Biomechanical testing has been the cornerstone of sports bra research to date and the quantification of breast kinematics during exercise has received increasing interest. However, comparatively little research has been published regarding the development of biomechanical testing methodology and how this testing may inform the development of sports bra design. Thus, the overall research aim was the 'Development and application of methods used in the biomechanical assessment of sports bra performance with the end goal of better biomechanical tools for use in the sports bra design process'.
Breast kinematics are typically measured relative to the torso, therefore, it is necessary to track both torso and breast motion. The absence of a universally accepted torso tracking model, and information regarding the sensitivity of breast kinematics to the selected torso model were identified as limitations to the existing research. The seven marker torso tracking model presented is the first to be specifically developed for analysing relative breast motion during activities such as treadmill running and is recommended to be implemented in future sports bra research.
The torso segment used to calculate relative breast kinematics is assumed to be rigid, however, breast movement resulting from respiration has been reported for a static condition. The effect of breathing on breast kinematics during treadmill running was investigated. Significant differences were observed in the breast kinematics between breathing and non-breathing conditions, notably in the superior-inferior direction; however, they could not definitively be directly linked to breathing since significant differences in running gait were also observed. The results do suggest that increasing the number of gait cycles analysed may reduce any effects of breathing on breast kinematics due to phase-locking, the synchronisation of breathing with running locomotion. Analysing breast kinematics over 30 gait cycles may help minimise any potential effects of phase-locking across all commonly used phase-locking ratios.
Further understanding of breast motion and whether markers placed on the bra represent the underlying breast were identified as pertinent to advancing biomechanical assessment of sports bra performance. Motion between the breast and bra (either during an initial bedding in phase or steady state running) has yet to be explored within the existing literature and is assumed to be negligible for a correctly fitted bra. A settling in period of ~30 seconds between the breast and bra was found to occur during the initial phase of treadmill running. Whilst the study is recognised to be exploratory in nature, the findings suggest future breast kinematic study should consider the possibility of a settling in effect. Therefore, experimental protocols may benefit from including a short period of activity after the subject has changed into the bra to help eliminate any settling in effect prior to data capture or application of over bra markers. The results also suggest that motion occurs between the breast and bra irrespective of bra size and that over bra markers underestimate superior-inferior (S-I) breast displacement and anterior-posterior (A-P) displacement at the upper breast. Markers positioned over the bra were found to be less sensitive to variation in A-P and S-I displacement in different regions of the breast. However, use of under bra markers is limited by current motion capture technology and until advances in technology are made the use of over bra markers remains current best practice. Future studies are recommended to state whether breast markers were located over or under the bra and recognise that over bra markers represent bra motion.
Bra strap stiffness was identified as a potentially important factor in sports bra performance. The effect was investigated using a modified bra with removable strap sections of three differing stiffness. Bra strap mechanical properties were characterised using a specifically developed tensile testing protocol. Sports bra performance during treadmill running was assessed using biomechanical and perceptual measures. Increasing bra strap stiffness was found to improve sports bra performance with respect to bra kinematics (primarily in the superior-interior direction) and subjective perception ratings (in particular the perception of support), suggesting strap stiffness may have an important role to play in bra design.


It has recently been shown that amorphization and melting of ice (O. Mishima, Nature, 384 (1996) 546) were intimately linked. In this letter, we infer from molecular-dynamics simulations on the SiO2 system that the extension of the α-quartz melting line in the metastable pressure-temperature domain is the pressure-induced amorphization line. It seems therefore likely that melting is the physical phenomenon responsible for pressure-induced amorphization. Moreover, we show that the structure of a "pressure glass" is similar to that of a very rapidly (1013 to 1014 kelvins per second) quenched thermal glass.


The organization on a regional basis of the public Italian Agricultural Advisory Services (AAS) responds both to historical reasons and to the extreme differentiation of the local farming systems, institutional arrangements, and many other contextual factors. In Italy, each Region has its own law and its own policy on AAS, developing 21different systems with a poor coordination and great regional variety. The main aim of this paper is to explore the dimension of transparency and accountability of decentralization, considering the ASS governance and the coordination structures. The analysis integrates a literature review with empirical researches conducted through in-depth interviews.


Author(s): Ibarlucea Benitez, Itziar | Advisor(s): Barnes, Georjana; Drubin, David G | Abstract: Cell division is an essential process for multicellular organisms. The fundamental goal of mitosis is to duplicate and segregate the genetic material of one cell, to ultimately generate two cells genetically identical to each other and to the parent cell. The mitotic spindle is a microtubule-based structure that attaches to, and segregates replicated chromosomes to the two daughter cells. To accomplish such a crucial, yet intricate task, the mitotic spindle must be correctly assembled, positioned, and disassembled. Historically, research has mostly focused on addressing the first problem. However, recent studies have highlighted the importance of proper spindle positioning and disassembly. In this dissertation we attempt to address these last two problems. We focused on understanding how the activities of a group of microtubule-associated proteins are coordinated to regulate microtubule function during spindle positioning and disassembly, to finally ensure successful cell division.The work presented in Chapters 2 and 3 of this dissertation attempts to shed light on the process of spindle disassembly. The Aurora B protein kinase, or Ipl1 in budding yeast, is one of the main regulators of spindle disassembly. Once chromosome segregation is completed, and just before the onset of spindle disassembly, the Ipl1/Aurora B kinase concentrates at the spindle midzone, the region of spindle breakage. However, we do not fully understand how it is targeted to the midzone, or its precise role there. Chapter 2 addresses these two questions. Combining live cell microscopy with yeast genetics and biochemistry we identified a kinesin-5 (Kip1) as the main kinesin responsible for the midzone localization of Ipl1/Aurora B. Kip1 alone is sufficient to recruit Ipl1/Aurora B to microtubules, and it is able to transport Ipl1/Aurora B to the microtubule end. We also found that cells rely on cytokinesis to physically break the spindle if the Ipl1/Aurora B kinase cannot concentrate at the midzone. Once at the midzone, we know that Ipl1/Aurora B phosphorylates targets to destabilize the spindle and allow its breakage. She1 is a microtubule-associated protein that is activated during late anaphase by Ipl1/Aurora B-mediated phosphorylation. However, we do not understand its precise role during spindle disassembly. Chapter 3 investigates this question, and addresses whether She1 promotes spindle disassembly by directly destabilizing spindle microtubules. The mitotic spindle needs to be positioned perpendicular to the division plane for proper chromosome segregation. Chapter 4 attempts to gain some insight into this process, and focuses on understanding how the activity of two key antagonistic kinesins, present at the same time, on the same set of microtubules, is coordinated to achieve precise spindle positioning. Together, these studies have shed light on the mechanistic nuances of how protein function is coordinated to position and disassemble the mitotic spindle, and they present a novel model for how the Ipl1/Aurora B kinase is recruited to the spindle midzone in late anaphase, a process conserved across eukaryotes.


When academic journals were distributed only as paper editions, the obvious way for scholars to share a journal was to use the copy found on the shelves of their own university library. With the arrival of electronic access, the logistics of journal-sharing has changed radically. Physical proximity, which once made libraries the natural venue for shared access, is no longer important. Despite this change, university libraries have continued to act as publishers' revenue collectors and gatekeepers, by purchasing site licenses that entitle their faculty and students to access journals electronically. Since there is no compelling logistic reason for university libraries to do so, we ask whether university-wide site licenses perform a fiscal function that benefits the academic community. We and a surprising answer. If a journal is priced to maximize the publisher's pro�ts, scholars on average are likely to be worse of when universities purchase site licenses than they would be if access were by individual subscriptions only. But site-licenses are not always disadvantageous. Journals published by professional societies and university presses are often priced as if their objective is to achieve the largest possible circulation consistent with recovery of their costs. When such journals are sustained by institutional site licenses, the net benefits to the scientific community are larger than if these journals are sold only by individual subscriptions.


Threshold exceedance sets, defined by the coordinates where a certain critical level is exceeded, are of interest in many application fields in relation to risk analysis including deophysics, environmental sciences, engineering, astrophysics, finance, and insurance, among many others. In particular, many risk indicators can be formulated based on certain structural properties of threshold exceedance sets.

This article is structured in two parts. The first part reviews the two main approaches to describe the stochastic behavior of temporal threshold excesses, namely, the generalized Pareto distribution and nonhomogeneous Poisson processes, and collects references to some recent developments in the spatial and spatiotemporal contexts. The second part refers to some aspects of interest in relation to the structure of spatial threshold exceedance sets: on the one hand, geometrical measures such as the hypervolume and the Euler characteristic, which are related with certain probabilities of extremal occurrences; on the other hand, two different types of point processes, respectively based on centroids of connected components and on boundary A-exit points, which can be used depending on the specific structural properties of interest under study. The article concludes with a discussion and an illustration in the spatiotemporal context.

Keywords:

extreme values;
generalized Pareto distribution;
geometrical characteristics;
point processes;
threshold exceedances;
spatiotemporal processes


Deals with the characteristics of the image banks. Types of photographic archives, technical and visual qualities of the photographs. Segregation, pragnanz fashion, framing and composition, with a view to analysis, theming and indexing of the photographic image.


This study presents a comprehensive trend analysis of precipitation, temperature, and runoff extremes in the Central Valley of California from an operational perspective. California is prone to those extremes of which any changes could have long-lasting adverse impacts on the society, economy, and environment of the State. Available long-term operational datasets of 176 forecasting basins in six forecasting groups and inflow to 12 major water supply reservoirs are employed. A suite of nine precipitation indices and nine temperature indices derived from historical (water year 1949–2010) six-hourly precipitation and temperature data for these basins are investigated, along with nine indices based on daily unimpaired inflow to those 12 reservoirs in a slightly shorter period. Those indices include daily maximum precipitation, temperature, runoff, snowmelt, and others that are critical in informing decision making in water resources management. The non-parametric Mann-Kendall trend test is applied with a trend-free pre-whitening procedure in identifying trends in these indices. Changes in empirical probability distributions of individual study indices in two equal sub-periods are also investigated. The results show decreasing number of cold nights, increasing number of warm nights, increasing maximum temperature, and increasing annual mean minimum temperature at about 60% of the study area. Changes in cold extremes are generally more pronounced than their counterparts in warm extremes, contributing to decreasing diurnal temperature ranges. In general, the driest and coldest Tulare forecasting group observes the most consistent changes among all six groups. Analysis of probability distributions of temperature indices in two sub-periods yields similar results. In contrast, changes in precipitation extremes are less consistent spatially and less significant in terms of change rate. Only four indices exhibit statistically significant changes in less than 10% of the study area. On the regional scale, only the American forecasting group shows significant decreasing trends in two indices including maximum six-hourly precipitation and simple daily intensity index. On the other hand, runoff exhibits strong resilience to the changes noticed in temperature and precipitation extremes. Only the most southern reservoir (Lake Isabella) shows significant earlier peak timing of snowmelt. Additional analysis on runoff indices using different trend analysis methods and different analysis periods also indicates limited changes in these runoff indices. Overall, these findings are meaningful in guiding reservoir operations and water resources planning and management practices.


We explore the contributions of trade openness, remittance inflows and expansion in tourism towards improving income in Vanuatu over the periods 1983-2009 using the augmented Solow approach and the ARDL bounds test. The results show trade openness and remittances have a positive and statistically significant effect on the long run growth of the economy while tourism expansion is not statistically significant. For a broad-based development policy we propose: remittance inflows need to be encouraged and additional remittance markets to be explored; trade negotiations with specific focus on temporary movement of natural persons need to be prioritized; and ensuring access to financial services and technology to rural and outer islands in Vanuatu. To confine to diversity of the economy, there is a further need to develop tourism infrastructure besides putting policies in place to ensure that tourism sector operations benefit trickle down to the grassroots level of the society.


Corrosion inhibition studies of mild steel in aqueous HCl by some sulphonamides namely sulphamethazine (SMT), sulphachloropyridazine (SCP), sulphabenzamide (SBZ) and sulphaquinoxaline (SQX) has been investigated using experimental techniques (such as weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)) and theoretical methods (using the Density Functional Theory (DFT)). All the compounds effectively inhibited the corrosion process by becoming adsorbed on the metal surface following the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The electrochemical results showed that these inhibitors are mixed-type. The theoretical studies were undertaken to provide mechanistic insight into the roles of the different substituents on the corrosion inhibition and adsorption behaviour of the studied compounds. The calculated quantum chemical parameters include the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), the energy of the HOMO, dipole moment and partial atomic charges, etc. The calculated molecular properties were compared across the structures of the four compounds in order to identify trends related to their reactivity and their corrosion inhibition ability. The results also show that the ability of the sulphonamides to inhibit metal corrosion is strongly dependent on the electron donating ability of the substituent group and that the preferred site for interaction with the metal surface, in all the sulphonamides, is the SO2 group.


Objective: To investigate the relationship between environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure during prenatal and early childhood period and developmental delay among Hong Kong Chinese toddlers. Methods: A case-control study was carried out on 392 children with newly diagnosed developmental delay and 393 controls with normal development. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect household smoking history. The main outcome measures were the adjusted odds ratios for developmental delay in different ETS exposures during prenatal and postnatal period. Results: Before adjustment, household ETS appeared to be associated with elevated rates of developmental delay among toddlers, before and after birth (crude ORs = 1.53 (95%CI 1.13-2.07) & 1.44 (95%CI 1.06-1.96) respectively). The main contribution was from paternal smoking (crude ORs = 1.73 (95%CI 1.24-2.42) & 1.90 (95%CI 1.34-2.68) respectively). However, these associations became non-significant statistically when the child's gender and socioeconomic factors of the family were adjusted (adjusted ORs = 1.18 (95%CI 0.86-1.63) & 1.23 (95%CI 0.88-1.73) respectively). Conclusion: There is some evidence of an association between environmental tobacco smoke in both prenatal and early childhood period and developmental delay among Hong Kong Chinese toddlers. However, this association appears to be confounded by gender of the child and socioeconomic factors. However, since home is the most significant ETS exposure location for toddlers, educational efforts for family members about reducing their children's ETS exposure are essential.


The study on flow around a hydrofoil has been performed using various methods experimentally and numerically. Here we use a purely data-driven model using deep neural networks (DNNs) to reconstruct the flow fields. Its results are also compared with that obtained by traditional methods. The datasets of flow fields around a static hydrofoil obtained from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are used for training the DNNs and then the trained data-driven model is utilized to make reconstructions and predictions. 9 different physics informed loss functions, which contain the prediction error and the error measuring the violation of the conservation law, are proposed to train the parameters of DNNs. Effects of the proposed loss functions on reconstruction of velocity field and pressure field are analyzed. Lift and drag forces predicted during the training time are also analyzed. However, the data-driven model based on DNNs with the optimum loss function works well in the interpolation but fails in the extrapolation. The reasons causing the errors are discussed.


Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is responsible for a small number of acute hepatitis in developed countries. In this setting, HEV infection seems to be a zoonosis, although this has not been completely demonstrated. High morbidity and mortality associated with severe acute infections have been described, as well as the possible role of ribavirin therapy in those cases. We describe a case of acute hepatitis after pork meat ingestion in a patient with Waldeström macroglobulinemia with immunoglobulin A deficiency. Acute hepatitis E was diagnosed based on positive IgM anti-HEV antibodies and HEV RNA detected by real-time PCR. Because of clinical and analytical worsening, ribavirin was initiated, achieving sustained virologic response after 12 weeks of treatment. The phylogenetic analysis revealed the same HEV strain genotype 3 in both plasma and consumed meat samples, proving the zoonotic transmission. Regarding immunocompromised patients, acute hepatitis E can be associated to high morbidity and mortality rate, so dietetic recommendations may be needed to avoid the virus transmission.


This study investigates perceived interactions with the deceased, a phenomenon reported across societies, with 30-34% of individuals likely experiencing at least one ADC in their lifetime. Despite this prevalence, studies examining the impact of ADCs' on those who have lost partners are limited. We present data from 70 individuals reporting partner ADCs via an online survey. Forty percent reported accelerated recovery and 42.9% confirm the ADCs' significant influence in their grieving, with 61% expressing a desire for continued contact. ADCs, interestingly, didn't worsen their pain. The influence on grief-related sadness varied: 41% noted no change, while 40% reported reduced sadness. Forty-seven percent acknowledged ADCs eased their loss acceptance. The data highlight ADCs' substantial, potentially therapeutic role in grief and healing, despite varying effects on sadness and recovery. This study underscores the ADCs' possible positive influence on bereaved partners, advocating for a deeper understanding of this phenomenon in the grieving process.


In 1787, when the British abolition movement began, the Liverpool slave trade was the largest in the world. Contemporaries throughout Britain, but especially in the port, viewed the slave trade as the primary source of Liverpool's growth and prosperity in the eighteenth century. Liverpudlians, therefore, reacted negatively to the abolition movement, which they viewed as a threat to both the local and national economy. By 1788, the immense popular support generated by the abolition campaign left Liverpool isolated in its defence of the slave trade. Liverpudlians, however, were not unanimous in their support of the slave trade's continuance. In 1787 and 1788, a small group of rational dissenters, known as the Roscoe Circle, anonymously contributed to the abolition campaign from Liverpool. The group's namesake, William Roscoe, went on to be elected Member of Parliament for Liverpool in 1806, and in March 1807 he voted in favour of abolishing the slave trade along with 282 other MPs, against just sixteen, including Liverpool's other MP.  This thesis examines reactions in Liverpool to the British abolition movement between the start of the campaign in 1787 and the passage of the Slave Trade Abolition Act in 1807. It highlights the periods 1787-1788 and 1796-1807 to challenge the view of Liverpool as a town almost uniformly averse to abolition throughout the twenty year campaign. Chapters One and Two examine the immediate pro- and anti-abolition responses in Liverpool in 1787 and 1788, respectively focusing on the contributions of Liverpool slaving merchants to the anti-abolition campaign and on the abolitionist activities of the Roscoe Circle. Drawing on Liverpool guidebooks and a series of letters in the Liverpool Chronicle, Chapter Three then traces the gradual change in popular feeling towards abolition that occurred in Liverpool in the last decade of the British slave trade's existence. Ultimately, this thesis argues that rapidly dwindling Liverpudlian support for the slave trade from the mid-1790s onward has been under-valued. By 1807 Liverpudlians, wanting to re-affirm cultural ties with the rest of Britain, turned their backs on the slave trade, which had by then become a source of unease and embarrassment.


The effect of cadmium ion on the structure and function of rat liver hepatocyte after oral (88mg/kg) and intramuscular (25mg/kg) administration of cadmium chloride for 14days was investigated by evaluating some liver marker enzymes, bilirubin and  histopathological analysis. The result showed that both oral and intramuscular  exposure to cadmium ion lead to significant increase (p<0.001) in the level of all the marker enzymes and conjugated bilirubin while total bilirubin showed no significant difference (p<0.001). The orally treated rats had alkaline phosphate (ALP) level of 99.40±0.28 IU/L aspartate transaminase (AST), 66.00±1.41 IU/L, alanine  transaminase (ALT) 22.00±1.41 IU/L, total bilirubin (TB) 0.08±0.14mg/dl and  conjugated bilirubin (CB) 0.70±0.14 mg/dl. Rats treated intramuscularly gave values of 114.00±2.83 IU/L for ALP, 116.00±4.24 IU/L AST, 36.99±1.41 ALT, 1.10±0.14 mg/dl TB and 1.00±0.14 mg/dl CB. Histopathological analysis showed a degeneration of hepathocytes and deposition of fatty materials. This result suggests that ingestion of cadmium ion has adverse effect on the structure and function of the liver. Key words : Cadmium, Hepato-toxicity, Histopathology


Given the frequent comorbidity of anxiety and depression, it is important to study the effects of depression interventions on anxiety and the impact of comorbid anxiety on depression outcomes. This article reports on pooled anxiety and depression data from two randomized trials of Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST), a depression prevention program. Ninety-eight adolescents were randomized to receive IPT-AST or school counseling (SC). Outcome and predictor analyses were performed utilizing hierarchical linear models. IPT-AST adolescents had significantly greater reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms than SC adolescents during the intervention. Baseline anxiety symptoms predicted change in depressive symptoms for adolescents in both intervention conditions, with adolescents low in baseline anxiety demonstrating more rapid change in depressive symptoms than adolescents high in baseline anxiety. These findings indicate that IPT-AST is effective at decreasing both depressive and anxiety symptoms. For adolescents with comorbid symptoms of anxiety, there may be slower rates of change in depressive symptoms following prevention programs.


A discussion of Liza Lim's Tongue of the Invisible, a work written for improvising jazz pianist, Uri Caine, baritone Omar Ebrahim and 16 musicians of musikFabrik (premiere Holland Festival, June 2011).

The paper explores compositional relationships between constraint and freedom in a work employing improvisational strategies and various degrees of performer input in the formation of the work. Documentation of the work, from sketch to workshop stage to performance(s) including interviews and recordings, was carried out by Prof Eric Clarke and Dr Mark Doffmann as part of their AHRC-CMPCP project on 'Distributed Creativity'. This documentation forms the basis for a discussion of the ways in which the 'feedback' mechanisms that are negotiated in rehearsal between composer and performers have an impact on the final work and how performance-practice knowledge is co-created in highly interactive situations.


Heavy current bushings passing through steel cover plates and housing walls of power transformers, generators and other large power equipment are thermally hazardous elements of construction and a source of additional power losses. The safety and reliability of such expensive objects and the safety of power delivery often depend on the proper design of these elements. A computer analysis, based on Maxwell equations and analytical representation of electromagnetic field has been carried out. The nonlinear permeability of solid steel was considered using an analytical approximation. Eddy current losses have been calculated and compared using different experimental and calculation methods. Electromagnetic criteria were used to forecast possible excessive heating and hot spots. Various constructional means of loss and hot spot reduction were considered.


A research guide to support engagement with Cultural Studies, including work in internet culture, film and television, Web 2.0 activism, alter-globalization and human rights, and more.


A new macroseismic intensity prediction equation is derived for the central and eastern United States and is used to estimate the magnitudes of the 1811–1812 New Madrid, Missouri, and 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquakes. This work improves upon previous derivations of intensity prediction equations by including additional intensity data, correcting magnitudes in the intensity datasets to moment magnitude, and accounting for the spatial and temporal population distributions. The new relation leads to moment magnitude estimates for the New Madrid earthquakes that are toward the lower range of previous studies. Depending on the intensity dataset to which the new macroseismic intensity prediction equation is applied, mean estimates for the 16 December 1811, 23 January 1812, and 7 February 1812 mainshocks, and 16 December 1811 dawn aftershock range from 6.9 to 7.1, 6.8 to 7.1, 7.3 to 7.6, and 6.3 to 6.5, respectively. One‐sigma uncertainties on any given estimate could be as high as 0.3–0.4 magnitude units. We also estimate a magnitude of 6.9±0.3 for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake. We find a greater range of magnitude estimates when also accounting for multiple macroseismic intensity prediction equations. The inability to accurately and precisely ascertain magnitude from intensities increases the uncertainty of the central United States earthquake hazard by nearly a factor of two. Relative to the 2008 national seismic hazard maps, our range of possible 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquake magnitudes increases the coefficient of variation of seismic hazard estimates for Memphis, Tennessee, by 35%–42% for ground motions expected to be exceeded with a 2% probability in 50 years and by 27%–35% for ground motions expected to be exceeded with a 10% probability in 50 years.


Using a hand-collected dataset for takeovers from 1996 to 2013, I examine why some target firms obtain a second fairness opinion and the associated wealth effects of doing so. I find that multiple opinions are more likely to be used in deals in which management/investment bank conflicts of interest are high—e.g., buyouts and stapled financing deals. In addition, the use of a second opinion has a significantly positive impact on target shareholders' wealth in these two types of deals. Fairness opinion valuation predominantly relies on accounting data, and the benefit of seeking a second opinion increases with a firm's earnings quality. Collectively, the results suggest that a second opinion is used to facilitate transactions.
 JEL Classifications: G34; G24; J33.


We analysed spectral variations of ∼8.5-d long Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) monitoring observations of Her X-1 in 2001 December. This set of observations enables, for the first time, frequent continuous monitoring (111 pointings in ∼8.5 d) of the source with RXTE including a ∼1.7-d-long low state part and the following ∼6.8-d-long short high state part. We used an absorbed power-law model with an iron line energy complex modelled as a Gaussian to fit both the 3-60 keV Proportional Counter Array-High Energy X-ray Timing Experiment (PCA-HEXTE) overall short high state spectrum and 3-20 keV individual PCA spectra. An additional partial cold absorber model was used for both cases. Using 3-20 keV individual PCA spectra, absorption in anomalous dips (ADs) and pre-eclipse dips (PDs) in the short high state was compared. Decreasing the ratio of unabsorbed to absorbed flux with increasing unabsorbed flux in ADs and PDs was interpreted as evidence of the fact that the regions causing opaque obscuration and soft absorption are not geometrically far away from each other. Higher iron line peak energies in the low state and the short high state (∼6.6-6.9 keV) were interpreted as a clue of the presence of iron line components other than the Kα emission line.


Synergistic and supportive interactions among genes can be incorporated in engineering biology to enhance and stabilize the performance of biological systems, but combinatorial numerical explosion challenges the analysis of multigene interactions. The incorporation of DNA barcodes to mark genes coupled with next-generation sequencing offers a solution to this challenge. We describe improvements for a key method in this space, CombiGEM, to broaden its application to assembling typical gene-sized DNA fragments and to reduce the cost of sequencing for prevalent small-scale projects. The expanded reach of the method beyond currently targeted small RNA genes promotes the discovery and incorporation of gene synergy in natural and engineered processes such as biocontainment, the production of desired compounds, and previously uncharacterized fundamental biological mechanisms.


The complexity and importance of teamwork in health care demand drastic improvement in the existing methodology of quality assurance. There is a need to develop a quality management system (QMS) for the healthcare sector. The purpose of this paper is to propose and to verify the effectiveness of the quality-centred management system for healthcare (QMS-H) model in providing safe and reliable health care at the organisational level. This paper presents the QMS-H model derived through an analogy with the QMS model applied in the manufacturing industry and modified according to the features of the healthcare sector, and we discuss the form it should assume and the necessary type of body of knowledge (BOK). We are trying to implement the model in several hospitals in a QMS-H research group, and we are also trying to verify the effectiveness of the model in the research group. At present, the basic foundations of QMS-H have been laid, and many hospitals have now obtained the ISO 9001 certification. Some hospitals have launched policy management and improvement at the organisational level. Since some management indices have been improved, the effectiveness of the model has been suggested.


Resuscitation of cardiac arrest in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients places the healthcare staff at higher risk of exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Unfortunately, COVID-19 status is unknown in most patients presenting to the emergency department (ED), and therefore special attention must be given to protect the healthcare staff along with the other patients. This is particularly true for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients who are transported to the ED. Based on the current data available on transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2, we have proposed a protocolized approach to out-of-hospital cardiac arrests to limit risk of transmission.


Synovial sarcoma with extensive osteoid production is rare. We report a case of synovial sarcoma of monophasic type with massive ossification. The diagnosis was confirmed by reverse-transcripitase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The patient was an-81-year-old woman with recurrent synovial sarcoma in her right knee. The tumor was primarily excised in 1989. It recurred and was removed again in 1996. However, in 1999 a painful mass appeared in the same site. Preoperative plain radiography and computed tomography revealed a 5 x 5 cm soft tissue mass with extensive ossification in the medial side of the right knee joint. The tumor was widely excised in 2000. Soft X-ray examination revealed a trabecular pattern of ossification in the excised tumor. Microscopically the tumor was composed of hypercellular spindle cells with fascicular arrangement with prominent ossification but no epithelial component. The tumor cells were positive for vimentin and focally positive for cytokeratin. The tumor expressed a sequence of SYT-SSX1 fusion gene transcript demonstrated by RT-PCR. Twelve years long survival of the present case without metastasis in spite of repeated recurrence suggests a better prognosis of synovial sarcomas with ossification.


We define and study C1-solutions of the Aronsson equation (AE), a second order quasi linear equation. We show that such super/subsolutions make the Hamiltonian monotone on the trajectories of the closed loop Hamiltonian dynamics. We give a short, general proof that C1-solutions are absolutely minimizing functions. We discuss how C1-supersolutions of (AE) become special Lyapunov functions of symmetric control systems, and allow to find continuous feedbacks driving the system to a target in finite time, except on a singular manifold. A consequence is a simple proof that the corresponding minimum time function is locally Lipschitz continuous away from the singular manifold, despite classical results showing that it should only be Hölder continuous unless appropriate conditions hold. We provide two examples for Hörmander and Grushin families of vector fields where we construct C1-solutions (even classical) explicitly.


Sago starch is a locally grown and produced starch resource in Malaysia. In this study, corn starch to sago starch ratios (CS:SS) of 0:20, 5:15, 10:10, 15:5 and 20:0 were included in feed mixture to contain 20% starch and produce five isonitrogenous and isocaloric (30% crude protein and 16.7 kJ/g, respectively) tilapia Oreochromis sp. diets. Diets were preconditioned to contain 40% moisture and extruded using a single-screw extruder at screw speed of 120 rpm using three different temperature profiles (I 60-100-140-180˚C; II 60-100-120-160˚C; and III 60-120-120-180˚C). Effects of these factors were evaluated on physical properties of extrudates including expansion ratio, bulk density, water stability, floatability, sinking velocity and durability. From the results, different temperature profiles and CS:SS had significant effects (p<0.05) on expansion ratio and floatability. Sago starch performed as a good binder as it gave higher percentage of water stability and pellet durability. The mixture with 10:10 of corn to sago starch extruded using temperature profile II (60-100-120-160˚C) produced the best extrudates with desirable physical properties.


Predicting changes to subsea pipeline embedment due to sediment mobility is critical to many aspects of pipeline design, including on-bottom stability, thermal management, fatigue analysis and flow assurance. Motivated by this requirement, significant advances have been made over the last few decades in un-derstanding the mechanisms of pipeline scour and sedimentation. This has led to the development of predic-tive models and formulas, based predominantly on laboratory experiments. However, despite these developments uncertainties still remain in predicting scour and sedimentation in actual field conditions. One reason for this continued uncertainty is that previous laboratory experiments have often focused on idealised testing conditions, consisting of uniform sandy sediments and steady or stationary near-bed current and wave velocities. Although these idealised conditions enable systematic studies, they are not representative of the range in marine sediments and metocean conditions observed in practice; hence extrapolation is necessary. A second reason for uncertainty is that there has only been limited comparison of laboratory results with field data, and so quantitative validation is lacking. Noting these areas of uncertainty, in this paper we review a col-lection of recent studies completed at the University of Western Australia (UWA) which each aim to close the gap between laboratory experiments and actual field conditions, and therefore reduce uncertainty in predicting changes in scour and sedimentation in the field. These studies focus on three aspects of work: (i) the effect of variations in marine sediment properties on the rate of pipeline scour; (ii) the effect of time-varying seabed velocities on pipeline scour; and (iii) comparisons of laboratory based estimates of scour and sedimentation with field data. In each study an emphasis is placed on developing reliable predictive models and formulas that better represent field conditions, or are validated against field observations. It is argued that these models allow for improved predictions of pipeline scour and sedimentation, and may be used to form a rational design approach for subsea pipelines.


The first enhancers to be identified in the immunoglobulin gene loci are located in the J-C intron. However, deletion of the immunoglobulin kappa intron-enhancer has little effect on the transcription of kappa transgenes. Here we ask whether the second kappa enhancer which we recently identified at the 3'-end of the locus plays a role in kappa gene expression. We show that its omission leads to 20-40 fold lower expression of kappa transgenes and to poor allelic exclusion. Transfection experiments show that activity of the 3'-enhancer, like that of the kappa-intron enhancer, can be induced in a pre-B cell line by incubation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Whereas induction of the kappa-intron enhancer is due to induction of NF-kappa B activity, deletion mapping of the 3'-enhancer localises its activity to a 50 nucleotide region that lacks an NF-kappa B site; indeed the 3'-enhancer allows kappa expression in a cell line which lacks NF-kappa B. Thus, both the 3'- and intron-enhancers can be induced at the same stage of differentiation but by distinct pathways. Furthermore, unlike the intron-enhancer, the 3'-enhancer plays a critical role in the transcription of rearranged immunoglobulin kappa genes.


Over the past decade, great efforts have been devoted in the field of biomass valorization to the development of reductive processes for the sustainable production of bio-fuel and chemicals. Catalytic transfer hydrogenation, which uses alcohols as the hydrogen source, offers an interesting approach that avoids the use of both high H2 pressure and precious metal catalysts. In this work, the vapour-phase production of furfuryl alcohol (FAL) and 2-methylfuran (MF) from biomass-derived furfural (FU), using methanol as the H-transfer agent was studied. Two class of catalysts were employed: basic-based systems such as MgO, Mg/Fe/O, Mg/Al/O and CaO; and a mixed iron-vanadium oxide FeVO4. With the latter at the temperature of 320°C it was possible to achieve 80% yield to 2-methylfuran, with small amounts of 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) and 2-vinylfuran (VINFU) as by-products. The study of the reaction network permitted us to infer on the relative contribution of H-transfer and hydrogenation, to 2-methylfuran formation. On the other hand, with the basic-base catalysts, it was demonstrated that both the pristine systems MgO and CaO were totally selective towards the formation of the unsaturated alcohol FAL as the only reduction product of FU at mild temperature condition, thus allowing selective H-transfer from methanol to the substrate. Conversely, the distribution of compounds obtained with Mg/Fe/O was significantly different, with 2-methylfuran formation prevailing when the reaction was carried out between 300 and 400 °C. Furthermore the use of different hydrogen sources such as 2-propanol, acetone, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde and molecular hydrogen allow to identify the complete reaction network for the vapor-phase transformation of FU, demonstrating that both the in-situ produced molecular hydrogen and formaldehyde played a direct role in MF formation.
The reported results indicate the potential application of the catalytic transfer hydrogenation reaction as an efficient process for the selective de-oxygenation of biomass-derived molecules.


An apparently convenient way of looking at Australian science fiction is to study the contents of those anthologies which explicitly state in their titles, subtitles or editor's introductions that they are collections of 'Australian sf.' Indeed, in all good logic, these should offer ready-made corpuses gathering texts which are both 'Australian' and of 'science fiction.' Things however, are never quite so simple.The first problem involves the sheer scope of what is available. Analysing Australian science fiction in this way implies analysing 38 anthologies and covering roughly 50 years of creative writing. This represents, on average, one anthology for every 18 months over a period of half a century. Anyone who thought that Australian science fiction was only a 'marginal' genre within Australian literature as a whole would quickly find how mistaken they were.The second problem concerns the acronym 'sf' and the adjective 'Australian' in the titles, subtitles or editor's introductions of these anthologies, which are not so much the common denominator of all of these texts as what distinguishes them from one another. For some anthologies, the letters sf, for example, do stand for 'science fiction.' In others, they are used to signify the more coverall term of 'speculative fiction.' At other moments still, the acronym is used to suggest 'science fantasy.' This means that 'sf,' in Australia at least, can cover just about everything from poetry about science to tales of sword and sorcery.1 The term 'Australian,' as it is used in these same titles, subtitles and editor's introductions, is just as confusing. For some editors, 'Australian sf' means sf written by people born in Australia whether they live in Australia or not. Sometimes it signifies written by people having spent at least a few years in Australia regardless of where they are now living or where they were born. For some, stretching the term Australian to its limits, 'Australian sf' means sf written by people born abroad, living abroad but having chosen to publish their stories first in Australia rather than in the UK or US.In short, the terms 'Australian' and 'sf', in Australia, encompass a large and somewhat confusing assortment of tales of non-mimetic fiction written by people from all over the world. This paper will nonetheless try to unravel the meandering course of the development of the concept of 'Australian sf' through an analysis of all of these sometimes very different collections. This should enable a better understanding of how Australian science fiction was created, how it was nurtured and how it has developed with time.1. 'Australian sf': a genre first defined in the late 1960sAccording to Van Ikin (1979), the birth of Australian science fiction can be pinpointed to two early anthologies published by the Sydney-based editors Angus and Robertson. These were The Pacific Book of Australian Science Fiction (1968) and The Second Pacific Book of Science Fiction (1971). 'Here were truly "Australian" sf writers' wrote Ikin. The late George Turner too, during his address at the 1981 HRC Conference, considered that not only was The Pacific Book of Australian Science Fiction the first anthology of its kind in Australia it was, above all, 'the first halfway decent anthology of Australian science fiction' (1983).Indeed, both these early anthologies were edited and introduced by the Australian journalist and science fiction writer John Baxter. For Baxter, what defined his collections of 'Australian science fiction' was the fact that though some stories could be tagged as 'fantasy' and that 'some people would not even accept some of the stories to be 'sf of any sort at all'2, all the stories published were: 'written by Australians' (Baxter The Pacific Book..., Introduction). For Baxter, because Australian sf (loosely defined) was written by Australian nationals it was clearly different from British or American sf. Because of this particular point of view, in his introduction to The Second Pacific Book, Baxter wrote: 'The sf in this anthology stands on its own two feet, ingenious and energetic stuffthat can compete with any other country's. …


UNLABELLED
The aim of this study was investigate the appearance of multiple myeloma on flurorine--18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). Furthermore the accuracy of FDG-PET in detecting myeloma lesions and its influence on patient's management were evaluated.

METHODS
Altogether 50 patients, 13 patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma with negative radiographs, 4 patients with solitary plasmocytoma, 27 patients in remission with suspected relapse and 6 patients with monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS) with suspicion for multiple myeloma or other malignancy underwent FDG-PET examination. The results of routinely performed radiographs, and MR or CT imaging modalities as well as the clinical course were used for verification of the FDG-PET results.

RESULTS
Focally increased tracer uptake was observed in 3 (23 %) of newly diagnosed myeloma patients with negative radiographs and was verified with CT or MR with followed indication for therapy. The FDG-PET was negative in two cases of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma with negative radiographs, no focal infiltration on MR imagination, but with anemia, high monoclonal imunoglobulin and bone marrow infiltration, which was indication for therapy. In all other cases FDG-PET negativity in asymptomatic myeloma had good prognostic significance; these patients are without progression after with a median follow up 14 (7-20) months. Focally increased tracer uptake was found in 5 of the 27 patients in remission. In 4 cases of them it was due to multiple myeloma relapse, in one case due to ovarial carcinoma. Only in 1 patient the PET-FDP failed to recognize extraosseal progression on the scull. 21 patients had true negative FDG-PET imagination, in 1 case disease relapsed 12 months after FDG-PET examination; the other 20 patients are still without progress of this disease with median follow up 15 (7-20) months. FDG-PET was positive in 2 from the 6 patients with MGUS. In one of them carcinoma of thyreoidea was detected, in second the FDG-PET activity was localized in gut, tumor was verified with CT and colonoscopy.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, FDG PET might contribute to initial staging of radiographs negative multiple myeloma and might be useful for follow up of patients in remission, especially in consecratory multiple myeloma, or in patients with large plasmocelular tumor (> 5 cm) after concomitant radiochemotherapy.


The aim of this thesis was to explore and expand applications of 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) in plant imaging. In present work, I analyzed FDG translocation and elucidated FDG metabolism in model plant species Arabidopsis. In collaboration with Dr. Meldau, I demonstrated that FDG could be employed as radiotracer to study carbon allocation in Nicotiana upon herbivory. FDG being the glucose analog, it was proposed that FDG could be used as a tracer for photoassimilates. To confirm above hypothesis, I compared radioactivity distribution pattern of two chemically distinct radiotracers, viz. FDG and Ga-citrate. The [18F] and [68Ga] radioactivity distributions were significantly different. [18F] radioactivity distribution pattern was similar to photoassimilates and translocated exclusively via phloem. I also demonstrated that FDG could be employed as a radiotracer for in vivo imaging using positron emission tomography. Further, I analyzed FDG metabolism in Arabidopsis to unravel underlying biochemical pathways. On the basis of exact monoisotopic masses, MS/MS fragmentation, and NMR data; I identified F-gluconic acid, FDG-6-P, F-maltose, and UDP-FDG as end products of FDG metabolism. In plants, FDG was taken up by the cells via HgCl2-sensitive passive uptake process similar to that of glucose. Glycolysis and starch degradation pathway seem to be the important pathways for FDG metabolism in plants. In collaboration with Dr. Meldau, I showed that herbivory increased carbon allocation towards below ground parts such as roots but away from growing parts such as root tips. Experiments with JA-insensitive irCOI1 plant showed that the resultant carbon allocation is dependent upon JA which may be acting in co-ordination with other phytoharmones to regulate plant defense response and plant growth. In conclusion, my thesis provided a basic foundation for establishing FDG as a radiotracer for plant imaging and presents a methodology to trace carbon allocation in plant using FDG.


The microstructure change by warm deformation in high-carbon steels with different initial ferrite (α) + cementite (θ) duplex microstructures has been examined. Three kinds of initial structures, i.e., pearlite, α+spheroidized θ and tempered martensite, were prepared using Fe-0.8C-2Mn and Fe-1.0C-1.4Cr alloys and compressed by 30-75% at 973K at a strain rate of 5x10-4 s-1. Equiaxed fine α grains, approximately 2μm in diameter and mostly bounded by high-angle boundaries, are formed with spheroidized θ by dynamic recrystallization during compression of the pearlite by 75%. When the (α+θ) duplex structure containing spheroidized θ was deformed, the original α grains become elongated and only subgrains are formed within them by dynamic recovery. For the tempered martensite, equiaxed α grains similar to those in the deformed pearlite were obtained after 50% compression. This indicates that the critical strain needed for the completion of dynamic recrystallization of α is smaller for the tempered martensite than for the other structures.


Chinua Achebe's literary texts have no doubt, provided interacting confluences of opinions and comments from both African and non-African critics. Not only from the tributary of literary criticism, scholars from other fields and persuasions, language, sociology, anthropology, philosophy and so on have also enjoyed the fertility of the texts of this writer who was adjudged the greatest prose writer of African extraction. Perhaps, however, no other aspect of Achebe's writing skill has received greater attention more than his narrative skill, his telling techniques, especially his masterful blend of Igbo and English rhetoric strategies. This paper further examines the language techniques of Achebe in one of his novels, Arrow of God. It examines Achebe's exploitation of reference in the creation of suspense in the novel. Suspense is a popular literary technique, usually realised as an inter- episodic linking device. But this paper examines it from a different pattern of linking strategy and in this manner uses it to characterise Achebe's literary idiolect. The theoretical framework adopted in the study is Discourse Analysis, a linguistic theory that examines how the various parts of a text are cohesively united as a whole. In applying this theory in the study, it examines how Achebe's unique reference patterns help in reading the novel as a text.


As an ordinary life table follows a closed group from birth to the death of its last member, a labor force status life table follows a closed group through life and through the statuses "in the labor force" and "not in the labor force." Using data from the January 1972 and January 1973 Current Population Surveys, two types of labor force status life tables were calculated for the United States, 1972. One type was a conventional working life table (for males) which started with an ordinary life table and partitioned the life table population into labor force statuses using age-specific proportions in the labor force. The other type was an increment-decrement table, prepared for both males and females, which was calculated so as to be consistent with the rates of labor force accession and separation implied by the data.Increment-decrement labor force status life tables are generally preferable to conventional working life tables. They reflect the implications of a clearly specified set of behavioral rates, provide detailed measures of the flows between labor force statuses, do not introduce seriously biasing approximations into the calculation of summary measures of labor force experience, and can be applied to female data as easily as male data. In practice, incrementdecrement labor force status life tables can be calculated from current and retrospective data generated by a single labor force survey.The increment-decrement labor force status life tables for the United States, 1972 reflected the extent to which the labor force participation of males exceeded that of females, but indicated that, on the average, half a woman's lifetime between the ages of 16 and 65 was spent in the labor force. There were marked differences in the proportions, by age, of males and females in the labor force, with the male pattern rising to a single, flat peak and the female pattern being bimodal. Nonetheless, the two sexes shared similar age patterns in the proportions changing, or not changing, their labor force status.


Recently, widespread attention has been paid to red emissive carbon dots (CDs) which have desirable optical properties, low toxicity, and biocompatibility. Despite great efforts, the facile preparation of red dual-emissive CDs useful for ratiometric detection and bioimaging remains challenging. Here, we report a facile synthesis of red dual-emissive CDs and their potential for ratiometric fluorescence sensing and cellular imaging. Derived from the hydrothermal treatment of dicyandiamide and o-phenylenediamine in dilute sulfuric acid, the CDs are surface-tailored with nitrogen-, oxygen-, and sulfur-containing functional groups. The as-prepared CDs show various good features, including good water solubility, biocompatibility, excitation-independent dual-emission with two photoluminescence (PL) peaks centered at 630 and 680 nm, and an absolute quantum yield (QY) of 30.2% in water. The CDs exhibit a selective, sensitive, rapid, and stable ratiometric fluorescence response toward methyl blue, giving a linear relationship in the range of 0.5-300 μM with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.997. We also study ratiometric fluorescence sensing for the accurate detection of pH. Moreover, the CDs possess good cellular imaging ability, indicating their promising applicability for biomedical applications. These results pave a way toward the fabrication of red dual-emissive carbon-based nanomaterials useful for both ratiometric sensing and bioimaging.


Lead nitrate induces hepatocyte proliferation and subsequent apoptosis in rat livers. Iron is a constituent of heme and is also required for cell proliferation. In this study, the expression of ferritin light-chain (FTL), the major iron storage protein, was investigated in rat livers after a single intravenous injection of lead nitrate. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry revealed that FTL was increased in hepatocytes around the central veins and strongly expressed in nonparenchymal cells. Some FTL-positive nonparenchymal cells were identified as Kupffer cells that were positive for CD68. FTL-positive Kupffer cells occupied about 60% of CD68-positive cells in the periportal and perivenous areas. The relationships between FTL expression and apoptosis induction or the engulfment of apoptotic cells were examined. TUNEL-positive cells were increased in the treatment group, and enhanced expression of milk fat globule EGF-like 8 was demonstrated in some Kupffer cells and hepatocytes, indicating enhanced apoptosis induction and phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. FTL-positive Kupffer cells were not detected without lead nitrate treatment or in rat livers treated with clofibrate, which induces hepatocyte proliferation but not apoptosis. These results suggest that FTL expression in Kupffer cells after lead treatment is dependent on phagocytosis of apoptotic cells.


RATIONALE
Mechanical ventilation with large tidal volumes causes ventilator-induced lung injury in animal models. Little direct evidence exists regarding the deformation of airways in vivo during mechanical ventilation, or in the presence of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP).

OBJECTIVES
To measure airway strain and to estimate airway wall tension during mechanical ventilation in an intact animal model.

METHODS
Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated with tidal volumes of 6, 12, and 25 cm(3)/kg with and without 10-cm H(2)O PEEP. Real-time tantalum bronchograms were obtained for each condition, using microfocal X-ray imaging. Images were used to calculate circumferential and longitudinal airway strains, and on the basis of a simplified mathematical model we estimated airway wall tensions.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Circumferential and longitudinal airway strains increased with increasing tidal volume. Levels of mechanical strain were heterogeneous throughout the bronchial tree. Circumferential strains were higher in smaller airways (less than 800 mum). Airway size did not influence longitudinal strain. When PEEP was applied, wall tensions increased more rapidly than did strain levels, suggesting that a "strain limit" had been reached. Airway collapse was not observed under any experimental condition.

CONCLUSIONS
Mechanical ventilation results in significant airway mechanical strain that is heterogeneously distributed in the uninjured lung. The magnitude of circumferential but not axial strain varies with airway diameter. Airways exhibit a "strain limit" above which an abrupt dramatic rise in wall tension is observed.


Minimalist models have been studied for a broad array of tasks in robotics. In this paper, we consider the taskcompleting power of robots in terms of the sensors and actuators with which the robot is equipped. Our goal is to understand the relative power of different sets of sensors and actuators and to determine which of these sets enable the robot to complete its task. We define robots as collections of robotic primitives and provide a formal method for comparing the sensing and actuation power of robots constructed from these primitives. This comparison, which is based on the how the robots progress through their information spaces, induces a partial order over the set of robot systems. We prove some basic properties of this partial order and then apply it to a limited-sensing version of the global localization problem.


Foods with added physiologically- active food components (PAC) are receiving special attention by their potential in disease prevention and health promotion. Additional intake of any nutrient might be achieved by the application of vacuum impregnation technique to fruits and vegetables. Viability of mushroom as matrix for the incorporation of calcium was then evaluated. It was found that, due to the high impregnated liquid fraction observed (17 - 40 %), the calcium incorporated in 100 g of mushroom would satisfy about 24 - 32 % of the Adequate Intake (AI). Thus, there would seem to be much potential for the introduction of high Ca 2+ concentration in mushroom tissue through vacuum impregnation, combating the widespread Ca 2+ deficiencies that occur in human populations. Although mechanical properties are affected by the vacuum treatment, similar or greater mushroom softening is produced during post-harvest storage or commercial thermal processing. Keywords-- Mushroom, Functional foods, Calcium.


The support/query episodic training strategy has been widely applied in modern meta learning algorithms. Supposing the n training episodes and the test episodes are sampled independently from the same environment, previous work has derived a generalization bound of O(1/ √ n) for smooth non-convex functions via algorithmic stability analysis. In this paper, we provide fine-grained analysis of stability and generalization for modern meta learning algorithms by considering more general situations. Firstly, we develop matching lower and upper stability bounds for meta learning algorithms with two types of loss functions: (1) nonsmooth convex functions with α-Hölder continuous subgradients (α ∈ [0, 1)); (2) smooth (including convex and non-convex) functions. Our tight stability bounds show that, in the nonsmooth convex case, meta learning algorithms can be inherently less stable than in the smooth convex case. For the smooth non-convex functions, our stability bound is sharper than the existing one, especially in the setting where the number of iterations is larger than the number n of training episodes. Secondly, we derive improved generalization bounds for meta learning algorithms that hold with high probability. Specifically, we first demonstrate that, under the independent episode environment assumption, the generalization bound of O(1/ √ n) via algorithmic stability analysis is near optimal. To attain faster convergence rate, we show how to yield a deformed generalization bound of O(lnn/n) with the curvature condition of loss functions. Finally, we obtain a generalization bound for meta learning with dependent episodes whose dependency relation is characterized by a graph. Experiments on regression problems are conducted to verify our theoretical results.


BACKGROUND
Benzodiazepines (BZDs) have a sedative and hypnotic effect upon people. Short term use can be beneficial but long term BZD use is common, with several risks in addition to the potential for dependence in both opiate and non-opiate dependent patients.

OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for treating BZD harmful use, abuse or dependence compared to pharmacological interventions, no intervention, placebo or a different psychosocial intervention on reducing the use of BZDs in opiate dependent and non-opiate dependent groups.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL- the Cochrane Library issue 12, 2014) which includes the Cochrane Drugs and Alcohol Group Specialized Register; PubMed (from 1966 to December 2014); EMBASE (from 1988 to December 2014); CINAHL Cumulative Index to Nursing and AlliedHealth Literature (1982 to September 2013); PsychINFO (1872 to December 2014); ERIC (Education Resources Information Centre, (January 1966 to September 2013); All EBM Reviews (1991 to September 2013, Ovid Interface); AMED (Allied & Alternative Medicine) 1985 to September 2013); ASSIA (Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts (1960 to September 2013); LILACS (January 1982 to September 2013);Web of Science (1900 to December 2014);Electronic Grey Literature Databases: Dissertation Abstract; Index to Theses.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials examining the use of a psychosocial intervention to treat BZDs versus pharmacological interventions,no intervention, placebo or a different psychosocial intervention on reducing the use of BZDs in opiate dependent and non-opiate dependent groups.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used the standard methodological procedures outlined in Cochrane Guidelines.

MAIN RESULTS
Twenty-five studies including 1666 people met the inclusion criteria. The studies tested many different psychosocial interventions including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) (some studies with taper, other studies with no taper), motivational interviewing (MI),letters to patients advising them to reduce or quit BZD use, relaxation studies, counselling delivered electronically and advice provided by a general practitioner (GP). Based on the data obtained, we performed two meta-analyses in this Cochrane review: one assessing the effectiveness of CBT plus taper versus taper only (575 participants), and one assessing MI versus treatment as usual (TAU) (80 participants).There was moderate quality of evidence that CBT plus taper was more likely to result in successful discontinuation of BZDs within four weeks post treatment compared to taper only (Risk ratio (RR) 1.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05 to 1.86; nine trials, 423 participants) and moderate quality of evidence at three month follow-up (RR 1.51, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.98) in favour of CBT (taper)for 575 participants. The effects were less certain at 6, 11, 12, 15 and 24 months follow-up. The effect of CBT on reducing BZDs by> 50% was uncertain for all time points examined due to the low quality evidence. There was very low quality evidence for the effect on drop-outs at any of the time intervals; post-treatment (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.66), three month follow-up (RR 1.71, 95% CI0.16 to 17.98) and six month follow-up (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.17 to 2.88).Based on the very low quality of evidence available, the effect of MI versus TAU for all the time intervals is unclear; post treatment(RR 4.43, 95% CI 0.16 to 125.35; two trials, 34 participants), at three month follow-up (RR 3.46, 95% CI 0.53 to 22.45; four trials,80 participants), six month follow-up (RR 0.14, 95% CI 0.01 to 1.89) and 12 month follow-up (RR 1.25, 95% CI 0.63 to 2.47).There was very low quality of evidence to determine the effect of MI on reducing BZDs by > 50% at three month follow-up (RR 1.52,95% CI 0.60 to 3.83) and 12 month follow-up (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.47). The effects on drop-outs from treatment at any of e time intervals between the two groups were uncertain due to the wide CIs; post-treatment (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.04 to 7.10), three month follow-up (RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.06 to 3.28), six month follow-up (RR 8.75, 95% CI 0.61 to 124.53) and 12 month follow-up(RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.02 to 7.71).The following interventions reduced BZD use - tailored GP letter versus generic GP letter at 12 month follow-up (RR 1.70, 95%CI 1.07 to 2.70; one trial, 322 participants), standardised interview versus TAU at six month follow-up (RR 13.11, 95% CI 3.25 to 52.83; one trial, 139 participants) and 12 month follow-up (RR 4.97, 95% CI 2.23 to 11.11), and relaxation versus TAU at three month follow-up (RR 2.20, 95% CI 1.23 to 3.94).There was insufficient supporting evidence for the remaining interventions.We performed a 'Risk of bias' assessment on all included studies. We assessed the quality of the evidence as high quality for random sequence generation, attrition bias and reporting bias; moderate quality for allocation concealment, performance bias for objective outcomes, and detection bias for objective outcomes; and low quality for performance bias for subjective outcomes and detection bias for subjective outcomes. Few studies had manualised sessions or independent tests of treatment fidelity; most follow-up periods were less than 12 months.Based on decisions made during the implementation of protocol methods to present a manageable summary of the evidence we did not collect data on quality of life, self-harm or adverse events.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
CBT plus taper is effective in the short term (three month time period) in reducing BZD use. However, this is not sustained at six months and subsequently. Currently there is insufficient evidence to support the use of MI to reduce BZD use. There is emerging evidence to suggest that a tailored GP letter versus a generic GP letter, a standardised interview versus TAU, and relaxation versus TAU could be effective for BZD reduction. There is currently insufficient evidence for other approaches to reduce BZD use.


Understanding teachers' practices in language alternation is an essential component in the context of L2 classroom interaction and teacher talk. For novice teachers, who have to deal with a number of difficulties when experiencing a transition from teacher training institutions to the school classroom to teach for the first time, it is challenging to make a confident and effective choice regarding how and which language should be used in specific circumstances. However, there have been no studies investigating the specific issue of language alternation performed by novice teachers during their teacher-fronted instruction. To fill the gap, this study applies conversation analysis methods and findings to investigate the language alternation practices performed by novice teachers in the EFL university classroom in Vietnam. With a specific focus on language choice (Auer, 1984), the study investigates the recurring patterns of their language alternation practices, how these practices were structurally organized within different phases and sequence structures of the lesson, and the students' subsequent actions in response to these language switches. The socially constructed manifestations of novice teachers' language alternation practices were identified and analysed from (1) video recorded classroom observations of novice teachers and (2) audio recorded interviews with teacher educators and novice teachers to gain insights into novice teachers' language alternation training background. The findings reveal that there was insufficient background concerning the employment of language alternation in teacher education programs for novice EFL teachers, specifically the absence of five major domains of knowledge. These include theories of teaching, teaching skills, communication skills, pedagogical reasoning and decision-making, and contextual knowledge. Without orientation and support from teacher education programs, these teachers also lacked awareness about this practice which was revealed in the focus of their lesson plans and reflection. Regarding teachers' actual practices, a key and recurring finding is that novice teachers often started their instruction or pre-instruction in English but quickly switched to Vietnamese for immediate translation without providing any wait time or interactional space for students to show their understanding or to give responses. Their switches to English in the space of the first language, on the other hand, mostly occurred for the quick insertion of English lexical items, of the language associated with the teaching of English, and of brief comprehension checks or comments due to the convenience and availability of those inserted items at the time they were needed. Briefly stated, their language alternation behaviour reveals their orientation to what Cromdal (2005, p. 333) calls "a division in labour" for the use of the two languages: the target language played the role of temporary medium while the first language served as the main medium or vehicle of teacher instruction and class interaction. The findings also show that novice teachers employed language alternation in all phases of the lesson (1) to provide information needed in pre-entry or lead-in phases, (2) to pursue students' understanding and responses in both lead-in and main instructional phases, (3) to scaffold students' comprehension, responses and their task completion in a range of insert sequences, and (4) to achieve affiliation and intimacy with students in side-sequences. Their language alternation, in fact, was employed as an important tool in the organization of their instructional talk to pursue student responses and to establish understanding or a foundation for students' epistemic status (Heritage, 2013) before the class could proceed and commence the main language learning tasks. The teachers' actions of frequently alternating languages to provide students with social, cognitive and affective support for their second language learning or to achieve intersubjective understanding in the classroom reveal their orientation to the distribution of languages in the sequence structure: English is used to frame by opening and closing instructional sequences and Vietnamese is used as the main language of instruction and class interaction. In addition, the data show that students often adopted the teachers' language use in their responses when the teachers' language alternation occurred. Indeed, by switching languages teachers could prompt or steer the students' responses, renegotiate the language of ongoing interaction, and signal their language preference in a pedagogical way.


We describe a general framework for online multiclass learning based on the notion of hypothesis sharing. In our framework sets of classes are associated with hypotheses. Thus, all classes within a given set share the same hypothesis. This framework includes as special cases commonly used constructions for multiclass categorization such as allocating a unique hypothesis for each class and allocating a single common hypothesis for all classes. We generalize the multiclass Perceptron to our framework and derive a unifying mistake bound analysis. Our construction naturally extends to settings where the number of classes is not known in advance but, rather, is revealed along the online learning process. We demonstrate the merits of our approach by comparing it to previous methods on both synthetic and natural datasets.


The objective of this study was to determine the effect of CP level in corn- and soybean meal-based diets on apparent (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of AA. Six pigs (initial BW, 47.1 ± 1.0 kg) fitted with T-cannula at the distal ileum were fed 6 diets for 6 periods in a 6 × 6 Latin square design. The 6 diets consisted of a nitrogen-free diet and 5 corn- and soybean meal-based diets that contained CP of 68, 105, 141, 177, and 214 g/kg. Each period consisted of a 5-d adjustment period and 2 d of ileal digesta collection for 10 h on each of d 6 and 7. The ratio of corn:soybean meal was fixed at 3 to 2 by weight and cornstarch was added to dilute the CP concentration. Chromic oxide was added at 5 g/kg as an indigestible marker. The results showed basal endogenous loss ranged from 65 mg/kg of DMI for Met to 3,104 mg/kg of DMI for Pro. Proline and Gly (1,053 mg/kg of DMI) were the 2 most abundant AA in endogenous flow and together accounted for approximately 43% of the total endogenous AA flow. Of the basal ileal endogenous CP, total AA accounted for 82%. The AID were 80.9 to 84.7%, 85.1 to 87.4%, 72.9 to 79.5%, and 86.5 to 87.9% for Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp, respectively, with corresponding SID being 86.6 to 89.0%, 87.5 to 90.5%, 82.7 to 88.2%, and 90.2 to 94.6%, respectively, as dietary CP increased from 68 to 214 g/kg. There were linear increases in AID of N, Arg, Gly, Ile, Lys, Ser, Thr, Tyr, and Val (P ≤ 0.05) as CP increased and linear decreases in SID of N and all AA measured in this study except Lys, Met, and Pro (P ≤ 0.05). Both linear and quadratic effects were observed in AID for Pro (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the protein content of corn-soybean meal diets evaluated in the current study affected SID of most indispensable and dispensable AA, excluding Lys, Met, and Pro.


Author(s): Romero, Boleslo Edward | Advisor(s): Clarke, Keith C | Abstract: This dissertation concerns the properties and relationships of discernible geographical features or their parts, particularly local extrema. As distinctive cases of rapid change, their local variation imbues a high degree of uncertainty. Scale is involved with this uncertainty, partially by generalization with samples, but also by cross-scale variation of spatial dependence. This research investigates whether geographical features and their parts are classifiable by attribute values and also by patterns of spatial dependence with respect to scale. The first chapter, on surface network features, evaluated classifications of terrain data as either peak, pit, pass, ridge, or course features, all local extrema. Results were reviewed with regard to spatial resolution, terrain variability, and algorithms. Large differences in algorithm results were nearby potential features. Quantitative measures found smaller differences for the crisp features of high variability terrain compared to ambiguous low variability terrain. Due to multi-scale characteristics, every location had a degree of membership in every feature class. Membership values enabled the extraction of dominant features and a quantification of uncertainty. The second chapter focuses on spatial outliers, similar to peaks as locally extreme values. A controlled study was performed to extract, with three algorithms, spatial outliers simulated as Gaussian forms of various heights and widths. Raster grids of outliers were created with various resolutions and assignment operators. Results varied most by outlier width and spatial resolution. The algorithms missed the top regions of wide outliers, spanning multiple raster cells, likely due to the presence of high local spatial autocorrelation with a mismatch between the scale of analysis and the scale of an outlier. The third chapter investigated whether non-random patterns of high local spatial autocorrelation exist in wide outliers. Simulations of sets of outliers in variable fields enabled a quantitative comparison with regard to various outlier shapes, fields, and methods. Results of three common random sampling strategies were compared to another method that employed higher probabilities for locations with high local spatial autocorrelation. The latter method resulted in higher rates of both samples on outliers and unique outliers found. Intermediary data revealed patches of high spatial autocorrelation around the outlier tops. The fourth chapter evaluated characteristics of parts of wide spatial outliers. With similar synthetic outliers and fields, patterns of local spatial autocorrelation were compared across classes of the top, side, and base parts of outliers. Small samples and correlated proxy variables were also considered. For samples in each class, a novel multi-scale Local Moran's I "distogram" was computed: a series of values representing the local spatial autocorrelation within each of several non-overlapping spatial bands outward from the point of analysis. The results indicated that the top and side classes have distinctive signatures, while the base co-mingles with the background. In challenging scenarios of small outliers in highly variable fields, differentiation was maintained in bands at about the scale of an outlier. Small samples and proxy variables maintained various degrees of distinction between the signatures. In conclusion, this dissertation investigated the properties and relationships of discernible geographical features and spatial outliers with special regard to representation across scales. Multi-scale information indicates a potential for multiple feature classes at every location. Controlled experiments indicate limitations of spatial outlier detection techniques if the scale of analysis does not match the scale of the feature. Finally, distinctive patterns of local spatial autocorrelation were found for parts of spatial outliers. This research provides empirical evidence that broad-scale local variation involves spatial dependence at a finer scale. As such, this research informs the identification of geographical features or their parts by their variation and spatial dependence across scales.


Notably one of the principles most prominently associated with Rochdale Co-operation is the system of paying dividend, a rate of return based on purchases rather than capital holding. This article argues that the dividend, though important, was only one aspect of financial assistance co-operative retail societies offered their members. By focusing on the period of the 1920s–40s, it explores how collective strength and mutual aid provided by societies extended to financial support during periods of economic crisis and industrial action. Credit in times of need was especially important for members of societies affected by trade depression, industrial crisis and unemployment during the interwar years. The article also argues that membership could give access to much wider support than is typically associated with the retail aspect of co-operative societies. For example, societies assisted individual members, or the families of members, during periods of illness and death. The article highlights how, as trading organisations, the spirit of mutual help within co-operative retail societies incorporated an element of collective expenditure. In addition to providing support for hospitals located in the communities in which they traded, societies also offered financial aid to nationally recognised charities. In this way financial assistance and support provided through the co-operative business model was not solely focused on extending the purchasing power of individual consumers.


The diversity of life on our planet has produced a remarkable variety of biological traits that characterize different species. Such traits are widely employed instead of taxonomy to increase our understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, for species' trophic niches, one of the most critical aspects of organismal ecology, a paucity of empirical information has led to inconsistent definitions of trophic guilds based on expert opinion. Using coral reef fishes as a model, we show that experts often disagree on the assignment of trophic guilds for the same species. Even when broad categories are assigned, 60% of the evaluated trait schemes disagree on the attribution of trophic categories for at least 20% of the species. This disagreement greatly hampers comparability across studies. Here, we introduce a quantitative, unbiased, and fully reproducible framework to define species' trophic guilds based on empirical data. First, we synthesize data from community-wide visual gut content analysis of tropical coral reef fishes, resulting in trophic information from 13,961 individuals belonging to 615 reef fish species across all ocean basins. We then use network analysis to cluster the resulting global bipartite food web into distinct trophic guilds, resulting in eight trophic guilds, and employ a Bayesian phylogenetic model to predict trophic guilds based on phylogeny and maximum body size. Our model achieved a misclassification error of 5%, indicating that our approach results in a quantitative and reproducible trophic categorization scheme, which can be updated as new information becomes available. Although our case study is for reef fishes, the most diverse vertebrate consumer group, our approach can be applied to other organismal groups to advance reproducibility in trait-based ecology. As such, our work provides an empirical and conceptual advancement for trait-based ecology and a viable approach to monitor ecosystem functioning in our changing world.


Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is one of the most disabling conditions known to humankind. Children with FOP succumb to episodes of inflammation-induced ectopic skeletogenesis that transform skeletal muscles and soft connective tissues into an immobilizing second skeleton of heterotopic bone.(1) Removal of heterotopic bone leads to additional episodes of new bone growth.(1) The recent discovery of the mutated gene that causes FOP,(2) an extraordinarily specific mutation in a highly conserved bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor,(2) immediately predicted the mutant receptor and downstream pathway as an ideal target for drug therapy.(3)

A recent case report by Gatti and colleagues from the University of Verona approaches the problem from a different perspective.(4) The report claims that rosiglitazone, an anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic agent that alters the fate of marrow stromal cells, "is associated with major clinical improvements in a patient with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP)."(4)

Gatti and colleagues describe a 48-year-old woman with FOP characterized by continuous flares that she was partially controlling with prednisone. She took rosiglitazone (initially 4 mg and then 8 mg daily) for 14 months. No new flares were observed during rosiglitazone therapy compared with five episodes observed during the previous year while she was on 20 to 25 mg of prednisone daily. "The steroid dose was progressively lowered to 5 mg daily, the skin became softer, and the articular mobility improved impressively," according to the authors, who concluded that "rosiglitazone therapy, possibly in association with small doses of prednisone, is associated with important clinical improvements in patients with FOP."(4)

Rosiglitazone is an antidiabetic drug that is useful for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.(5) In addition, it appears to have a potent anti-inflammatory effect as well as an adverse effect on the skeleton.(6,7) Gatti and colleagues postulate that the adverse skeletal effects might be exploited therapeutically in diseases such as FOP.(4)

In 2005, major safety concerns emerged about the use of rosiglitazone:

Rosiglitazone has adverse cardiovascular side effects, including an increased risk of heart attacks and death from all cardiovascular causes.(8)

Rosiglitazone causes osteoporosis and decreased skeletal strength that is reminiscent of aged bone.(6) Pathologic fractures of long bones occur with chronic rosiglitazone use.(7)

Rosiglitazone is not approved for use in children.

There are concerns about the interpretation of data in the case report by Gatti and colleagues. Specifically:

The authors conclude that "rosiglitazone therapy is associated with important clinical improvements in patients with FOP." However, the data were for drug treatment in a single patient, not in multiple patients, and there were no controls.

"Flare-ups of FOP are sporadic and unpredictable, and there is great individual variability in the rate of disease progression. Several large studies on the natural history of FOP have conrmed that it is impossible to predict the occurrence, duration, or severity of an FOP are-up."(9) Thus the clinical course of a single individual cannot be used to assess therapeutic efcacy.

The rarity of FOP and the unpredictable nature of the condition make it extremely difcult to assess any therapeutic intervention, a fact recognized as early as 1918 by Jules Rosenstirn, who noted:

The disease was attacked with all sorts of remedies and alternatives for faulty metabolism; every one of them with more or less marked success observed solely by its original author, but pronounced a complete failure by every other follower. In many cases, the symptoms of the disease disappear often spontaneously, so the therapeutic effect (of any treatment) should not be unreservedly endorsed.(10)

4.

Exacerbations and remissions are common in FOP and often occur spontaneously. Almost every adult with FOP has experienced a remission while taking a medication that was later proven useless.(9)

5.

It is not possible from the data presented to separate the effects, if any, of rosiglitazone from those of chronic prednisone use. Although high-dose, long-term prednisone use is not recommended for the treatment of FOP, its use in animal models is effective in decreasing heterotopic bone.(9)

6.

It is possible that the anti-inammatory effect of rosiglitazone could have participated in the quiescence of are-ups noted in this patient. Alternatively, the attributed effect might have been spontaneous and unrelated to the medication or possibly a delayed effect of the chronic prednisone use.(9)

Despite concerns associated with chronic rosiglitazone use and the biases inherent in the case report, the observation in this single patient is sufficiently interesting to prompt further investigation in emerging animal models of FOP.(2) Ultimately, these studies must separate the postulated effects of rosiglita-zone from the known effects of prednisone. In vivo testing of rosiglitazone in animal models of FOP is necessary to determine if there may be a physiologic basis for a limited use in FOP, considering its safety profile.

FOP is a catastrophic disease with unimaginable human suffering. Affected individuals and their families are vulnerable to hype and are suspicious of inflated claims. In our opinion, rosiglitazone should not be used in FOP patients without investigational review board approval. At present, we favor in vivo studies in emerging animal models of FOP. Extreme caution is necessary until animal testing is completed, and it can be determined whether or not there is a physiologic basis for rosiglitazone use in treating or preventing FOP flare-ups.

In summary, the key questions remain:

Does rosiglitazone reduce or prevent FOP are-ups?

If so, is rosiglitazone safe enough to warrant its chronic use in patients with FOP?

The simple answer to both questions is, "Perhaps, but we do not know." It is prudent to get real answers before viewing FOP through rosi-colored glasses.


Conceptual translation (CT) is a metatheoretical approach for translating one theory into another. It works by creating and applying a dictionary of translation equivalents between a source and target domain. The authors develop the process of CT and discuss how it addresses three core problems of organizational science: (1) the need to generate new theory (insights, relationships, propositions), (2) the need to critique existing theory, and (3) the need to overcome the increasing fragmentation of knowledge that characterizes social science. The article illustrates the potential contribution of CT by presenting three specific examples drawn from a translation of Michael Porter's (1980) Competitive Strategy, in which statements about competitive strategy become, in translation, statements about organizational change. Due to the convergence of two historical trends, the authors believe that CT represents a program of research that is particularly timely and represents a significant new direction in how theories will be constructed in the 21st century.


The concept/term often used in the community and in the academic world is the concepts/terms of customary law community and indigenous people. In its development, there are those who equate the two concepts, and those that distinguish them according to their point of view. Therefore, the problems that arise in our society in everyday life are the difficulty to distinguish or interpret between the two concepts, namely: what the concept of indigenous people and the concept of indigenous peoples are, and how the background of the differences between the two concepts is. The method used in reviewing the problem above was normative legal research, by studying various literature/materials, both primary, secondary and tertiary legal materials. The concept of the customary law community and the concept of indigenous peoples are used in the same sense because the subjects are the same, even though theoretically and academically the concepts are different. The difference between these two concepts/terms is due to the emergence of historically different backgrounds, such as in aspect of language, users (people, scholar, entity or scientific field, all of which use the terms to give identity to certain group of people (as subject) in a certain area).


Gears of War 4 is one of the first titles to take full advantage of the High Dynamic Range (HDR) TV output of the Xbox One S. We developed techniques & technologies to do this, including using HDR reference photography, a modified tonemapper, lumen-based lighting, HDR sky materials, camera exposure ranges, post processes and a tuning environment for emissive surfaces and visual effects. We built a strong foundation of physically based materials and other shader techniques to create a wide variety of realistic surfaces that react beautifully to light. Our artists had the challenge of achieving the goals of art direction, while meeting the performance goals of 1080p30 in single player and 1080p60 in multiplayer gameplay. Using available lighting techniques in UE4 + custom tools, we implemented best practices to optimize our artist workflow resulting in stunning visuals.


The commonly held perception that dementia is a condition of older age belies the fact that people under 65 years, and younger, present with dementia. Services for people with dementia have traditionally focused on the needs of older adults; people who are retired and more dependent. Younger people with this condition however, face different changes related to their young families', current employment and at times gaining a diagnosis. Traditional healthcare services do not adequately cater for the needs of this population and evidence suggests a need for specialised service provision for younger people with dementia (YPWD). While specific services have been initiated in some counties, in New Zealand there is little evidence of recognition of this problem. To consider the effectiveness of available services a literature review was undertaken to determine the need for age appropriate services for YPWD. Two main themes were identified, these relate to age appropriate service provision, a single entry point into services, and a defined care pathway. While there is some debate about the adequacy of existing services in meeting the needs of YPWD, the consensus suggests the importance and need for a focused specialised service to address the unique needs of this group. Further research is required to clarify the form and structure of a specialised service that supports best practice and meets the needs of YPWD in New Zealand.


BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) exhibits tight links with insulin resistance (IR) and the metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors. Compared with non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic black adolescents have more IR but a lower prevalence of NAFLD and MetS. Our hypothesis was that IR would be a better predictor of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations than is MetS among non-Hispanic blacks. METHODS: We analyzed data from 4124 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years in the 1999 to 2010 NHANES, using unexplained elevations in ALT (>30 U/L) to characterize presumed NAFLD and using a pediatric adaptation of the Adult Treatment Panel III definition of MetS. RESULTS: Prevalence of elevated ALT varied by race/ethnicity (Hispanics 13.7%, non-Hispanic white 8.6%, non-Hispanic blacks 5.4%, P < .0001). Among non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics, a classification of MetS performed well in identifying adolescents with elevated ALT (odds ratios [ORs] 9.53 and 5.56, respectively), as did MetS-related indices. However, among non-Hispanic blacks, the association between MetS and ALT elevations was smaller in magnitude and technically nonsignificant (OR = 3.24, P = .051). Furthermore, among non-Hispanic blacks, the presence of IR and elevated waist circumference performed more poorly at identifying ALT elevations (ORs 3.93 and 2.28, respectively: significantly smaller than ORs for non-Hispanic whites, P < .05), with triglyceride elevations being a better predictor (OR = 4.44). CONCLUSIONS: Non-Hispanic black adolescents exhibit a lower relationship between IR and elevated ALT, supporting racial/ethnic differences in the link between MetS and NAFLD. These data may have implications regarding triggers for screening for NAFLD among non-Hispanic black adolescents, focusing particularly on those with triglyceride elevations.