Virtual reality (VR) is being used increasingly in many fields of medicine, including rehabilitation. Both 2D and 3D virtual environments (VEs) can be viewed either through a head mounted display (HMD) or on a screen (computer monitor and rear projection system, SPS). However, the question of whether the medium through which the environment is viewed affects motor performance has not been addressed. The objective of our study was to determine whether movement patterns were different when movements were performed in a 3D fully immersive VE viewed via an HMD or SPS. Two groups of subjects were recruited (stroke, healthy). They performed pointing movements to targets placed in the ipsilateral, central and contralateral arm workspaces in a VE. The VE, designed to resemble the interior of an elevator, was viewed via an HMD or a SPS. Arm motor impairment and spasticity were evaluated in both groups of subjects. The kinematics of the pointing movements were recorded using an optical tracking system (Optotrak Certus, 100 Hz, 6 markers). Arm motor performance (speed, precision and trajectory straightness) and movement quality outcomes (elbow and shoulder ranges of motion and trunk forward displacement) were analyzed using 2 way ANOVAs. Preliminary results suggest that the control group had straighter movements and used more shoulder flexion as compared to the stroke group. When the VE was viewed via both media, there were no differences in terms of endpoint precision and speed, elbow and shoulder ranges of motion and trunk forward displacement in both groups. Both groups reported that they completely enjoyed performing the movements when viewing them via both media. All subjects in the control group and 80% of subjects in the stroke group reported that VE was engaging, that it felt real and that the movements performed were similar to those made in the physical world. The results of this study have implications for the design of rehabilitation applications using VR aimed at improving arm motor activity and function.


This paper describes aerodynamic tests (wind tunnel test) for a model of secondary cabin roof (SCR) applied in BMW M3 E92 Coupe. SCR is a vehicle accessory installed on vehicle roof useful to block heats from sun while the car parking. The test were conducted at UPT-Laboratorium Aero Gas Dinamika dan Getaran (LAGG)-BPPT, PUSPITEK, Serpong, to determine lift and drag coefficient (cl and cd) of vehicle. This model with scale of 1:4.5 was tested with rigid body made by wood. The SCR model has been made from aluminium and has two kinds of type, which are A and B. The model test was carried out with the following parameters: wind speed of 15, 20 m/s, then 1,5 cm and 2,5 cm for height of SCR from roof . Before the test start, the first things that must be done is preparation the tools for test, next step is calibration of external balance in wind tunnel to obtain matrix of calibration. The inverse of this matrix named matrix of test will be used as a multiply factor to voltage measurement from result test of external balance while test start. Output from this multiply is aerodynamic forces experienced by model test. Installing SCR made some change to aerodynamic experienced by vehicle. From data of test, installing SCR type B with height 1,5 cm from roof, the smallest cl can be obtained for each variation of velocity are 0,3 for 15 m/s and 0,29 for 20 m/s. Meanwhile, installing SCR type A with height 2,5 cm from roof, the smallest cd be obtained for each variation of velocity are 0,368 for 15 m/s and 0,355 for 20 m/s. This results are valid if only the flow regime of two corresponding fluid are same and with the same model too.


Given the training objectives of higher vocational education, analyzed teaching model of modular course, discussed the conversion of this teaching model. Schools become professional learning communities. Curriculum focus on students' professional competence. Students more actively participate in teaching. Teachers became "master" of curriculum. It has been proved that the practice effect of this teaching model of modularization curriculum is very good.


Background. Recently, non-presintered chromium-cobalt (Cr-Co) blocks with the commercial name of Ceramill Sintron were introduced to the market. However, comprehensive studies on the dimensional accuracy and fit of multi-unit frameworks made of these blocks using the coordinate measuring machine (CMM) are lacking. This study aimed to assess and compare the dimensional changes and fit of conventional casting and milled frameworks using Ceramill Sintron. Methods. A metal model was designed and scanned and 5-unit frameworks were fabricated using two techniques: (I) the conventional casting method (n=20): the wax model was designed, milled in the CAD/CAM machine, flasked and invested; (II) the milling method using Ceramill Sintron blocks (n=20): the wax patterns of group 1 were used; Ceramill Sintron blocks were milled and sintered. Measurements were made on the original reference model and the fabricated frameworks using the CMM in all the three spatial dimensions, and dimensional changes were recorded in a checklist. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and the two groups were compared using one-way ANOVA and Tukey test (α=0.05). Results. The fabricated frameworks in both groups showed significant dimensional changes in all the three dimensions. Comparison of dimensional changes between the two groups revealed no significant differences (P>0.05) except for transverse changes (arch) that were significantly greater in Ceramill Sintron frameworks (P<0.05). Conclusion. The two manufacturing processes were the same regarding dimensional changes and the magnitude of marginal gaps and both processes resulted in significant dimensional changes in frameworks. Ceramill Sintron frameworks showed significantly greater transverse changes than the conventional frameworks.


One of the greatest challenges presented by the writings of Flann O'Brien is how to place them. For some he is the peer of Joyce and Beckett; for others his work is modernist pastiche; still others regard him as a reactionary satirist; while for another group he is the forerunner of American postmodernism. His work is often loosely labelled "surreal" or "absurd." Yet O'Brien's work is rarely read as avant-garde per se. This essay attempts to gain a new understanding of his oeuvre by reading a particular sliver of it – his manifestos – in the context of the historical avant-garde in Europe. Like many writers of his generation and the one previous, O'Brien wrote manifestos. One example is the founding editorial of the "anti-magazine" Blather (1934), whose "sardonic laugh" echoes the manifestos – or "anti-manifestos" – of Vorticism and Dada. The manifesto of intertextuality in At Swim-Two-Birds (1939), meanwhile, is more complex: while it appears to be in some ways a sincere statement about the novel as a whole, it is also intensely ironic and self-mocking. But that only deepens its relation to the manifestos of the preceding decades, which frequently undercut their own purpose in the midst of their performance.


When I came to work in Cardiff in 1994 and was soon invited to take over control of the School budget, it became clear that we had a serious leak in our funding. Because of the educationally admirable University of Wales practice whereby students take three first-year subjects, only one in their Honours choice, we scored for funding only one third of our intake of some 150 students and were in a permanent funding deficit by no means plugged with second- or third-subject students from other degrees. We increased those extra numbers through new courses and good teaching, but we remained in overall deficit. Though we had neatly reduced the outflow through the hole in the bath, the rate at which it filled had slowed down: each year's `efficiency gain' reduced funding, exacerbated by the occasional revision in funding, which slurped money into other subjects, usually sciences. Unfortunately this unresolvable leak is not just caused by casual malice; it's a symptom of a larger systematic debilitation that as far as Britain is concerned is only slowly extending its hold. The years I had previously spent in Australia had given me a close-up view of a characteristically more explicit version of the humanities bath problem. Australians are extremely efficient people, partly because they believe in the future, not the past, and partly because they design new administrative systems from the ground up, without English-style interventions from interested parties like titled landowners, Oxbridge vice-chancellors or (once upon a time) trade union leaders. As regards educational practice, Australia is in general about ten years ahead of Britain (it's twenty in sport) in matters like institutional mergers, student loans, internal funding devolution (destroy the strong deans) and, crucially, starving the humanities. I have been very busy writing references in the last two years for senior and very able friends who have suddenly decided to leave Australia. Many of them are good enough to walk into major jobs over here or in North America. Edinburgh, East Anglia, Open University, Chicago, British Columbia, Hong Kong, Cardiff is where most of the best of the 1970s generation of Australian-born intellectuals are now working. The motive in all the cases I have talked to has been the drastic loss of funding, and the consequent impact on morale, professional freedom and general conditions that occurred in the Australian universities from about 1987 onwards. In Australia it was a right-wing Labour government (ahah!) that made the decision to save significant sums on university funding by introducing student loans, targeting research funding into approved areas and pressing universities towards private sources of finance. That sounds familiar now. Then the right-wing conservative government that followed (remember they're ten years ahead) was able to intensify the pressure, with costlier fees, straitened research funding except in the mercantile-approved areas and, the most telling blow of all, a demand that all areas of the university should derive 20 per cent of funding from private sources. The Dodgy and Shonky chair of Real Estate Management was easy, and there were discoverable pills and powders enough to keep any faculty of medicine floating high. For arts, though, it meant selling places: departments were invited to reserve room either for overseas students or -- this was what drove many of my friends out -- for students who had not made the grade academically but whose parents could afford the full fees. If you could not find those people, or did not want to, then you stood the funding cut, lost untenured staff, failed to replace retirements, saved on paper, phones and so on: the full down--the-plughole effect. The results have been obvious on staffing, promotion, morale, quality. Stuart Macintyre, Professor of History and Dean of Arts at Melbourne, a man of some subtlety and know-how, has recently given a dean's inaugural lecture entitled `The Arts in the Occupied University' in which he, in all seriousness and in formal public, likens Australian humanities academics to the occupied French in the last war. …


GaN-HEMTs suffer from trapping effects which increases device ON-state resistance (RDS(on)) above its theoretical value. This increase is a function of the applied DC bias when the device is in its OFF state, and the time which the device is biased for. Thus, dynamic RDS(on) of different commercial GaN-HEMTs are characterised at different bias voltages in the paper by a proposed new measurement circuit. The time-constants associated with trapping and detrapping effects in the device are extracted using the proposed circuit and it is shown that variations in RDS(on) can be predicted using a series of RC circuit networks. A new methodology for integrating these RDS(on) predictions into existing GaN-HEMT models in standard SPICE simulators to improve model accuracy is then presented. Finally, device dynamic RDS(on) values of the model is compared and validated with the measurement when it switches in a power converter with different duty cycles and switching voltages.


Chinai¯s banking industry experienced rapid growth during the free access era from 1911 to 1927. However, the reasons private banks were so successful then remain unclear, particularly when property rights were not well protected due to government intervention. Using archived Young Brother Bank documents, we describe the banki¯s development from its founding as a family firm through its reinvention from a partnership into a corporation. We focus on organizational form choice and bank performance in this case study. We find that bankers in early modern China gain political connections by placing influential nonfamily members (often, acquisitive local warlords) on boards of directors because this protects them from the depredations of those warlords. This is a precondition for operating family businesses in unstable political circumstances.


If agents are to negotiate automatically with one another they need to follow a shared protocol. The protocol specifies the way in which negotiation should take place, including the flow of messages to be used. To date, most research in this area has focused on defining specific protocols for different kinds of interaction. Here we propose an alternative approach. We define a simple interaction protocol which can be used in all circumstances, and a general interaction framework using this protocol. This framework can be parameterized with different negotiation rules. By choosing different sets of rules, different negotiation mechanisms can be implemented. We present a taxonomy of such rules, together with examples of specific negotiation mechanisms. We also describe our implementation of the framework using the Jade multi-agent platform integrated with the Java Expert System Shell (Jess).


This paper describes the significance, constitution and approaches of exploiting national fitness project in physical education in middle school. It states that the exploitation of national fitness project is helpful to achieve the educational goal of "people-oriented", the traditional sports culture can be widely disseminated and effectively inherited; the cultural value of school sports can be enriched. It elaborates the national fitness project mainly consists of projects of entertainment, competition and those reflecting the festival. This paper discusses the approaches of exploiting national fitness project, such as changing the concept of education and establishing a scientific concept of sports resources, further strengthening the sorting, excavation and research of national traditional fitness project, meeting young students' physical and mental characteristics of in the choice of content, and highlighting the national characteristics and geographical characteristics of national fitness projects. It aims to integrate the national fitness project into physical education, enrich the resources of middle school PE curriculum and promote the comprehensive development of middle school students.


Combining higher resolution chromosome analysis and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation, our study demonstrates that: (1) Human chromosomes synthesize DNA in a segmental but highly coordinated fashion. Each chromosome replicates according to its innate pattern of chromosome structure (banding). (2) R-positive bands are demonstrated as the initiation sites of DNA synthesis in all human chromosomes, including late-replicating chromosomes such as the LX and Y. (3) Replication is clearly biphasic in the sense that late-replicating elements, such as G-bands, the Yh, C-bands, and the entire LX, initiate replication after it has been completed in the autosomal R-bands (euchromatin) with minimal or no overlap. The chronological priority of R-band replication followed by G-bands is also retained in the facultative heterochromatin or late-replicating X chromosome (LX). Therefore, the inclusion of G-bands as a truly late-replicating chromatin type or G(Q)-heterochromatin is suggested. (4) Lateral asymmetry (LA) in the Y chromosome can be detected after less than half-cycle in 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd), and the presence of at least two regions of LA in this chromosome is confirmed. (5) Finally, the replicational map of human chromosomes is presented, and a model of replication chronology is suggested. Based on this model, a system of nomenclature is proposed to place individual mitoses (or chromosomes) within S-phase, according to their pattern of replication banding. Potential applications of this methodology in clinical and theoretical cytogenetics are suggested.


The objective of this study is to develop a new kind of carbon membrane which could separate gas based on the adsorption concept. This study was subjected to encounter challenges imposed by general trade off between permeability and selectivity of membrane. Membrane was prepared from a thermosetting polymer that acts as a carbon precursor in this type of membrane. The membrane is formed by pyrolysis of cellulose acetate supported over a microporous ceramic membrane used for microfiltration at 3000C, 3250C, 3500C, 4000C, 4500C, and 5000C under N2 flowrate equal to 200 ml/min. The membrane then was further subjected to an oxidative treatment at temperature between 1500C to 4000C with an interval of 500C. The pyrolysis temperature was found plays an important role in changing the morphology of the carbon membrane been developed. Increasing the pyrolysis temperature produces more pores with smaller diameter, thus reducing the permeability of the penetrates. The optimum pyrolysis temperature for O2/N2 separation is at 4000C which give the value of the selectivity about 3.92. This value has exceeded an excellent value that is selectivity above 3.0 as suggested by Kulprathinja (1988). A hierarchal way to developed the adsorption selective carbon membrane has been done. The prepared membrane shows high permeabilities and selectivity towards separation of gas mixtures formed by hydrocarbons and N2. Membrane prepared at 4000C was further subjected to an air oxidation at 3000C and gave the value for single gas experiment, C2H6/N2; 2.52, C3H8/N2; 2.44, n-C4H10/N2; 2.35. For binary gas experiment, the selectivity for C2H6/N2; 3.3, C3H6/N2; 14.4, n- C4H10/N2; 26.05. A selective and high permeability carbon membrane based on cellulose acetate could be developed


The relationship between microstructure and fluid flow traced by hydrogen isotope ratios (δD) is examined within the Wildhorse detachment system of the Pioneer metamorphic core complex in south-central Idaho. Within the detachment footwall, 100-m-thick mylonitic quartzite containing minor white mica and K-feldspar displays a NW-trending stretching lineation and consistent top-to-the-NW sense of shear criteria. Microstructures within the detachment footwall comprise two groups: quartz ribbons and relict quartz grains flattened within the foliation, with porphyroclastic white mica fish; and intensely deformed and recrystallized quartz with high-aspect-ratio white mica arranged within C′ shear bands. White mica δD values are highly negative and cluster around −145‰ in high-aspect-ratio white mica and around −120‰ in porphyroclastic white mica fish. The most negative values are interpreted to reflect interaction with meteoric fluids from a high-elevation catchment (3000−4000 m), and the less negative values are interpreted to represent incomplete hydrogen isotope exchange between the meteoric fluid and the pre-extensional metamorphic fluid δD values in the white mica porphyroclasts. A suite of tightly clustered 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages from synkinematic white mica in the detachment footwall dates deformation, recrystallization, fluid-rock interaction, and therefore the presence of high topography at 38−37 Ma; these ages are consistent with the cooling/exhumation history of the high-grade core of the Pioneer metamorphic core complex in the late Eocene. The 38−37 Ma 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages are substantially younger than previously published ages of high topography in British Columbia to the north (49−47 Ma), in line with the hypothesis that high topography propagated from north to south in the northern segment of the North American Cordillera through Eocene time.


This book offers an alternative to the traditional process of
segmentation, targeting and positioning, highlighting some important implications for management and marketing practitioners as well as academics. Strategic positioning is the assertion of an organization's personality on decisions of how and where to compete. Operational positioning is an exercise in communication that concentrates on perception and image.

The book suggests that the principal drivers of strategic positioning play a fundamental role in the determination of strategy at all levels and play a pivotal role in differentiating competitors and generating competitive advantage. In particular, strategic positioning requires awareness and sometimes adjustment and changes in an organization's culture rather than just the cosmetic approach sometimes sought through promotion, advertising and communications plans.


This study has employed a computable general equilibrium (CGE) tax model for Bangladesh to directly assess the efficiency and equity effects of a set of proposed tax reforms, particularly excise tax, import tariff, direct tax and value added-tax. It has been found that pure excise tax reforms in the short run for resource mobilization have undesirable consequences on both efficiency and equity grounds. Tariff liberalization may enhance welfare even in a short run. But it is only through simultaneous reforms in all taxes that both equity and efficiency can be improved. A limited VAT stands out as a better alternative to excise taxes on efficiency group but may not be a desirable policy option on equity ground in a short ground. The overall results would point out that any single indirect tax reform could not be relied upon for favorable income redistribution in the short run.


Written a generation apart and rarely treated together by scholars, Little Women (1868) and The House of Mirth (1905) share a deep concern with materialism, moral development, and self-construction. The heroines in both grapple with conspicuous consumption, an aspect of modernity that challenges older beliefs about ethical behavior and core identity. Placing both novels at the historical intersection of modern consumer culture and older religious discourse on materialism and identity, Sarah Way Sherman analyzes how Alcott and Wharton rework traditional Protestant discourse to interpret their heroines' struggle with modern consumerism. Her conclusion reveals how Little Women's optimism, still buoyed by otherworldly justice, providential interventions, and the notion of essential identity, ultimately gives way to the much darker vision of modern materialistic culture in The House of Mirth.


Hiatal hernia is defined as the escape of abdominal organs to the thorax due to the anatomical weakness of the esophageal crus of the diaphragm. Hiatal hernia is often asymptomatic and causes gastroesophageal reflux when it is symptomatic. Patients with large hiatal hernias may have significant dyspnea and exercise disorder. The cause of dyspnea can be attributed mainly to large hernias in the thoracic cavity that cause left atrial compression, increase pulmonary venous pressure, produce interstitial edema and reduce pulmonary compliance. Here we present a 79-year-old female patient with hiatal hernia whose primary symptom is dyspnea. In the differential diagnosis of persistent dyspnea without a known cause, large hiatal hernias should be considered as a rare intraabdominal reason.


In 1998, a study on forty-five four-eyed turtles (Sacalia quadriocellata) was initiated to gather preliminary biological data of this species and to investigate the feasibility of its captive reproduction. In the following six years, no courtship behavior was found occurring in males and no oviposition in females. From 2004 to 2007, two successful techniques were applied to initiate reproductive behavior: 1) injecting exogenous reproductive hormones; and 2) redu- cing the stress of living in captivity. As a result of the hormone treatments, courtship behavior and copulation were ob- served during September and October, 2005. However, no courtship displays were seen from the CK males, which were not treated with hormones. Ovulation occurred between December and March, and the correlation was not significant between behavior of ovulation and food intake. Females laid only one clutch of eggs each year, with 2.47 eggs (n=34, range=1-4) at average, and 84 eggs were totally obtained, of which 13 were damaged, 52 were infertile and 19 fertile. Of the fertile eggs, nine were hatched with mean incubation period of 105.9 days (n=9, range=89-122 days) at tem- perature ranging from 24 to 27°C.


Tau is a copious microtubule-associated protein mainly expressed in neurons; it is also expressed in non-neuronal cells. Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases occurring mostly within the neuronal and glial cells of the central nervous system with a conspicuous tau pathology. In tauopathies, soluble tau disconnects from microtubules and forms abnormal, aggregated filamentous assemblies of hyperphosphorylated tau. Genetic, pathological and biochemical analyses have also proved that tau protein plays a major role in the pathogenesis of several tauopathies. Cognitive disorders are a type of psychological disorders that mainly distress observation, learning, memory, and problem elucidating. Among different cognitive disorders like amnesia, dementia, and delirium tauopathies mainly involve in dementia. Though tau is a neuronal protein, it is also expressed in various non-neuronal cells, like those of the liver, kidney and muscle. The activity of non-neuronal tau, especially in cancer cells, still needs to be elucidated; tau might have significant functions in nonneuronal cells. This chapter describes the associations between tauopathies and cancer.


BACKGROUND
Anxiety disorders are common in later life, but little is known about the long-term benefits and risks of pharmacotherapy.

METHOD
30 patients aged 60 years and older, with a DSM-IV anxiety disorder, entered a 32-week trial of citalopram. Data gathered at baseline and follow-up included anxiety symptoms using Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) scores, quality of life using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form (SF-36), and sleep using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Data analysis consisted of mixed-effect repeated measures models of HAM-A scores and pre-post comparison of SF-36 and PSQI scores.

RESULTS
30 persons entered treatment; most (27/30) had a primary DSM-IV diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (2 had panic disorder; 1 had posttraumatic stress disorder). Three subjects discontinued study medication due to side effects, 5 were terminated because of nonresponse, and 5 dropped out of the study for other reasons; thus, 17 subjects (57%) completed 32 weeks of treatment. Subjects' HAM-A scores improved significantly, with continuing improvements up until about 20 weeks of treatment. On the basis of a criterion of reduction in HAM-A to < 10 during the trial, 60% (18/30) of subjects were responders. Those who completed the 32-week trial had significant improvements in sleep and quality of life-including social functioning, vitality, mental health, and role difficulties due to emotional problems.

CONCLUSIONS
In this 32-week study of citalopram for elderly persons with anxiety disorders, 60% responded. Those who received a full course of treatment experience significant improvements in quality of life and sleep quality.


Drying of faecal sludge enclosed in a breathable, hydrophobic membrane laminate was investigated for the potential application of breathable membranes in decentralized container-based sanitation systems for developing nations. Moisture loss from the membrane-enclosed faecal sludge was studied using membrane 'envelopes' filled with faecal sludge collected from random volunteers. A drying test with a new membrane envelope resulted in 71.2% mass reduction over a period of 7 days with an average moisture flux of 0.73 g/day-cm2. Slight decrease in the sludge drying rates was observed over five reuses of the same membrane envelope. A stagnant film model was used to predict drying rates of membrane-enclosed faecal sludge in ten developing countries with high urban populations. Based on a loading rate of 15 L/day into a 200-L (55-gallon) collection container, the predicted drying rates range from 7.1 to 12.4 L/day. The filling time of the membrane-lined container decreased due to in-situ drying, resulting in longer operation time and less frequent emptying of the container.


1. The crayfish stomatogastric ganglion (SG) contains about twenty-five neurone somata; it supplies motor innervation for the anterior gut, and receives afferent input from mechanoreceptors associated with the stomach. Its proximal branches respond to normal stomach contractions with a complex, patterned, centrally directed discharge involving several units. 2. Discharges from the largest of these can be recorded nearly simultaneously in the two superior oesophageal (proximal) and the two lateral (distal) nerves from SG. In preparations with these lateral nerves connected to the stomach the cell shows constant-frequency spontaneous activity, which can be reset by direct stimulation of any one of the four branches. Mechanical stimulation of the cardiac ossicles evokes a burst discharge. 3. Simultaneous recording from the two lateral nerves shows that impulses in one of them consistently occur earlier; this temporal relationship is preserved when the leading side is stimulated, but reverses (usually accompanied by polarity changes) when the other is stimulated. Each lateral branch continues to respond independently after being cut at its point of entry into SG. 4. It is concluded that the cell is a new type of receptor neurone, with a bifurcating axon and two dendrites, each autogenically active at its receptor terminal. The higher-frequency input always determines the output rhythm. A cell with the appropriate configuration was figured by Orlov (1927) from methylene blue-stained SG preparations.


Non-academic skills exist alongside academic knowledge and abilities, and can include empathy, communication, and resilience. They have also been called 'life', 'non-cognitive' or 'essential' skills. Non-academic skills are associated with a range of positive outcomes across education, work, health and wellbeing, such as higher academic attainment, improved employability, and better physical and mental health. This POSTnote reviews evidence on the outcomes associated with non-academic skills and effective educational approaches to developing these skills in and out of the school environment.


The International Organization for Standards (ISO) was formed in 1949 to establish organizational working procedure and working groups to formulate international test standards for materials. In this work national government agencies have contributed largely to the ISO program (one notable exception being the United States.) Recent expansion has been in product performance, air quality, and reference materials. The ISO is organized via a council formed by three elected officers and 14 member organizations. An executive committee handles administrative duties and a general assembly of all member organizations is the working body. An appointed Secretary-General is the chief executive of ISO. A plenary meeting held every three years constitutes the ISO working meeting. ISO standards are originated as working documents from a small working group or task group. Upon approval by a subcommittee the document becomes a draft proposal and is given an identification number. After approval by the technical committee, the proposal becomes a draft international standard (DIS). This document is published as an international standard after ratification by 75 percent of the general assembly voters. At present there are 160 active ISO technical committees, 550 subcommittees and over 1000 working groups or task groups. The ferroalloys technical committee (TC 132) functions in three subcommittee areas: SC-I Sampling, SC-2 Chemical Analyses, and SC-3 Specifications. As of 1980, twenty-seven proposed standards for ferroalloys are in various stages of development.


ABSTRACT A development of the theory of trigonometric polynomials (TPs) is considered that involves generalization of the notion of TP and extension of the methods and results to cylindrical polynomials (CPs). On the basis of the proposed augmentation of TPs and CPs, a general approach is presented to the analysis of guided waves and resonances in electromagnetics and beyond. The method employs the known explicit forms of dispersion equations (DEs) describing eigenoscillations and normal waves in layered structures and is based on the development of the theory of generalized TPs and CPs performed in the study. The approach enables one to complete rigorous proofs of existence and determine domains of localization of the TP and CP zeros and the DE roots and validate iterative numerical solution techniques.


BACKGROUND
Anomalous experiences occur in many psychiatric conditions, but are also reported by non-patients. Given the continuum account of psychiatric symptoms and reports of dissociation between delusions and anomalous experiences, we predicted that anomalous experiences in a large non-clinical sample would (1) associate with delusion-like beliefs but not with socio-cultural beliefs and (2) that anomalous experiences would also show examples of dissociation with anomalous beliefs. A particular focus was the association between beliefs and experiences theoretically predicted to co-occur in Capgras syndrome.

METHODS
The study examined the distribution and correlates of differential levels of self-reported anomalous experience in a British sample of 1,000 individuals.

RESULTS
Anomalous experiences were found to be relatively common in the general population and were reported (occurring sometimes/often) by 48% of the sample. Being female and endorsing a non-Christian religion were the only two demographic factors related to higher experience scores. Significant relationships were found between anomalous experiences and anomalous beliefs (i.e., delusion-like and paranormal/religious), but not general societal beliefs. Dissociations between anomalous experiences and anomalous beliefs also were present but not common. No significant relationship was found between Capgras-type beliefs and experiences.

CONCLUSIONS
This large scale study demonstrated significant association between anomalous experiences and anomalous beliefs in the general population. The relationship was not, however present in all cases similar to cases reported in the clinical literature.


The surface active group (SAG) is the most obvious social interaction of the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). SAGs are typically composed of an adult female with two or more males engaged in social behavior near the surface. Distinct calls, believed to be produced by the female, are associated with these groups. Calls recorded from three North Atlantic right whale SAGs and three South Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena australis) SAGs were played back to North Atlantic right whales to determine if these sounds are sufficient to attract males to the groups. Playbacks of gunshot sounds produced by North Atlantic right whales were used as a control stimulus. Thirty-six trials were carried out from 1999 to 2001 in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Whales approached 27 of 31 SAG playbacks and 0 of 5 gunshot playbacks. Where sex was determined (n = 28), all approaches to North Atlantic SAG recordings were by males. Individuals (n = 22) of all age and sex classes approached South Atlantic SAG playbacks. These trials indicate that SAG calls from both populations are sufficient to attract right whales to SAGs and that males and females respond differently to stimuli from the North Atlantic. The difference in response to North and South Atlantic SAG stimuli was unexpected. Novelty, species differences in calls, and different seasonal or behavioral context for the recorded stimuli may be responsible for the differences in response.


This study examined fungal diversity and composition in conventional (CM) and desert farming (DE) systems in Oman. Fungal diversity in the rhizosphere of tomato was assessed using 454-pyrosequencing and culture-based techniques. Both techniques produced variable results in terms of fungal diversity, with 25% of the fungal classes shared between the two techniques. In addition, pyrosequencing recovered more taxa compared to direct plating. These findings could be attributed to the ability of pyrosequencing to recover taxa that cannot grow or are slow growing on culture media. Both techniques showed that fungal diversity in the conventional farm was comparable to that in the desert farm. However, the composition of fungal classes and taxa in the two farming systems were different. Pyrosequencing revealed that Microsporidetes and Dothideomycetes are the two most common fungal classes in CM and DE, respectively. However, the culture-based technique revealed that Eurotiomycetes was the most abundant class in both farming systems and some classes, such as Microsporidetes, were not detected by the culture-based technique. Although some plant pathogens (e.g., Pythium or Fusarium) were detected in the rhizosphere of tomato, the majority of fungal species in the rhizosphere of tomato were saprophytes. Our study shows that the cultivation system may have an impact on fungal diversity. The factors which affected fungal diversity in both farms are discussed.


A novel metric for time series, called Move-Split-Merge (MSM), is proposed. This metric uses as building blocks three fundamental operations: Move, Split, and Merge, which can be applied in sequence to transform any time series into any other time series. A Move operation changes the value of a single element, a Split operation converts a single element into two consecutive elements, and a Merge operation merges two consecutive elements into one. Each operation has an associated cost, and the MSM distance between two time series is defined to be the cost of the cheapest sequence of operations that transforms the first time series into the second one. An efficient, quadratic-time algorithm is provided for computing the MSM distance. MSM has the desirable properties of being metric, in contrast to the Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) distance, and invariant to the choice of origin, in contrast to the Edit Distance with Real Penalty (ERP) metric. At the same time, experiments with public time series data sets demonstrate that MSM is a meaningful distance measure, that oftentimes leads to lower nearest neighbor classification error rate compared to DTW and ERP.


The new protein reagent 1-fluoro-2-nitro-4-trimethylammoniobenzene iodide reacts with model amino acids to give derivatives that are very stable to hydrolysis. In a dimethyl sulphoxide-water medium it reacts rapidly (3h) with bovine insulin, and substitution occurs quantitatively at the N-terminal amino groups and at the in-amino groups of lysine residues. Two of the four tyrosine residues react, and it is assumed that these are the exposed groups leaving the buried groups unattacked. Unlike 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and related reagents, it imparts hydrophilic properties to the protein derivative, thus facilitating structural and other studies on the derivative. Circular-dichroism spectra of the modified insulin suggest that no conformational changes have occurred during reaction. These spectra also reveal the presence of an extrinsic Cotton effect at 410nm.


This article reports on a research project relating to the newly implemented mandatory Swedish national mathematics tests for third-grade students (nine and ten years old). The project's main research concerns the students' ideas about and reactions toward these tests and how the specific test situation affects their perception of their own mathematical proficiency. Drawing on theories that suggest identities are more fluid than static, we want to understand how students with special needs are "created." The specific aim of this article is to discuss how our research methods have been refined during the various phases of data collection and report on the resulting implications. It discusses issues surrounding child research and how methods involving video recording and video stimulated recall dialogue (VSRD) can contribute to research on children's experiences. Particular attention is given to methodological and ethical issues and how to disrupt power relations. In this article, we argue that the context of the test situation not only impacted upon the students but also affected how we changed, developed, and adapted our approaches as the project evolved.


Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in the burden of migraine and tension-type headache (TTH). Background: Migraine and TTH are more common in women than in men, with differences in comorbidities, treatment responses, disease-modifying factors, and ictal and interictal burden of disease. Information about sex-related influences on ictal and interictal burden is limited, and an increased understanding is mandatory to provide tailored individual treatment for female and male patients. Methods: Participants answered an online survey based on the EUROLIGHT questionnaire. Inclusion criteria were the consent to participate, complete responses to the diagnostic questions, and information about their sex. Sex differences were investigated using the Mann–Whitney U test or Chi-square test. For detecting factors that influence the burden of disease, we built binary regression models. Results: We included 472 (74.6% female) migraineurs and 161 (59.6% female) participants with TTH. Women with migraine reported significantly more problems in their love lives, more self-concealment, less feelings of being understood by family and friends, more interictal anxiety, a higher pain severity, and more depression and anxiety symptoms than men. For TTH, we did not find significant sex-related differences. A higher headache frequency was the factor that increased the burden of disease in female but not in male migraneurs. Conclusion: The burden of disease was higher in women than men with migraine in many aspects, but not with TTH. Therefore, according to our results, there is a need for sex-specific precision medicine for migraine but not TTH. Controlling the headache frequency with a proper acute or prophylactic treatment and treating comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms is crucial to ease migraine's burden, especially in women.


This study was conducted to determine whether the results of learning mathematics learners on the material to build a flat quadrilateral taught using Make a Match learning model is better than the TGT learning model. The sample was taken using cluster random sampling. The analysis test is done by normality test and homogeneity test. Normality test using Lilliefors test and Homogeneity test using Fisher test. Hypothesis test using t-test. Based on the calculation concluded the type of Make a Match cooperative learning model and TGT type cooperative learning model come from the normally distributed population. Homogeneity test using Fisher test can be concluded cooperative learning model type Make a Match and cooperative learning model type TGT same or homogeneous. Based on the hypothesis test, Ho is rejected. In conclusion, the result of learning mathematics of learners using Make a Match learning model is better than TGT learning model.


Solen grandis is an important economic and overexploited bivalve species. In order to perform its fine-scale genetic analyses, 105 pairs of microsatellites with polymorphism were identified through Illumina Hiseq platform and bioinformatic assembly technology in this study. The estimated fragment size ranged from 100 to 268 bp and the number of alleles per locus varied between 2 and 23. Observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.0667 to 1.0000 and 0.0966 to 0.9492, respectively. Fourteen loci deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction. These microsatellite markers developed in this study would be helpful for future genetic studies on S. grandis and closely related species.


Single-stranded DNA was complexed to the single-strand binding protein (SSB) of Escherichia coli in a mass ratio of 30:1. The protein moiety of this complex can be labelled by a number of methods of which we have chosen radio-iodination and biotinylation as examples. The SSB-M13 DNA complexes, labelled to high specific activities, were used as probes in hybridization experiments in which 1.6 X 10(-18) moles of immobilized target DNA were detected. The stability of the hybrids was not severely decreased by the binding of SSB. Analysis of hybrids by electron microscopy showed that complexing of DNA with SSB could be used to allow its subsequent identification in the hybrids.


SUMMARY The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nerolidol free (N-F) and nerolidol-loaded in nanospheres (N-NS) on the hepatic antioxidant/oxidant status of mice experimentally infected by Trypanosoma evansi. In the liver it was measured: reactive oxygen species (ROS), thiobarbituric reactive acid substances (TBARS) and non-protein thiols (NPSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and performed histopathological examination. In addition, seric levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were measured. Liver samples from mice infected by T. evansi showed increased (P < 0·05) ROS, TBARS, AST and ALT levels and SOD activity, and decreased NPSH levels and CAT activity (P < 0·05) compared with uninfected animals. N-NS treatment prevented (P < 0·05) ROS and TBARS increase, and increased NPSH levels, and ameliorate CAT and SOD activities on liver of infected mice. Moreover, N-NS treatment reduced (P < 0·05) AST and ALT levels, and prevented histopathological changes caused by the parasite. N-NS protected the liver from the oxidative stress caused by T. evansi, which might be due to its antioxidant properties. Nerolidol might be considered a promising therapeutic agent against oxidative stress, and nanotechnology is an encouraging approach to be explored.


Low dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening, together with the recent advances in targeted and immunotherapies, have shown to improve non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survival. Furthermore, screening has increased the number of early stage-detected tumors, allowing for surgical resection and multimodality treatments when needed. The need for improved sensitivity and specificity of NSCLC screening has led to increased interest in combining clinical and radiological data with molecular data. The development of biomarkers is poised to refine inclusion criteria for LDCT screening programs. Biomarkers may also be useful to better characterize the risk of indeterminate nodules found in the course of screening or to refine prognosis and help in the management of screening detected tumors. The clinical implications of these biomarkers are still being investigated and whether or not biomarkers will be included in further decision-making algorithms in the context of screening and early lung cancer management still needs to be determined. However, it seems clear that there is much room for improvement even in early stage lung cancer disease-free survival (DFS) rates; thus, biomarkers may be the key to refine risk-stratification and treatment of these patients. Clinicians' capacity to register, integrate, and analyze all the available data in both high risk individuals and early stage NSCLC patients will lead to a better understanding of the disease's mechanisms, and will have a direct impact in diagnosis, treatment, and follow up of these patients. In this review, we aim to summarize all the available data regarding the role of biomarkers in LDCT screening and early stage NSCLC from a multidisciplinary perspective. We have highlighted clinical implications, the need to combine risk stratification, clinical data, radiomics, molecular information and artificial intelligence in order to improve clinical decision-making, especially regarding early diagnostics and adjuvant therapy. We also discuss current and future perspectives for biomarker implementation in routine clinical practice.


Objectives Traditionally, teaching is part of a clinician's job. Some practitioners recognize the teaching activity as rewarding. This study explored the ways clinical practitioners experience their journey from clinicians to medical teachers, analyzing their prior experiences of teaching and learning, conceptions of good teaching and learning, perceptions of learning environments, and finally, how those factors influence their approaches to teaching. Methods Data for phenomenographic analysis were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in Spanish and administered to twelve clinical teachers in three medical schools in Colombia. Results Through sequential phases of analysis, we constructed a conceptual diagram to identify critical concepts, themes, and categories that describe patterns that clinicians adopt during their journey to become medical teachers. We identified two themes and four patterns that describe the journey from practitioner to medical teacher: the identity theme, referring to "what" practitioners showed as the object of the journey and the changing process theme referring to "how" participants adopt changes during the journey. We describe four patterns that describe the journey that physicians adopt when exposed to the experience of clinical teaching. Conclusion It is possible to identify two themes and to devise at least four patterns in ways of experiencing the journey to medical teacher. These patterns are not a fixed set of characteristics, but rather a spectrum of experiences. Taking into consideration the professional identity of clinical teachers and the path of their teaching process change, it might be possible to devise better strategies for teaching development activities.


The pineapple leaf fiber is abundant in the tropics and subtropics regions in the world. The raw pineapple leaf fiber needs to be degummed before spinning. In this paper, the effect of alkali treatment on fiber property was studied. Compared to the fiber that not treated by alkali, fiber property improved by alkali treatment. At the same time, the influence of parameters of alkali treatment on fiber property was also discussed. With the concentration of sodium hydroxide solution increasing, the fineness, the tenacity, and the breaking elongation of pineapple fiber are all decreased. The effect of time on the fineness of degummed pineapple fiber is insignificant. With the increase of time, the tenacity of pineapple fiber is decreased slightly. However, the breaking elongation of pineapple fiber decreased at first, and then increased. As the temperature increase, the fineness of pineapple fiber increased then decreased. On the contrary, with the temperature increasing, the tenacity of pineapple fiber decreased firstly, and then increased. The breaking elongation of pineapple fiber decreased with the increase of temperature.


In this study, SiC particles reinforced aluminum matrix composite was successfully fabricated using powder metallurgy technique followed by hot extrusion. The phases were identified by XRD and the microstructures were observed by SEM. The results showed that only Al and SiC phases existed in the composite, SiC particulates were well distributed in the aluminum matrix and the interface between Al and SiC was clean and well combined. Meanwhile, thermal conductivity and coefficient of thermal expansion of the composite were investigated, the research showed that thermal conductivity decreased as SiCp content increased because of poor thermal conductivity of SiCp and increased crystal defects forming during the fabrication process. And the same to thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion of the composite decreased as SiCp content increased because SiCp can acted as obstacles to the motion of dislocations, which can hinder the hot movement of electronics.


The Asian medicinal leech (Hirudinaria manillensis (Lesson, 1842)) can be found in freshwater environments including swamps and paddy fields. In Thailand, the Asian medicinal leech is most abundant in the Northeastern Provinces such as in Nakhon Phanom and Sakhon Nakhon. In Na Wa District, Nakhon Phanom Province for example, where the villagers have been capturing leeches in swamps during the rainy season (June-September) for more than 30 years as an alternative for rice farming. The people from Na Wa District also go to other provinces such as in Udon Thani, Nong Khai, and Khon Kaen to gather leeches. Wearing rubber boots, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts to protect themselves from leech attacks, the leech gatherers use scoop nets to capture the leeches attached in aquatic plants. Live leeches are sold to middlemen for THB 300-400/kg (400-500 leeches/kg) or about US$ 10-12/ kg, while dried leeches are sold for THB 1,500-2,000/kg or about US$ 500-700/kg. For 30 years, Thailand exports dried H. manillensis to China, and in 2018 about 20 tons valued at THB 20 million or USD 590 thousand. The current price of powdered dried leech in the international market ranges between USD 10/kg and USD 200/kg. Currently, the only source of this medicinal leech in Thailand is from the wild and there are no leech farms to support the increasing demand. Consequently, H. manillensis population, like other populations of medicinal leeches, could be at risk of overexploitation and extinction. This study on the breeding and hatching of H. manillensis is therefore conducted with the aim of providing useful information on the possibility of establishing leech farms to increase the production and prevent the depletion of Asian medicinal leech population from the natural environment.


With their inherent compliance, flexible manipulator systems (FMSs) are increasingly finding new applications, such as robotic surgeries requiring safe interaction with the environment. While force-controlled FMSs are desirable, an added passive, compliant element can enhance safety while preserving performance. This paper explores the effects of added compliance on tip-actuated FMSs. A detailed analysis compares the impacts of additional compliance, and comparisons are made with a baseline no-compliance case. It is observed that the series compliance provides added safety but with some compromise on performance and stability. In contrast, parallel compliance improves stability and performance without compromising safety in interaction. While similar insights have been well-understood in the context of rigid-link robots, it is interesting to observe that additional series compliance in tip-actuated flexible manipulators is undesirable, unlike for rigid-link robots.


Abstract The North Cyprus economy, under economic embargo since 1983, has been struggling to eradicate the income difference with South Cyprus with extremely limited resources. This paper examines the North Cyprus economy with a particular emphasis on its response to economic embargoes. It also examines how important economic embargoes would be (or have been) to the North Cyprus economy. For this purpose, total economic growth is decomposed with respect to different components of demand. The results show that despite the presence of embargoes, external demand and the availability of import flows are detrimental factors for economic growth. Domestic final demand is an equally important source of growth in the North Cyprus economy.


Alkaline earth metal complexes of nicotinamide with general formula [M(nia)(Cl) 2 (H 2 O) 3 ].nH 2 O (where M = Mg(II), Ca(II), Sr(II) and Ba(II); n= 0-9 water molecules) were obtained by the reactions of the corresponding metal chlorides with vitamin B3 (nia) in the presence of 1 : 4 (v : v) distilled water: methanol solvent at 70 o C for about 30 min., and their suggested structures were determined by elemental analyses, molar conductivity, (infrared, UV-vis.) spectra , thermal analysis (TG), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results revealed that nicotinamide complexes associated with one of nia ligand coordinated toward metal ion to form six coordinated structures through N-bonded pyridine ligand. Antimicrobial were assessment against some kind of (G + and G – ) bacteria and fungi.


Objective: To evaluate two teaching strategies on peripheral venipuncture used with university students. Methods: Quasi-experimental study conducted from October to November 2015 with 82 nursing students of a private university in Ceara. In order to check the previous knowledge of students, a pre-test was held and, after implementation of the educational strategy, a post-test on Peripheral Venipuncture was applied. A binomial test was used to analyze data and p values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The students showed good acceptance of the strategies used. However, the use of hypermedia reached statistically significant differences (p<0.000) between the number of correct answers in the pre-test and the posttest when compared to the results of the positive control group. Conclusion: The experimental group showed better performance in the post-test compared to the positive control group with the dialogic lecture.


Research indicates that stress increased across the globe after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Community resilience has been suggested as a central protective factor for stress related to disasters and emergency crises. This study examined the contribution of community resilience reported three years prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, together with related worries and personal risk factors, to perceived stress among Israeli adults following the first wave of COVID-19 in Israel. We performed a two-period 3-year longitudinal study (Period 1 [P1]: July-September 2017; Period 2: [P2] May-June 2020). The final sample included 578 participants. Participants completed a community resilience self-report questionnaire during P1 as well as measures regarding perceived stress and COVID-19 worries during P2. Using linear hierarchical regression, we tested the additional explanatory effect of community resilience and found it to be negatively associated with perceived stress. While health-related worries were not significantly associated with perceived stress, worries related to the functioning of governmental and health institutions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic were significantly associated with perceived stress. Additionally, being single, living in a smaller residence and income reduction during the pandemic predicted higher perceived stress. The current study highlights the potential buffering role of community resilience in protecting against COVID-19 stress. Assessing community resilience may help identify vulnerable groups, and focusing on community building may be an effective strategy to mitigate stress in future disasters.


This paper presents a work on biomass torrefaction performed in a laboratory unit with a reactor tube of a length of 0.5 m and an inner diameter of 0.04 m). The experiments are conducted with two species of wood, birch and pine, and sugar cane bagasse. The reactor was heated to the selected temperature (230°C, 250°C or 280°C) and kept at the final temperature for a period of 1, 2 or 3 hours. The effect of the raw material, temperature, residence time and nitrogen flow on the properties of the torrefied products is studied. The torrefied biomass products are characterized with elemental composition, energy content, moisture content, ash content, volatile fraction. The gaseous products are also analysed. The type of biomass influenced the product distribution. During torrefaction biomass undergoes changes in physical and chemical properties. The fixed carbon content and energy density increase with both time and temperature of torrefaction, while the yield on a weight basis decreases. The torrefied biomass has hydrophobic properties and a higher calorific value than the raw material.


ABSTRACT The Puget Sound estuary provides one of the most valuable shellfish habitats in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Shellfish are important economically, ecologically, and socially to the Puget Sound basin. The State of Washington manages the safety of shellfish harvest areas by assessing water quality on an ongoing basis and instituting advisories and closures based on water quality thresholds. Managers currently have little information to understand the effect of these closures on harvesting effort or economic values. In order to address this important need, we recently conducted a contingent behavior survey of recreational shellfish harvesters that use Puget Sound beaches. The survey elicited the number of annual trips respondents would expect to take under alternative closure scenarios, including a baseline of no closure. We estimate the demand for recreational trips using a count model system, quantifying the economic value lost to harvesters when beaches are closed due to pollution or biotoxins. JEL Codes: Q53, Q26.


Purpose
This paper is a "Q&A interview" conducted by Joanne Pransky of Industrial Robot Journal as a method to impart the combined technological, business and personal experience of a prominent, robotic industry engineer-turned successful innovator and leader regarding the challenges of bringing technological discoveries to fruition. This paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
The interviewee is Dr Robin R. Murphy, Raytheon Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University; Co-lead, Emergency Informatics EDGE Innovation Network Center, Texas A&M, Director of the Humanitarian Robotics and AI Laboratory and Vice President of the Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR) http://crasar.org. In this interview, Dr Murphy provides answers to questions regarding her pioneering experiences in rescue robotics.

Findings
As a child, Dr Murphy knew she wanted to be a mechanical engineer and obtained her BME degree from Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). While working in industry after her BME, she fell in love with computer science and received an MS and PhD in Computer Science at Georgia Tech where she was a Rockwell International Doctoral Fellow. In the mid-1990s, while teaching at the Colorado School of Mines, she pioneered rescue robots after one of her graduate students returned from the Oklahoma City bombing and suggested that small rescue robots should be developed for future disasters. The National Science Foundation awarded Murphy and her students the first grant for search-and-rescue robots. She has since assisted in responses at more than 20 worldwide disasters, including Hurricane Katrina, the Crandall Canyon Mine collapse, the Tohoku Tsunami and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

Originality/value
The response to the World Trade Center attacks after September 11, 2001 by Dr Murphy's team from the University of South Florida (the only academic institution), along with four other teams brought together by CRASAR, marked the first recorded use of a rescue robot at a disaster site. In addition to being a founder in the field of rescue robots, she is also a founder in the field of human–robot interaction and the Roboticists Without Borders. She has written over 100 publications and three books: the best-selling textbook, Introduction to AI Robotics, Disaster Robotics and Robotics-Through-Science-Fiction: Artificial Intelligence Explained Six Classic Robot Short Stories. Dr Murphy has received approximately 20 national awards and honors including: the AUVSI's Al Aube Outstanding Contributor Award, the Eugene L. Lawler Award for Humanitarian Contributions within Computer Science and Informatics, CMU Field Robotics Institute "Pioneer in Field Robotics" and TIME Magazine, Innovators in Artificial Intelligence. She is an IEEE Fellow.


Background: In addition to the canonical subject-verb-object (SVO) word order, German also allows for non-canonical order (OVS), and the case-marking system supports thematic role interpretation. Previous eye-tracking studies (Kamide et al., 2003; Knoeferle, 2007) have shown that unambiguous case information in non-canonical sentences is processed incrementally. For individuals with agrammatic aphasia, comprehension of non-canonical sentences is at chance level (Burchert et al., 2003). The trace deletion hypothesis (Grodzinsky 1995, 2000) claims that this is due to structural impairments in syntactic representations, which force the individual with aphasia (IWA) to apply a guessing strategy. However, recent studies investigating online sentence processing in aphasia (Caplan et al., 2007; Dickey et al., 2007) found that divergences exist in IWAs' sentence-processing routines depending on whether they comprehended non-canonical sentences correctly or not, pointing rather to a processing deficit explanation. Aims: The aim of the current study was to investigate agrammatic IWAs' online and offline sentence comprehension simultaneously in order to reveal what online sentence-processing strategies they rely on and how these differ from controls' processing routines. We further asked whether IWAs' offline chance performance for non-canonical sentences does indeed result from guessing. Methods & Procedures: We used the visual-world paradigm and measured eye movements (as an index of online sentence processing) of controls (N = 8) and individuals with aphasia (N = 7) during a sentence–picture matching task. Additional offline measures were accuracy and reaction times. Outcomes & Results: While the offline accuracy results corresponded to the pattern predicted by the TDH, IWAs' eye movements revealed systematic differences depending on the response accuracy. Conclusions: These findings constitute evidence against attributing IWAs' chance performance for non-canonical structures to mere guessing. Instead, our results support processing deficit explanations and characterise the agrammatic parser as deterministic and inefficient: it is slowed down, affected by intermittent deficiencies in performing syntactic operations, and fails to compute reanalysis even when one is detected.


Chemical transformations via postsynthetic modification of colloidal nanocrystals have received great attention as a rational synthetic route to unprecedented nanostructures. In particular, the cation exchange reaction is considered as an effective method to alter the composition of the starting nanostructures while maintaining the initial structural characteristics. Herein, we report the synthesis of highly crystalline Pd13Cu3S7 nanoplates (NPs) via partial cation exchange of the Cu1.81S phase by Pd cations, with Cu1.94S NPs and Pd13Cu3S7/Cu2–xS janus heterostructure as the intermediate phases. The highly crystalline Pd13Cu3S7 ternary NPs exhibit excellent electrocatalytic performance toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) under acidic conditions. The HER activity of Pd13Cu3S7 NPs with its overpotential as low as 64 mV at −10 mA cm–2 is superior to those of amorphous PdCuS and commercial Pd/C catalysts, demonstrating the importance of nanocrystal crystallinity in boosting the HER activity. They als...


The Pseudomonas syringae-Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) interaction is an extensively studied plant-pathogen system. Arabidopsis possesses approximately 150 putative resistance genes encoding nucleotide binding site (NBS) and leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain-containing proteins. The majority of these belong to the Toll/Interleukin-1 receptor (TIR)-NBS-LRR (TNL) class. Comparative studies with the coiled-coil-NBS-LRR genes RPS2, RPM1, and RPS5 and isogenic P. syringae strains expressing single corresponding avirulence genes have been particularly fruitful in dissecting specific and common resistance signaling components. However, the major TNL class is represented by a single known P. syringae resistance gene, RPS4. We previously identified hopA1 from P. syringae pv syringae strain 61 as an avirulence gene that signals through ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY1, indicating that the corresponding resistance gene RPS6 belongs to the TNL class. Here we report the identification of RPS6 based on a forward-genetic screen and map-based cloning. Among resistance proteins of known function, the deduced amino acid sequence of RPS6 shows highest similarity to the TNL resistance protein RAC1 that determines resistance to the oomycete pathogen Albugo candida. Similar to RPS4 and other TNL genes, RPS6 generates alternatively spliced transcripts, although the alternative transcript structures are RPS6 specific. We previously characterized SRFR1 as a negative regulator of avrRps4-triggered immunity. Interestingly, mutations in SRFR1 also enhanced HopA1-triggered immunity in rps6 mutants. In conclusion, the cloning of RPS6 and comparisons with RPS4 will contribute to a closer dissection of the TNL resistance pathway in Arabidopsis.


Since the inception of sustainable development (SD), there has been a somewhat ignored contradiction between paradigms that are ecosystem‐based and paradigms that are human‐based or purely economic. We suggest that this contradiction can be unified through a balance of the two. The Chinese Yin‐Yang philosophy is applied as a tool or approach to seeking balance between these ecocentric and anthropocentric paradigms. Priority education policy design for the merging of ecology and health are projected through an Ecohealth lens in response to increasing SD challenges and the intention of the international Ecohealth organization to contribute to SD goals. Meeting SD goals along the nexus of health and environment is further considered through early‐careerist cultural assessments and projections. The groups considered for their professional image of the future are: members of the Ecohealth Association Student Section and Chinese early‐careerists participating in a related conference. In response to SD goals, a problem‐based learning design is suggested as an education policy priority. Rather than approaching SD as a boolean concept, for example, by either focusing on ecosystem sustainability or economic development, we suggest education policy for programmes and curriculums that will help emerging professionals balance these paradigms, so as to best address national and global challenges.


Three thousand, five hundred and ten children were screened with three pure-tone and two immittance techniques. All children in the study received follow-up audiological and medical examination within 2 days of the screening. Procedures, equipment, personnel, and environmental variables were controlled. The efficiency of the screening procedures is compared and the requirements for cost efficient and effective hearing screening are recommended. Reported is an indication of an optimal range of false positives emanating from a screening program and appropriate validators for auditory screening.


Endothelial caveolin-1 loss is an important feature of pulmonary hypertension (PH); the rescue of caveolin-1 abrogates experimental PH. Recent studies in human PH suggest that the endothelial caveolin-1 loss is followed by an enhanced expression of caveolin-1 in smooth muscle cells (SMC) with subsequent neointima formation. In order to evaluate caveolin-1 expression in infants with PH, we examined the available clinical histories, hemodynamic data, and the expression of caveolin-1, PECAM-1, vWF, and smooth muscle α-actin in the lung biopsy/autopsy specimens obtained from infants with congenital heart disease (CHD, n = 8) and lung disease (n = 9). In CHD group, PH associated with increased pulmonary blood flow exhibited loss of endothelial caveolin-1 and PECAM-1 in pulmonary arteries; additional vWF loss was associated with enhanced expression of caveolin-1 in SMC. In the absence of PH, increased or decreased pulmonary blood flow did not disrupt endothelial caveolin-1, PECAM-1, or vWF; nor was there any enhanced expression of caveolin-1 in SMC. In Lung Disease + PH group, caveolin-1, PECAM-1, and vWF were well preserved in seven infants, and importantly, SMC in these arteries did not exhibit enhanced caveolin-1 expression. Two infants with associated inflammatory disease exhibited loss of endothelial caveolin-1 and PECAM-1; additional loss of vWF was accompanied by enhanced expression of caveolin-1 in SMC. Thus, associated flow-induced shear stress or inflammation, but not elevated pulmonary artery pressure alone, disrupts endothelial caveolin-1. Subsequent vWF loss, indicative of extensive endothelial damage is associated with enhanced expression of caveolin-1 in SMC, which may worsen the disease.


Aim: To find the marginal fit of the porcelain fused to metal crowns by two different margin designs (shoulder and chamfer) and two commercially available base metal alloys. Material and Methods: Tooth preparation of first central incisor for porcelain-fused-to-metal crown with shoulder margin and second incisor for porcelain-fused-to-metal crown with chamfer margin was done. Wax pattern of the same was prepared. Impression of both prepared ivorine incisors was made by light body impression material and poured with pattern resin. Both the patterns were invested and casted with cobalt chromium alloy for making master dies. Two wax patterns of unprepared central incisors were fabricated, one with shoulder margin and another with chamfer margin. These patterns were then cut back to the size of the coping. Four rings were invested. In each ring ten patterns, five with shoulder margin and five with deep chamfer margin were sprued together to ensure that each group would pass through the same investing and casting procedure, followed by ceramic firing and measurement. Results: Marginal fit change or marginal discrepancy (before and after firing) between the groups was highly significant. Conclusions: Veneered crowns exhibited highly significant marginal distortion than non- veneered copings after porcelain firing. Shoulder margin is better in minimizing marginal discrepancy compared to deep chamfer margin. Marginal discrepancy is less when cerabond base metal alloy is used with shoulder margin as compared to commend base metal alloy used for shoulder margin.


Topotaxial growth of Au(x) Ag(1-x) alloy nanowires (NWs) by postepitaxial deposition of Ag vapor on Au NWs and investigation of their plasmonic properties are reported. Ag vapor is supplied onto the epitaxially grown Au NWs, topotaxially turning them into Au(x) Ag(1-x) alloy NWs. The original geometries and alignments of the Au nanostructures are well preserved, while the composition of the alloy NWs is controlled by varying the Ag vapor supply time. The Au(0.5) Ag(0.5) NWs show high surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity comparable to that of Ag NWs as well as highly increased oxidation resistance. The plasmon-active wavelength range of the Au(0.5) Ag(0.5) NW is significantly extended to the blue region compared to Au NWs. The Au(x) Ag(1-x) alloy NWs that have plasmonic activity in the blue region in addition to high corrosion resistance will make a superb material for practical plasmonic devices including SERS sensors and optical nanoantennas.


Learning-based surface reconstruction based on unsigned distance functions (UDF) has many advantages such as handling open surfaces. We propose SuperUDF, a self-supervised UDF learning which exploits a learned geometry prior for efficient training and a novel regularization for robustness to sparse sampling. The core idea of SuperUDF draws inspiration from the classical surface approximation operator of locally optimal projection (LOP). The key insight is that if the UDF is estimated correctly, the 3D points should be locally projected onto the underlying surface following the gradient of the UDF. Based on that, a number of inductive biases on UDF geometry and a pre-learned geometry prior are devised to learn UDF estimation efficiently. A novel regularization loss is proposed to make SuperUDF robust to sparse sampling. Furthermore, we also contribute a learning-based mesh extraction from the estimated UDFs. Extensive evaluations demonstrate that SuperUDF outperforms the state of the arts on several public datasets in terms of both quality and efficiency. Code will be released after accteptance.


We propose an ambient communication system that modulates the reverberance applied to music with a single variable in order to communicate non-musical information to the listener. In order to assess the effectiveness of such a system, psychoacoustic tests of four subjects' ability to discriminate changes in reverberant decay time (RDT) were conducted. Results indicate that human listeners are able to accurately detect changes in RDT from a reference value of two, five, and ten seconds when the RDT increases by more than 60% or decreases by more than 30%. The rather large change in RDT required for accurate perception limits the dynamic range of the information that can be communicated when the variable is used to linearly change the RDT.


Outbreaks of haemotropic Mycoplasma ovis cause haemolytic anaemia with decreased production outcomes and mortality in sheep and goats worldwide but there is a lack of published data on the epidemiology of M. ovis in Malaysia's small ruminant flocks. This preliminary study investigates the prevalence and risk factors of Mycoplasma ovis infection in selected smallholder farms in Negeri Sembilan state. A total of 341 blood samples was randomly collected from 5 farms between January and December 2019. The farmers also completed a structured questionnaire to provide farm management data and environmental information. Giemsa stained blood smears were examined microscopically to detect M. ovis and classify the infection as mild (1-29% infected red cells), moderate (30-59%) or severe (above 60%). The packed cell volume (PCV) was determined by microhaematocrit centrifugation technique and reported as anaemic or non-anaemic. Microscopic examination of blood smears revealed an overall prevalence of 50.7% (95%CI= 45.5-56.0), and there were higher (p<0.05) numbers of mild (34.3%) than moderate (12.6%) and severe (3.8%) infections. The mean PCV was significantly lower (p<0.05) in animals with severe (22.69%) than mild (29.11%) and moderate (30.53%) infections. Mycoplasma ovis infection was associated with the breeds physiological status, farm location, management system, farm ownership, frequency of vector control and deworming regime but the risk of infection was higher in Malin sheep (OR=3.97), Boer goats (OR=2.23), pregnant (OR=2.89) and lactating animals (OR= 2.23). The prevalence of M. ovis infection in smallholder flocks is associated with the breed and physiological status of sheep and goats and may potentially affect production.


Two-stage ignition is characterized by an initial cool-flame reaction followed by typical hot ignition. In traditional combustion conditions the ignition is fast such that the cool flame is not observed. By controlling initial conditions (pressure, temperature, and composition) in a rapid compression machine, for example, the creation and duration of the cool-flame event is predictable. This study focuses on linking the results from the rapid compression machine to those of low-temperature combustion behavior in a medium-duty compression ignition diesel engine. A correlation between cool-flame duration, nitric oxide concentration, and engine control settings allows the postulation that a sufficiently long cool-flame reaction results in a combustion event that can be classified as low-temperature combustion. A potential method for identifying low-temperature combustion events using only the rate of heat release profile is theorized which utilizes the cool-flame reaction duration as a metric.


Cyclophosphamide, an immunosuppressive alkylating agent, has been reported to cause acute and chronic pulmonary injury in both humans and animals. Cyclophosphamide is also a common component of multi-drug regimens that show high pulmonary toxic potential. Although mechanisms of pulmonary damage caused by cyclophosphamide or other cytotoxic agents are unknown, possibilities include direct toxicity to pulmonary tissue or indirect toxicity through activation of pulmonary inflammatory cells. We report here a model system for the study of acute effects of cyclophosphamide on pulmonary immune cells in rats. Our findings show that 16 h after 1 intraperitoneal dose of cyclophosphamide there is: a dose dependent release of locally produced low molecular weight chemotactic factors for blood monocytes into bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, a pulmonary influx of immature myeloperoxidase positive macrophages in low dose cyclophosphamide treated animals, an enhancement of oxidant generation by pulmonary macrophages from low dose treated animals that correlates with the presence of myeloperoxidase positive macrophages, the presence of factors in BAL fluid of treated rats that modulate oxidant release by normal rat pulmonary macrophages, a dose dependent reduction in the percentage of BAL lymphocytes, and evidence for pulmonary injury as manifested by elevated BAL fluid albumin concentrations in low dose cyclophosphamide treated animals. These findings suggest that cyclophosphamide may induce pulmonary injury through activation of pulmonary immunocompetent cells and subsequent attraction of systemic inflammatory cells.


At the age of 61, Jan Muller died on 5 October 1983, after a very short illness which only some weeks earlier had been detected. His rapid decline but also his courage during the last few weeks, have made a deep impression on all who have witnessed them. Jan Muller was born on 15 October 1921 at Rotterdam. His secondary training was with a College of Tropical Agriculture at Deventer, the Netherlands, but the outbreak of World War II prevented his departure for the tropics. Instead he entered in 1941 the service of the botanical department of the Research Division that was responsible for scientific research in the reclaimed Zuiderzee polders. He took part in the botanical and stratigraphical analysis of peat deposits in the Noordoostpolder, under supervision of Professor F. Florschutz. From 1943 to 1946 he worked at one of the agricultural institutes at Wageningen (Instituut voor Rassenonderzoek van Landbouwgewassen), where he participated in the description of cultivars. However, the experience in the Noordoostpolder had obviously converted him to palynology and when after the war he left for the tropics, it was not in agriculture but in palynology. He worked with Shell, applying palynology to oil exploration, first in Venezuela (1946-1958), then in Borneo (1958-1964), finally at the Central Palynological Laboratory at Rijswijk, the Netherlands (1964—1967). During that period the results of his research were mostly laid down in internal, confidential reports and did not reach the international scientific forum. In Borneo, however, he also had the opportunity to do research not directly related to oil exploration and this made him known in botanical circles.


In canonical gravity, general covariance is implemented by hypersurface-deformation symmetries on phase space. The different versions of hypersurface deformations required for full covariance have complicated interplays with one another, governed by non-Abelian brackets with structure functions. For spherically symmetric spacetimes, it is possible to identify a certain Abelian substructure within general hypersurface deformations, which suggests a simplified realization as a Lie algebra. The generators of this substructure can be quantized more easily than full hypersurface deformations, but the symmetries they generate do not directly correspond to hypersurface deformations. The availability of consistent quantizations therefore does not guarantee general covariance or a meaningful quantum notion thereof. In addition to placing the Abelian substructure within the full context of spherically symmetric hypersurface deformation, this paper points out several subtleties relevant for attempted applications in quantized space-time structures. In particular, it follows that recent constructions by Gambini, Olmedo and Pullin in an Abelianized setting fail to address the covariance crisis of loop quantum gravity.


The feasibility of electrically conductive paper as a low-cost and eco-friendly alternative to copper is presented for application as an antenna conductor in UHF radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems. The conductivity of the paper is determined to be 50 S/m and the effect of such a low conductivity on the radiation performance of a half-wavelength dipole is investigated through simulation and experimental measurements. The radiation efficiency of a dipole cut from a 0.4 mm thick conductive paper sheet is measured to be 5.0%, which translates to an RFID tag read range of 22% of that obtained using copper. This performance is deemed unacceptable for most antenna applications. However, through simulation a conductivity of 500 S/m is identified as a reasonable target for the developers of conductive paper as the current distribution and terminal properties of the resulting antenna become similar to those observed when using copper. The radiation efficiency is projected at 56 % in this case, resulting in an RFID read range of 73% of that obtained using copper.


The understanding of atmospheric flows is crucial in the analysis of dispersion of a contaminant or pollutant, wind energy and air-quality assessment to name a few. Additionally, the effects of complex terrain and associated orographic forcing are crucial in wind energy production. Furthermore, the use of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations in the analysis of complex terrain is still considered the "workhorse" since millions of mesh points are required to accurately capture the details of the surface. On the other hand, solving the same problem by means of the instantaneous governing equations of the flow (i.e., in a suite of DNS or LES) would imply almost prohibitive computational resources. In this study, numerical predictions of atmospheric boundary layers are performed over a complex topography located in Nygardsfjell, Norway. The Nygardsfjell wind farm is located in a valley at approximately 420 meters above sea level surrounded by mountains in the north and south near the Swedish border. Majority of the winds are believed to be originated from Tornetrask lake in the east which is covered with ice during the winter time. The air closest to the surface on surrounding mountains gets colder and denser. The air then slides down the hill and accumulates over the lake. Later, the air spills out westward towards Ofotfjord through the broader channel that directs and transforms it into highly accelerated winds.Consequently, one of the objectives of the present article is to study the influence of local terrain on shaping these winds over the wind farm. It is worth mentioning that we are not considering any wind turbine model in the present investigation, being the main purpose to understand the influence of the local surface topography and roughness on the wind flow. Nevertheless, future research will include modeling the presence of a wind turbine and will be published elsewhere. The governing equations of the flow are solved by using a RANS approach and by considering three different two-equation turbulence models: k-omega (k–ω), k-epsilon (k–e) and shear stress transport (SST). Furthermore, the real topographical characteristics of the terrain have been modeled by extracting the required area from the larger digital elevation model (DEM) spanning over 100 km square. The geometry is then extruded using Rhino and meshed in ANSYS Fluent. The terrain dimensions are approximately 2000×1000 meter square.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


We show that Hnrr,lr is useful for distinguishing the one-layer polytypes of chlorite and for characterizing layer stacking sequences. HRTEM images were computed for all onelayer chlorite polytypes. These computations how that the features in Hnreu images can be used to determine the projected shift vectors across the T layers and B sheets. These vectors can, in turn, be used to distinguish among the several possible chlorite polytypes. Five distinct projections result from viewing all possible one-layer chlorite polytypes down their (100) or (l l0) zone axes (assigning [T00] parallel to the talc-stagger direction). Complete specification of polytypes requires either HnrEu combined with X-ray diffraction analysis or HRTEM images from more than one major zone of the same crystal. A clinochlore sample from West Chester, Pennsylvania, was used as an example of the use of HRTEM to study chlorite polytypism. Single-crystal X-ray analysis showed the sample to be an ordered one-layer IIb-2 polytype. Electron diffraction patterns from a much smaller volume of crystal than was used for the X-ray measurements how streaking parallel to c* in the k I 3n reciprocal lattice rows, indicating b/3 shifts of the chlorite layers. High-resolution imaging of this crystal i l lustrates the regular alternation of the T layers and B sheets. In addition, semi-random stacking sequences are the dominant type of disorder whereas layer rotations occur less frequently.


OBJECTIVE--To investigate the effects of a novel specific renin inhibitor, RO 42-5892, with high affinity for human renin (Ki = 0.5 x 10(-9) mol/l), on plasma renin activity and angiotensin II concentration and on 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure in essential hypertension. DESIGN--Exploratory study in which active treatment was preceded by placebo. SETTING--Inpatient unit of teaching hospital. PATIENTS--Nine men with uncomplicated essential hypertension who had a normal sodium intake. INTERVENTIONS--Two single intravenous doses of RO 42-5892 (100 and 1,000 micrograms/kg in 10 minutes) given to six patients and one single oral dose (600 mg) given to the three others as well as to three of the patients who also received the two intravenous doses. RESULTS--With both intravenous and oral doses renin activity fell in 10 minutes to undetectably low values, while angiotensin II concentration fell overall by 80-90% with intravenous dosing and by 30-40% after the oral dose. Angiotensin II concentration was back to baseline four hours after the low and six hours after the high intravenous dose and remained low for at least eight hours after the oral dose. Blood pressure fell rapidly both after low and high intravenous doses and after the oral dose and remained low for hours. With the high intravenous dose the daytime (0900-2230), night time (2300-0600), and next morning (0630-0830) systolic blood pressures were significantly (p less than 0.05) lowered by 12.5 (95% confidence interval 5.6 to 19.7), 12.2 (5.4 to 19.3), and 10.7 (3.2 to 18.5) mm Hg respectively, and daytime diastolic pressure was lowered by 9.3 (2.2 to 16.8) mmHg. With the oral dose daytime, night time, and next morning systolic blood pressures were lowered by 10.3 (5.5 to 15.4), 10.5 (4.2 to 17.2), and 9.7 (4.0 to 15.6) mm Hg, and daytime and night time diastolic pressures were lowered by 5.8 (0.9 to 11.0) and 6.0 (0.3-12) mm Hg respectively. CONCLUSIONS--The effect of the inhibitor on blood pressure was maintained over a longer period than its effect on angiotensin II. RO 42-5892 is orally active and has a prolonged antihypertensive effect in patients who did not have sodium depletion. This prolonged effect seems to be independent, at least in part, of the suppression of circulating angiotensin II.


With the Italian–Hungarian Treaty of Friendship firmed on 5 April 1927, Hungary's most important ally became Italy who approached to Hungary due to political and economic interests. In 1927–1928 the two States made economic treaties. In 1929 Iginio Brocchi drew up the plan of a customs union between Italy, Hungary and Austria, so he planned a trilateral contract. Its realization was very difficult for many reasons. After the economic crisis the European States realized the importance of the Danubian States' cooperation, so other favourable offers were made beside the triple bloc. And unless the Brocchi-plan was introduced as a bilateral contract with the signing of the Semmering Accord (1932), its non-viability cleared up soon. By 1933 the main problem of Europe was the Anschluss, and the States wanted to thwart it at any price. Because of this the Great Powers began to support the alliance of Hungary, Austria and Italy. The Hungarians and the Italians were always standing for it, and in this year they succeeded to convince Austria of its pertinence. The result was the signing of Roman Protocols on 17 March 1934.


Abstract This study examines the impact of bank capital and operating efficiency on the Nigerian deposit money bank financial performance with a view to resolving risk-based and non-risk-based capitals' dichotomy existing in the bank literature. Using bank-specific data obtained from the annual reports and accounts of 15 banks listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange between 2012 and 2015, the panel data regression analyses revealed the superiority of standard capital ratio of equity-to-total-assets, a non-risk-based capital, over other measures. While all measures, both risk-based and non-risk-based capitals, showed significantly positive effects on bank performance as measured by return-on-asset, mixed results were obtained from other indicators: return-on-equity and net-interest-margin. Overall, only equity-to-total-assets influenced all adopted performance indicators positively. It was also found that operating efficiency measured by cost-to-income ratio had negative impact on bank performance, but on the average it appeared too high. Thus, incorporating the standard capital ratio of equity-to-total assets into regulatory regime by the banks' regulator is recommended to ensure its relevance is not overshadowed.


Summary form only received as follows: In this paper the authors provide a complete description of the geometric response properties of slant-hole (SH) collimators by deriving the SH collimator geometric transfer function (GTF). In doing so, they follow a method first used by Metz et al. (1980) and later employed by Tsui and Gullberg (1990) to derive the GTF for conventional parallel- and converging-hole collimators, respectively. After deriving the GTF for SH collimators, the authors validate the result via simulation and experimental studies. In the simulations, the Monte-Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) software package is used to simulate the images obtained from a point source with a variety of SH collimators with different design parameters. Results of these simulations are then compared to those obtained from theoretical derivations. Also, the theoretical results are compared to experimental results obtained from point source images obtained using a 4-segment SH collimator in the authors' laboratory. The authors found that the theoretical formulation is highly accurate in predicting the GTF of SH collimators from their design parameters. The theoretical formulation will be useful for both the design of SH collimators with specific imaging properties, and the modelling and compensation of the image degrading effects of the SH collimator GTF in an iterative reconstruction algorithm.


The landscape of global higher education is changing rapidly in response to and alongside the geopolitical and geosocial global transformations and China and East Asia are becoming key players in higher education. As China's economic power and strategic reach grows against a context of global uncertainty, it has become increasingly important to develop a nuanced understanding of Chinese globalisation, not least for its significance to the balance of power relations within and beyond Asia. Higher education provides a powerful lens through which to see how China is globalising and how this might impact on the world. This is manifested in its many established and newer forms of education mobilities. Recognising the lack of research efforts to systematically understand the complexities of contemporary higher education mobilities across China, this paper proposes a typology through a thematic narrative review of more than 250 peer-reviewed journal articles, government and media documents. This typology of Chinese educational mobilities reveals three key insights, including 1) a critique on the 'mobility imperative' and the role of the Chinese state, 2) a call for more longitudinal and/or retrospective research to facilitate a relational understanding of the fluid nature of higher education mobilities in China, and 3) a note on the urgency of developing a comprehensive theoretical and conceptual tool kit. This article contributes to an updated understanding of the fluid, multiple and multi-directional nature of contemporary higher education mobilities of China.


Three blocks of silicon have been crashed in this experiment in order to verify the crashing effects on specimens having distinct original micro-structural arrangements. One of them comes from a rod bar of mono-crystal silicon, two others were from polycrystalline silicon manufactured by two distinct manufacturers with distinct growing process. Several specimens of powders, differing in type and grain size, were obtained by treating these source samples. This paper reports on data collected from synchrotron and conventional radiation and the results show that powders obtained from mono-crystalline silicon provide diffraction profiles, where the structural contribution is smaller than for polycrystalline silicon specimens. The peaks from the 'mono-crystal powder' resulted even narrower than peaks from SRM Silicon 640b by NIST.