A self-excited vibration, called "chatter", is a main limiting factor in chip-forming metal machining. The reduction of machining productivity, worsened machined surface quality and the reduction of lifetime of the machine tool parts, particularly the cutting tool itself, occur as a result of the chatter. There are more ways to suppress this undesired effect of machining. The most common and simplest variant is the structural modification of the supporting parts of the machine in order to increase the dynamic stiffness and damping. In most cases, manufacturers of the machining centers use traditional metallic materials (steel, cast iron) for construction of the machine supporting system. However, these materials have some limitations. In order to improve the dynamic parameters of the machine during machining process it is appropriate to combine these materials with others to create hybrid, composite structures. Authors of this article have performed the real experiment in order to test the real dynamic properties of the vertical multitasking machining center with the turning operation prevailing. The individual segments of the supporting structure are made of the composite material – a combination of a steel welded structure filled with high-strength cement concrete.


The preparation of highly modified mRNAs and visualization of their cellular distribution are challenging. We report in-cell application of in vitro transcribed mRNA containing natural base modifications and site-specifically introduced artificial nucleotides. Click chemistry on mRNA allows visualization in cells with excellent signal intensities. While non-specific introduction of reporter groups often leads to loss in mRNA functionality, we combined the benefits from site-specificity in the 3′-UTR incorporated unnatural nucleotides with the improved translation efficiency of the natural base modifications Ψ and 5mC. A series of experiments is described to observe, quantify and verify mRNA functionality. This approach represents a new way to visualize mRNA delivery into cells and monitor its spread on a cellular level and translation efficiency. We observed increased protein expression from this twofold chemically modified, artificial mRNA counterbalancing a reduced transfection rate. This synergetic effect can be exploited as a powerful tool for future research on mRNA therapeutics.


This position paper addresses the role of supraand subgingival irrigation in the treatment of periodontal diseases. It was prepared by the Committee on Research, Science and Therapy of the American Academy of Periodontology. The document is divided into two portions, consisting of supragingival irrigation and subgingival irrigation. In their respective segments, these treatment techniques are assessed as monotherapies and as adjuncts to conventional treatment. The conclusions drawn in this paper represent the position of the American Academy of Periodontology regarding irrigation therapy in the treatment of periodontal diseases. J Periodontol 2005;76:2015-2027.


Extending genome wide association analysis by the inclusion of gene expression data may assist in the dissection of complex traits. We examined piebald, a pigmentation phenotype in both human and Merino sheep, by analysing multiple data types using a systems approach. First, a case control analysis of 49,034 ovine SNP was performed which confirmed a multigenic basis for the condition. We combined these results with gene expression data from five tissue types analysed with a skin-specific microarray. Promoter sequence analysis of differentially expressed genes allowed us to reverse-engineer a regulatory network. Likewise, by testing two-loci models derived from all pair-wise comparisons across piebald-associated SNP, we generated an epistatic network. At the intersection of both networks, we identified thirteen genes with insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7), platelet-derived growth factor alpha (PDGFRA) and the tetraspanin platelet activator CD9 at the kernel of the intersection. Further, we report a number of differentially expressed genes in regions containing highly associated SNP including ATRN, DOCK7, FGFR1OP, GLI3, SILV and TBX15. The application of network theory facilitated co-analysis of genetic variation with gene expression, recapitulated aspects of the known molecular biology of skin pigmentation and provided insights into the transcription regulation and epistatic interactions involved in piebald Merino sheep.


In nonpalpable testis cases, laparoscopically blind-ending vas deferens and testicular vessels prior to entering the internal ring is sufficient to diagnose a "vanishing" testis, which requires no further exploration. Laparoscopic identification of cord structures entering the internal ring is required the exploration of the inguinal canal to find a testis or to rule out a "vanishing" testis". However, the need for further investigation in cases that identified the blind- ending cord structures on inguinal canal is questioned. Herein, we present a case of the scrotal nubbin along with blind ending cord structures during inguinal exploration.


The study has as its rationale the fact that there are numerous brands of bath soap in the market. The changes of consumer behavior, which influenced by the economy crisis occurred in the Indonesia, has suppressed the producers to readjust their marketing programs. It is crucial for the firms to recognize the consumer attitudes on their marketing program. Moreover, consumer attitude is dominantly used in predicting the consumer behavior, in estimating the future demand of product, and in developing the appropriate marketing programs. The study aimed at understanding : (1). The consumer attitudes on the bath soaps (i.e, Lux and Giv brands) attributes, (2). The influence of the consumer's social environment toward the subjective norm in making the purchasing decisions on the Lux and Giv, (3). The differential of consumers attitudes on the Lux and Giv. Interview and questionnaire were used to collect data, by using the semantic differential scale method. Fishbein model and Wilcoxon's signed rank test were applied to the study's results. The result of research indicate that : (1) There was a positive attitude of consumer on both the Lux and Giv. Attribute "Prestige" owning lowest positive score value for the brand of Lux and Giv, (2) Social environment from consumer influence consumer subjective norm of consumer in making the purchasing decisions of the Lux and Giv. "Family Members" was the dominant variable of both the Lux and Giv, (3) Do not there are difference by significant attitude from consumer to product. Later, then different test to every attribute, do not there are difference by significant consumer attitude to product attribute. Based on the study results and empirical evidences supported by the statistical testing, it is showed that the two bath soap brands have dominated the consumer's mind. Nevertheless, in making their purchasing decisions, the consumers have the difference attitudes is assessing those two brands depends on their desires. Thus, it is suggested that the firms need to have variation and to differentiate their products to maintain the consumers loyalties, to develop some promotional strategies involving the sellers, to create the advertisements that strongly conspicuous the prominent attributes of the product, and to choose the ads media that can reach all consumer levels.


OC28 The predictive values of ultrasonographic measurement of the fetal cardiothoracic ratio in pregnancies affected by homozygous α0-thalassemia K. Y. Leung1, C. Liao2, C. M. Li2, S. Y. Ma2, M. H. Y. Tang3, C. P. Lee1, Y. H. Lam4, V. Chan5 1The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, China, 2The Maternal and Neonatal Hospital of Guangzhou, China, 3Tsan Yuk Hospital, Hong Kong, China, 4Hong Kong Prenatal Diagnostic Centre, China, 5The University of Hong Kong, China


Underwater signal transmission is a challenging task since the usable frequency range is limited to low frequency and the transmission of electromagnetic waves is impossible due to its high attenuation nature. Hence low frequency acoustic signal is more suited for transmission in underwater. Underwater transmission is highly affected by wind noise which is predominant at low frequency. The real time data collected from Indian Seas at Chennai (Bay of Bengal) are studied in detail using Welch, Bartlett and Blackman estimation methods and the results shows the effect of wind over 0-8 kHz range. Various adaptive algorithms are analyzed in detail and the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) values are tabulated for different wind speeds. The results shows that Recursive Mean Square (RLS) works better when compared to others. The maximum Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of about 42-51 dB is achieved.


Abstract. In terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), the surface geometry of objects is scanned by laser beams and recorded digitally. This produces a discrete set of scan points, commonly referred to as a point cloud. The coordinates of the scan points are determined by measuring the angles and the time-of-flight relative to the origin (scanner position). However, if it comes to mirror surfaces laser beams are fully reflected, due to the high reflectivity. Mirrors do not appear in the point cloud at all. Instead, for every reflected beam, a incorrect scan point is created behind the actual mirror plane. Consequently, problems arise in multiple derived application fields such as 3D virtual reconstruction of complex architectures. The paper presents a new approach to automatically detect framed rectangular mirrors with known dimensions and to correct the 3D point cloud, using the calculated mirror plane.


The aim of this research is to get a better understanding of the electrolytic refining process in order to yield the anode slime. Three types of secondary copper anodes are electro refined in an electrolytic system, where the electrolyte is an acid of copper sulphate solution. As a result of the electro-refining process the anode slime has been gained as secondary product. The experimental research analysis of anode slime composition is done by two methods: X-Ray Fluorescent (XRF) method which is realized with the help of Thermoscientic Nitro XL 3t device and as second method X-Rays Diffractometry (XRD) is used, which is realized with the help of D8 Advance Bruker AXS equipment. The anode slime introduces a multi-component secondary product of electrolytic refining process of metals composed of insoluble components of Cu, Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Ir, etc. The composition of the anode slimes varies according to the composition of the anodes. The qualitative preparation of raw material – anode slime of secondary Cu and its rational utilization will result in the optimization of the process of gaining metals for which it is dedicated. This study has shown that the anode slime contains gold, silver and platinum group of metals and these metals can be recovered.


This research intends to look into the performance of the three levels of Justice Processes in the Philippines taking Tabuk City, Kalinga as the model. As a result of the study, it reveals that the first level system the Barangay Justice performs better than the regular court in terms of settling disputes and maintaining peace to the community. It was also revealed that the Indigenous justice processes of Kalinga known as the "Bodong" performs more than enough in settling disputes since it covers all crimes provided the parties thereto decided to settle it through the intervention of the tribal larders "pangat", its resolution is recognized by the regular court as a jurisprudence. Hence, it shows that the effect of mediation, conciliation and arbitration are deemed more effective because it does not only settle dispute but it carries with it a restorative effect towards the parties. In these systems, resolution is easily attained due to the voluntary nature on the part of the parties to settle their differences without any further cost. Under these circumstances, its effect to the community is more understanding and consideration.


After its rudimentary beginning in 1749, fur farming in Alaska rose and fell for two centuries. It thrived during the 1890s and again in the 1920s, when rising fur prices caused a stampede for land and breed stock and led to hundreds of farms being started in Alaska within a few years. The Great Depression, and later the development of warm, durable, and lightweight synthetic materials during World War II, brought further decline and eventual failure to the industry as the postwar economy of Alaska turned to defense and later to oil. "The Fur Farms of Alaska" brings this history to life by capturing the remarkable stories of the men and women who made fur their livelihood.


Erwinia amylovora requires an hrp-type III secretion system (T3SS) to cause disease. It has been reported that HrpL, the master regulator of T3SS, is transcriptionally regulated by sigma factor 54 (RpoN), YhbH, and HrpS. In this study, the role of integration host factor (IHF) in regulating hrpL and T3SS gene expression was investigated. IHF is a nucleoid-associated protein that regulates gene expression by influencing nucleoid structure and DNA bending. Our results showed that both ihfA and ihfB mutants of E. amylovora did not induce necrotic lesions on pear fruits. Growth of both mutants was greatly reduced, and expression of the hrpL and T3SS genes was significantly down-regulated as compared with those of the wild type. In addition, expression of the ihfA, but not the ihfB gene, was under auto-suppression by IHF. Furthermore, both ihfA and ihfB mutants were hypermotile, due to significantly reduced expression of small RNA (sRNA) rsmB. Electrophoresis mobility shift assay further confirmed that IHF binds to the promoters of the hrpL and ihfA genes, as well as the rsmB sRNA gene. These results indicate that IHF is required for RpoN-dependent hrpL gene expression and virulence, and controls motility by positively regulating the rsmB sRNA in E. amylovora.


Abstract : Network based parallel computing using personal computers is currently a popular choice for concurrent scientific computing. This work evaluates the capabilities and the performance of the AFIT Bimodal Cluster (ABC); a heterogeneous cluster of PCs connected by switched fast Ethernet and using MPICH 1.1 for interprocess communication for parallel digital signal processing using Space Time Adaptive Processing (STAP) as the case study. The MITRE RT_STAP Benchmark version 1.1 is ported and executed on the ABC, as well as on a cluster of six Sun SPARC workstations connected by a Myrinet network (the AFIT NOW), and on a IBM SP for comparison. Modifications to the RT_STAP benchmark source code are done to accommodate the BLAS routines obtained from the ASCI Red project and the FFTPACK from the Netlib repository. Comparative performance analysis of the original and modified versions of the benchmarks executed on the ABC running the LINUX OS is performed, and shows improvements in the sustained Gflop/sec rates. Inter-platform comparative analysis demonstrates ABC's superior computation rates, but also reveals limited machine scalability as a result of severe communication overheads imposed by RT_STAP cornerturn operations. Analysis of experimental data indicates that ABC outperforms AFIT NOW but needs interconnection network improvements to be globally competitive to MPPs such as the IBM SP.


OBJECTIVE
Interleukin (IL)-18 is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease. The present study compared 1) IL-18 in adipocytes versus stromal vascular (SV) cells, 2) IL-18 in plasma and adipose tissue (AT) in obese versus lean subjects, and 3) IL-18 in plasma, AT, and skeletal muscle (SM) in obese subjects after weight loss.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
At baseline, plasma and AT IL-18 in 23 obese subjects were compared with that in 12 lean subjects. The obese subjects were submitted to a 15-week life-style intervention (hypocaloric diet and daily exercise) after which plasma samples, AT, and SM biopsies were obtained. Analyses were performed by ELISA and RT-PCR respectively.

RESULTS
IL-18 expression in isolated adipocytes was approximately 2% of that in SV cells. Plasma IL-18 was higher in obese subjects (P < 0.001) and associated with insulin resistance (HOMA; P < 0.001). AT expression of IL-18, CD14, and CD68 was higher in obese (P < 0.01). The intervention reduced body weight (P < 0.001), plasma IL-18 (P < 0.001), and increased insulin sensitivity (HOMA; P < 0.05). AT and SM expression of IL-18 remained unchanged after the intervention. Changes in plasma IL-18 were associated with changes in insulin sensitivity (P < 0.05) but not with BMI or AT expression of IL-18.

CONCLUSION
Plasma IL-18 is associated with changes in insulin resistance and reduced after weight loss. AT expression of IL-18 is increased in obesity but not affected by weight loss, indicating that changes in plasma IL-18 are related to insulin resistance rather than changes in obesity per se.


The objective of this chapter is to illustrate the use of modern quantum chemical methods in the rational design of energetic materials with targeted properties. In the first part we discuss the methods that are used for prediction of thermochemical data, and for analysis of decomposition pathways and kinetic stabilities of new compounds. We also describe how quantum chemical methods can be used for predicting spectroscopic data, synthesis pathways, and performance characteristics of energetic materials. In the remaining part of the chapter we provide examples of the theoretical characterization of a number of compounds with promising properties for use in green propellants. Two of these, 1-nitro-2-oxo-3-amino-triazene and tetraazatetrahedrane, combine high kinetic stabilities with excellent propulsion performance.


Objectives: To investigate the role of CSF hypovolemia in spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) syndrome because so-called SIH syndrome sometimes lacks intracranial hypotension. Methods: Ten women (aged from 28 to 49 years) with characteristic orthostatic headache without a previous history of dural tear were investigated. In addition to gadolinium (Gd)–enhanced brain MRI, spinal MRI with and without Gd enhancement was performed. Results: Gd-enhanced brain MRI demonstrated diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement in all patients. Sagittal T2-weighted spinal MRI revealed a variable amount of CSF in the extradural space in all patients. Sagittal T2-weighted MRI or axial Gd-enhanced T1-weighted MRI showed dilated epidural veins located in the high cervical portion in each patient. The intensity of dilatation of the epidural veins correlated significantly with the amount of CSF in the epidural space. This suggested that the Monro–Kellie doctrine was applicable in this circumstance. Conclusions: Since some patients with SIH syndrome have normal CSF pressure and since a downward displacement of the brain due to a reduction of the buoyant action of CSF may induce symptoms, CSF hypovolemia, not intracranial hypotension, may be the cause. Based on the Monro–Kellie doctrine, detecting leaked CSF and venous engorgement (epidural vein dilatation and pachymeningeal enhancement) is an important clue to diagnose so-called SIH syndrome. Dilatation of epidural veins suggests CSF hypovolemia in appropriate conditions.


In this paper we propose a general series method to estimate a semiparametric partially linear varying coefficient model. We establish the consistency and √n-normality property of the estimator of the finite-dimensional parameters of the model. We further show that, when the error is conditionally homoskedastic, this estimator is semiparametrically efficient in the sense that the inverse of the asymptotic variance of the estimator of the finite-dimensional parameter reaches the semiparametric efficiency bound of this model. A small-scale simulation is reported to examine the finite sample performance of the proposed estimator, and an empirical application is presented to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed method in practice. We also discuss how to obtain an efficient estimation result when the error is conditional heteroskedastic.


Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has gained wider attention due to its recognition and use as a model herbaceous crop species for bioenergy production. Genetic diversity information in lowland switchgrass cultivars can help to specify cultivars to be used in the breeding programs aiming for hybrid vigor. The objective of this research was to analyze genetic variation within and among five lowland switchgrass cultivars using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. AFLP polymorphisms indicated the presence of high genetic variation within lowland switchgrass cultivars with 'Alamo' exhibiting the highest genetic variation and 'Performer' the lowest. The Nei's genetic diversity parameters revealed the lowest genetic distance between cultivars 'Alamo' and 'Cimarron' and the highest value between cultivars 'Alamo' and 'Kanlow'. 'Alamo' and 'Cimarron' were clustered together while 'BoMaster', 'Kanlow', and 'Performer' were grouped into the other cluster. In addition, there were clusters with mixed genotypes. The findings of this study can be used to select diverse lines as parents for heterosis and inbreeding studies.


Bladder cancer represents the second most common neoplasm of the urinary tract and the fourth in general among all the neoplastic pathologies for the male gender; in females, it is the eighth most frequent among all cancers. At the initial diagnosis, 70% of bladder tumors are non-muscle invasive. Treatment of this stage is multimodal, both surgical and pharmacological; the aim is not only to remove the tumor completely but also to prevent tumor recurrence and to inhibit its progression. The treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer is a current topic in the scientific community and it is represented by the endoscopic resection of the tumor, which is generally followed by the adjuvant intravesical treatment with chemotherapy or immunotherapy agents, according to the different risk groups. Benefits and limits of intravesical therapies have been known for long; the aim of this study is to present new drugs or new treatment patterns which could emerge as a valid therapeutic alternative to conventional treatments, given the fact that, regardless of the type of treatment, 2/3 of the patients with a diagnosis of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer have a disease recurrence, and the 10–20% of these show a progression to a muscle-invasive tumor. Furthermore, the failure of intravesical therapy implies another therapeutic option, such as radical cystectomy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. According to this fact, new strategies include the activation of host immune system and the optimization of cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. Although most of these studies are still in a pre-clinical phase, the experimental outcomes and the initial results in humans are encouraging.


Extension educators must become creative to increase impact at a reduced cost. A blog from the Oklahoma State University viticulture and enology program through Wordpress engaged industry members about grape growing. The most views were during March and June, important months in the season. Off-season months (October through January) resulted in fewer readers. Views were consistent throughout the workweek, but declined during the weekend. A visual complement to a blog entry, such as a photo, may encourage readers to view content. Overall, the blog expand the reach of the Oklahoma viticulture and education program at no added expense.


Download this article from UCL Discovery here. In 2012, state-controlled television channel Russia 1 chose prime time on September 1, when schools celebrate Knowledge Day, to premiere the fourth installment of Born in the USSR. The documentary series launched in the Soviet Union in 1989 and was based on the same premise as Michael Apted's acclaimed UK-based project Up Series that tracked the lives of 14 British children at seven-year intervals starting from 1964. Since 1989, when Born in the USSR introduced a group of 20 seven-year old children from different parts of the Soviet Union, the series, directed by the leading Russian documentarian Sergei Miroshnichenko, has released four episodes. Born in the USSR functions as a database on multiple levels: it represents a historical archive of personal data collection, assumes totality of coverage (to report on an entire life and cover the map of the USSR); every element of it works for a larger picture; there is a basic algorithm that generates a larger whole, and it unites all kinds of data, while each element of it is attributed equal significance. The article argues that the database structure of the film makes it resistant to the country's attempts to frame it within the rhetoric of the rebuilding of Soviet Russia. Thus, the last section of this article will focus on the series' database structure to support this claim.


The present study focuses on the design optimization of a 3D DAMWT (Diffuser Augmented Micro Wind Turbine geometry). DAMWTS are compact devices with a swept area of only few square meters and energy production capacity of a few kilowatts. Their small size makes it convenient for domestic power generation. The box-shaped shroud makes it possible to stack multiple DAMWTS in an array configuration, thereby multiplying power output. 3-D CFD simulations were carried out using the k-ω SST turbulence model to compare the performance characteristics of different turbine geometries with a square inlet. With a constant shroud diffuser angle of 12 degrees as obtained in a previous study, the shroud nozzle angle and curvature were varied to obtain the maximum velocity factor and minimize flow stagnation at the inlet. Best performance was obtained with a nozzle angle of approximately 27 degrees and semi-concave curvature, with a velocity factor of 1.2. Further increase in nozzle angle resulted in a decline in performance and an increased flow stagnation. To analyze the influence of stacking on flow characteristics, a computational study of two DAMWTS placed horizontally next to each other was carried out. An investigation of the effectiveness of Vortex Generators in inhibiting flow stagnation at the inlet was also conducted.


One of the well-known complications in advanced ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is the development of Andersson lesion (AL)1. Subsequently, various reports with conflicting terminology appeared in the literature. Spondylodiskitis , which implies inflammatory etiology, was used by some authors2,3,4. Others have used the terms destructive vertebral lesion 5,6,7,8 or spinal pseudarthrosis 9,10.

The terminological diversity alludes to the varied purported etiologies surrounding AL. The etiologies of extensive AL have been well documented in literature. Various etiologies for the development of AL in patients with AS have been postulated, including infection, inflammation, and trauma. Current consensus is that infection is no longer considered a cause of the AL, because of the lack of positive culture results. Subsequently, etiology of the AL has been open to an ongoing debate between inflammation and trauma.

AS is characterized by spinal inflammation, and it is not surprising that many authors have focused on the inflammatory etiology of AL. Anterior spondylitis such as Romanus lesion comprised marginal erosion of the anterior vertebral corners related to inflammation of the attachment sites of anterior annulus fibrosus (AF) and anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL) in patients with AS8. The erosion becomes enclosed by a sclerotic rim and further healing results in the formation of syndesmophytes, finally resulting in a complete ankylosed segment. It has been postulated that AL might be exceptional extensions of this inflammatory process3,8,11,12. …

Address correspondence to Dr. S. Lee, Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, 17 Haengdang-Dong, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul 133-792, Republic of Korea. E-mail: radsh{at}hanyang.ac.kr


A solid phase extraction procedure using Amberlite XAD-1180/Pyrocatechol violet (PV) chelating resin for the determination of iron and lead ions in various environmental samples was established. The procedure is based on the sorption of lead(II) and iron(III) ions onto the resin at pH 9, followed by elution with 1 mol/L HNO3 and determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The influence of alkaline, earth alkaline and some transition metals, as interferents, are discussed. The recoveries for the spiked analytes were greater than 95%. The detection limits for lead and iron by FAAS were 0.37 µg/L and 0.20 µg/L, respectively. Validation of the method described here was performed by using three certified reference materials (SRM 1515 Apple Leaves, SRM 2711 Montana Soil and NRCC-SLRS-4 Riverine Water). The procedure was successfully applied to natural waters and human hair.


This study explores how CEOs' and outside directors' desires for the benefits of signaling and "homophily" intertwine with their concerns over maintaining power and preserving local status hierarchies to affect the likelihood a firm recruits prestigious outside directors to its board. Using pooled cross-sectional data on the five years following the initial public offerings (IPOs) of 210 firms that went public between 2001 and 2004, we found that prestigious CEOs and directors viewed the recruitment of prestigious new directors differently and that these perceptions were moderated by factors that increase the salience of risk of potential losses to CEOs and existing board members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]


Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is a Betacoronavirus that has been associated with disease in individual animals and groups of horses, and over the past seven years has been increasingly reported as a cause of disease outbreaks—primarily in adult horses in the USA and Japan.1–3 The main clinical signs associated with infection in adult horses are anorexia, lethargy and fever, with diarrhoea and mild colic signs less frequently reported.2 3 More serious complications associated with infection include septicaemia and encephalopathy associated with hyperammonaemia, however these complications are rare and most horses recover with supportive care.3 4 Leucopenia with lymphopenia and/or neutropenia are the main haematological abnormalities reported in clinical adult cases.3 The virus primarily infects the small intestinal mucosa causing enteritis, and a faeco-oral route of transmission is suspected.5–7

Clinically affected horses have been shown to shed virus in their faeces for up to 11 days and ECoV has also been detected in the faeces of small numbers of healthy adult horses on premises where disease outbreaks have occurred.3 4 qPCR testing of faeces is a sensitive diagnostic method to confirm ECoV infection. One study determined 90 percent accuracy between clinical status and PCR detection of ECoV infection in disease outbreaks.3 Peak faecal shedding has been shown to occur three to four days after the development of clinical signs and there have been a few cases of early ECoV infection that have tested qPCR negative; however, these horses tested positive 24–48 hours later and repeat testing of a …


Both endophytic and mycorrhizal fungi interact with plants to form symbiosis in which the fungal partners rely on, and sometimes compete for, carbon (C) sources from their hosts. Changes in photosynthesis in host plants caused by atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) enrichment may, therefore, influence those mutualistic interactions, potentially modifying plant nutrient acquisition and interactions with other coexisting plant species. However, few studies have so far examined the interactive controls of endophytes and mycorrhizae over plant responses to atmospheric CO2 enrichment. Using Festuca arundinacea Schreb and Plantago lanceolata L. as model plants, we examined the effects of elevated CO2 on mycorrhizae and endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophialum) and plant nitrogen (N) acquisition in two microcosm experiments, and determined whether and how mycorrhizae and endophytes mediate interactions between their host plant species. Endophyte‐free and endophyte‐infected F. arundinacea varieties, P. lanceolata L., and their combination with or without mycorrhizal inocula were grown under ambient (400 μmol mol−1) and elevated CO2 (ambient + 330 μmol mol−1). A 15N isotope tracer was used to quantify the mycorrhiza‐mediated plant acquisition of N from soil. Elevated CO2 stimulated the growth of P. lanceolata greater than F. arundinacea, increasing the shoot biomass ratio of P. lanceolata to F. arundinacea in all the mixtures. Elevated CO2 also increased mycorrhizal root colonization of P. lanceolata, but had no impact on that of F. arundinacea. Mycorrhizae increased the shoot biomass ratio of P. lanceolata to F. arundinacea under elevated CO2. In the absence of endophytes, both elevated CO2 and mycorrhizae enhanced 15N and total N uptake of P. lanceolata but had either no or even negative effects on N acquisition of F. arundinacea, altering N distribution between these two species in the mixture. The presence of endophytes in F. arundinacea, however, reduced the CO2 effect on N acquisition in P. lanceolata, although it did not affect growth responses of their host plants to elevated CO2. These results suggest that mycorrhizal fungi and endophytes might interactively affect the responses of their host plants and their coexisting species to elevated CO2.


In this work, we discuss the possibility to classify relativity in accordance with the classification of second order partial differential equations that have been applied into the formulation of physical laws in physics. In mathematics, since second order partial differential equations can be classified into hyperbolic, elliptic or parabolic type, therefore we show that it is also possible to classify relativity accordingly into hyperbolic, elliptic or parabolic type by establishing coordinate transformations that preserve the forms of these second order partial differential equations. The coordinate transformation that preserves the form of the hyperbolic equation is the Lorentz transformation and the associated space is the hyperbolic, or pseudo-Euclidean, relativistic spacetime. Typical equations in physics that comply with hyperbolic relativity are Maxwell and Dirac equations. The coordinate transformation that preserves the form of the elliptic equation is the modified Lorentz transformation that we have formulated in our work on Euclidean relativity and the associated space is the elliptic, or Euclidean, relativistic spacetime. As we will show in this work, equations that comply with elliptic relativity are the equations that describe the subfields of Maxwell and Dirac field. And the coordinate transformation that preserves the form of the parabolic equation is the Euclidean transformation consisting of the translation and rotation in the spatial space and the associated space is the parabolic relativistic spacetime, which is a Euclidean space with a universal time. Typical equations in physics that comply with parabolic relativity are the diffusion equation, the Schrödinger equation and in particular the diffusion equations that are derived from the four-current defined in terms of the differentiable structures of the spacetime manifold, and the Ricci flow.


Abstract : Transition 2001 is a bipartisan panel of about 60 American leaders in the areas of foreign and defense policy. The convening of the panel stemmed from the belief that this presidential transition comes at a critical time for America's role in the world-a time, also, when there is special value in trying to forge as much bipartisan agreement as possible on the central tenets of U.S. foreign and national security policy. Accordingly, our purpose was to survey the principal challenges that the United States faces abroad in the years immediately ahead and to recommend specific actions that the new president could take in the early days of his administration. Such decisive early action will be critical for setting U.S. foreign and national security policy on the right path for the balance of his term and beyond. To conduct its work, the panel commissioned more than 25 discussion papers on key issues and areas, prepared by RAND staff and others, to provide analyses of the most critical foreign and national security issues facing the United States, both during the first part of the new administration and in the long term. The panel met four times from February to October 2000 to discuss the most critical issues. The result of the panel's work is a report, published in an accompanying volume, and this volume of the supporting discussion papers. The report outlines what we have determined to be the most important national security challenges for the new administration, suggests priorities, and, where we could reach consensus, recommends specific courses of action. These discussion papers served as the raw material on which we drew for organizing our discussions and structuring the report.


An electromechanical servocontrol system was developed to analyze mechanical properties of a nonexcised, blood-perfused papillary muscle. A miniature load cell mounted on the moving arm of a pen motor measured muscle force, and a shaft angle sensor built in the motor measured the length. The pen motor was actuated by a servocontrol command signal. A papillary muscle was exposed in the right ventricle of an excised, cross-circulated canine heart. The tendinous end of the papillary muscle was connected to the load cell. The intact root of the muscle was fixed by a metal ring. The preparation was stable over 5 h heating at a regular spontaneous heart rate (95-150/min) at 37 degrees C. The system allowed the muscle to contract in various modes such as isometric, isotonic, auxotonic, afterloaded isotonic, quick released, lengthening, etc. Changes in the contraction mode, preload, and afterload could be achieved at the investigator's disposal simply by turning switches and potentiometers, or by feeding external command signals of desired wave forms.


Dominant plant species mediate many ecosystem services, including carbon storage, soil retention, and water cycling. One of the uncertainties with climate change effects on terrestrial ecosystems is understanding where transitions in dominant vegetation, often termed state change, will occur. The complex nature of state change requires multiple lines of evidence. Here, we present four lines of inquiry into climate change effects on dominant vegetation, focusing on the likelihood and nature of climate change–driven state change. This study combined physiological measurements, geographic models, historical documented cases of state change, and statewide plot sampling networks together with interpolated climate grids. Together these approaches suggest that the vulnerability to state change will be driven by the proximity of climatic conditions to biological thresholds for dominant species. The sensitivity of the dominant species is a much greater driver of climate vulnerability compared to the degree of climate change seen by a particular place (Section 1). Furthermore, in some cases, physiological measurements on those species can inform the nature of these thresholds (Section 3). The study team's review of past state change events suggests connections between particular state changes (e.g., forest to shrubland) and particular triggers (e.g., fire; Section 2). The effect of fire is particularly important, as it will likely interact with climatic change with implications for the success of different life history strategies among woody plants (Section 4). Our work suggests that the biological thresholds of dominant species will play a crucial role in the vulnerability of California terrestrial ecosystems. Understanding where climate change will push dominant species past these thresholds should be a major focus of future research.


Process mining is a technique for extracting knowledge from event logs recorded by an information system. In the process discovery phase of process mining, a process model is constructed to represent the business processes systematically and to give a general opinion about the progressive of processes in the event log. The constructed process model can be very complex as a result of structured and unstructured processes recorded in real life. Previous studies proposed different approaches to filter or eliminate some processes from the model to simplify it by implementing some statistical or mathematical formulas rather than user interactions. The main objective of this study is to develop an algorithm that is capable of working on large volume of event logs and handling the execution records of running process instances to analyze the execution of processes. The other significant principle is to provide an interactive method to ensure the decisions that will be taken to improve the execution of processes by verifying in a simulation environment before being put into practice. This study proposes a novel algorithm, named interactive process miner, to create a process model based on event logs and a new approach that contains three different features, including activity deletion, aggregation, and addition operations on the existing process model. The experimental results show a fundamental improvement in performance compared to the existing algorithms. As a result of this study, users will have an opportunity to analyze a large volume of event logs in a short time with low memory usage and to modify the created process model to observe the impact of improvement changes in a simulation environment before applying any changes to a system in real life.


System of education, included vocational education is seen as one important barometer for ensuring the national education system of a nation. In this context, the quality of teachers, including vocational teachers is the main factor affecting the quality of educational systems. This research focuses on the implementation of a multi entry multi exit system in Vocational Secondary School (VSS) in West Java. This system of learning is the development of integrated and sustainable industry-based learning. It is expected to build a balance between developing competencies and developing work character/culture that support each other to produce vocational graduates ready to work quality and competitiveness. The method used is descriptive evaluative with CIPP (Context, Input, Process and Product) design. The case of this study is to evaluate about how much is the significance of the implementation of the multi entry and exit system implemented at SMK and industry by graduates ready to work. The results of the evaluation of the above problems identified thath the multi entry multi exit system can increase 1-2% of graduates absorbed by the industry. The discussion of this study formulated the need for inovating multi entry multi exit systemby carrying out a series of activities as follows; synchronize curriculum, integrating learning with industry and industry class program, internship teacher and student at industry, self-service work development and or entrepreneurship as a condition to get a diploma.


Did you ever stop to wonder why "secret" business information enjoys greater protection in the United States than "private" personal information? Those who are content with the current state of information privacy might answer that it is because we place a higher value on business information than personal information. Others might point to the difficulty our legal system has had in recognizing claims for non-economic harms. This article presents a third explanation: what distinguishes modern trade secret law from the current state of information privacy law is the procedural and substantive ways in which each area of law developed. From a substantive perspective, the inadequate state of privacy law is the result of a number of factors, including the misapplication of the expectation of privacy doctrine, the abandonment of a focus on relationships, and a narrow vision of actionable wrongdoing. In direct contrast, the effectiveness of modern trade secret law is due to the development of the relative secrecy doctrine, a balanced focus on relationships, and a definition of misappropriation that includes the acquisition, disclosure and use of trade secret information. If privacy law follows the path of trade secret law, we need not wait for the common law to provide better protection for personal information. Because privacy law has developed to a point where its strengths and weaknesses can be identified, lawmakers can adopt a uniform law or federal statute to resolve all lingering debate. In the same way that trade secrets rights are not lost if they are subject to reasonable efforts to protect their secrecy, an individual's privacy interests in personal information should not be lost if the disclosure of such information is similarly circumscribed. The context in which personal information is disclosed should matter and, thus, the test for the protection of personal information should not be absolute privacy but "relative privacy."


Previously, infusions of an anti-IgE mAb (rhumAb-E25) in subjects decreased serum IgE levels, basophil IgE and FcεRIα surface density, and polyclonal anti-IgE and Ag-induced basophil histamine release responses. We hypothesized that these effects would be reversed in vivo by discontinuation of infusions and in vitro by exposing basophils to IgE. Subjects received rhumAb-E25 biweekly for 46 wk. Blood samples taken 0–52 wk after rhumAb-E25 were analyzed for serum IgE and basophil expression of IgE, FcεRIα, and CD32. Basophil numbers were unaffected by infusions. Eight weeks after infusions, free IgE levels rose in vivo but did not reach baseline. Basophil IgE and FcεRIα rose in parallel with free IgE while CD32 was stable. FcεRI densities, measured by acid elution, returned to 80% of baseline, whereas histamine release responses returned to baseline. Basophils cultured with or without IgE or IgG were analyzed for expression of IgE, FcεRIα, and CD32. By 7 days with IgE, expression of IgE and FcεRIα rose significantly, whereas cultures without IgE declined. IgE culture did not effect CD32. IgG culture did not effect expression of any marker. The present results strongly suggest that free IgE levels regulate FcεRIα expression on basophils.


Emissions from industrial, transportation, energy, residential, and commercial sectors are clearly significant sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Yet two additional sectors — agriculture and forestry — play a pivotal, dual role as both significant sources of GHGs and significant GHG sinks that sequester GHGs and help regulate climate change. Agricultural lands occupy roughly 40-50% of the Earth's land surface, and agricultural lands are projected to increase globally by over one billion acres by 2020 to meet the demands of rising populations. Feeding the earth's ever-growing population and driving a significant part of the global economy does not come without an environmental cost, however. Globally, agriculture accounts for about 10-12% of carbon emissions. Forestlands occupy about one-quarter of the earth's ice-free land surface, and contain over half of the world's plant and animal species. On local scales forests provide a wide array of goods and services while on a global scale forests sequester significant amounts of greenhouse gas that would otherwise exacerbate climate change. Even so, deforestation alone accounts for a full one-third of all carbon released into the atmosphere between 1850 and 1998, second only to the energy sector. Over the last two decades, up to 20% of global annual carbon emissions resulted from forest destruction and degradation, more than the global transportation sector. Though the U.S. has long been a stable forest sink, that status is in jeopardy as new threats may lead to significant deforestation over the next 50 years.This chapter discusses both the GHG source and sink potential of the agricultural and forest sectors. It also describes the governance and management frameworks for each sector and the GHG mitigation options available for each. The chapter concludes by highlighting future challenges for U.S. agriculture and forestry related to GHGs and climate.


This paper examines the 1797-1798 public debate surrounding the Tivoli Garden, Paris. The paper explores and analyses how opposing publications in the Parisian press utilised the garden as a locus to negotiate abstract societal changes following the revolution, including women's access to the public sphere, class identities, and consumer culture. In doing so, this paper shows how the ideas of Rousseau, particularly those presented in La nouvelle Héloïse (1761), influenced public debate over the pleasure garden, and thus adds a new chapter to the study of Rousseau's influence on the arts. Furthermore, this paper examines the popularity of the Tivoli garden, from the perspective of the Parisian public following the Terror. This paper proposes that the highly theatrical public pleasure garden functioned as a designated testing ground for transgressive social behavior. This allowed for the rules and norms of society to be developed, tested and learned following the French Revolution. By presenting the public pleasure garden as a significant space in the societal development of post-revolutionary society, this paper presents an entirely new perspective on Parisian public pleasure gardens. Keywords: Tivoli, Rousseau, Directory, Journal des dames et des modes, Theatricality


Periodontal medicine has been studied and reviewed extensively since its introduction to the dental fraternity. The association of periodontal disease with and its effects on the cardiovascular system are amongst the many topics explored. A summary of the research into these associations and the possible mechanisms of any relationship is presented. Although a link between these two chronic inflammatory diseases is evident, the very heterogeneity of the relevant studies has not provided evidence sufficient to support an actual causal relationship. More stringent epidemiologic and intervention studies are required.


Maintenance dredging costs the nation roughly $400 million per year. Yet, relative to other areas of water resources engineering, little attempt has been made to apply operations research methods to reduce the cost or increase the reliability of maintenance dredging operations. This paper extends the results of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sponsored study to demonstrate a preliminary methodology for estimating the optimal dredging frequency for coastal inlets. The method incorporates both a stochastic model of sediment deposition from littoral drift and a dredging cost model to estimate both the long term annualized cost and navigation reliability of various maintenance strategies. The managers of the inlet can then choose a dredging or sand-bypass strategy representing the most appropriate trade-off of cost and reliability. The problem of employing the method with imperfect transport and sedimentation models is discussed.


This article examines the engagement of peasant cultivators with the grain market in Germany in the seventeenth century. It demonstrates a differentiated propensity to sell in regard to different grains; a preference among cultivators for retaining subsistence foodstuffs; the importance of payment in kind in the labour market; and the lack of a clear-cut social structural divide between grain sellers and buyers among those who cultivate arable land. It is thus argued that the analytical concept of 'the peasant' retains its use in understanding this society, but that attitudes displayed by the peasantry to 'the market' must be clearly set in the context of the specific product markets and practices to retain any analytical value.


In composite document image, handwritten and printed text is often found to be overlapped with printed lines. The problem becomes critical for obscure and broken lines at multiple positions. Consequently, line removal is unavoidable pre-processing stage in the development of robust object recognizers. Moreover, the restoration of the handwritten area after removal of lines still persists to be a problem of interest. This paper presents a new approach to detect and remove unwanted printed line inherited in the text image at any position without characters distortion to avoid restoration stage. The proposed technique is based on connected component analysis. Experiment is conducted using single line images that scanned and extracted manually from several documents and forms. It is demonstrated that our approach is equally suitable to deal with line removal in printed and handwritten text written in any language circumvent restoration stage.


The global dependence on exhaustible fossil fuel resources has made the search for an alternative renewable and sustainable fuel more urgent. Photocatalysis has gained increasing consideration as a promising technology to solve problems associated with solar energy conversion. Fabricated m-BiVO4-based heterostructures have shown improved photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution and pollutant degradation; however, a deeper understanding of the photocatalytic mechanism and the role of the monolayers is still lacking. Moreover, no theoretical studies have been carried out on MS2/m-BiVO4(010) heterostructures. In the present study, the roles of MoS2 and WS2 monolayers loaded onto a m-BiVO4 surface for active photocatalytic hydrogen production and pollutant degradation are explored using first-principle studies. Herein, hybrid density functional calculations and a long-range dispersion correction method were used to investigate the charge transfer, electronic properties, photocatalytic activity and mechanism of the MS2/m-BiVO4(010) heterostructures. The results showed a narrow band gap, built-in potential and a type-II band alignment for the MS2/m-BiVO4(010) heterostructures compared to pure m-BiVO4, which favour the separation and transfer of charge carriers and visible-light-driven activity. The MoS2/m-BiVO4 heterostructure showed a suitable band edge for hydrogen production and pollutant degradation compared to the WS2/m-BiVO4 heterostructure. This improvement was attributed to the role of the MoS2 monolayer as an electron donor, the many reactive sites on the MoS2 surface and the enhanced electron/hole pair separation of charge carriers at the MoS2/m-BiVO4(010) interface. Considering that the MS2 monolayer coupled with m-BiVO4 can restrain the electron–hole recombination rate without lattice distortion indicates that the heterostructure approach is better than the doping approach. Based on the analysis of the electronic properties, the MS2/m-BiVO4(010) heterostructures were shown to fit within the acceptable band gap and built-in potential range. The proposed theoretical design paves a way for the effective and large-scale fabrication of m-BiVO4-based photocatalyst for solar energy conversion and environmental remediation applications.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the injury characteristic factors and hospitalization of trauma patients in a single region. This study was conducted in 193 subjects transferred to the emergency medical center at a hospital in U Metropolitan City from January 1 to December 31, 2013. The analysis was performed using an SPSS WIN 20.0 program. As for the emergency treatment items at the pre-hospital stage, emergency patients treated with a cervical plate were 15.49 times more likely to be hospitalized than those treated with Stability assistance (p=.001). As for hospitalization based on the final diagnosis for all of the trauma patients at the in-hospital stage, they were 4.91 times more likely to be hospitalized due to fracture than due to scratches/others (p=0.028). As shown in the results of this study, there are a diversity of complicated injury types and accident characteristics. It is therefore necessary to make institutional reinforcement and supplement injury prevention programs.


In a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, the overall prevalence of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (IAs) is estimated as 3.2%.1 The prevalence of IAs is higher in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease or a positive family history of IAs of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).1 From the same review, the size of unruptured IAs is <5 mm in 66%, 5 to 9 mm in 27%, and ≥10 mm in 7%; the site of IAs is internal carotid artery, including posterior communicating artery in 42%, middle cerebral artery in 35%, and anterior cerebral artery and anterior communicating artery in 18%.

Most IAs are clinically silent until rupture, which is unpredictable and sometimes associated with SAH, intraparenchymal hematoma, and an intraventricular hemorrhage. The case fatality of IA rupture is high (from 27% to 44%), but has decreased during the past 3 decades because of the introduction of improved management strategies, including neurocritical care.2 The International Study of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms (ISUIA) showed an increased risk of IA rupture with aneurysm size and for posterior circulation aneurysms.3

Although treatment of a ruptured aneurysm is accepted as an emergency, indication for treatment of unruptured IAs is still being discussed. Decision for treatment is based on clinical and anatomic factors; among them, the most important being patient's age, family history of IA(s), associated conditions (autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease), symptomatic aneurysms, aneurysm size, and location. The randomized International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial (ISAT) study has clearly demonstrated the superiority of endovascular treatment (EVT) of ruptured aneurysms using coil technology over surgery.4 Since the publication of these results, EVT has rapidly evolved. Although for unruptured aneurysms a direct comparison between EVT and surgery is not available, EVT has been widely used in this subgroup as well.5

In fact the population presenting with …


Purpose of review This article reviews the recent literature on the perioperative care of head and neck surgical patients undergoing free tissue transfer. Recent findings As the overall success of head and neck free flaps has plateaued above 95%, recent literature on perioperative flap management has focused on minimizing complications, length of stay, and cost of treatment. Current areas of research include preoperative risk stratification, preoperative and postoperative nutrition, intraoperative fluid management, postoperative level of care, postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis, defining the impact of comorbidities, and developing comprehensive evidence-based perioperative care protocols. Summary Rates of complications for head and neck free flap surgery remain stubbornly high. Optimization of perioperative nutrition, antibiotics, fluid management, and the establishment of structured pathways has the potential to decrease these complication rates. However, more research is needed into defining and implementing optimal comprehensive care regimens for this complex patient population.


Buried in Chief Justice Roberts' recent landmark opinion upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act under the tax power is a brief discussion indicating that the Necessary and Proper Clause cannot justify the Act's individual insurance mandate. But the Chief Justice breezed through this important argument without any overriding theory, in a manner Justice Ginsburg suggested would inevitably "disserve future courts." In the process, Roberts hastily distinguished the Court's recent decision in United States v. Comstock, which offered a substantial — if ambiguous — rethinking of the Necessary and Proper Clause, for perhaps the first time since McCulloch v. Maryland. This Article seeks to bring clarity back to Necessary and Proper Clause jurisprudence, by offering a new originalist account of the Clause. Underlying the Court's Comstock decision are two puzzles. First, there is a puzzle on the surface of the opinion as to how to apply Justice Breyer's novel five "considerations" in future cases, which this Article demonstrates has already left lower courts — and seemingly the Supreme Court itself, in its Affordable Care Act decision—deeply confused. Second, Comstock brings back to the surface a deeper puzzle that has sat dormant in Necessary and Proper Clause jurisprudence from the beginning: the puzzle of what it really means for congressional legislation to be rationally related to an enumerated constitutional end. The Article seeks to solve both puzzles together by proposing a modern fiduciary theory of the Necessary and Proper Clause that provides meaning to Breyer's considerations and clarifies the nature of a rational relation between legislated means and enumerated ends. After canvassing the range of possible means-end fit tests, the Article draws on newly uncovered history of the fiduciary and agency law roots of the Necessary and Proper Clause to argue that the most appropriate means-end test would ask whether Congress, in legislating, is acting as a proper fiduciary of the people of the United States, within the context of its enumerated powers.


Topological matter is a new state of matter which is characterized by topological nontrivial electronic structure. It not only has fundamental physical importance but also has practical applications. In this thesis, quantum transport measurement is used to study electronic structure and transport properties of various topological matter. In Chapter 3, we report a magneto-transport study on single crystals of the topological insulator BiSbTe3. Besides Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations and weak anti-localization (WAL) from the topological surface state, we also observed a crossover from the weak anti-localization to weak localization (WL) with increasing magnetic field, which is temperature dependent and exhibits two-dimensional features. The crossover is proposed to be the transport manifestation of the coexistence of the topological surface state and two-dimensional electron gas on the surface of TIs. In Chapter 4, we use Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations to investigate the electronic structure of the bulk conduction band of BiTeCl single crystals with different carrier densities. We observe the topological transition of the Fermi surface (FS) from a spindle-torus to a torus. The Landau level fan diagram reveals the expected non-trivial π Berry phase for both the inner and outer FSs. Angle-dependent oscillation measurements reveal threedimensional FS topology when the Fermi level lies in the vicinity of the Dirac point. All the observations are consistent with large Rashba spin-orbit splitting in the bulk conduction band. In Chapter 5, we use magneto-transport measurements to investigate the electronic


Abstract Reading fluency is a critical component of effective reading instruction for students of early elementary age. However, national data suggest that 40% of U.S. fourth-grade students are nonfluent readers. Implementing evidence-based, time-efficient, and procedurally standardized instructional strategies may help address this problem. This study evaluates the efficacy of two such programs designed to supplement a core reading curriculum for all emerging readers: the Great Leaps K-2 Reading Program, which is currently used in schools throughout the United States, and the Helping Early Literacy With Practice Strategies (HELPS) Program, which was developed for the purposes of this study. Each program was implemented with second grade participants, and each program was evaluated against a wait-list control group. Results indicated that students receiving the HELPS Program scored significantly better than students in the control group across several measures of early reading, with effect sizes ranging from medium to large. No other statistically significant differences were found. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of increasing the use of evidence-based reading practices in schools.


The study presented in this book is a direct response to the needs for defining and registering criminal and judicial data on the European level. Based upon work done in creating the European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics (ESB), the project results will improve and complement the standards developed so far for definitions and statistical registration in four fields (police, prosecution, courts, prison), in order to contribute to the picture of criminal justice in Europe. Possibilities to optimize the offence definitions used so far in the ESB context were explored. Also, further crime types, especially those subject to EU-harmonized definition, were tested and introduced. Apart from this, the prosecution chapter of the ESB questionnaire was changed and expanded. Data collection possibilities regarding compulsory measures in the investigatory stage were tested, and a more sophisticated approach for recording sanctions and measures as well as prison data was developed. The study explored how far national statistics can provide such data and developed a concept for collation on European level. It was funded by the European Commission under the AGIS 2006 program.


1 The permeability response of slightly leaky pial venular capillaries to histamine was investigated using the single microvessel occlusion technique. 2 Histamine dose‐response curves showed that concentrations between 5 nm and 5 μM increased permeability, while concentrations from 50 μM to 5 mM reduced it. 3 The H2 receptor antagonist cimetidine (2 μM) blocked the effects of lower concentrations of histamine, while the H1 receptor antagonist mepyramine (3 nM) blocked those of higher concentrations of histamine. 4 The effects of lower doses of histamine were mimicked by the H2 receptor agonist dimaprit, and the effects of higher doses of histamine were mimicked by the H1 receptor agonist α‐2‐(2‐aminoethyl)pyridine (AEP). 5 Low concentrations of histamine, which normally increase the permeability of Lucifer Yellow (PLY), reduced it when co‐applied with the phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor rolipram. Rolipram also potentiated the response to AEP, but had no effect on that to dimaprit. 6 The effects of dimaprit were blocked by reducing extracellular Ca2+ from 2.5 mM to nominally Ca2+ free, or by applying the calcium entry blocker SKF 96365.


Gyrator principles are used to design an integrable voltage-controlled simulated inductor with inductance variable from 0.1 to 250000 H or even higher. One of the features of this simulated inductor is that it contains two voltage-controlled current amplifiers with controlling terminals connected in parallel. For a resonant circuit consisting of such a simulated inductor and an external capacitor, the resonant frequency will be linear with the controlling voltage. It can be employed to realize a sine-wave oscillator or filter whose operation frequency is changed linearly with the controlling voltage. In this work a linear voltage-controlled sinusoidal oscillator, which was designed to have an oscillation frequency from several kHz down to 0.01 Hz, is taken as an example to illustrate an application of the simulated inductor. In this case the simulated inductor was made up of discrete components and the oscillator has been employed to provide standard signals for research on differential transformation of physiological spikes in medical science. >


There is, to all appearances, a philosophic hostility to fashionable dress. Studying this contempt, this paper examines likely sources in philosophy's suspicion of change; anxiety about surfaces and the inessential; failures in the face of death; and the philosophic disdain for, denial of, the human body and human passivity. If there are feminist concerns about fashion, they should be radically different from those of traditional philosophy. Whatever our ineluctable worries about desire and death, whatever our appropriate anger and impatience with the merely superficial, whatever our genuine need to mark off the serious from the trivial, feminism may be a corrective therapy for philosophy's bad humor and self-deception, as these manifest themselves when the subject turns to beautiful clothes.


Wireless networks present unusual challenges for mobile file system clients, since they are characterised by unpredictable connectivity and widely-varying bandwidth. The traditional approach to adapting network communication to these conditions is to write back file updates asynchronously when bandwidth is low. Unfortunately, this can lead to underutilisation of bandwidth and inconsistencies between clients. We describe a new mobile file system, MAFS, that supports graceful degradation of file system performance as bandwidth is reduced, as well as rapid propagation of essential file updates. MAFS is able to achieve 10-20% improvements in execution time for real-life file system traces featuring read-write contention


Strain GIHVLr6426 was isolated as an isoleucine hydroxamate-resistant mutant from the wild-type strain of Serratia marcescens Sr41. This mutant had high activities of threonine deaminase and acetohydroxyacid synthase, both of which were insensitive to feedback inhibition. Genetic analysis revealed that strain GIHVLr6426 carried two regulatory mutations located in the ilv region. Strain T-693, a threonine-producing strain which was previously reported to carry four regulatory mutations for threonine biosynthesis, had an increased activity of acetohydroxyacid synthase. Transductional analysis revealed that one of the four mutations carried by strain T-693 was responsible for constitutive synthesis of both isoleucine and threonine biosynthetic enzymes. Strain GIHVLr6426 into strain T-693. The constructed strain had the six regulatory mutations for threonine and isoleucine biosyntheses, and produced about 25 mg isoleucine ml-1 in a medium containing sucrose and urea.


Three-dimensional (3D) printing is increasingly used to produce orthopaedic components for hip arthroplasty, such as acetabular cups, which show complex lattice porous structures and shapes. However, limitations on the quality of the final implants are present; thus, investigations are needed to ensure adequate quality and patients safety. X-ray microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) has been recognised to be the most suitable method to evaluate the complexity of 3D-printed parts. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of a micro-CT analysis method comparing it with reference systems, such as coordinate measuring machine and electron microscopy.,3D-printed acetabular components for hip arthroplasty (n = 2) were investigated. Dimensions related to the dense and porous regions of the samples were measured. The micro-CT scanning parameters (voltage – kV, current – µA) were optimised selecting six combinations of beam voltage and current.,Micro-CT showed good correlation and agreement with both coordinate measuring machine and scanning electron microscopy when optimal scanning parameters were selected (130 kV – 100 µA to 180 kV – 80 µA). Mean discrepancies of 50 µm (± 300) and 20 µm (± 60) were found between the techniques for dense and porous dimensions. Investigation method such as micro-CT imaging may help to better understand the impact of 3D printing manufacturing technology on the properties of orthopaedic implants.,The optimisation of the scanning parameters and the validation of this method with reference techniques may guide further analysis of similar orthopaedic components.


Human uracil DNA glycosylase (hUNG) plays a central role in DNA repair and programmed mutagenesis of Ig genes, requiring it to act on sparsely or densely spaced uracil bases located in a variety of contexts, including U/A and U/G base pairs, and potentially uracils within single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). An interesting question is whether the facilitated search mode of hUNG, which includes both DNA sliding and hopping, changes in these different contexts. Here we find that hUNG uses an enhanced local search mode when it acts on uracils in ssDNA, and also, in a context where uracils are densely clustered in duplex DNA. In the context of ssDNA, hUNG performs an enhanced local search by sliding with a mean sliding length larger than that of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). In the context of duplex DNA, insertion of high-affinity abasic product sites between two uracil lesions serves to significantly extend the apparent sliding length on dsDNA from 4 to 20 bp and, in some cases, leads to directionally biased 3' → 5' sliding. The presence of intervening abasic product sites mimics the situation where hUNG acts iteratively on densely spaced uracils. The findings suggest that intervening product sites serve to increase the amount of time the enzyme remains associated with DNA as compared to nonspecific DNA, which in turn increases the likelihood of sliding as opposed to falling off the DNA. These findings illustrate how the search mechanism of hUNG is not predetermined but, instead, depends on the context in which the uracils are located.


The concept of accountability reflects the growing importance that transparency has assumed in Italy and elsewhere. The evolutionary path of transparency in the Italian public sector from the post-war period to the present day emerges as in increasingly pervasive transparency, both in form and substance. The general, specific, and prospective guidelines are aimed at: strengthening the constitutional principles of impartiality and the good performance of public administrations; increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of public administration activities, safeguarding public finances and preserving public management legitimacy; measuring and externally communicating the value created; producing and organising meaningful data in support of open government policies to increase the welfare of the economy .


This article examines how to increase pork meat productivity and quality indicators through the use of crossbreeding. The aim is to increase the meat productivity of animals; reduce losses during production and processing; and improve the criteria for assessing the quality of meat and the organization of its rational use. The purpose of our research is to study the productive quality of the steppe type of pigs, used in the Rostov region in breeding and crossing systems, and the complex of biological and internal indicators in connection with the defects in the quality of pork. Four groups with 16 animals in each were formed: the first group – with the intensive cultivation technology, included pigs of the DM-1 breed, the second – SM-1, the third – the SM-1 × DM-1 crossbreed, the fourth – the DM-1 × SM-1 crossbreed. Analysis of the raw meat showed that the pork had a good ability to emulsify and gel, and had a high nutritional value. The toxicity index in the muscle and fat tissue samples corresponded to the first permissible toxicity group. The study shows the advantages of crossbred individuals over purebred ones, which can be explained by the consequences of heterosis. According to the research results, the use of pig breeding in the industrial production of pork can be recommended in order to improve feedstock and meat productivity, biological and interior indicators, as well as the quality of raw meat.


A bivariate distribution whose marginal are gamma and beta prime distribution is introduced. The distribution is derived and the generation of such bivariate sample is shown. Extension of the results are given in the multivariate case under a joint independent component analysis method. Simulated applications are given and they show consistency of our approach. Estimation procedures for the bivariate case are provided.


The ALVINN (Autonomous Land Vehicle In a Neural Network) project addresses the problem of training artificial neural networks in real time to perform difficult perception tasks. ALVINN is a back-propagation network that uses inputs from a video camera and an imaging laser rangefinder to drive the CMU Navlab, a modified Chevy van. This paper describes training techniques which allow ALVINN to learn in under 5 minutes to autonomously control the Navlab by watching a human driver's response to new situations. Using these techniques, ALVINN has been trained to drive in a variety of circumstances including single-lane paved and unpaved roads, multilane lined and unlined roads, and obstacle-ridden on- and off-road environments, at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.


Since a fisheye lens can capture a wide angle scenery, it is broadly used for surveillance or outdoor sports. However, acquired images suffer from severe geometric distortions. Most of the existing distortion correction algorithms depend on linear features: images of linear features are first identified and then 2 dimensional warping is applied to make the curved images look straight. We propose a novel fisheye distortion correction method that estimates 3 dimensional (3D) locations of a foreground first, and then projects them to an image plane by perspective projection. When we know approximate distance of the foreground object, as in cases of head mounted camera, we can assume the 3D object plane of the foreground, and then estimate the 3D location from image points after internal camera calibration. For head mounted camera, foreground is a face and body of a human, and distortion of human figure is quite unnatural and awkward. Moreover, human figures lack linear features which excludes the use of conventional 2D warping techniques. We present techniques to estimate the 3D position from a corresponding 2D image point, which enables calculation of 3D object location. And then apply perspective projection to the 3D object position to obtain a distortion-free image. We demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method using fisheye camera images and the applicability of the proposed concept to real applications.


Time-dependent performance of a high-temperature MEMS-based thruster is studied in detail by a coupled thermal-fluid analysis. The material thermal response governed by the transient heat conduction equation is obtained using the finite element method. The low-Reynolds number gas flow in the microthruster is modeled by the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) approach. The temporal variation of the thruster material temperature and gas flowfields are obtained as well as the thruster operational time limits for thermally insulated and convectively cooled thrusters. The predicted thrust and mass discharge coefficient of both two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) micronozzles decreases in time as the viscous losses increase for higher wall temperatures.


In this work, the least pointwise upper and/or lower bounds on the state variable on a specified subdomain of a control system under piecewise constant control action are sought. This results in a non-smooth optimization problem in function spaces. Introducing a Moreau-Yosida regularization of the state constraints, the problem can be solved using a superlinearly convergent semi-smooth Newton method. Optimality conditions are derived, convergence of the Moreau-Yosida regularization is proved, and well-posedness and superlinear convergence of the Newton method is shown. Numerical examples illustrate the features of this problem and the proposed approach.


A comparison is made of the calculation of the spatial distribution of Cherenkov radiation from the primary proton performed with allowance for aerosol attenuation, with experimental data measured under different weather conditions at the Yakutsk EAS installation. It is shown that the transparency of the atmosphere affects the shape of the radial distribution of Cherenkov photons. With visibility range V = 15 km, calculations are close to experimental measurements, and more than 25 km are minimal. This circumstance is used in the Yakutsk array as one of the criteria for selecting showers for further analysis and obtaining the exact characteristics of an EAS.


Abstract The 'learning‐by‐doing' EU‐FORA fellowship programme in the development of risk assessment tools based on molecular typing and WGS of Campylobacter jejuni genome was structured into two main activities: the primary one focused on training on risk assessment methodology and the secondary one in starting and enhancing the cooperation between the hosting and home organisations, or other joint activities. The primary activities had three subsequent work packages (WPs): WP1 data organisation, WP2 cluster and association analyses, and WP3 development of risk assessment models. The secondary activities have branched into one workshop and the initiation of a cooperation programme between the hosting and home organisations. In the last quarter, the fellow had contributed to the characterisation of some pathogens in possible response to a changing climate, part of the CLEFSA project. The fellow attended various forms of training: online and on‐site courses, and also participated at several conferences and meetings for improving his knowledge and skills, contributing to performing the Campylobacter risk assessment and source attribution.


In 2011, the International Osteoporosis Foundation and the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine selected serum collagen type‐I crosslinked C‐peptide (s‐CTX) as the reference standard for bone resorption. This study aimed to determine the within and between laboratory reproducibility for s‐CTX assays. To create standardized pools, serum was collected from 10 premenopausal and 10 postmenopausal women. Premenopausal sera were pooled to approximate a population with normal bone turnover; postmenopausal sera were pooled to approximate a population with high bone turnover; and a third pool was created from an equal proportion of the pre‐ and postmenopausal pools. Multiple identical aliquots from each pool were created and frozen; all were labeled as routine clinical specimens. To evaluate longitudinal laboratory reproducibility, an identical aliquot from each of the three pools was sent to four US commercial laboratories on five dates over a 6‐month period. To evaluate within‐run reproducibility, each lab received five identical aliquots from each pool on the fifth date. Three labs (Mayo, ARUP, and Quest) used the Roche Diagnostics Elecsys assay, and one (Esoterix/LabCorp) used the IDS‐iSYS assay. Reproducibility was assessed using the coefficient of variation (CV) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Labs were unaware of the investigation. Across labs, mean s‐CTX values were 423, 533, and 480 pg/mL for the premenopausal, postmenopausal, and mixed pools, respectively, but the means differed between labs (p < 0.001). The premenopausal pool longitudinal CVs ranged from 5.0% to 14.9%; the postmenopausal pool CVs ranged from 3.4% to 19.3%; and the mixed pool CVs ranged from 3.3% to 16.0%. The longitudinal reproducibility for Esoterix/LabCorp was higher (CV 13.9%; 95% CI, 10.1% to 22.2%) than for the other labs. Within‐run CVs were also higher for Esoterix/LabCorp (CV 8.6%; 95% CI, 6.3% to 13.6%) compared with the other labs (CVs 2.1% to 6.2%). In conclusion, the reproducibility of s‐CTX varied across US commercial labs, and was poorer for Esoterix/LabCorp, which used the IDS assay, compared with the other three labs, which used the Roche assay. © 2019 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.


Background/AimsBiliary leakage (BL) is a major cause of postoperative morbidity after liver resection. Aim of our study was to analyse surgical parameters and postoperative morbidity with special emphasis on BL, after launching a minimally invasive liver resection program.MethodsA prospectively maintained medical database of patients who required a liver resection was used for analysis.ResultsA total of n=156 patients were divided into a group of n=47 patients (30.1%) receiving laparoscopic (LLR) and n=109 patients (69.9%) undergoing open liver resections (OLR). Patient age (OLR: 59.4 ± 16.0 vs. LLR: 57.9 ± 14.2 years) and male to female ratio (OLR: 63/46 vs. LLR: 25/22) were comparable. We performed n=75 (68.8%) major OLR and n=31 (66.0%) major LLR. Operation time was OLR 342.8 ± 110.5 min vs. LLR 287.3 ± 132.6 min (p=0.014) and the average blood loss was OLR 523.5 ± 428.6 ml vs. LLR 355.5 ± 459.2 ml. Morbidity and mortality was observed in n= 29 (18.6 %) and n= 7 (4.5 %) patients, respectively. The overall biliary leakage (BL) rate was 5.1% (n= 8). Majority of BL were detected in OLR with biliodigestive anastomosis (BDA) (n=2 (11.0%)) followed by OLR without BDA (n=6 (6.5%)). No BL were detected in patients with LLR. Hospital stay was significantly prolonged after OLR in patients with BL (38.4 ± 20.1 vs. 17.4 ± 11.1 days, p< 0.001).ConclusionIn line with previous reports, the introduction of different transection techniques in laparoscopic liver resections did not increase morbidity and BL-rate.


INTRODUCTION . It is accepted that a pectus it is primary deformation of the chest. An alternative explanation is that the lung is underdeveloped and the small lung retracts the chest wall. According to this hypothesis, the small lung to chest volume ratio augment the negative intrapleural pressure thereby deforming the chest wall. With surgical correction of the supposed chest deformity the chest cavity volume is increased and these small lungs are stretched even more than they were stretched. This traumatizes the lungs, further impairs their function. Patient9s studied : 27 patients with Pectus Excavatum without surgical correction and 5 patients after surgical correction of the chest. Methods : Body-plethysmography, Cardio-Pulmonary Exercise test, mathematical modeling. Results. Discussion . The preoperative TLC and VC were almost normal, but FRC and RV was significantly increased in the 27 patients. Central hemodynamic parameters were also within normal limits. Hence, the chest deformity is a secondary effect caused by this "Little Lung Syndrome". After surgery, all lung volumes and hemodynamic functions decreased. Conclusion . It is probable that we need to change the surgical technique to not only correct the chest wall defect but also to reduce the intra-thoracic volume, so as not to stretch the lungs.


Introduction Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional GI disorder, which can be debilitating and difficult to treat. There is growing evidence that a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs), improves symptoms in IBS. We aimed to retrospectively investigate the effects of a low FODMAPs diet in addition to traditional dietary advice, in patients with IBS symptoms. Furthermore, we aimed to assess the symptom response during long-term follow up including after gradual re-introduction of high FODMAPs foods. Method All the tertiary referrals seen by a FODMAPs trained dietitian were reviewed (2013–2016). Patients with IBS symptoms, regardless of underlying medical or surgical conditions were included (however those with concomitant active IBD and coeliac disease were excluded). At the initial dietetic consultation, patients were evaluated for IBS symptoms by a questionnaire (4-point Likert scale). Subsequently, advice regarding low FODMAPs diet as well as traditional dietary advice was given. Symptom response was assessed at 3, 6 and 12 months follow up, by use of the same questionnaire. Gradual re-introduction of high FODMAPs foods was aimed to commence at the initial follow up. Results A total of 164 patients were reviewed. Thirty-seven patients were excluded due to failure to attend the initial follow up, and we have deemed them to be a treatment failure. Hundred and twenty seven patients (77% patients, with 85% were female) completed the initial 3 months follow up. Forty-five percent (74/164) and twenty-five percent (41/164) of the patients had continued follow up at 6 and 12 months respectively. Of the 127 patients who returned for follow up, their baseline symptoms were as following: abdominal pain (89%), bloating (91%), flatulence (91%), faecal urgency (76%), incomplete evacuation (79%), nausea (54%), heartburn (50%), regurgitation (57%) and lethargy (92%). All symptoms were significantly improved at the initial follow up (p<0.0001 for all). Most patients (66%) were satisfied with their symptoms. In patients who had longer follow up duration, all symptoms remained significantly improved compared to the baseline (p<0.0001 for composite symptom at 6 and 12 months). After re-introduction of high FODMAPs foods, patients maintained their symptomatic response (p<0.0001 for composite symptom). The best symptom improvement was seen in those who were fully adherent to the FODMAPs diet (p<0.0001 for all symptoms). Conclusion In this retrospective cohort study, low FODMAPs diet in addition to traditional dietary advice, significantly improved all IBS symptoms, with 77.5% of patients compliant with diet. Patients were able to maintain symptomatic response beyond 3 months and after re-introduction of high FODMAPs foods. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


Positive and negative thermophoresis in fluids has found widespread applications from mass transport to molecule manipulation. In solids, although positive thermophoresis has been recently discovered in both theoretical and experimental studies, negative thermophoresis has never been reported. Here we reveal via molecular dynamics simulations that negative thermophoresis does exist in solids. We consider the motion of a single walled carbon nanotube nested inside of two separate outer tubes held at different temperatures. It is found that a sufficiently long inner tube will undergo negative thermophoresis, whereas positive thermophoresis is favorable for a relatively short inner tube. Mechanisms for the observed positive thermophoresis and negative thermophoresis are shown to be totally different. In positive thermophoresis, the driving force comes mainly from the thermally induced edge force and the interlayer attraction force, whereas the driving force for negative thermophoresis is mainly due to the thermal gradient force. These findings have enriched our knowledge of the fundamental driving mechanisms for thermophoresis in solids and may stimulate its further applications in nanotechnology.


Ferry service between the East Bay and San Francisco is one of the most tangible, in the view of some most positive, legacies of the Loma Prieta Earthquake. Begun as an emergency measure within hours of the event, the service has continued in one form or another through the time of this writing, and in the current political climate is likely to continue indefinitely. Several studies of East Bay ferry service have been carried out over the past decade. These have probed the demand for and costs of ferry service, and developed plans for incorporating it into the Bay Area's transport system. This paper has a different objective--to narrate and analyze the events surrounding the birth of the ferry service and its transformation from an emergency response to a seemingly permanent fixture. The investigation consisted of two parts. Supply side developments were followed through systematic reading of pertinent media stories and analysis of fares and schedules. Section 2 discusses this aspect of the research. Demand for ferry service was tracked through a series of three passenger surveys, results of which are discussed in Section 3. Section 4 offers conclusions.


Platycrinites and other genera of the crinoid family Platycrinitidae are abundant in the early Carboniferous and known from the Permian of East Indies as well, but their late Carboniferous record has so far been sparse and questionable. Doubt that platycrinitids existed during late Carboniferous was allayed when in 1969 Strimple and Watkins for the first time reported a platycrinitid calyx from the Pennsylvanian of Texas. The two genera and species of platycrinitids, Platycrinites nactus n.sp. and Exsulacrinus alleni n.gen. st sp., found in the collections described in this report, further confirm the existence of platycrinitids in the late Carboniferous. Similar types occur in the early Carboniferous in the Permian. The new genera and species described from the Sacramento Mountains confirm the existence of platycrinitids in the late Carboniferous.The collection from the Sacramento Mountains also includes numerous other typically late Carboniferous crinoids: Lecythiocrinus sacculus n.sp., Laudonocrinus subsinuatus, Algaocrinus aff. marquisi, Parulocrinus aff. harrisae, Stenopecrinus glaber n.sp., and an indeterminate synerocrinid. Their discovery is thought to be due to the presence of outcrops of reef-type strata, i.e., rocks that are not usually exposed.Crinoid workers have long recognized the enigma of absence of platycrinitid calyces in late Carboniferous strata, although they are common in the early Carboniferous and are known from the Permian strata of Timor, East Indies. It is exciting to find platycrinitid calyces in the Pennsylvanian rocks of the Sacramento Mountains. The occurrence of the platycrinitids in Grapevine Canyon, Sacramento Mountains, is believed to be a function of the reef-type strata of the Gobbler Formation present at the locality, a rock type of the Pennsylvanian not commonly exposed on the surface for examination. The incompleteness of the local geologic record is obvious.


www.asianlabourreview.org Abstract Whereas the rise of Asia as the global factory attracts much attention from policy makers and academics, what is often neglected is the 'labour side' of the story. What this contemporary transformation means to the ordinary Asian population is that Asia has become a continent of labour where hundreds of millions of workers are making their living at different moments of the globalising circuit of capital. This article examines the historical trajectory of capitalist development and labour in contemporary Asia and, in doing so, tries to identify the ways in which struggles of Asia's labouring population develop. It demonstrates that the contemporary development of this global factory creates no conditions on the basis of which a 'traditional industrial working class' can emerge while making it impossible for people to survive without relating to capitalist labour one way or another. Asian workers' struggles therefore often do not follow the 'usual' model of working class mobilisation. Rather they surface as social movements of the working poor in diverse forms across rural communities, urban centres, workplaces, and homes, defying the trinity formula of the labour movement between the industrial working class, trade unions, and workers political parties. From Global Factory to Continent of Labour Labour and Development in asia


In ordinary life we are constantly imbued by listening, and we seem to interact in different contextual dimensions of culture and society (Adelmann, 2002; Linell, 1998), both verbally and nonverbally. "Life by its very nature is dialogic. To live means to participate in dialogue," according to the Russian scholar Mikhail M. Bakhtin (1984, p. 293). In everyday life we get used to many kinds of situations where we hear conversations that we are actually not supposed to hear. For example, while we are waiting for the bus or subway we may listen to people next to us who appear to being having an argument. Usually we do not notice all these routine situations. But sometimes we do notice some interaction and listen with some attention. We have more of an absentminded attention and rarely listen attentively, but what if we did? The activity in listening presented here takes advantage of our daily and personal listening experiences of eavesdropping and use it for the educational purpose of listening development.


Electron microscopy, stylus-type surface profilometry, and Raman microprobe characteri-zation show distinct differences between thin films deposited by reactive evaporation and by reactive ion plating. Reactive evaporation yields thin films with the well-known columnar microstructure with appreciable surface roughness and other deficiencies. Low-voltage, high-current reactive ion plating deposition produces thin films which are smooth and dense. Cross-section electron micrographs of ion plated coatings reveal a densely packed poly-crystalline structure for Zr09, while TiO2 appears to form vitreous films. Molecular dynamics computer simulation of the film formation process is in good qualitative agreement with the experiments. The results suggest the expansion of the Movchan-Demchishin structure zone model with an additional Zone 4 for the vitreous phase, resulting from superthermal film formation conditions (thermal spiking).


This paper critically assesses recent place-based approaches to industrial and regional policy epitomised in the EU's 2020 'smart specialisation' programme. It suggests that these are a move in the right direction in so far as they acknowledge 'place' as a key, constituent part of policymaking. Drawing upon examples from across the world, we emphasise the importance of regions pursuing strategies that allow them to capture—in a sustainable way—a part of the value they help create and co-create with other entities, such as multinational firms and other organisations. This involves policymakers acting as public entrepreneurs, devising and implementing strategies, structures and policies to enable the regional ecosystem and its constituent parts to capture value sustainably. In addition to the extant focus on linkages and embeddedness, a key aspect of this involves the adoption of regional value capture and positioning strategies.