tested successfully on synthetic and real image data.


Introduction Substance use disorders and insomnia are common in the general population, and particularly among adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Here we investigated the relationship between insomnia, alcohol consumption and ADHD symptoms. Methods Adults with an ADHD diagnosis (n = 235, 41.3% males) and controls (n = 184, 38% males) completed a questionnaire assessing insomnia (Bergen Insomnia Scale), alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), and current ADHD symptoms (Adult ADHD Self-report Scale). The majority of the sample (95%) gave additional information about childhood ADHD symptoms (Wender Utah Rating Scale), and information about lifetime occurrence of an internalizing disorder was included as part of background information. Results Compared to controls, the ADHD group reported a higher frequency of insomnia, a higher quantity of consumed alcohol and a higher frequency of internalizing disorders. Current and childhood ADHD symptoms were more severe in those with than without insomnia. Scores on ADHD symptom scales were explained by the presence of insomnia and internalizing disorders, while the contribution from alcohol consumption was restricted to the control group. Discussion The high functional impact of insomnia, alcohol misuse and internalizing disorders is well known. The present study contributed by focusing on their relations to ADHD symptoms, and by showing that strong relations were not restricted to adults with a clinical ADHD diagnosis. By this, the results put a critical light on a categorical delineation between adults with an ADHD diagnosis and population selected controls, and call for further studies including dimensional metrics of ADHD symptoms and co-occurring problems.


Chemically, the sediments from the Weddell Sea differ from the sediments of the Amundsen, Bellingshausen, and Ross Seas. As a group, they have a similar concentration of Cr, Ni, Al, and Co, but the Weddell Sea sediments are considerably lower in Mn, Fe, Ti, V, and Cu. When compared to crustal abundance figures, they are lower in Mg, Ni, Mn, Fe, Al, and Ti; higher in Zr, B, V, and Cu; and similar in content in Cr and Co. The Mn/Fe, Mn/Ti, Mn/Al, Ni/Al, and Fe/Al ratios show great differences between glacial marine and "normal" deep sea sediments. Somewhat less but still useful differences exist between V/Al and Co/Al ratios. Ternary diagram plots of V, Cu, and Co+Ni content delineate distinct fields for glacial marine, pelagic, and shallow water sediments. For pelagic vs. glacial marine sediments a ternary plot of Al, Fe, and Mn+Ti shows a restriction of glacial marine sediments to a narrow field along the Al-Fe join. As is well known, the type of sediment surrounding Antarctica and which is found in the Weddell Sea area is distinctive among marine sediments. These deposits have the mechanical characteristics of tills. The poor sorting is unusual for marine deposits. Marine currents have had little or no sorting effort on these sediments. Major characteristics of these sediments are the freshness and angularity of the detrital material. The heavy minerals indicate that the Weddell Sea sediments are derived predominately from an area of metamorphic rocks and transported and(or) rafted across the area of the Filchner Ice Shelf by floating ice. This mode of transport is indicated by the polymodal size distribution of the sediments.


Objective. To test whether increasing dietary calcium intake prevents calcium oxalate stone formation when the diet is oxalate-rich. Material and methods. Four groups, eight rats in each, were subjected to a lithogenic diet by the addition of 0.5% ethylene glycol to drinking water for 3 weeks. The first group, used as a control, simultaneously received a standard diet. The second group was supplemented with calcium at 500 mg/100 g of diet and the third group with oxalate at 3 g/100 g of diet. The diet given to the last group was supplemented with similar doses of calcium and oxalate. One day before the end of treatment, each animal was placed in a metabolic cage to collect 24-h urine samples and determine urinary parameters. The kidneys were removed to determine calcium oxalate deposits and for histological examination. Results. The number of calcium oxalate crystals in renal tissue was highest in the oxalate group and calcium oxalate deposits were also found to be elevated in this group. Hyperoxaluria and hypocitraturia, induced by a oxalate-rich diet, seemed to be the major causes contributing to aggravated renal stone formation. The protective effect of dietary calcium supplementation, which was clear in the calcium + oxalate group, was probably due to intestinal binding of oxalate by calcium, thereby reducing urinary oxalate excretion. Conclusion. Increased dietary calcium intake can prevent calcium oxalate stone formation only when the diet is oxalate-rich.


Objective – To investigate the adoption, use, perceived impact of, and barriers to using social networking tools for scholarly communication at two universities.

Design – Cross-institutional quantitative study using an online survey.

Setting – Academics working in the disciplines of the humanities and social sciences at two universities: one in Europe and one in the Middle East.

Methods – An online survey was devised based on a previous survey (Al-Aufi, 2007) and informed by relevant research. The survey was piloted by 10 academics at the 2 participating universities. Post pilot it was revised and then circulated to all academics from similar faculties at two universities. Three follow up emails were sent to both sets of academics. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Descriptive and inferential statistics were analyzed using ANOVA tests.

Main Results – The survey achieved a 34% response rate (n=130). The majority of participants were from the university based in the Middle East and were male (70.8%). Most of the responses were from academics under 40 years of age. The use of notebooks was prevalent at both universities. "Notebooks" is used as a term to describe laptops, netbooks, or ultra-book computers. The majority reported use of social networking tools for informal scholarly communication (70.1%), valuing this type of use. 29.9% of respondents reported they do not use social networking tools for this purpose. Barriers were identified as lack of incentive, digital literacy, training, and concerns over Internet security. Among the non-users, barriers included low interest in their use and a perceived lack of relevancy of such tools for scholarly communication. The types of tools used the most were those with social connection functions, such as Facebook and Twitter. The tools used the least were social bookmarking tools. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test indicated that there was no significant difference at the 0.05 level between the use of social networking tools at both universities, with the exception of using tools to communicate with researchers locally and with publishers at one of the universities.

Both universities use tools for communication with peers and academics internationally. The responses were mainly positive towards the perceived usefulness of social networking tools for informal scholarly communication.

Conclusion – The authors conclude that despite the small sample of the community of academics investigated, there is a general trend towards increasing use and popularity of social networking tools amongst academics in the humanities and social sciences disciplines. As technology advances, the use of such tools is likely to increase and advance among academics. The authors point to pathways for future research including expanding the methods to include interviews, focus groups, and case studies. Another angle for research of interest is interdisciplinary differences in the use of prevalent tools such as Facebook and Twitter.


Due to the complexity of service environment of thermal protection system on the aerocraft, the thermal shock resistance (TSR) of ultra-high-temperature ceramics (UHTCs), which are used as thermal protection materials, is no longer the material itself's. Based on the restrictions of current experiments and the lack of theories, hafnium diboride (HfB2) is used to study the effects of the external constraint conditions and different thermal environment on the TSR of the UHTC in detail. The effects of different initial temperature, different external constraint conditions, and temperature rising rate on the TSR of the UHTCs through numerical simulation are discussed in detail in this study. This study can provide a more intuitively visual understanding of the evolution of the TSR of UHTCs during actual causative conditions.


The paper presents a methodology for social distancing detection using deep learning to evaluate the distance between people to mitigate the impact of this coronavirus pandemic. The detection tool was developed to alert people to maintain a safe distance with each other by evaluating a video feed. The video frame from the camera was used as input, and the open-source object detection pre-trained model based on the YOLOv3 algorithm was employed for pedestrian detection. Later, the video frame was transformed into top-down view for distance measurement from the 2D plane. The distance between people can be estimated and any noncompliant pair of people in the display will be indicated with a red frame and red line. The proposed method was validated on a pre-recorded video of pedestrians walking on the street. The result shows that the proposed method is able to determine the social distancing measures between multiple people in the video. The developed technique can be further developed as a detection tool in realtime application.


The stress response to exogenous H2O2 has provided significant insight into thiol-based cytosolic H2O2 sensors such as OxyR in Escherichia coli and its eukaryotic counterpart Gpx3/Yap1 in Saccharomyce cerevisiae. However, sensing of endogenously generated H2O2 in mitochondria, the main sites of H2O2 production in respiring yeast, is poorly documented. We have recently demonstrated that cytochrome c peroxidase (Ccp1) acts as a mitochondrial H2O2 sensor to balance reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels by regulating catalase A (Cta1) activity and attenuating the H2O2 stress response during aging. Since Ccp1 is the first heme-based H2O2 sensor to be identified, its mechanism of action at the molecular level is of much interest. This thesis reports on how H2O2 signals through Ccp1. Activity assays reveal the accumulation of catalytically inactive and heme-free Ccp1 outside mitochondria in respiring cells, when catalase activity starts to increase. Importantly, the burst in H2O2 generation during the switch from fermentation to respiration triggers heme-mediated oxidation by H2O2 of the proximal Fe ligand, H175. Formation of oxo-H175 weakens the heme-ligand interaction and labilizes the heme group, which is transferred either directly or via unidentified intermediate(s) to apoCta1. The nascent Cta1 activity detoxifies H2O2, and apoCcp1 which has conformational lability, undergoes reverse translocation to the vacuole and nucleus. Mass spectrometric characterization of heme-mediated H2O2-induced chemical and post-translational modifications in recombinant Ccp1 and Ccp1 isolated from yeast cells, respectively, has allowed us to identify the residues oxidized as well as to evaluate radical-transfer pathways in Ccp1 in response to both exogenous and endogenous H2O2. Importantly, the mass spectrometry-based approach described here provides a way to fully evaluate the oxidation profile of a protein. Although Cta1 was not found as a binding partner of GST-Ccp1 in GST pull-down assays, the antioxidant proteins, manganese superoxide dismutase (Sod2), thioredoxin peroxidase (Tsa1), the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), the putative heme transporter Pet9 and heat shock proteins 70 and 90 were reproducibly found as Ccp1 binding partners. Combined, the results presented provide insights into the mechanism of H2O2 signaling in cells involving heme-mediated redox changes in contrast to the redox chemistry of thiols.


Operators of forest machinery suffer from intensive whole body vibrations, which are big threats to their health. Therefore, it is important to investigate effective seat undercarriages and control methods for vibration reduction. This paper addresses the control problem of a novel seat undercarriage with pneumatic actuators customized for forest machinery. A two‐layer cascade control structure is developed, where the top layer consists of a group of proportional controllers to regulate the position of pneumatic actuators and the bottom layer is a sliding mode controller for force and stiffness tracking. The advantage of the sliding mode control is to achieve robust control performance with coarse system models. The paper demonstrates that the proposed control structure is better than a traditional PID controller. The robust stability of the sliding mode controller is proved by the Lyapunov's method. Experiments show its capability of reducing at least 20% amplitude of seat vibrations from 0.5 to 1 Hz.


An analysis of six possible alternative world scenarios, which might characterize the evolution of our societies in the four decades to come, reveals the need for the development of a Social Global Contract. The most important policy goal does not relate to higher competitiveness in the global economic wars, but should be concerned with creating more common wealth to satisfy the material and immaterial needs of the world's population. The Social Global Contract means the start of a process that favors the establishment of a cooperative system of global governance. To that end a set of practical tasks to be implemented within the framework of four major global contracts are identified and discussed.


The 'culturalisation of violence' ‐ a process through which culture is credited as being the sole or principal cause of violence ‐ has resulted in 'honour'-based violence/abuse being commonly (mis)understood and (mis)interpreted as being an imported
 cultural practice unique to particular black, Asian and minority ethnic communities living in the West. Addressing a vital gap in the literature, this article considers the conceptual shortcomings of these culturalised narratives on honour and 'honour'-based violence/abuse, as
 well as the impact that they have upon service provision in rural areas of England and Wales ‐ areas often conceptualised as 'white spaces' lacking in ethnic diversity. This article draws upon semi-structured interviews with both victims/survivors and rural front-line service
 providers. It is argued that under culturalised narratives, not only does ethnicity remain a key indicator for 'honour'-based violence/abuse cases, but, as such, and given their perceived lack of ethnic diversity, rural regions are also increasingly identified as 'safe spaces'
 to relocate black, Asian and minority ethnic victims/survivors away from the reach of their 'problematic' culture. Ultimately, the core contention of this article is that by founding policy, legislative and support responses on culturalised understandings of violence, service providers
 are destined to fail to meet the intersectional needs of black, Asian and minority ethnic victims/survivors.


This study focuses on employees' expectations about leadership behavior in employee conflicts as a possible factor in determining effects of such behavior. Specifically, we examine perceptions, evaluations and expectations of employees vice versa their direct leader when experiencing a conflict with a colleague. We consider whether or not employees call in the supervisor themselves as a crucial factor. We also explore to what extent violation of expectations influences the relationship with the leader as well as the process and outcomes of the conflict. Sixteen semi-structured in-depth interviews with respondents from a range of sectors, organizations, positions, ages and educational backgrounds provided data of 20 authentic conflict cases. Generally, results show that although employees often regard dealing with conflict as an obligation for organizational leaders, they are also inclined not to involve their supervisor. Explanations and implications for organizational conflict management are being discussed.


Background

Given the complex nature of opioid addiction treatment and the rising number of available opioid substitution and antagonist therapies (OSAT), there is no 'gold standard' measure of treatment effectiveness, and each successive trial measures a different set of outcomes which reflect success in arbitrary or opportune terms.We sought to describe the variation in current outcomes employed across clinical trials for opioid addiction, as well as determine whether a discrepancy exists between the treatment targets that patients consider important and how treatment effectiveness is measured in the literature.

Methods

We searched nine commonly used databases (e.g. EMBASE, MEDLINE) from inception to August 1, 2015. Outcomes used across trials were extracted and categorized according to previously established domains. To evaluate patient reported goals of treatment, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 adults undergoing methadone treatment.

Results

We identified 60 trials eligible for inclusion. Once outcomes were categorized into eight broad domains (e.g. abstinence/substance abuse), we identified 21 specific outcomes with furthermore 53 subdomains and 118 measurements. Continued opioid use and treatment retention were the most commonly reported measures (46%, n=28). The majority of patients agreed that abstinence from opioids was a primary goal in their treatment, however they also stressed goals under-reported in clinical trials.

Conclusion

There is inconsistency in the measures used to evaluate the effectiveness of OSATs. Individual and population level decision making is being guided by a standard of effect considered useful to researchers yet in direct conflict with what patients deem important.

PROSPERO ID

CRD42013006507


A second excavation on the west coast of north Jura confirmed a Jura Phase 3 (final Mesolithic) occupation overlying a Phase 2 site, the latter probably late in the period. Carbon dating of a typologically similar Phase 3 site on the east coast suggested a late fourth-millennium occupation; carbon dating was not possible at Glengarrisdale. This west coast site did not unfortunately provide a single undisturbed occupation but useful confirmation was obtained of Jura's third microlithic phase, hitherto only known on the east coast.


Vergil's Eclogues, despite belonging to the bucolic genre and being largely modelled on Theocritus' Idylls, bear clear marks of cosmic inspiration; these emerge from time to time, now in one poem, next in another, issuing ideas and images apparently inconsistent with the pastoral world: this happens especially in the three central Eclogues. Non-pastoral ideas and images often refer to philosophical or mythological themes, possibly coming either from poets with a cosmic vein (such as Hesiod and Lucretius), or from philosophic schools dealing with cosmogony (such as Orphism and Stoicism). Vergil develops these themes in innovative ways. This broadening of perspective concerns the power of song that seduces and dominates nature (with remarkable self-reflexive implications), the human desire to interact with the gods (even to enter their realm and identify with them through apotheosis), and the longing for purification and rebirth, hand-in-hand with the universal aspiration for peace and happiness.


This paper is concerned with Markovian jump systems subject to incomplete knowledge of transition probabilities and actuator saturation. The system under consideration is more general, which covers the systems with completely known and completely unknown transition probabilities. By introducing some free-connection weighting matrices to handle the inaccessible elements of transition probabilities, a new criterion is established to guarantee the stochastic stability of the closed-loop system. An optimization problem with LMI constraints is then formulated to determine the largest contractively invariant set in mean square sense. Finally, two numerical examples are provided to illustrate the merits of our method.


The most striking aspects of recent U.S. wage and price behavior are the small year-to-year variations in the rate of change of wages, the modest 1977-79 acceleration in the rate of change of both wages and the consumption deflator net of food and energy, and an unprecedented gap between the inflation rates recorded by the CPI and personal consumption deflator. A small and simple econometric model is used to forecast the consequences of various policies for the future growth of the monetary base. No policy will be able to prevent an acceleration in the growth rate of the personal consumption deflator net of food and energy from its recent 7 percent track to 8 percent or above in the first half of 1980. The gross personal consumption deflator will climb even faster, with the difference depending on the behavior of oil and food prices. Thereafter, the effect of slack labor markets will begin to allow inflation net of food and energy to decelerate substantially. A 6 percent rule for the monetary base is too conservative and causes the unemployment rate to rise to 8.5 percent in 1982. An 8 percent rule for the base is preferable, allows the unemployment rate to begin to fall after late 1981, and still achieves a deceleration of inflation net of food and energy from 8 percent in mid-1980 to 6 percent in 1983. Thereafter, the growth of the base should be slowed down to keep the economy from overshooting again.


Ensuring lubrication effects during disruption of lubricant molecule supply is an important objective for boundary lubrication. Friction tests conducted in an allyl alcohol vapor environment yielded a friction coefficient near 0.25, which was significantly lower than the values (>0.6) measured for unlubricated contacts, and produced a tribopolymer where contact occurred. No tribopolymer was created outside the contact area, and the underlying substrate was not worn inside the contact area. A tribopolymer film created during 800 cycles of allyl alcohol vapor flow could lubricate sliding contacts for 30 000 cycles even after allyl alcohol vapor supplied was ceased. No significant wear or friction increase was observed during these cycles. Infrared spectroscopy analysis of the slide contact area indicated that the tribopolymer is a polyalcohol formed by polymerization of the allylic group. No tribopolymer formation was observed for vapor phase lubrication with saturated normal alcohols. The tribopolymer created from allyl alcohol vapor must be mechanochemically synthesized within the sliding interface. Such a mechanochemical synthesis of polymeric lubricant film could be applied to boundary lubrication of micro-scale devices.


Water cavitation peening (WCP) with aeration is a recent promising method in the surface enhancement technique, which can induce compressive residual stress in the near surface of mechanical components by the bubble collapse on the surface of components in the similar way as conventional shot peening. In this paper, the effect of WCP on fatigue crack growth behavior was investigated in single-edge-notched flat tensile specimens of S45C steel. The notched specimens were treated by WCP, and the compressive residual stress distributions in the near surface layer were measured by X-ray diffraction method. The tension-tension (R = Smin/Smax = 0.1, f = 10 Hz) fatigue tests were conducted. A Shimadzu servo-hydraulic fatigue test machine with in-situ observation by JSM-5410LV scanning microscope was used for all testing. Compared with those without WCP treatment, WCP can induce the residual compressive stress in the near surface layer, and delay the fatigue crack initiation, and decrease the rate of fatigue crack growth.


BACKGROUND
According to cognitive behavioural theory, cognitive factors (i.e. underlying general dysfunctional beliefs and (situation) specific illness beliefs) are theorized to lead to outcomes like anxiety and depression. In clinical practice, general dysfunctional beliefs are generally not tackled directly in short-term-therapy.

AIMS
The goal of the present study was to investigate the associations of general versus specific illness beliefs on anxiety and depressive symptoms and psychiatric disorders among a subgroup of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with poor mental quality of life (QoL).

METHOD
This study concerns cross-sectional data, collected at baseline from a randomized clinical trial. One hundred and eighteen patients, recruited at four Dutch hospitals, with poor QoL (score ≤23 on the mental health subscale of the Short-Form 36-item Health-Survey; SF-36) were included. General dysfunctional beliefs were measured by the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), specific illness beliefs by the Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R), anxiety and depressive symptoms by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and psychiatric disorders by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis-I Disorders (SCID-I).

RESULTS
Univariate analyses showed associations between the level of anxiety and/or depression and general dysfunctional beliefs and four specific illness beliefs (consequences, personal control, emotional representations and treatment control). Among patients with IBD with psychiatric disorders, only the DAS was significantly associated with anxiety and depression (DAS added to IPQ-R and IPQ-R added to DAS).

CONCLUSIONS
Psychological interventions may have to target general dysfunctional beliefs of patients with IBD with co-morbid psychiatric disorders to be effective. These patients with IBD are especially in need of psychological treatment.


Recent studies have shown various metabolic and transcriptomic interactions between sulfur (S) and phosphorus (P) in plants. However, most studies have focused on the effects of phosphate (Pi) availability and P signaling pathways on S homeostasis, whereas the effects of S availability on P homeostasis remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the interactions between S and P from the perspective of S availability. We investigated the effects of S availability on Pi uptake, transport, and accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana grown under sulfur sufficiency (+S) and deficiency (−S). Total P in shoots was significantly increased under −S owing to higher Pi accumulation. This accumulation was facilitated by increased Pi uptake under −S. In addition, −S increased root-to-shoot Pi transport, which was indicated by the increased Pi levels in xylem sap under −S. The −S-increased Pi level in the xylem sap was diminished in the disruption lines of PHT1;9 and PHO1, which are involved in root-to-shoot Pi transport. Our findings indicate a new aspect of the interaction between S and P by listing the increased Pi accumulation as part of −S responses and by highlighting the effects of −S on Pi uptake, transport, and homeostasis.


Objectives
To study seasonal variation in minimum dietary diversity of women (MDD-W) and food group intake for women of reproductive age (WRA) living in rural Zambia and Malawi where the effect of seasonal agricultural production and seasonal food availability on dietary diversity is likely to be high.

Methods
200 WRA living in Chitipa District, Malawi (n = 100) and Luwingu District, Zambia (n = 100) provided informed consent and were enrolled in a panel study. Households with at least one woman between age 15-49 were randomly selected. A dietary diversity questionnaire was administered every-other month for six rounds, from September 2017 to July 2018. MDD-W was calculated as the proportion of women consuming five or more out of ten food groups. Percent of women consuming each food group by round was also calculated. Chi square was used to test the difference in MDD-W across rounds.

Results
There was significant seasonal difference in the percentage of women achieving MDD-W. Lowest and highest proportion of WRA meeting MDD-W was 18% and 79% in Malawi (P < 0.05) and 28% and 70% in Zambia (P < 0.05). MDD-W followed expected variation, peaking in the season of greatest food abundance and lowering during the "lean" season. The food groups grains and tubers, dark green leafy vegetables and other vegetables dominate women's diets. Small fish species are the most commonly consumed flesh food, although availability and consumption decrease seasonally due to cold weather and annual fish bans. Vitamin-A rich fruits and vegetables, other fruit, and nuts and seeds are highly seasonal. Dairy and eggs are rarely consumed.

Conclusions
Significant seasonal fluctuations in the proportion of WRA achieving MDD-W exist. This has implications for project monitoring and evaluation. Periods of abundance and scarcity for nutritionally important food groups were demonstrated. Attention should be given to improved nutrition-sensitive processing, storage and access to nutrient dense food groups affected by seasonal fluctuations.

Funding Sources
Research was funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) with project partners McGill University, WorldFish, Bioversity International, Self Help Africa, University of Zambia, SPRODETA and the LUANAR and by the CGIAR research program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health.


The aim of the paper is to discuss the distinction between characterisation (classification) and denomination (naming, identifying) in the context of information systems (IS). The paper has a special focus on the design of identifiers, i.e. terms used for identifying individual phenomenon. The reason for this is that the distinction between denomination and characterisation is especially important when designing identifiers. Identifiers e.g. article numbers, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and personal numbers, constitute an important part of the information infrastructure of companies and society as a whole, and therefore it is crucial that these terms are well designed. The paper illustrates that who designs, assigns and withdraws electronic identifiers is a significant economic and policy issue both within companies and for society as a whole, with farther reaching consequences than often perceived at first glance


Abstract Several Arabic poets composed verses on poetry in general, and on their own poetry in particular. Some of these metapoetic reflections already have been of interest to the Arabists, and became the subject of literary studies (e.g. Lyons, Schoeler, Fakhreddine, McKinney). If I again took up the topic with the focus on Ibn al-Ḥaǧǧāǧ (d. 1001), so it is because he referred to his own poetry much more often than other poets did. He had reason for this: Ibn al-Ḥaǧǧāǧ became famous – or one could also say infamous – because the new theme of suḫf (scatological obscenety) played an important role in his poetry. So he had to give arguments in support of his way of composing. The article presents a selection from his self-references which show that he not only defends his suḫf, but also boasts of this addition to Arabic poetry, which made his poems spread all over the countries.


Long-term trends in the phytoplankton community along the French coast of the English Channel and southern Bight of the North Sea were studied and related to physico-chemical factors and large-climatic indices. Phytoplankton and hydrological data were acquired through three transects. Sampling took place between 1992 and 2011 as part of the French Phytoplankton Monitoring Network (REPHY) and the Regional Nutrients Monitoring Network (SRN). Trends in time-series were identified with dynamic linear models tailored to environmental monitoring data characteristics (e.g. irregular sampling frequency, missing data). Temporal and spatial patterns in the phytoplankton community were explained with a partial triadic analysis. Relationships between the phytoplankton community composition, environmental factors, and climatic indices were assessed using a redundancy analysis (RDA). The analyses revealed long-term changes in the community composition, characterized by a temporal structure that remained common to all transects. The abundance of some groups of taxa such as the one composed by Gymnodinium and Gyrodinium, as well as the group of Pseudo-nitzschia increased during the study period, whereas the abundance of other taxa as for example Guinardia and the group of Coscinodiscus and Stellarima globally decreased. More generally, the proportion of dinoflagellates relative to diatoms increased. Trends in environmental variables were also observed in most sites and related to decreases in nutrient concentrations and an increasing trend in salinity. The RDA indicated that the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation index and salinity were the main factors defining the temporal structure of the phytoplankton community. This suggests that variations observed in the phytoplankton community are linked to hydro-climatic changes in the coastal environment.


How do digital communicative spaces facilitate legal mobilization, an emerging genre of social activism in China? What strategies do activists pursue in these spaces to sustain their resistance? Using a 2015 case study in Xiamen, Fujian Province, where an environmental nongovernmental organization led a lawsuit in the name of "pedestrians' rights," I seek to address these questions. This exploratory research illustrates how activists appropriate a "matrix of free spaces" available to them—a hybridized intersection of relatively stable organizational and digital spaces—for everyday organizing and for disseminating "citizenship talk," so that participants mobilize as citizens who invoke the law to effect policy change. It also reveals a snapshot of how collective solidarities may persist under authoritarian rule as well as the broader possibilities and challenges accompanying civic activism in China.


A new class of spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM) is discussed, in which writing is achieved using thermally initiated magnonic current pulses as an alternative to conventional electric current pulses. The magnonic pulses are used to destabilize the magnetic free layer from its initial direction, and are followed immediately by a bipolar electric current exerting conventional spin-transfer torque on the free layer. The combination of thermal and electric currents greatly reduces switching errors, and simultaneously reduces the electric switching current density by more than an order of magnitude as compared to conventional STT-MRAM. The energy efficiency of several possible electro-thermal circuit designs have been analyzed numerically. As compared to STT-MRAM with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, magnonic STT-MRAM reduces the overall switching energy by almost 80%. Furthermore, the lower electric current density allows the use of thicker tunnel barriers, which should result in higher tunneling magneto-resistance and improved tunnel barrier reliability. The combination of lower power, improved reliability, higher integration density, and larger read margin make magnonic STT-MRAM a promising choice for future non-volatile storage.


A collection of Bacillus thuringiensis isolates plausibly active against coleopteran insects was obtained from the Agricultural Research Service Culture Collection. Each isolate was cultured, spores and δ -endotoxin cry stals were pelleted by centrifugation and lyophilized, and the resulting product was incorporated in insect diet for testing against Diaprepes abbreviatus neonates. A bioassay method was developed that utilized small amounts of insect diet and B. thuringiensis spores and δ -endotoxin to treat single neonates confined to 0.2-mL clear polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tubes. The method was less expensive in terms of labor and materials as compared to previous methods and reduced control losses due to burrowing and aggressive behaviors of D. abbreviatus larvae confined together. Of 19 B. thuringiensis isolates screened for activity against D. abbreviatus with a discriminating dose of 250 ppm spores and δ -endotoxin on diet, 5 were selected for further evaluation in dose-response experiments. Diaprepes abbreviatus larvae demonstrated a significant dose response to 4 of the 5 isolates tested. The most active isolates were those that expressed Cry ET33 and Cry ET34, or Cyt 2Ca1 proteins. A wild-type B. thuringiensis strain that expressed Cyt 2Ca1 generated the lowest LC 50 value (50.7 μg/ml) and steepest slope (1.11) based on log10 probit analysis of the data. These B. thuringiensis δ -endotoxins may have utility in transgenic approaches to citrus rootstock protection from D. abbreviatus .


Crowdsourcing sites heavily rely on paid workers to ensure completion of tasks. Yet, designing a pricing strategies able to incentivize users' quality and retention is non trivial. Existing payment strategies either simply set a fixed payment per task without considering changes in workers' behaviors, or rule out poor quality responses and workers based on coarse criteria. Hence, task requesters may be investing significantly in work that is inaccurate or even misleading. In this paper, we design a dynamic contract to incentivize high-quality work. Our proposed approach offers a theoretically proven algorithm to calculate the contract for each worker in a cost-efficient manner. In contrast to existing work, our contract design is not only adaptive to changes in workers' behavior, but also adjusts pricing policy in the presence of malicious behavior. Both theoretical and experimental analysis over real Amazon review traces show that our contract design can achieve a near optimal solution. Furthermore, experimental results demonstrate that our contract design 1) can promote high-quality work and prevent malicious behavior, and 2) outperforms the intuitive strategy of excluding all malicious workers in terms of the requester's utility.


This is a prospective comparative study of adenoid size assessment by using radiography versus nasopharyngoscopy using examination of the adenoid under general anesthesia (GA) as a standard method. This study was conducted on 35 children presented with signs and symptoms of adenoid hypertrophy. All patients were examined by both lateral radiograph view of the postnasal space and nasopharyngoscopy, then both results were compared. The results for small size adenoid can not be calculated because of small sample size. For medium sized adenoid, the sensitivity for radiography and nasopharyngoscopy are 36.36%, 54.54% respectively, the specificity was 47.36%, 84.21% respectively and the accuracy was 43.33%, 73.33% respectively. For large sized adenoid the sensitivity for radiography and nasopharyngoscopy was 38.89%, 83.33% respectively, the specificity was 100%, 66.66% respectively, and the accuracy was 63.33%, 76.66% respectively. In conclusion, nasopharyngoscopy is a simple, safe, repeatable, readily available at the ENT unit, with no radiation hazards, and with negligible trauma. Over all, nasopharyngoscopy has a higher sensitivity, specificity and accuracy than radiography.


The shift towards the internal responsibility system and the mandating of Joint Health and Safety Committees in the early 1980s represented a radical departure in terms of how health and safety were regulated in the workplace. This paper examines the effectiveness of this institutional change using firm level data provided by the Worker's Compensation Board on lost time accidents from 1976 to 1989. It finds that where management and labour had some sympathy for the co-management of health and safety through joint committees, the new system significantly reduced lost-time accident rates. At workplaces where either labour or management resisted the spread of co-management the mandating of committees appears to have little effect on lost-time accident rates.


Criticizing the university system is not a popular thing to do, because most people have heard only good-news stories about Canada being a world leader in producing higher educational graduates, and how well these graduates are doing. There is no question in my mind that having many university graduates in Canadian society is a good thing. My concern is that much of this in jeopardy. There are strong signs that fewer people are benefiting from their undergraduate education, especially the liberal arts degree. Personal benefits are threatened as fewer students put an honest and sustained effort into their studies, and financial benefits are in jeopardy because of the glut of undergraduate credentials we are producing, especially those earned by unmotivated students. This glut has increased competition among degree holders for entry-level jobs and placement in post-graduate programmes. Consequently, more and more graduates are seeking multiple degrees and diplomas to get even a foothold in the labour force or on the short-list of advanced programmes. These problems are traceable to two "dirty little secrets" of the university system: widespread disengagement among students and rampant underemployment of graduates.


Organic materials, such as conjugated polymers, have emerged as a promising alternative for the production of inexpensive and flexible photovoltaic cells. As conjugated polymers are soluble, liquid based printing techniques enable production on large scale to a price much lower than that for inorganic based solar cells. Present day state of the art conjugated polymer photovoltaic cells are comprised by blends of a semiconducting polymer and a soluble derivative of fullerene molecules. Such bulk heterojunction solar cells now show power conversion efficiencies of up to 4-6%. The quantum efficiency of thin film organic solar cells is however still limited by several processes, of which the most prominent limitations are the comparatively low mobility and the high level of charge recombination. Hence organic cells do not yet perform as well as their more expensive inorganic counterparts. In order to overcome this present drawback of conjugated polymer photovoltaics, efforts are continuously devoted to developing materials or devices with increased absorption or with better charge carrier transporting properties. The latter can be facilitated by increasing the mobility of the pure material or by introducing beneficial morphology to prevent carrier recombination. Minimizing the active layer film thickness is an alternative route to collect more of the generated free charge carriers. However, a minimum film thickness is always required for sufficient photon absorption. A further limitation for low cost large scale production has been the dependence on expensive transparent electrodes such as indium tin oxide. The development of cheaper electrodes compatible with fast processing is therefore of high importance. The primary aim of this work has been to increase the absorption in solar cells made from thin films of organic materials. Device construction, deploying new geometries, and evaluation of different methods to provide for light trapping and photon recycling have been strived for. Different routes to construct and incorporate light trapping structures that enable higher photon absorption in a thinner film are presented. By recycling the reflected photons and enhancing the optical path length within a thinner cell, the absorption rate, as well as the collection of more charge carriers, is provided for. Attempts have been performed by utilizing a range of different structures with feature sizes ranging from nanometers up to centimeters. Surface plasmons, Lambertian scatterers, micro lenses, tandem cells as well as larger folded cell structures have been evaluated. Naturally, some of these methods have turned out to be more successful than others. From this work it can nevertheless be concluded that proper light trapping, in thin films of organic materials for photovoltaic energy conversion, is a technique capable of improving the cell performance. In addition to the study of light trapping, two new alternative electrodes for polymer photovoltaic devices are suggested and evaluated.


This book is the compilation of materials on the role of religion in the areas of human well-being and coping with adverse life situations. The readers will find articles related to these aspects both timely and of great importance as we are stepping into an era full of uncertainties and of great turbulence. The articles are from the works of empirical research completed with observations and experimentation with revealed truth and spiritual experiences. This should provide the readers a holistic and wholesome solution to the problems of mankind. The collection of studies in this volume are efforts to find empirical evidence for the utility of religious beliefs and practices for mitigating, if not completely alleviating, human suffering as a result of both psychological and physical causes.


This paper reports on the evaluation of a study to explore the use of the virtual world Second LifeTM for conducting real physics experiments, completed as a pilot activity for a new course development at The Open University. All HEIs within the UK are currently engaged in some level of activity in virtual worlds. However in such a young field there is a relatively scarce literature, and so small scale pilot projects are vital for exploring the pedagogical framework as well as the practical tools for supporting specific subjects within such an immersive environment. This study gave ten participants access to a small range of tools that enabled them to create experiments to explore the physics of Second Life using a cognitive learning approach. Data on their inworld activity was collected and compared against their input to a survey at the conclusion of the two-week study period. These results were triangulated using detailed follow up interviews with a smaller sample of two participants. The research found that students look for context and indicators of stability and reassurance during the experience. The majority of respondents indicated that they would be happy to participate in course-embedded Second Life activities of this type, albeit also expressing a range of reservations, providing valuable feedback for further development of the pilot tools and module framework.


Cyclic AMP-response element modulator α (CREMα) is a transcription factor that is highly related to cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) but represses cAMP-induced gene expression from simple artificial promoters containing a cAMP-response element (CRE). CREMα lacks two glutamine-rich Q regions that, in CREB, are thought to be necessary for transcriptional activation. Nevertheless, protein kinase A stimulation induces CREMα to activate the complex native promoter in the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) gene. To study this phenomenon in the absence of protein kinase A stimulation, we introduced a mutation into CREMα to allow constitutive binding to the coactivator CREB-binding protein. This mutant, CREMαDIEDML, constitutively activated the PEPCK promoter. By engineering the leucine zipper regions of CREMαDIEDML and CREBDIEDML to direct their patterns of dimerization, we found that only CREMαDIEDMLhomodimers fully activated the PEPCK promoter. By using a series of deletion and block mutants of the PEPCK promoter, we found that activation by CREMαDIEDML depended on the CRE and two CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) sites. A dominant negative inhibitor of C/EBP, A-C/EBP, suppressed activation by CREMαDIEDML. Furthermore, a GAL4-C/EBPα fusion protein and CREMαDIEDML cooperatively activated a promoter containing three GAL4 sites and the PEPCK CRE. Thus, we propose that the C/EBP sites in the PEPCK promoter allow CREMα to activate transcription despite its lack of Q regions.


Ternary Pt-based nanoparticles (nominal composition Pt80Ru10Sn10 ) were synthesized via the microemulsion route and deposited onto boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode. The particle size measured by transmission electron microscopy was in the 2–5nm diam range. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed a slightly different surface composition from that of the bulk and showed no chemical shift of the Pt4f7∕2 line in ternary Pt∕Ru∕Sn nanoparticles. For both methanol and ethanol electro-oxidation, the ternary catalyst exhibited lower onset potentials than either pure Pt or the corresponding bimetallic (Pt∕Ru and Pt∕Sn ) catalysts. The ternary Pt∕Ru∕Sn catalyst was more efficient for methanol oxidation than for complete oxidation of ethanol, because ethanol electro-oxidation was stopped at acetaldehyde and/or acetic acid formation, the ternary catalyst being unable to activate the C-C bond scission.


A system for recognition of online handwritten characters has been presented for Indian writing systems. A handwritten character is represented as a sequence of strokes whose features are extracted and classied. Support vector machines have been used for constructing the stroke recognition engine. The results have been presented after testing the system on Devanagari and Telugu scripts.


Cusk (Brosme brosme) was designated as ''threatened'' by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in 2003, based on an estimated 93% decline between 1970 and 2001 from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Scotian Shelf summer bottom trawl survey index. We combined this index with a fishery-dependent longline index in a Bayesian surplus production state-space model to estimate population trends and the recovery potential of western Scotian Shelf cusk. We tested for index nonproportionality using a power curve function in the observation model and identified potential hyperdepletion for cusk in the trawl survey index. We estimate a 59% decline in cusk bio- mass between 1970 and 2001, and a 64% decline from 1970 to 2007. Although population projections indicate the current landing limit should lead to population recovery, robustness tests suggest the biomass projections and recovery time lines are overly optimistic. Simulations showed that incorporating multiple indices increases power to recapture model parame- ters and failure to account for index nonproportionality results in biased parameter estimates. We suggest that nonpropor- tionality of fishery-independent indices must be considered when determining the population status of data-poor species. Resume´ : Le brosme (Brosme brosme )aetedesigneespece menacee par le Comitesur la situation des especes en peril


The Digital Disease Detection Dashboard (D4) provides an analytics environment to conduct hypothesis testing, hot spot geolocations, and forecasting in a centralized dashboard. Methods such as linear regression, LOESS, and SIR modeling are implemented R, an open-source programming language. Visualizations utilize Javascript libraries and are rendered using R-Shiny. Currently, D4 contains 15 epidemiological datasets from the CDC including foodborne illness cases, influenza patient counts and positive lab confirmations, and unconventional public health data like weather data. D4's objective is to use powerful statistical models and rigorous visualizations to analyze multivariable associations to specific outcomes using open source code.


Perhaps the most obvious lesson of Cass Sunstein's newest book is that constitutional interpretation is a much more complex matter than is often thought. Typically, we place the different approaches to constitutional interpretation into neatly separate and self-contained categories, such as originalists and those who believe in a living constitution. But as Cass Sunstein demonstrates in A Constitution of Many Minds, constitutional interpretation is anything but a neatly-defined endeavor. Sunstein presents and analyzes three different approaches to constitutional interpretation: traditionalism, populism, and cosmopolitanism. Not only do these three models reflect somewhat newly articulated theories of constitutional interpretation, but Sunstein also takes a new approach in analyzing each of these models. According to Sunstein, each of the three models rest in their own way on a "many minds" argument, which asserts that if many people have settled on a common practice or proposition, the courts should pay careful attention to that practice or proposition. A form of this "many minds" argument underlies each model, even though each model differs significantly from the other. Sunstein then analyzes each of the differing models of constitutional interpretation by scrutinizing the particular form of the "many minds" argument that underlies each of the different models. Sunstein's use of the "many minds" argument obviously indicates that he sees constitutional interpretation as a function that extends well beyond the


Older adults comprise a heterogeneous population group that usually has a high disease burden, comorbidities, and, in many cases, subclinical conditions that compromise their health and quality of life. In addition to the physical component, the health conditions of elderly individuals are significantly influenced by cognitive and affective components, social and family factors such as abandonment, and functional factors including the ability to perform everyday activities. In response to this complex scenario, the comprehensive geriatric evaluation constitutes a multidimensional and interdisciplinary diagnostic tool that assesses the health of older adults in all of its complexity by considering the physical, mental, social/family, and functional needs to obtain full knowledge of older person's health status and creating a plan that consists of appropriate and individualized interventions that considers the preferences and values of older individuals and their families.


This paper analyzes the relationship between same-sex marriage bans and sexually transmitted infections using state-level data from 1981 to 2008. We hypothesize that same-sex marriage bans may directly affect homosexual behavior; may affect or mirror social attitudes toward gays, which in turn may affect homosexual behavior; and may affect or mirror attitudes toward nonmarital sex, which may affect risky heterosexual behavior. Our findings may be summarized as follows. First, same-sex marriage bans are unrelated to gonorrhea rates, which are a proxy for risky heterosexual behavior. However, they are positively associated with syphilis rates, which are a proxy for risky homosexual behavior. Second, of the different legal measures, bans on both same-sex marriage and civil union are most strongly associated with syphilis. Third, the estimates are smaller when we exclude California, the state with the largest gay population, which may indicate it is indeed the behavior of gay men that is driving the findings.


Abstract This study evaluated the effect of surface conditioning methods on the microtensile bond strength (µTBS) of a restorative composite to indirect restorative materials. Blocks (5 × 5 × 4 mm3) (N = 72) of (a) Zirconia (In-Ceram Zirconia, Vita) (ZR), (b) lithium disilicate glass ceramic (IPS Empress II, Ivoclar Vivadent) (LD), (c) Indirect resin composite (Gradia, GC) (GR) were fabricated (n = 24 per group) and divided randomly into three groups: 1-Control: no conditioning, 2-Silane coupling agent, 3-Hydrofluoric acid (9.5%) (HF)+silane. Each block was duplicated in resin composite. The adhesion surfaces were conditioned with airborne-particle abrasion (110 µm Al2O3 particles). Half of the conditioned blocks received no bonding and the other half one coat of bonding (ED Primer II, Kuraray). Each conditioned block was bonded to a composite block with a resin luting agent (Panavia F2.0, Kuraray). The blocks were sectioned into 1 mm2 microsticks and tested for microtensile bond strength (µTBS) (0.5 mm/min) in a μTBS testing machine. Failure types were evaluated under stereomicroscope and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Data were analyzed using three-way ANOVA, Bonferroni corrected and independent sample t-tests (p < 0.05). Significant effect of the bonding (p < 0.001) and surface conditioning (p < 0.001) were observed in all groups. The highest mean bond strength values were obtained in the bonded, HF etched and silanized groups of ZR, LD and GR (12.4 ± 2.9, 28.1 ± 1.5 and 27.2 ± 2 MPa, respectively). HF acid + silane increased the repair bond values in all materials. Majority of the failure types were adhesive for ZR group, whereas HF + silane conditioned LD and GR groups presented predominantly cohesive failures in the cement.


With divorce being so prevalent, researchers have focused on the possible negative effects for the children involved. The majority of this research has only focused on the effects of divorce in Caucasian American individuals. Specifically, there is sparse research that examines the relationship quality of the children of divorced parents in various minority ethnic groups. The author chose to review the relevant literature by focusing on the connections between the variables of divorce, ethnicity, and relationship quality, with the intent to develop a comprehensive understanding and critical review of the intersection of all three variables (how divorce affects relationship quality across ethnicity). The review found that, due to conflicting information, more research is needed to come to a conclusion of whether divorce negatively affects intimate relationship quality across ethnicity.


Introduction Lung auscultation is helpful in the diagnosis of lung and heart diseases; however, the diagnostic value of lung sounds may be questioned due to interobserver variation. This situation may also impair clinical research in this area to generate evidence-based knowledge about the role that chest auscultation has in a modern clinical setting. The recording and visual display of lung sounds is a method that is both repeatable and feasible to use in large samples, and the aim of this study was to evaluate interobserver agreement using this method. Methods With a microphone in a stethoscope tube, we collected digital recordings of lung sounds from six sites on the chest surface in 20 subjects aged 40 years or older with and without lung and heart diseases. A total of 120 recordings and their spectrograms were independently classified by 28 observers from seven different countries. We employed absolute agreement and kappa coefficients to explore interobserver agreement in classifying crackles and wheezes within and between subgroups of four observers. Results When evaluating agreement on crackles (inspiratory or expiratory) in each subgroup, observers agreed on between 65% and 87% of the cases. Conger's kappa ranged from 0.20 to 0.58 and four out of seven groups reached a kappa of ≥0.49. In the classification of wheezes, we observed a probability of agreement between 69% and 99.6% and kappa values from 0.09 to 0.97. Four out of seven groups reached a kappa ≥0.62. Conclusions The kappa values we observed in our study ranged widely but, when addressing its limitations, we find the method of recording and presenting lung sounds with spectrograms sufficient for both clinic and research. Standardisation of terminology across countries would improve international communication on lung auscultation findings.


This paper presents an energy trading mechanism in the smart grid where different entities interact with each other's (i.e., the sellers, the buyers and the grid). Prosumers can sell their extra energy to the buyers. Then, the latter can interact with the grid if any remaining needed energy. In the existing literature, most studies use the assumption that there is no priority for the buyers participating in the energy management system. All of them pay the same price for the energy suppliers (providers or sellers) without any distinction. In our case, our aim is to divide the deficient of energy in an optimal way between the sellers and the grid while integrating a priority for the buyers. We propose a game theoretical approach to model the different interactions. It is shown analytically that our proposed approach satisfies the prosumers by reducing their bills in comparison to other works.


This paper presents a diagnostic and prognostic condition monitoring method for insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power modules for use primarily in electric vehicle applications. The wire-bond-related failure, one of the most commonly observed packaging failures, is investigated by analytical and experimental methods using the on-state voltage drop as a failure indicator. A sophisticated test bench is developed to generate and apply the required current/power pulses to the device under test. The proposed method is capable of detecting small changes in the failure indicators of the IGBTs and freewheeling diodes and its effectiveness is validated experimentally. The novelty of the work lies in the accurate online testing capacity for diagnostics and prognostics of the power module with a focus on the wire bonding faults, by injecting external currents into the power unit during the idle time. Test results show that the IGBT may sustain a loss of half the bond wires before the impending fault becomes catastrophic. The measurement circuitry can be embedded in the IGBT drive circuits and the measurements can be performed in situ when the electric vehicle stops in stop-and-go, red light traffic conditions, or during routine servicing.


The objective of this study was to observe the effect of Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotrophin (PMSG) administration time on progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) concentrations in synchronized ewes. The experimental animals used in this study were Cameroon hair sheep and Thai Long Tail wool sheep crossbreds. Controlled Internal Drug Release (CIDR) device was implanted intravaginally to 40 ewes for 11 and 13 days. Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotrophin (PMSG), 200 I.U. was administered at CIDR withdrawal and 24 hours prior to CIDR withdrawal. Blood samples were collected between 3 to 4 day intervals for 6 weeks after CIDR implantation. The P4 and E2 blood plasma concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Ewes that received PMSG at CIDR withdrawal gave significantly higher P4 and E2 concentrations as compared to ewes that received PMSG at 24 hours prior to CIDR withdrawal in both 11 and 13 days CIDR implantation. In conclusion, PMSG administration at 24 hour prior to or at CIDR withdrawal would affect the concentrations of blood plasma P4 and E2 in synchronized ewes and subsequently would affect the reproductive performance in ewes.


Background The efficacy of prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) compared with fresh frozen plasma (FFP) for reversal of oral anticoagulants has not been investigated in geriatric patients suffering intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) due to a ground-level fall (GLF). Methods Patients 65 years and older who were treated at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital between January 2011 and March 2018 with ICH after a GLF while taking warfarin were reviewed. Patients were reversed with either FFP (n=25) or PCC (n=27) and patient outcomes were compared. Separate analyses were conducted for patients who received adjuvant vitamin K administration and those who did not. Results Mortality rates, hospital length of stay, intensive care unit admission and length of stay were similar for both FFP and PCC intervention. There was no difference in radiological progression of hemorrhage within the first 24 hours of admission (FFP: 36%, PCC: 43%, p=0.365). In patients who had international normalized ratio (INR) values measured prior to intervention, 81% (17 out of 21) of the PCC group reached an INR value below 1.5 within an 8-hour period, whereas only 29% (4 out of 14) of the FFP group did (p=0.002). Vitamin K was concomitantly given to 28% of the patients receiving FFP, and 81% of those patients receiving PCC. No significant differences in outcomes were found whether adjunctive vitamin K was administered or not, in either FFP or PCC group. However, when vitamin K was not administered, the PCC group had a higher rate of INR reversal (80% vs. 10% for FFP, p=0.006). Conclusion Administration of PCC is as effective in short-term outcomes as FFP in treating geriatric patients on warfarin sustaining an ICH after a GLF. INR reversal was more successful, significantly faster, and required lower infusion volumes in patients receiving PCC. Level of evidence Level III.


Tissue factor (TF) performs an essential role in the blood clotting system by activating the extrinsic coagulation pathway following vascular injury. In addition to this physiological hemostatic role for wound repair, TF also plays pivotal roles in organ dysfunction in trauma patients by triggering pathological disseminated thrombosis and inflammation. Constitutively expressed TF in subendothelial cells is released into the circulation following trauma and can be detected as slightly elevated TF levels in the plasma. Liberation of constitutive TF into the blood and inducible tissue factor expression on monocytes and the other cells may synergistically increase plasma TF levels to higher values at the early stage of posttrauma, especially in patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in association with sustained systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Marked TF generation not adequately balanced by physiological coagulation inhibitors such as tissue factor pathway inhibitor in posttrauma DIC patients has been observed. Based on these pieces of evidence, it has now been accepted that combined activation of TF-dependent coagulation inadequately regulated by anticoagulant mechanisms and inflammation may synergistically play important roles in the pathogenesis of posttrauma multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.


Given the immense effect of weather on agriculture, skillful weather forecasts are of importance to agricultural producers for effective decision making. Weather forecasts affect operational decisions such as whether or not to irrigate (where applicable), when to apply fertilizer, when to spray herbicide and pesticide, and certainly the timing of planting and harvesting. At the seasonal time scale, say in the spring, just before planting, weather forecasts may be used for strategic decision making on outcomes, say from pre-harvest hedging (hereafter referred to hedging), that will not be realized until the fall or harvest. Historically, the lack of skill in generating seasonal forecasts has led the vast majority of agricultural producers to not have enough confidence to use weather forecasts in the hedging decision. Scientific advancements improving skill and accuracy of seasonal weather forecasts in the 21st century have occurred due to a better understanding of the interplay between atmosphere, land, and oceans, as well as faster and more detailed computer analysis of weather and climate data (Benjamin et al., 2018). Yet, the adoption of weather forecasts in decision making in the agricultural sector has remained low. According to Klemm and McPherson (2018), the lack of adoption of forecasts can be attributed due in part to a lack of stakeholder relevance of the forecast information, a lack of forecast accuracy, or simply because the forecasts are too difficult to understand. The goal of this paper is to motivate the use of a modern-day weather forecast in the hedging decision. We achieve this goal by investigating how modern-day weather forecasts are established and develop a simple hedging model based on the weather forecast. Perhaps the primary issue with the traditional seasonal forecast is the manner in which it has typically been communicated to users. For example, seasonal outlooks issued by the National Oceanic and AdminisMarket Report Year Ago 4 Wks Ago 11-2-20


Dependency syntax has long been recognized as a crucial source of features for relation extraction. Previous work considers 1-best trees produced by a parser during preprocessing. However, error propagation from the out-of-domain parser may impact the relation extraction performance. We propose to leverage full dependency forests for this task, where a full dependency forest encodes all possible trees. Such representations of full dependency forests provide a differentiable connection between a parser and a relation extraction model, and thus we are also able to study adjusting the parser parameters based on end-task loss. Experiments on three datasets show that full dependency forests and parser adjustment give significant improvements over carefully designed baselines, showing state-of-the-art or competitive performances on biomedical or newswire benchmarks.


ABSTRACT Duan, L.; Xing, L.; Wang, D.; Fan, M., and Wang, P., 2021. Numerical investigation of wave-induced uplift force exerted onto a shallowly buried pipeline using a two-dimensional fully coupled model for wave-seabed-structure interaction. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(4), 800–812. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. In this paper, a novel two-dimensional numerical model for wave-seabed-pipeline interaction is proposed to investigate the wave-induced uplift force exerted onto a shallowly buried pipeline. Unlike previous models, the present model is fully coupled, and the effects of fluid shear stress at the seabed surface on the soil dynamic response are considered. In this study, the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equation was applied to simulate flow motions, and the level set method was used to track the free water surface. Meanwhile, Biot's poroelastic equation (u-p mode) was taken to govern the wave-induced oscillatory response of the seabed, and the pipeline was treated as elastic. After validation using data from laboratory experiments in the literature, the novel model was first employed to investigate the distribution of the wave-induced transient seabed response around the shallowly buried pipeline. Then, the effects of the wave parameters, the soil properties, and the pipeline diameter and burial depth on the wave-induced maximum uplift force exerted onto the structure were systematically examined in detail. Finally, wave-induced maximum uplift of the shallowly buried pipeline was predicted based on the numerical results, which may provide some references for engineering practice. Numerical results confirmed that both the nonlinear pipeline-seabed contacts and the fluid shear stress at the seabed surface can greatly affect the soil dynamic response, which should be considered in determining the wave-induced uplift force exerted onto a shallowly buried pipeline.


This paper proposes a scheme for developing a low-cost underwater acoustic communication link and implements a portable underwater wireless sensor node capable of monitoring sub-aquatic parameters and transmitting them back to a land-based base station. The designed underwater communication link utilizes ultrasonic vibrations from off-the-shelf ultrasonic transducer pairs modified to achieve underwater wireless communication. The underwater sensor node is equipped with temperature and pressure sensors, measurements from which are periodically transmitted to the surface base station. The surface base station can additionally connect to various smartphones and computers using a Bluetooth interface. The proof of concept implementation shows consistent performance under laboratory conditions.


As of 2 April 2003, 2223 cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and 78 deaths have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO), a case fatality rate of 3.5% (http://www.who.int/csr/sarscountry/2003_04_02/en/). This is an increase of four to fivefold in the global totals in the last seven days (http://www.who.int/csr/sarscountry/2003_03_25/en/) with the greatest proportionate and absolute increases being in China (Hong Kong and Guangdong Province), and to a much lesser extent in Canada. There has been little absolute rise in other country totals. Eighteen countries have now reported cases but in most of these no transmission seems to have occurred. Local transmission has occurred in Hanoi (Vietnam), Singapore, Toronto (Canada), Taiwan, and the following parts of China: Guangdong Province; Beijing; Shanxi; and the special administrative region of Hong Kong. In the United Kingdom three probable SARS cases have been reported; all have now recovered. Indeed, the only areas where WHO feels there is evidence consistent with current transmission are Hong Kong and Guangdong (http://www.who.int/csr/sarsarchive/2003_02_02b/en/), and the WHO has issued advice to international travellers not to travel to or through either area.


A 42 year old man presented with accelerated hypertension and an abdominal mass that proved to be a primary malignant retroperitoneal germ cell tumour involving renal vessels. The hypertension resolved with chemotherapy. To our knowledge this is the first case of a primary malignant retroperitoneal germ cell tumour to present with accelerated hypertension.


It is well established that CD4+ T-helper cells are vital in the adaptive immune response and mediate the clearance of persistent pathogens. Specific T-helper cell phenotypes that secrete distinct profiles of cytokines are generated in response to infection. These cytokines orchestrate homeostasis and pathogen clearance through autocrine and endocrine signalling. Dysregulation of this process can lead to inflammation and autoimmune disease. Secretion of cytokines is facilitated by highly regulated SNARE proteins. SNAREs have been shown to form specific partnerships and facilitate membrane-membrane fusion required for the exocytosis of cytokines and other proteins from immune cells. Using an optimised in vitro model, isolated CD4+ T cells were polarised into T-helper cell subsets in order to profile SNARE expression and regulation. Syntaxin-11 (STX11) was identified as a candidate regulatory SNARE in Th1 and Th17 cells. Further investigation in vivo using two mouse models of inflammation suggested that STX11 was regulated in Th17/Th1 mediated disease. Finally, we examined Th1 and Th17 responses in STX11 deficient mice and demonstrated that in the absence of STX11, T helper cell secreted increased levels of IFN-� and were unable to differentiate into a Th17 subset. The elucidation of SNARE trafficking pathways in CD4+ T-helper cells may represent potential therapeutic targets for blocking cytokine secretion from targeted cells and control inflammation. It may also lead to a better understanding of SNARE deficient immune disorders such as familial haemophagocytic lymphohistocytosis - 4 (FHL-4), characterised by over production of cytokines and high number of activated lymphocytes due to STX11 deficiency.