Introduction New York City has one of the highest reported death rates from coronary heart disease in the United States. We sought to measure the accuracy of this rate by examining death certificates. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional validation study by using a random sample of death certificates that recorded in-hospital deaths in New York City from January through June 2003, stratified by neighborhoods with low, medium, and high coronary heart disease death rates. We abstracted data from hospital records, and an independent, blinded medical team reviewed these data to validate cause of death. We computed a comparability ratio (coronary heart disease deaths recorded on death certificates divided by validated coronary heart disease deaths) to quantify agreement between death certificate determination and clinical judgment. Results Of 491 sampled death certificates for in-hospital deaths, medical charts were abstracted and reviewed by the expert panel for 444 (90%). The comparability ratio for coronary heart disease deaths among decedents aged 35 to 74 years was 1.51, indicating that death certificates overestimated coronary heart disease deaths in this age group by 51%. The comparability ratio increased with age to 1.94 for decedents aged 75 to 84 years and to 2.37 for decedents aged 85 years or older. Conclusion Coronary heart disease appears to be substantially overreported as a cause of death in New York City among in-hospital deaths.


The Bayesian Optimisation Algorithm (BOA) is an Estimation of Distribution Algorithm (EDA) that uses a Bayesian network as probabilistic graphical model (PGM). Determining the optimal Bayesian network structure given a solution sample is an NP-hard problem. This step should be completed at each iteration of BOA, resulting in a very time-consuming process. For this reason most implementations use greedy estimation algorithms such as K2. However, we show in this paper that significant changes in PGM structure do not occur so frequently, and can be particularly sparse at the end of evolution. A statistical study of BOA is thus presented to characterise a pattern of PGM adjustments that can be used as a guide to reduce the frequency of PGM updates during the evolutionary process. This is accomplished by proposing a new BOA-based optimisation approach (FBOA) whose PGM is not updated at each iteration. This new approach avoids the computational burden usually found in the standard BOA. The results compare the performances of both algorithms on an NK-landscape optimisation problem using the correlation between the ruggedness and the expected runtime over enumerated instances. The experiments show that FBOA presents competitive results while significantly saving computational time.


Background/Aim. The first cases of the pandemic pH1N1 influenza virus infection was observed in the Unated States and Mexico in April 2009 and the first laboratory confirmed case in Serbia was registered in June 2009. The aim of this paper was to report on the investigation of the first confirmed outbreak of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza in Serbia and to describe the clinical and epidemiologic findings from this investigation. Methods. Descriptive and analytical epidemiological methods were used. Data were collected from medical records of the Military School students and epidemiological questionnaire. Pandemic H1N1 infection was initially confirmed by the RT-PCR assay in nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs and subsequently by the complement fixation test in serum samples. Results. The attack rate of acute respiratory illness was 70.8% (204/288). Pandemic H1N1 virus infection was confirmed in 44 of 82 tested cases of acute respiratory illness (53.7%) The most common clinical manifestations of pandemic influenza H1N1 were fever (88.6%), cough (61.4%), malaise (38.6%), runny nose (36.4%), headache (29.6%), sore throat (20.5%) and muscle pain (15.9%). Conclusion. The findings from this investigation suggest that pandemic H1N1 influenza in a high military school was widespread but did not cause severe illness.


The study on "In a Transphobic Society" was carried out with the objectives of (a) assessing the extent of transphobia in the participants (b) comparing the sexes on transphobia and (c) finding the relationship between transphobia and demographic factors such as sex, age and occupation of the participants. From in and around urban Coimbatore, 150 individuals (87 male and 63 female) in the age range of 19 to 55 were randomly selected.  The participants completed the Case Study Schedule and Transphobia Inventory. The results indicated that (a) the participants on the whole were moderately prejudiced against transgender (b) there were no sex differences in transphobia (c) there was a statistically significant positive correlation at 0.01 level between age and transphobia and (d) there was a statistically significant positive correlation at 0.01 level between occupation and transphobia. Extensive research on various psychological and social issues related to transgender was recommended.


Abstract : A biometric system recognizes users based on the way they physically interact with the system. In this work, we discover a common behavior that a typist consistently displays in non-trivial computer work. We sought to demonstrate three objectives: first, compelling proof that a user can be actively recognized over the course of a lengthy task via a neutral posture struck multiple times in that task; two, a sensing concept for capturing the neutral posture, and, third, an objective method for determine the level of work performed by each typist. This thesis develops a model for hand tracking using a simple ellipse to describe the neutral posture where a typist pauses before typing. Initial results of a group of 10 users indicate that the neutral posture can be established with only a few seconds of training data and can perform with approximately 92.1% accuracy. Analysis of the typed text determined the complexity of the typists' work using Bloom's Taxonomy - a taxonomy based on verb usage; parsed verb phrases indicated the level of competency that the users endeavored to demonstrate. This competency or expertise may further distinguish users and their performance in their most engaging work.


Abstract: We are living in a smart world. In This technical era, each and every field was automated by electronic implements with extreme precise, which were tireless to bring out our grit successfully. The present investigator has crafted an electronic gadget to assess the Acceleration and Deceleration Phase of Sprinting Event. These are the most important phases in sprinting event, these segment's performance are the fortitude of sprinting event. Presently acceleration and deceleration skills are not assessing in most of sprint event like district, divisional and state level events due to lack of appropriate devices. The influence of acceleration and deceleration proficiency of the athlete is high on the result of every sprinting event; in this phases quick acceleration and delayed deceleration ability will lead to high performance, hence this is a vital part of every sprinting event. This has leaded the investigator to craft an electronic device to find out accurate acceleration and deceleration ability of sprinters. The device contained some fundamental parts as1.Microphone 2.Infrared Transmitters, 3.Infrared Receivers4.Interfacing Unit and Computer. The outcome of each and every innovation's should have scientific authenticity which is also indispensible at any circumstances. To attain the scientific authenticity of the device, 120 subjects were chosen from Hindusthan College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore and the appropriate data were collected using the newly designed equipment when the subjects were participating in the 100m race. The collected data were treated with appropriate statistical techniques and obtained Reliability, Validity and objectivity of the device. Normally in 100mts sprint, starting point to 40mts prevailing as acceleration phase, 40mts to 80mts as flying sprint phase and 80mts to 100mts prevailing as deceleration phase, which is resulting from the international athlete's 100mts sprinting events performances.


Hypothesis: In the long term, Vivera® and Essix® ACE are not significantly different in transmittance, surface roughness, and flexural modulus among 7 cleaning methods. Objective: Clear retainers have increased in popularity due to their esthetic nature. However, few studies have focused on long-term maintenance of these retainers. This study evaluated the long-term effects of 7 different cleaning methods on light transmittance, flexural modulus, and surface roughness of Vivera® material. Methods: Vivera® retainer (Align® Technology) specimens (n=10,2x0.5x0.04in) were exposed to 7 different cleaning methods: Invisalign® cleaning crystals, Polident®, Listerine®, 2.5% vinegar, 0.6% sodium hypochlorite, 3% hydrogen peroxide, and toothbrushing with distilled water twice a week for 6 months. Before treatment and after 6 months, light transmittance, flexural modulus, and surface roughness of specimens were quantified. Qualitative assessment of random specimens from each method was performed at 6 months using a scanning electron microscope. Mean difference comparisons were done using the independent student t-test and ANOVA (P<0.05). Results: A decrease in transmittance of specimens was found with all cleaning methods compared to baseline, with toothbrushing causing the greatest decrease for Vivera® and Listerine® causing the greatest decrease for ACE. Surface roughness was unaffected by the cleaning methods except NaOCl eliciting a difference in Vivera and Listerine with ACE. Quantitative analysis with SEM however showed negligible difference. Vinegar and toothbrushing showed an increase in flexural modulus in Vivera®, however when compared to each other, showed no difference. All methods increased modulus for ACE except for Invisalign Crystals. Hydrogen peroxide caused the greatest decrease in flexibility of ACE. Conclusions: Over the long-term there is a gradual decrease in transmittance of clear retainers with certain solutions creating less translucency. Surface roughness and flexibility are generally unaffected in the long term but may be affected by oxiders. Funding: Align® Technology


: Changes in the sequence of the stimulation of the epicardial surface of a transplanted heart were studied on a heterotopic model in dogs in different periods after the operation. It was found that in the first hours the disturbances in stimulation are diffuse, but later they are of a more restricted character. These disturbances disappear completely by the 2nd day. On the 3rd-4th day the disorders of stimulation conduction reappear in limited areas, which corresponds with the developing focal morphological changes. The gradual increase in the area of disturbed stimulation conduction and in the intensity of the damage by the time of the rejection crisis were attended by a decrease of the P wave amplitude, deceleration of heart beats, development of atrioventricular block, the occurrence of heterotopic impulses, and disorganization of ventricular stimulation.


In the middle of the twentieth century, the role of occupational therapy assistant was introduced in North America. Although the role, utilization and training of assistant personnel have raised much controversy and debate within the profession, Canada and the United States have taken very different paths in terms of dealing with these issues. This paper focuses on the history of occupational therapy assistants in Canada, using the experience in the United States for comparison purposes. The occupational therapy literature and official documents of the professional associations are used to present a chronology of major historical events in both countries. Similarities and differences emerge in relation to historical roots; training model and standards of education; certification, regulation, and standards of practice; career laddering and career mobility; and professional affiliation. The paper concludes with a summary of issues which require further exploration, debate and resolution if the profession is to move forward in Canada.


Metamaterials (MTMs) claim a lot of attention worldwide. Description of the MTMs in terms of effective parameters is a simple and useful tool for characterisation of their electromagnetic properties. So a reliable effective parameters restoration method is on demand. In this paper we report about our activity and advances in the effective properties of metamaterials characterization. We present here the wave propagation retrieval method in two formulations: for MTMs with linear eigenwaves and for chiral MTMs with circular eigenwaves. The advantages and constraints of the method are noted. The case studies of the negative-index, ultra-high refractive index and chiral MTMs validate the method.


Mobile robots can be used in many different applications, including mapping, search, rescue, reconnaissance, hazard detection, and carpet cleaning, exploration, etc. However, they are limited due to their reliance on traditional energy sources such as electricity and oil which cannot always provide a convenient energy source in all situations. In an ever more eco-conscious world, solar energy offers the most environmentally clean option of all energy sources. Electricity presents threats of pollution resulting from its production process, and oil poses a huge threat to the environment. Not only does it pose harm by the toxic emissions (for instance CO2 emissions), it produces the combustion process necessary to produce energy, but there is the ever present risk of oil spillages and damages to ecosystems. Solar energy can help to mitigate carbon emissions by replacing more carbon intensive sources of heat and power. The challenge of this work is to propose the design and the implementation of electric battery recharge stations. Those recharge docks are based on the use of renewable energy such as solar energy (with photovoltaic panels) with the object to reduce the CO2 emissions. In this paper, a comparative study of the CO2 emission productions (from the use of different energy sources: natural gas, gas oil, fuel and solar panels) in the charging process of the Segway PT batteries is carried out. To make the study with solar energy, a photovoltaic panel, and a Buck-Boost DC/DC block has been used. Specifically, the STP005S-12/Db solar panel has been used to carry out our experiments. This module is a 5Wp-photovoltaic (PV) module, configured with 36 monocrystalline cells serially connected. With those elements, a battery recharge station is made to recharge the robot batteries. For the energy storage DC/DC block, a series of ultracapacitors have been used. Due to the variation of the PV panel with the temperature and irradiation, and the non-integer behavior of the ultracapacitors as well as the non-linearities of the whole system, authors have been used a fractional control method to achieve that solar panels supply the maximum allowed power to recharge the robots in the lesser time. Greenhouse gas emissions for production of electricity vary due to regional differences in source fuel. The impact of an energy technology on the climate can be characterised by its carbon emission intensity, a measure of the amount of CO2, or CO2 equivalent emitted by unit of energy generated. In our work, the coal is the fossil energy more hazardous, providing a 53% more of gas emissions than natural gas and a 30% more than fuel. Moreover, it is remarkable that existing fossil fuel technologies produce high carbon emission intensity through the combustion of carbon-rich fuels, whilst renewable technologies such as solar produce little or no emissions during operation, but may incur emissions during manufacture. The solar energy thus can help to mitigate carbon emissions.


V{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanocrystals can be synthesized through hydrothermal reduction in VO(OH){sub 2} using hydrazine as a reducing agent. Addition of different ligands to the reaction produces nanoparticles, nanorods, and nanoplatelets of different sizes. Small nanoparticles synthesized in this manner show suppression of the magnetic phase transition to lower temperatures. Using muon spin relaxation spectroscopy and synchrotron x-ray diffraction, we have determined that the volume fraction of the high-temperature phase, characterized by a rhombohedral structure and paramagnetism, gradually declines with decreasing temperature, in contrast to the sharp transition observed in bulk V{sub 2}O{sub 3}.


Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables due of their wide use as food. Tomatoes are not only tasty fruit, but one of its benefits high carotenoids content is well-known. Non-destructive analyses methods are used more and more in different industries. It is cheaper, faster and environmentally friendly way of analyse than traditional chemical methods. But these methods need references to the traditional ones. The aim of this study was to find the correlation between lycopene and β-carotene content in tomatoes determined with reflectance spectrometer and extraction of pigments. Content of two carotenoids (lycopene and β-carotene) was determined in 27 varieties of tomatoes. Red, pink, orange, yellow and brown fruits were included in experiment. Reflectance spectrums of tomatoes fruits were obtained with remote sensing portable spectroradiometer RS-3500 (Ltd.Spectral Evolution). Tetrahydrofuran was used for extraction of pigments. Absorption spectra of extract were obtained by spectrophotometer UV-Vis -1800 (Ltd. Shimadzu). Linear regression analyses were performed to correlate spectral data with lycopene and β-carotene concentrations measured by pigment extraction. The best reflectance region for lycopene spectral detection was 570 ± 5 nm, but for β-carotene 487 ± 5 nm. Reflectance indexes for both pigments were worked out. High linear correlation (R2 > 0.9) between spectral parameters and lycopene concentration was detected. Correlation between results obtained with methods used for β-carotene determination was lower and depended of colour of tomatoes fruits.


The effect of adsorbed adatoms on the structural stability and electronic properties of monolayer N2P6 have been systematically studied via first-principles simulation methods. It is found that pristine N2P6 is an indirect 0.21 eV band gap semiconductor, with a pleated honeycomb-like structure similar to phosphorene. The calculation results show that adsorbed adatoms can modify the properties of monolayer N2P6 effectively. The degree of local distortion strongly depends on the electronegativity and size of adatoms, also the adsorption energy ranges from 0.3 to 5.8 eV depending on the species of adatoms. The electronic properties show metallic behavior with several adsorbed metal atoms (Li, Na, Al, K, Cu, Ni, and Zn) and some non-metal atoms (H, F, P, and Cl), while adsorbed O, S, Ca, and Si atoms still remain semiconductors. The systems of Ni and Zn adatoms show ferromagnetic behavior, and adsorbed Mg exhibits a half-metallic character. Our theoretical studies indicate that N2P6 possesses potential application in the field of gas sensors.


In recent years, protests against campus rape culture at South African higher education institutions have attracted public attention. Despite strong constitutional provisions, a culture of sexual and gendered violence remains endemic in South Africa. In the light of the gap between legal forms and social norms, this article argues for building socio-political resistance from below that starts with exploring the lived experiences of young women. It therefore introduces the voice of one ordinary student who inhabits these spaces. She highlights the need for attention to be paid to the gendered social norms that underpin this culture of sexual violence, the possibilities of engaging men as allies and the important but ambiguous role of the Christian religion. Research suggests that bystanders like her can become important agents of change. The article concludes that the connections between hierarchical gender norms, religious formation and rape culture need further empirical engagement in South Africa if their power-laden roots are to be disrupted and reimagined.


Abstract The biology of Megastimus wachtli Seitner (Hymenoptera: Torymidae) was found to be similar to other species of Megastigmus. During the period of flight that lasted six weeks from the beginning of September to mid-October, M. wachtli laid eggs in cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L., Pinales: Cupressaceae) cones and showed preferences for oviposition on particular sites on cones. M. wachtli has a high potential for colonization because it has evolutionary advantages due to its developmental possibilities including its capacity for parthenogenesis, its fecundity and longevity. It generally did not attack cones colonized by the torticid moth, Pseudococcyx tessulatana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). The competition between these species for use of cypress cones suggests that they use different strategies for different species of cypress. The number of insects that could develop relative to the number of cones available also varies between species of cypress.


The first goal of this survey paper is to argue that if orbifolds are groupoids, then the collection of orbifolds and their maps has to be thought of as a 2-category. Compare this with the classical definition of Satake and Thurston of orbifolds as a 1-category of sets with extra structure and/or with the "modern" definition of orbifolds as proper etale Lie groupoids up to Morita equivalence.
The second goal is to describe two complementary ways of thinking of orbifolds as a 2-category:
1. the weak 2-category of foliation Lie groupoids, bibundles and equivariant maps between bibundles and
2. the strict 2-category of Deligne-Mumford stacks over the category of smooth manifolds.


Giant clams are an important ecological component of coral reefs in the Red Sea, as they enhance the reef's productivity and provide habitat that can increase diversity. Three species of giant clams, namely Tridacna maxima, T. squamosa, and T. squamosina have been described within the Red Sea. However, due to its scarcity, information about the distribution and ecology of T. squamosina in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea is still lacking. This study used DNA barcoding to confirm the identity of the rare T. squamosina in the Farasan Banks. Six mtCOI fragments (500 bp) of T. squamosina were successfully amplified using the SQUA-primers for the first time. We used our data along with 18 reference sequences (16S) from the online database to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of T. squamosina. Low genetic diversity among the T. squamosina populations inferred from the 16S sequences implies a recent bottleneck for this species, which is supported by their historically higher diversity based on the coalescent-based estimator. Given the small population abundance and limited genetic variation of T. squamosina, it may warrant immediate local protections such as biobanking and fertility preservation programs as well as effective integrated coastal zone management plans.


Vesuvianite from Pajsberg, Sweden contains about one atom of Mn, based on 50 cations per formula unit, and small amounts of Be, B, and As. Optical absorption analysis suggests that the Mn is predominantly or entirely trivalent. Crystal-structure analysis indicates that Mn is housed at the general octahedral site Y3, which exhibits only minor distortion from ideal octahedral symmetry. Arsenic is housed at Y2 and Z2, and the formula derived from electron microprobe and LA-ICP-MS analyses suggests minor substitution of Al for Si, also at Z2. Beryllium and B are at T1, between the edge-sharing trimers Y3Y2Y3, as is the case for B in the boron-dominant vesuvianite species wiluite. The total content at T1 is interpreted as 0.82Be, 0.34B, and 0.037Fe^(3+).


In the modern information society, knowledge sharing and management contributes to the organizations' flexibility and its ability to respond to the market changing requirements. Due to the increased complexity of modern applications, knowledge management (KM) has become one of the critical success factors of software development projects. This paper describes a course structure that was designed to increase the students understanding about the importance of knowledge sharing and management. The Software Engineering (SE) course which is intended to familiarize the students with all aspects of the software development life cycle (SLDC) was taught twice by the same lecturer and used team based assignments that followed the SDLC. In the first version each team was responsible for its own project and all the project's assignments were performed by the same team. However, due to the increased understanding, in recent years, about the importance of soft skills to the future graduates' vocation, the course was changed to address the issue of KM as well. In the second version, the course used "rolling" assignments like the "Continue the Story" game. Each project was divided among three teams and each team had to continue and enhance the assignment that was previously prepared by another team. Utilizing this mechanism, knowledge sharing plays an important role and each team is both influenced by other teams and influences other teams. This interconnected network of dependencies enhanced the students understanding about the importance of sharing information and knowledge, as was demonstrated by the assignments' grades (on average) that in spite the additional work needed, were very similar to the grades of a first version of the course.


In this thesis, the nanodisk-aligned multilayer structure, in which square cross-sectional nanodisks are vertically aligned on the top of a two-dimensional, dielectric-layered metallic structure, is proposed to investigate the near-filed and far-field radiative property enhancement for metamaterials. Multiple kinds of plasmonic resonances which support the peculiar properties of metamaterials have been identified on this proposed structure. Every plasmonic mode is analyzed and studied respectively. The localized plasmonic modes (Localized Surface Plasmon and Magnetic Polariton) are shown to be independent of the incidence angle and polarization, while the propagating plasmonic mode (Surface Plasmon) is demonstrated to be shifted with the varying of the incidence angle, which provides the possibility to make the plasmonic modes interact or couple with each other. The coupled plasmonic modes which are named as hybridized plasmonic modes can also be excited and lead to even more spectacular radiative properties both in the near-field and far-field.The results obtained from this study suggest a novel model to explore the underlying mechanism of plasmonic resonances, especially for their hybridization. The study will advance our fundamental understanding of light-matter interaction at nanometer scale and will provide us more degrees of freedom to manipulate the radiative properties in both the near-field and far-field which might have great potentials in renewable energy applications that require specific radiative properties, such as thermophotovoltaic, photovoltaic cells and thermal emission sources.


In this era of budgetary constraints, the biggest threat to continuing biomedical research is often seen as governmental funding cutbacks. However, a much larger threat looms—the antiscientific programs of the various so-called animal rights groups. Unless clinicians and scientists mount a concerted defense of scientific investigation, the repressive antiscience movement will win out and thrust us into a Dark Ages scenario, with only a few gallant enough to maintain scientific thought until another Enlightenment. During World War II, the German clergyman Martin Niemoeller lamented the general apathy that allowed a small group of dedicated ideologues (the Nazi hierarchy) to terrorize the Germans: "In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up." Not dissimilarly, the apathy of clinicians and biomedical scientists has permitted the radical animal rights movement to terrorize researchers and undermine our research freedom. In a call to action, the American Academy of Neurology has developed a statement (in association with the Foundation for Biomedical Research and other groups) on the threat to neurology research. This information was originally published in Neurology (1995;45: 609-610). In order to increase the dissemination of this important warning to clinicians and scientists everywhere, the Journal of Child Neurology in cooperation with the American Academy of Neurology is reprinting that material in this issue.


Abstract. Climate change projections indicate that extreme snowfall are expected to increase in cold areas, i.e. at high latitude and/or high elevation, and to decrease in warmer areas, i.e. at mid-latitude and low elevation. However, the magnitude of these contrasted patterns of change and their precise relations to elevation at the scale of a given mountain range remain ill-known. This study analyzes annual maxima of daily snowfall based on the SAFRAN reanalysis spanning the time period 1959–2019, and provided within 23 massifs in the French Alps every 300 m of elevation. We estimate temporal trends in 100-year return levels with non-stationary extreme value models that depend both on elevation and time. Specifically, for each massif and four elevation ranges (below 1000 m, 1000–2000 m, 2000–3000 m and above 3000 m), temporal trends are estimated with the best extreme value models selected on the basis of the Akaike information criterion. Our results show that a majority of trends are decreasing below 2000 m and increasing above 2000 m. Quantitatively, we find an increase of 100-year return levels between 1959 and 2019 equal to +23 % (+32 kg m−2) on average at 3500 m, and a decrease of −10 % (−7 kg m−2) on average at 500 m. However, for the four elevation ranges, we find both decreasing and increasing trends depending on location. In particular, we observe a spatially contrasted pattern, exemplified at 2500 m: 100-year return levels have decreased in the north of the French Alps while they have increased in the south which may result from interactions between the overall warming trend and circulation patterns. This study has implications for natural hazards management in mountain regions.


This paper studies the effect of India's rural public works program on rural-to-urban migration and urban labor markets. We find that seasonal migration from rural districts that implemented the program decreased relative to those that were selected to, but did not implement it. We use a gravity model and find that real wages rose faster in cities with higher predicted migration from program districts. Since most seasonal migrants work outside of their district, urban wage increases were not limited to program districts, and may have attracted migrants from nonprogram districts. Difference-in-differences may hence be biased. Structural estimates indeed suggest that migration decreased by 22% in program districts, but also increased by 5% in nonprogram districts. As a result, urban wages increased by only 0.5%, against 4.1% if the program had been implemented in all selected districts.


Chairman McArthur: The first consideration of this discussion is: "Who shall take care of the menstrual problems of the adolescent girl?" Shall it be the gynecologist, the internist, or the pediatrician? My own feeling is that the pediatrician is probably the best qualified of all these specialists to handle adolescent problems. In the first place, he has usually known both the parent and the child for many years, and has gained a rapport of inestimable value in allaying the embarrassment of the patient and the anxiety of the parent. In the second place, the pediatrician has the developmental point of view. It is essential to treat adolescent menstrual disorders with patience and restraint—attitudes which come naturally to a specialist thoroughly accustomed to the vagaries of an evolving organism. If we examine the following list, which enumerates the various sexual characteristics in the order in which they appear, we see the relevance of the developmental point of view to problems of sexual maturation. It becomes evident that adolescence is a process—not an event. Because the first menstrual period is such a dramatic occurrence one is apt to think that it is synonymous with sexual maturity, the ability to reproduce one9s kind. Actually, this is not the case, as we know from several lines of evidence. Thus, anthropologists studying the inhabitants of the Trobiand Islands have found pregnancy to be rare in young girls until one to 2 years have elapsed following the first menstrual period. In these islands, it is customary for sexual congress to take place freely from childhood on.


Dean Radin and his team have carried out an interesting variant of double-slit experiment using laser beam to test the idea that observer induces state function reduction. Wave aspect of photons implies that photons arrive through both slits to the screen, where the absorbed photons give rise to an interference patter. Subject person - either meditator or a person having not practicized meditation - imagines that the photons arriving to the screen arrive through either slit - that is intend to detect through which slit the photon goes. A slight deviation of the interference pattern from that obtained in absence of the subject person emerges in the case of meditators. Second experiment is carried out via net and similar effect is obtained. In this article a TGD explanation for the findings is discussed.


Any attempt to explore the relationship between representations of Muslims and public advocacy in modern Western societies must at some point situate both processes in relation to the broader crises of liberal citizenship currently afflicting Western democracies. Calls heard in the 1990s for multicultural citizenship and pluralist "recognition" have long since given way to demands for the exclusion of new immigrants and the coercive assimilation of those – especially Muslims -- long since arrived. This essay examines French Catholic and Muslim perspectives on secularism and citizenship in contemporary France. It highlights disagreements among progressive secularists as well as mainline Catholics and Muslims over how to engage the secular state as well as one's fellow citizens. It explores the ways in which Catholic advocacy for and with Muslim citizens has been challenged by conservative trends in French Catholicism, as well as the perceived rise of Salafism and, most important, growing support for far-right and Islamophobic movements. The example shows that real-and-existing public spheres look less like the genteelly deliberative public spaces Jurgen Habermas described a generation ago. They are landscapes reshaped by movements, social media, and political entrepreneurs making use of reductionist arguments and media caricature ("fake news") as much as or even more than deliberative reasoning. These realities present serious challenges to those who hope to use education and dialogue in public advocacy with and for Muslim citizens.


Tropical nitrogen (N) deposition is projected to increase substantially within the coming decades. Increases in soil emissions of the climate‐relevant trace gases NO and N2O are expected, but few studies address this possibility. We used N addition experiments to achieve N‐enriched conditions in contrasting montane and lowland forests and assessed changes in the timing and magnitude of soil N‐oxide emissions. We evaluated transitory effects, which occurred immediately after N addition, and long‐term effects measured at least 6 weeks after N addition. In the montane forest where stem growth was N limited, the first‐time N additions caused rapid increases in soil N‐oxide emissions. During the first 2 years of N addition, annual N‐oxide emissions were five times (transitory effect) and two times (long‐term effect) larger than controls. This contradicts the current assumption that N‐limited tropical montane forests will respond to N additions with only small and delayed increases in soil N‐oxide emissions. We attribute this fast and large response of soil N‐oxide emissions to the presence of an organic layer (a characteristic feature of this forest type) in which nitrification increased substantially following N addition. In the lowland forest where stem growth was neither N nor phosphorus (P) limited, the first‐time N additions caused only gradual and minimal increases in soil N‐oxide emissions. These first N additions were completed at the beginning of the wet season, and low soil water content may have limited nitrification. In contrast, the 9‐ and 10‐year N‐addition plots displayed instantaneous and large soil N‐oxide emissions. Annual N‐oxide emissions under chronic N addition were seven times (transitory effect) and four times (long‐term effect) larger than controls. Seasonal changes in soil water content also caused seasonal changes in soil N‐oxide emissions from the 9‐ and 10‐year N‐addition plots. This suggests that climate change scenarios, where rainfall quantity and seasonality change, will alter the relative importance of soil NO and N2O emissions from tropical forests exposed to elevated N deposition.


The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of resveratrol (a natural polyphenolic phytostilbene) on tau hyperphosphorylation and oxidative damage induced by sodium orthovanadate (Na3VO4), the prevalent species of vanadium (vanadate), in rat hippocampal slices. Our results showed that resveratrol significantly inhibited Na3VO4-induced hyperphosphorylation of tau at the Ser396 (p-S396-tau) site, which is upregulated in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains and principally linked to AD-associated cognitive dysfunction. Subsequent mechanistic studies revealed that reduction of ERK1/2 activation was involved in the inhibitory effect of resveratrol by inhibiting the ERK1/2 pathway with SL327 mimicking the aforementioned effect of resveratrol. Moreover, resveratrol potently induced GSK-3β Ser9 phosphorylation and reduced Na3VO4-induced p-S396-tau levels, which were markedly replicated by pharmacologic inhibition of GSK-3β with LiCl. These results indicate that resveratrol could suppress Na3VO4-induced p-S396-tau levels via downregulating ERK1/2 and GSK-3β signaling cascades in rat hippocampal slices. In addition, resveratrol diminished the increased extracellular reactive oxygen species generation and hippocampal toxicity upon long-term exposure to Na3VO4 or FeCl2. Our findings strongly support the notion that resveratrol may serve as a potential nutraceutical agent for AD.


Enterprise information systems (EIS) provide as a platform that enables organizations to integrate and coordinate their business processes on a robust foundation. An EIS is used in conjunction with customer relationship management and supply chain management to automate business processes and is currently essential to enterprise; meanwhile, the EIS related issues in smart manufacturing are also increasing accompanying with the progress of Industry 4.0 as well. This study aims to explore the determinants of EIS adoption in smart manufacturing, therefore a research model combining with TOE and TTF is developed to exam the correlation and importance of EIS implementations to smart manufacturing. The study involved 77 samples that were collected from the enterprises are engaging smart manufacturing in Taiwan. Structural equation modeling was employed for analysis. The preliminary results first confirmed our proposed research model is appropriate for exploring the issues about EIS and smart manufacturing and also indicated that all the TOE related determinants have positive effect of EIS adoption in smart manufacturing. The research findings provide a comprehensively view to explore the relevant issues and further direction to EIS in smart manufacturing, and it would be useful to enterprise systems implementation and decision-making for smart manufacturing. The paper concludes with implications and suggestions for future research.


This paper presents a brief summary of a program of study of the archaeology of caves and rock shelters in East Kalimantan, especially the results of recent fieldwork along the Marang River. The caves and rock shelters cluster into three groups in terms of their elevations in the karstic landscape and their archaeological remains. The highest and most inaccessible caves are the locations of rock paintings. Caves at middle locations have produced evidence for funerary activity. Large, dry rock shelters, mostly flat-bottomed, at the foot of the cliffs were preferred for habitation. The paintings consist especially of hand stencils but also include anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures as well as other motifs. A stalactite date indicates that the earliest hand stencils may predate ca. 10,000 B.P., and drawings of what may be extinct animals suggest that some of the other motifs could be of such antiquity. The funerary material includes both pottery similar to Neolithic material elsewhere in Borneo and also later material associated with bronze artifacts. Some of the habitation sites may be pre-Neolithic on the evidence of multiple AMS dates between 4000 and 11750 B.P.; others are more recent. A particular focus of further research will need to be an attempt to establish the antiquity and the authorship of the rock art, and its relationship, if any, to the Holocene uses of the caves for burials and habitation.


Anaesthetic management of an extremely low birth weight (ELBW) neonate is always a challenge. Challenges are substantial beginning from pre-operative preparation till the neonate has been shifted to the neonatal intensive care unit. We report a case of an ELBW neonate who was operated twice for necrotising enterocolitis on day thirteen and day nineteen of life, weighing 815 grams and 746 grams respectively. Perioperative management and repair of the perforation due to necrotising enterocolitis was done on two occasions owing to the recurrence in a neonate with multiple co-morbidities. A planned approach and appropriate preparation led to a smooth peri-operative course both the times. This report discusses the multiple anaesthetic challenges and emphasises the role of a closed loop functioning among paediatric anaesthesiologists, neonatologists and the paediatric surgeons.

Keywords: Co-morbidities, Extremely low birth weight, Infant, Neonate, Necrotising enterocolitis, Perioperative management.


The influenza A virus (IAV) profoundly affects host cell nuclear processes to accommodate for its transcription. In particular, the IAV RNA polymerase (FluPol) associates with host genes to snatch capped 5'-ends from nascent messenger RNAs, that are then used to prime viral transcription. The extend of FluPol-host gene interaction and its actual consequence on host transcription are still poorly characterized. We show here, using genome-wide approaches, that the PA, PB1, and PB2 subunits of FluPol establish contacts with both chromatin and RNA transcripts at promoters, but also within the coding region of genes. These interactions also reach into downstream regions where recruitment of FluPol subunits correlates with previously reported transcription termination defects induced by IAV, indicative of an implication of the FluPol in this viral strategy to limit host cell defense by interfering with transcription re-initiation. The latter is further suggested by a bias in the FluPol genomic targets, enriched in genes associated with anti-viral defense. Together, our observations suggest that FluPol-chromatin binding contributes to targeted dampening of host immune response pathways.


Selecting the most suitable activation function is a critical factor in the effectiveness of deep learning models, as it influences their learning capacity, stability, and computational efficiency. In recent years, the Gaussian error linear unit (GELU) activation function has emerged as a dominant method, surpassing traditional functions such as the rectified linear unit (ReLU) in various applications. This study presents a rigorous mathematical investigation of the GELU activation function, exploring its differentiability, boundedness, stationarity, and smoothness properties in detail. In addition, we conduct an extensive experimental comparison of the GELU function against a broad range of alternative activation functions, utilizing a residual convolutional network trained on the CIFAR-10, CIFAR-100, and STL-10 datasets as the empirical testbed. Our results demonstrate the superior performance of GELU compared to other activation functions, establishing its suitability for a wide range of deep learning applications. This comprehensive study contributes to a more profound understanding of the underlying mathematical properties of GELU and provides valuable insights for practitioners aiming to select activation functions that optimally align with their specific objectives and constraints in deep learning.


A common via filter is investigated and designed by using a proposed scalable lumped circuit model. The model-based result of the filter agrees well with that of the measurement. An ultra-compact open-ground spiral filter is proposed based on the common via filter. The open-ground spiral resonators are used to design second-order and fourth-order bandpass filters. The filter layouts, which affect filter performance in both passband and stopband, are investigated. The advantages of the open-ground spiral filter include not only its ultra-compact size (only ) but also its additional transmission zero points and controllable stopband.


Objective To evaluate the relative importance of bilabial prominence in relation to other facial profile parameters in a normal population. Methods Profile stimulus images of 38 individuals (28 female and 10 male; ages 19-25 years) were shown to an unrelated group of first-year students (n = 42; ages 18-24 years). The images were individually viewed on a 17-inch monitor. The observers received standardized instructions before viewing. A six-question questionnaire was completed using a Likert-type scale. The responses were analyzed by ordered logistic regression to identify associations between profile characteristics and observer preferences. The Bayesian Information Criterion was used to select variables that explained observer preferences most accurately. Results Nasal, bilabial, and chin prominences; the nasofrontal angle; and lip curls had the greatest effect on overall profile attractiveness perceptions. The lip-chin-throat angle and upper lip curl had the greatest effect on forehead prominence perceptions. The bilabial prominence, nasolabial angle (particularly the lower component), and mentolabial angle had the greatest effect on nasal prominence perceptions. The bilabial prominence, nasolabial angle, chin prominence, and submental length had the greatest effect on lip prominence perceptions. The bilabial prominence, nasolabial angle, mentolabial angle, and submental length had the greatest effect on chin prominence perceptions. Conclusions More prominent lips, within normal limits, may be considered more attractive in the profile view. Profile parameters have a greater influence on their neighboring aesthetic units but indirectly influence related profile parameters, endorsing the importance of achieving an aesthetic balance between relative prominences of all aesthetic units of the facial profile.


A best evidence topic in cardiothoracic surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether unilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion is equivalent to bilateral cerebral plegia for cerebral protection during aortic arch surgery. Altogether 233 papers were found using the reported search, of which 17 presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results, and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. These papers documented antegrade selective cerebral perfusion in a total of 3548 patients: bilateral cerebral perfusion in 2949 patients and unilateral perfusion in 599 patients. Both methods of cerebral perfusion resulted in neurological injury rates of <5%, but the period of antegrade cerebral perfusion allowed by bilateral perfusion was significantly higher. While unilateral perfusion allowed around 30-50 min, bilateral perfusion allowed 86 to over 164 min of ASCP with an acceptably low CVA rate. Therefore, we conclude that while both methods are acceptable, once the ASCP time is expected to rise over 40-50 min, bilateral cerebral perfusion is the technique that is best documented to be safe.


In the early days of SUFL * teaching and when the Grammar-Translation method was queen of the day, vocabulary occupied a prominent position in SUFL programmes. However, the fortunes of vocabulary soon changed with the oncoming of the Direct Method and the Audio-Lingual Method. One of the important underlying principles of these two methods is that language is not made up of words but of patterns of usage (Lado, 1965). Consequently, a greater emphasis was given to the teaching of structures, and vocabulary had less attention. There is presently a renewed interest in the teaching of vocabulary due to the development of Functional-Notional Syllabuses. (O'Neil and Snow, 1978). It is, therefore, necessary to reconsider the teaching of vocabulary and develop a systematic technique to achieve our objectives. Different objectives are defined for recognition and productive vocabularies. An EFL ** student needs to recognize and enunciate recognition vocabulary, but he does not need to spell or use such vocabulary items. The EFL student, however, will need to recognize, pronounce, spell and use those vocabulary items that are intended for productive use. The sequence in which these four skills (recognizing, pronouncing, spelling and using) are presented and taught is of great significance, both for linguistic and methodological principles.


Heavy-duty vehicles constitute a significant contributor to road CO2 emissions, despite accounting for only a low share of the vehicle fleet. CO2 Emissions certification and monitoring are performed using vehicle simulation software designed for the purpose (VECTO). The European Union currently regulates rigid truck and tractor-trailer CO2 emissions and subsequently will proceed to buses and other heavy-duty vehicle categories. The current study investigated the use of VECTO on a city bus by modelling the on-road operating conditions of a vehicle in an urban route in Istanbul. The simulation results showed a difference with the on-road measurements in the range of -1.6% to 3.2%, depending on the direction of the route. The difference was attributed to the influence of the total elevation change, and the use of auxiliaries. The latter comprise a significant part of energy consumption in buses, and for this reason, VECTO includes a dedicated bus auxiliary module. The use of the module was also explored, and it was found to improve the results in some cases. The findings highlight the need to assess the operation of auxiliary components in city buses accurately, and to consider the provision of more precise, auxiliary-component specific, information when running actual real-world CO2 simulations of these vehicles.


As a result of the study of three sites (two city parks and a special area for walking dogs) on the contamination of Toxocara sp. eggs it was found that 28.0±2.3% of the studied fecal samples from the territories of the Kirov Park were infected with Тохосаrа eggs, 21.0±3.6% of fecal samples from the territory of the Park of the 50th anniversary of the Komsomol and 7.0±0.4% of fecal samples were infected with Тохосаrа eggs selected at a specially equipped dog walking area in the Metrograd residential complex in Kirov. The average rate of dogs which were infected by Toxocara (EI) was 18.7±6.2%. The average rate of contamination of soil by eggs Тохосаrа in the study sites amounted to 34.6%. Contamination of soil samples with eggs of Toxocara sp. in parks was 45.6% and 45.8%, respectively, and in the dog walking area it was 12%. The largest number of dogs, including stray ones, were registered in the parks: 74.8±7.1 and 62.8±7.0 individuals, respectively. There were no stray individuals in the dog walking area, and there were 21.6±1.0 individuals over the entire study period.


Schatzkin et al. and other authors demonstrated that the ratios of some conditional statistics such as the true positive fraction are equal to the ratios of unconditional statistics, such as disease detection rates, and therefore we can calculate these ratios between two screening tests on the same population even if negative test patients are not followed with a reference procedure and the true and false negative rates are unknown. We demonstrate that this same property applies to an expected utility metric. We also demonstrate that while simple estimates of relative specificities and relative areas under ROC curves (AUC) do depend on the unknown negative rates, we can write these ratios in terms of disease prevalence, and the dependence of these ratios on a posited prevalence is often weak particularly if that prevalence is small or the performance of the two screening tests is similar. Therefore we can estimate relative specificity or AUC with little loss of accuracy, if we use an approximate value of disease prevalence.


This study has been concerned with the inversion of water in oil (W/0) emulsions, to
oil in water (O/W) emulsions and vice-versa. It has been shown that there are two types
of emulsion phase inversion that can occur in nonionic Surfactant-Oil-Water (nSOW)
systems: (i) A "transitional" inversion, which is brought about by changing the nSOW
phase behaviour, by altering the surfactant's affinity for the oil and water phases and,
(ii) a "catastrophic" inversion, induced by increasing the dispersed phase fraction and
occurs at closest packing of unstable dispersed phase drops. The inversion mechanism
of the two inversion types has been characterised. The two inversion types can be
represented as boundaries on a "map" relating nSOW phase behaviour with water to oil
volume ratio. The form of the map depends on the nature of the oil. At the transitional
point, the nSOW system can be 3 phase - an oil phase, a water phase and a surfactant
phase microemulsion. Ultra-low interfacial tension exists between the phases - this
property is of interest for producing extremely fine emulsions with low energy input.
Transitional inversions are sometimes reversible. In nSOW systems, true catastrophic
inversions can be induced by moving the water to oil ratio in one direction only. Double
emulsion drops (W/O/W or O/W/O) are sometimes produced before inversion and
inversion points are dependent on dynamic conditions. A thermodynamic relationship
between nSOW phase behaviour, oil type, surfactant type, surfactant concentration and
temperature has been derived, based on the partitioning of surfactant between oil, water
and a surfactant micelle phase. It has been shown how this can be used to classify
nonionic surfactants. The effect of agitation conditions, water addition rate and oil phase
viscosity, on the drop types and drop sizes of emulsions present before and after inversion
(for each inversion type) has been studied extensively. Surfactant type and concentration
also affect drop behaviour and drop sizes. Various drop types have been identified and
qualitative and quantitative analysis of the factors controlling the drop sizes of emulsions
at each stage of a phase inversion has been developed.


Aim: To determine the inhibitory effect of the synthetic STAT3 siRNA on the expression of STAT3 gene in human laryngeal cancer cell lines Hep2 and to investigate the effect of STAT3 siRNA on growth and apoptosis in Hep2 cells. Methods: A pair of DNA templates coding siRNA against STAT3-mRNA was synthesized to reconstruct plasmid of pSilencer1.0-U6 siRNA-STAT3. Hep2 cells were transfected with RPMI-1640 media (untreated), plasmid (empty), and STAT3 siRNA, respectively. Northern blot and Western blot analysis of STAT3 and pTyr-STAT3 expression in Hep2 cells and Western blot analysis of Bcl-2 expression in the Hep2 cell was performed 72 h after transfection. MTT, flow cytometry, and AO/EB assay were used for determination of cells proliferation and apoptosis in Hep2 cells. Results: pTyr-STAT3 was markedly expressed in untreated Hep2 cells and the vector-treated Hep2 cells, whereas pTyr-STAT3 expression was significantly reduced in STAT3 siRNA-transfected Hep2 cells, indicating that STAT3 siRNA inhibited the activity of STAT3. Transfection of Hep2 cells with STAT3 siRNA significantly inhibited STAT3 expression at both mRNA and protein level in Hep2 cells and the inhibition was characterized by time-dependent transfection. Treatment of Hep2 cells with STAT3 siRNA resulted in dose-dependent growth inhibition of Hep2, this significantly increased apoptotic cell rate, and decreased Bcl-2 expression level in Hep2 cells. STAT3 siRNA had an effect on induction of either early or late stage apoptosis. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that STAT3 siRNA effectively inhibits STAT3 gene expression in Hep2 cells leading to growth suppression and induction of apoptosis in Hep2 cells. The use of siRNA technique may provide a novel therapeutic approach to treat laryngeal cancer and other malignant tumors expressing constitutively activated STAT3.


It is now a widely acknowledged fact that the low-skilled are facing important risks of labour market exclusion in modern economies. However, possessing low levels of educational qualifications leads to very different situations from one country to another, as the cross-national variation in the unemployment rates of the low-skilled attest. While conventional wisdom usually blames welfare states and the resulting rigidity of labour markets for the low employment opportunities of low-skilled workers, empirical evidence tends to contradict this predominant view.Using microdata from the International Adult Literacy Survey that was conducted between 1994 and 1998, we examine the sources of the cross-national variation in the employment disadvantage of low-skilled workers in 14 industrialized nations. In particular, we test the validity of the conventional theories concerning the supposedly harmful effect of labour market regulation against a new and promising hypothesis on the importance of cognitive skills for the employment opportunities of the low-educated. Our findings support the latter and suggest that the employment disadvantage the low-educated experience relatively to medium-educated workers is mainly due to their deficit in the skills that have become so important for labour market success in the recent past, namely cognitive skills.


The modern software development requires more efficient production methods than ever before. It has been recognised that benefits can be obtained in software development by using object-orientation. Testing, however, has gained less attention, although it is still an important task in the software development to achieve such goals as finding errors and quality. The goal of this paper is to study how object-orientation affects testing as well as how the testing techniques that are adapted for object-orientation can be used for test design purposes. Utilisation of the Unified Modelling Language (UML) in testing is introduced, and some practical solutions to avoid the obstacles of the testing of objectoriented software are addressed as well. Moreover, these solutions are combined and a test automation system (test driver implementation), which makes it easier to test the object-oriented software, is presented. Finally, the testing techniques that are studied, are applied to a demonstration system, which is designed and implemented by using a CASE tool called Rhapsody. As Rhapsody provides its own impact to testing and test design, it is shown how the various UML diagrams are used for test design purposes in the context of Rhapsody. Although object-orientation provides benefits for software development, it can be argued that the testing of object-oriented systems is occasionally more difficult compared to the testing of traditional systems. However, by planning tests carefully and taking the special needs of the testing of object-oriented software into account, these obstacles can partially be avoided. Furthermore, since the UML provides a notation to express software designs, and as object-orientation emphasises functional testing, the UML gives information for test design that should not be overlooked.


The treatment options for the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are expanding as new therapies, including probiotics and serotonin receptor agents, become available. Before any new agents gain widespread use, they must be studied in appropriately designed clinical trials. Symptom improvement remains the key clinically but the best technique to measure symptom improvement is unclear. Many IBS therapy studies have used a binary endpoint such as "Have you had satisfactory relief of your IBS symptoms in the past week? Yes/No?" The study by Whitehead and colleagues in this issue suggests that "satisfactory relief" is affected by baseline symptom severity and may not always truly reflect the symptom burden. Future research needs to determine whether "satisfactory relief" is truly adequate, or whether alternatives such as the proportion of patients achieving a ≥50% reduction in symptom severity would represent a superior approach to capture clinically important improvement.


This paper assesses the impact of a farm of wave energy converters on a nearby offshore aquaculture installation and on the nearshore dynamics. The coastal area targeted is Aguçadoura, located in the north of Portugal, where the world's first wave farm operated in 2008. The study is focused mainly on the evaluation of the sheltering effect provided by the wave farm to the aquaculture cages. Furthermore, the possible impact on the coastal wave climate of such an energy park is also evaluated. These objectives are accomplished by performing simulations, corresponding to the wave conditions, which are more often encountered in that coastal environment. The SWAN model (Simulating WAves Nearshore) was adopted for this. Various transmission scenarios are considered to account for the impact of different types of wave converter farms on the downwave conditions. The results show that such a wave energy park might have a clear positive impact on the wave conditions fish farm installed downwave and it might also have a beneficial influence on shoreline dynamics from the perspective of coastal protection.


The literature on Open Educational Resources (OER) points to a need to further research how best to foster teachers' reuse of OER (Masterman and Wild, 2011), and how best to enable the infrastructure for sharing OER to appropriately support the needs of teachers (Davis et al., 2010).

This paper proposes variations around the themes of Peer Observation of Teaching and Professional Conversations as tools to investigate the use and reuse of OER by teachers. It reports on two qualitative studies on the use and reuse of OER by language teachers at the Open University UK. Teachers use LORO (loro.open.ac.uk), an open repository of OER for language teaching, to select their teaching resources.

Using Peer Observation of Teaching and Professional Conversations for data collection and a thematic analysis, the studies looked at how teachers used OER in their teaching, reworked existing resources or remix materials with others in LORO, and how they shared (or not) their new versions of the resources. The study also sought to understand the role of professional knowledge in the use and reuse of OER, and to explore the extent to which working with OER results in the adoption of other Open Educational Practices (OEP).

The study stresses the importance of using innovative qualitative methods alongside evidence from quantitative data in order to understand teacher engagement in OER reuse, and that this understanding is one of the key elements needed to "build on the last ten years of OER development, and move towards the creation of a virtuous circle of open educational practice".


ABSTRACT Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by ovarian enlargement, theca-interstitial hyperplasia, and increased androgen production by theca cells. Previously, our group has demonstrated that statins (competitive inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, a rate-limiting step of the mevalonate pathway) reduce proliferation of theca-interstitial cells in vitro and decrease serum androgen levels in women with PCOS. The present study evaluated the effect of simvastatin on rat ovarian theca-interstitial cell steroidogenesis. Because actions of statins may be due to reduced cholesterol availability and/or isoprenylation of proteins, the present study also investigated whether steroidogenesis was affected by cell- and mitochondrion-permeable 22-hydroxycholesterol, isoprenylation substrates (farnesyl-pyrophosphate [FPP] and geranylgeranyl-pyrophosphate [GGPP]), as well as selective inhibitors of farnesyltransferase (FTI) and geranylgeranyltransferase (GGTI). Theca-interstitial cells were cultured for 12, 24, and 48 h with or without simvastatin, GGPP, FPP, FTI, GGTI, and/or 22-hydroxycholesterol. Simvastatin decreased androgen levels in a time- and concentration-dependent fashion. This inhibitory effect correlated with a decrease in mRNA levels of Cyp17a1, the gene encoding the key enzyme regulating androgen biosynthesis. After 48 h, GGPP alone and FPP alone had no effect on Cyp17a1 mRNA expression; however, the inhibitory action of simvastatin was partly abrogated by both GGPP and FPP. The present findings indicate that statin-induced reduction of androgen levels is likely due, at least in part, to the inhibition of isoprenylation, resulting in decreased expression of CYP17A1.


The purpose of this study is to carry out tests on concrete made with a typical Benin City silty sand and determine the major concrete quality indicators such as pulse velocity, water/cement ratio and compressive strength in order to justify the continued utilization of such sands in concrete production in and around Benin City. To do this, concrete made with the selected sand were designed using DOE mix design method and test cubes were cast in three batches. Two cubes were cast for each of the sixteen consecutive tests carried out and averages taken for each design grade strength of 10,20,30,40 and 50N/mm2. Also, pulse velocity and rebound hammer tests were carried out on the cubes before testing the cubes destructively. The results show that concrete produced with the Benin City silty sands are of good quality in all respect but generally characterized by low 28th day – characteristic strength. The sands should therefore be used in construction provided that the mean strength aimed at during design is sufficiently higher than the characteristic strength by the strength margin (ks) from structural point of view to enable every part of the structure have adequate strength.


Increased usage of mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, has led to widespread popularity and usage of mobile apps. If not carefully developed, such apps may demonstrate energy-inefficient behaviour, where one or more energy-intensive hardware components (such as Wifi, GPS, etc) are left in a high-power state, even when no apps are using these components. We refer to such kind of energy-inefficiencies as energy bugs. Executing an app with an energy bug causes the mobile device to exhibit poor energy consumption behaviour and a drastically shortened battery life. Since mobiles apps can have huge input domains, therefore exhaustive exploration is often impractical. We believe that there is a need for a framework that can systematically detect and fix energy bugs in mobile apps in a scalable fashion. To address this need, we have developed EnergyPatch, a framework that uses a combination of static and dynamic analysis techniques to detect, validate and repair energy bugs in Android apps. The use of a light-weight, static analysis technique enables EnergyPatch to quickly narrow down to the potential program paths along which energy bugs may occur. Subsequent exploration of these potentially buggy program paths using a dynamic analysis technique helps in validations of the reported bugs and to generate test cases. Finally, EnergyPatch generates repair expressions to fix the validated energy bugs. Evaluation with real-life apps from repositories such as F-droid and Github, shows that EnergyPatch is scalable and can produce results in reasonable amount of time. Additionally, we observed that the repair expressions generated by EnergyPatch could bring down the energy consumption on tested apps up to 60 percent.


Advances in understanding meiotic recombination have informed attempts to manipulate crossover formation with implications for meiotic recombination in polyploidy. Meiosis is a specialized cell division, essential in most reproducing organisms to halve the number of chromosomes, thereby enabling the restoration of ploidy levels during fertilization. A key step of meiosis is homologous recombination, which promotes homologous pairing and generates crossovers (COs) to connect homologous chromosomes until their separation at anaphase I. These CO sites, seen cytologically as chiasmata, represent a reciprocal exchange of genetic information between two homologous nonsister chromatids. This gene reshuffling during meiosis has a significant influence on evolution and also plays an essential role in plant breeding, because a successful breeding program depends on the ability to bring the desired combinations of alleles on chromosomes. However, the number and distribution of COs during meiosis is highly constrained. There is at least one CO per chromosome pair to ensure accurate segregation of homologs, but in most organisms, the CO number rarely exceeds three regardless of chromosome size. Moreover, their positions are not random on chromosomes but exhibit regional preference. Thus, genes in recombination-poor regions tend to be inherited together, hindering the generation of novel allelic combinations that could be exploited by breeding programs. Recently, much progress has been made in understanding meiotic recombination. In particular, many genes involved in the process in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) have been identified and analyzed. With the coming challenges of food security and climate change, and our enhanced knowledge of how COs are formed, the interest and needs in manipulating CO formation are greater than ever before. In this review, we focus on advances in understanding meiotic recombination and then summarize the attempts to manipulate CO formation. Last, we pay special attention to the meiotic recombination in polyploidy, which is a common genomic feature for many crop plants.


A new solid-state source of submillimetre-wave radiation has been created at the University of Leeds in the UK. By extracting the third-harmonic from an InP Gunn device, Dr Heribert Eisele at the Institute of Microwaves and Photonics is the first to demonstrate that a single room-temperature semiconductor device, which can simply be connected to a power supply such as a battery, can generate significant power at 480 GHz. This result could lead to inexpensive, reliable and compact oscillators which would greatly benefit a range of applications, including wireless networks with greatly increased bandwidth.


In recent years there has been an ever increasing need to launch small payloads (∼1–100 kg) into low earth orbit (LEO); examples include the defense, telecommunications and other civilian industries. NASA's stated mission of launching a manned mission to Mars requires many tons of raw materials to be economically launched into LEO and assembled there. Conventional rocket launch from earth is prohibitively expensive for small mass payloads. Estimates range from $7000–$20,000 to launch 1 kg of mass into low earth orbit. Several concepts have been proposed to economically launch small payloads from earth, including light gas guns, electromagnetic launchers and the so called "slingatron" concept. The goal of these concepts is to reduce the cost per kg (to under $1000) to achieve LEO. Each of these concepts involves launching small payloads that traverse the atmosphere and then placed into a circular low earth orbit. As the launch vehicle traverses the dense lower portion of the atmosphere it experiences thermal heating loads that must be absorbed by a thermal protection system (TPS) if the payload is to survive the transit. High launch angles are desirable from the standpoint of minimizing TPS mass. However, for ballistic trajectories, high launch angles require a large propellant mass to achieve a stable circular orbit. This effort performs aerothermal and trajectory analyses on a nominal 10 kg payload launched from 16 km altitude airborne platform into a 200 km circular orbit. The study focuses on two efforts: 1) computing ballistic trajectories of sphere cones with ablation assuming laminar and turbulent flow in order to quantify the total ablation and required propellant mass to circularize the orbit for given launch conditions and 2) study lifting trajectories without ablation by flying axisymmetric sphere-cone projectiles at small angles of attack and asymmetric projectiles (ellipsleds) that turn the velocity vector during atmospheric transit in an effort to reduce the ΔV needed to circularize the orbit. The TPS is assumed to be made of graphite. Total parasitic mass is reported for several launch angles. Even though ablation is not considered for the lifting trajectories, the study allows comparison of relative effectiveness of various lifting trajectories in reducing the ΔV required to circularize the orbit.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


Sightings of this large black-and-white invasive lizard, established in areas southeast of Tampa and south of Miami, should be reported immediately to 1-888-IveGot1 or www.IveGot1.org. This 2-page fact sheet, written by Steve Johnson and Monica McGarrity provides pictures and information to aid identification. Published by the UF Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, October 2010.
WEC295/UW340: Florida Invader: Tegu Lizard (ufl.edu)


The electromechanical properties of cymbal piezocomposite transducer were investigated in this paper. Piezoelectric ceramic PZT—5A was used as piezoelectric phase of transducer, and brass foil was used as end cap electrode of cymbal piezocomposite transducer. Several types of this transducer were fabricated. The displacements of this transducer as functions of the applied force and the applied electric field were investigated. It was calculated and analyzed for the energy transmission coefficient and electromechanical coupling coefficient of this transducer which optimum values were obtained.


BACKGROUND
Vascular risk is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV infected patients.

AIM
To study the value of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) in vascular risk stratification in a cohort of people with HIV infection.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Vascular risk was calculated in all the patients that agreed to participate in the study and clinical reports were reviewed retrospectively. Ten year risk of fatal myocardial infarction was calculated according to Framingham equation, National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) III and Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) project score. ABI was calculated measuring resting systolic blood pressure at the ankle, that was compared with the systolic brachial pressure. The ratio of the two pressures defined ABI, that was considered abnormal if it was ≤ 0.9 or ≥ 1.3.

RESULTS
A total of 231 HIV infected patients aged 23 to 82 years (80% males) were enrolled. Ten years risk according to Framingham equation was 8.4%, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 7.54-9.15 and according to SCORE scale was 0.8%, 95% CI: 0.62-1.01. According to NCEP III 9% of patients had a high or very high cardiovascular risk. Median ABI was 1.17 (95% CI intervals: 1.16-1.19) and 58 patients (25%) had an abnormal value. Using ABI results, approximately 20% of patients were re-classified as having a high vascular risk.

CONCLUSIONS
ABI identified approximately 20% of this cohort of HIV infected subjects as having high vascular risk.


Epileptic activity that involves the central autonomic system, including the insular lobe, medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray, parabrachial complex, nucleus tractus solitarius, and ventrolateral medulla results in seizures with various autonomic manifestations. Some autonomic manifestations suggest localization and lateralization of epileptic foci. The autonomic nervous system modulates cerebral activity under physiological and pathological conditions. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has attracted much attention for treatment of various neurological and psychiatric disorders and is an established palliative care strategy for patients with medically intractable epilepsy. Clinical and experimental studies suggest that VNS stabilizes cerebral cortical activity and inhibits abnormal excitability via pathways including upward vagus nerve conduction, nucleus tractus solitarius, and the thalamus, which consequently produces an anti-epileptic effect.


This is a guide to selected library resources on the many aspects of computer/video game development, including game creation and game programming.


Researchers in the fields of finite groups, representation theory, and algebra will appreciate this volume for it presents an excellent view of the many significant developments in the representation theory of finite groups. The papers in these proceedings were presented at the Summer Research Institute on Representations of Finite Groups, held at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California in July 1986. There has been intense research in the representation theory of finite groups in recent years.Particularly striking is the influence of algebraic geometry and cohomology theory in the modular representation theory and the character theory of reductive groups over finite fields, and in the general modular representation theory of finite groups. Noteworthy too are the continuing developments in block theory and the general character theory of finite groups. These proceedings contain nearly 100 papers of an expository and research nature and will give readers a sense of the new and important influences in this vital field.


This article examines 45 preambles in collections of urban customary law (called custumals) from 32 premodern towns in England between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries. Urban custom was the local law of English towns, and constituted traditions and privileges that gained legal force over time. How lawmakers conceived of "bad" custom—that is, the desuetude or corruption of custom—was crucial to the intellectual framework of urban law. Evidence from preambles shows that lawmakers rooted the legitimacy of their laws in "customary time," which was the period from the supposed origins of their customs to their formalization in text. Lawmakers' efforts to reinforce, ratify, and revise urban customs by making new custumals and passing ordinances were attempts to broaden their autonomy and respond to the possibility of "bad" custom.


When choosing a country as a trading partner, an important role is played by the speed, convenience, and reliability of banking services (this is primarily determined by the level of digitalization of banking activities), and the general level of economic growth of this country. The article analyzes the relationship between the efficiency of the banking system and the country's economic growth under digitalization using the example of Azerbaijan and its key trading partners. Calculations were made using data for 2010–2021 based on World Bank, IMF, and UN statistics. Principal component analysis was used to identify the most relevant indicators that describe the stability of the banking system, the level of economic development of the country, and the level of digitalization; the method of structural modeling was used to identify functional relationships between the constructed synthetic generalizing indicators. Calculations showed that the development of the banking system is much more (almost seven times) influenced by the level of digitalization in the country than the level of economic growth (coefficients for synthetic generalizing indicators formed in the process of structural modeling are 0.29 and 0.04). Modeling proved that the focus of reforms aimed at increasing the level of digitalization in the country should be an increase in the number of electronic accounts, electronic payments, the share of the population using the Internet, growth of R&D expenditures, and innovation index.


This paper compares alternative estimation procedures for multi-level factor models which imply blocks of zero restrictions on the associated matrix of factor loadings. We suggest a sequential least squares algorithm for minimizing the total sum of squared residuals and a two-step approach based on canonical correlations that are much simpler and faster than Bayesian approaches previously employed in the literature. An additional advantage is that our approaches can be used to estimate more complex multi-level factor structures where the number of levels is greater than two. Monte Carlo simulations suggest that the estimators perform well in typical sample sizes encountered in the factor analysis of macroeconomic data sets. We apply the methodologies to study international comovements of business and financial cycles.


RFC6052 specifies the algorithmic translation of an IPv6 address to a
corresponding IPv4 address, and vice versa. In particular, RFC6052
specifies the address format to build IPv4-converted and IPv4-
translatable IPv6 addresses. In order to be deployed in the context of
stateless 4/6 solutions, RFC6052 should be updated so that IPv4-
embedded IPv6 addresses convey the port information. This document
identifies a set of requirements to be taken into account when
updating RFC6052 for that purpose. A companion effort, document at
[I-D.bsd-softwire-stateless-port-index-analysis], is required to
converge on one or a set of algorithms to be used by all stateless
solutions.


The present study includes an experimental investigation of the behavior of simply supported lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) and normal weight concrete (NWC) square slabs reinforced by different ratios of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and/or steel bars reinforcement. The experimental program consists of testing nine two-way reinforced concrete square slab models under uniformly distributed load (UDL). They were of the same overall dimensions, (1050×1050×80) mm. The main variables considered in the experimental study are: type of concrete; LWAC or NWC, type of reinforcement; steel, CFRP and hybrid (steel and CFRP) bars with different ratios and arrangements, the behavior of slabs with bottom and top CFRP bars reinforcement and the efficiency of using CFRP bars for strengthening slabs in two directions by using near surface mounted (NSM) technique. In this study, a waste of clay bricks was used as a coarse lightweight aggregate (CLWA) to produce structural lightweight aggregate concrete (SLWAC). It was found that LWAC slab model reinforced by CFRP bars has a lower total weight by amount 20% in comparison with NWC slab model reinforced by CFRP bars with rather a small reduction in slab ultimate load capacity by amount not more than 6.5%. However, it was found that the CFRP reinforced LWAC slab model can achieve ultimate load capacity higher than equivalent steel reinforced LWAC slab model by about 34.62%. NSM technique by CFRP bars in two directions of LWAC slab is very effective and nearly provided the same efficiency of equivalent internal reinforcement.


Nitrate pollution in the Plana de Vic aquifers has presently reached very high levels, which pose enormous
limitations to its use. The origin of nitrate is mainly caused by manure application as fer tilizer. In this paper,
we present a hydrodynamic scheme of the Plana de Vic aquifer system, based on potentiometric data and
nitrate concentrations obtained through a monthly monitoring effort of a 80 well database. The response
of those wells to the recharge that ended a severe drought period allows us to depict different
hydrogeological behaviours between surface and deep aquifer levels. We conclude that a mixing process
occurs in this multilevel leaky-aquifer system facilitated by the uncasing of most of the wells. Therefore, a
deficient exploitation of the aquifer is seen as an additional cause for the spreading of nitrate.


Research Centers Directory 1993 covers more than 13,000 nonprofit research units in all fields and reflects current trends in university-related research in the U.S. and Canada. It includes numerous research centers which pioneer technological advances influencing economic development, global competitiveness, and social awareness. An expanded section focuses on university research parks and technology transfer centers that represnt joint ventures between business, industry, and universities.


INTRODUCTION
The accrual rate to clinical trials in oncology remains low. In this exploratory pilot study, we prospectively assessed the role that engaging a referring surgeon plays in enhancing nonsurgical oncologic clinical trial accrual.

METHODS
Newly diagnosed breast cancer patients were seen by a surgeon who actively introduced specific patient-and physician-centred strategies to increase clinical trial accrual. Patient-centred strategies included providing patients, before their oncology appointment, with information about specific clinical trials for which they might be eligible, as evaluated by the surgeon. The attitudes of the patients about clinical trials and the interventions used to improve accrual were assessed at the end of the study. The primary outcome was the clinical trial accrual rate during the study period.

RESULTS
Overall clinical trial enrolment during the study period among the 34 participating patients was 15% (5 of 34), which is greater than the institution's historical average of 7%. All patients found the information delivered by the surgeon before the oncology appointment to be very helpful. Almost three quarters of the patients (73%) were informed about clinical trials by their oncologist. The top reasons for nonparticipation reported by the patients who did not participate in clinical trials included lack of interest (35%), failure of the oncologist to mention clinical trials (33%), and inconvenience (19%).

CONCLUSIONS
Accrual of patients to clinical trials is a complex multistep process with multiple potential barriers. The findings of this exploratory pilot study demonstrate a potential role for the referring surgeon in enhancing nonsurgical clinical trial accrual.


In preparation for the SPE Applied Technology Workshop (ATW) held in Brugge in June 2008, a unique benchmark project was organized to test the combined use of waterflooding-optimization and history-matching methods in a closed-loop workflow. The benchmark was organized in the form of an interactive competition during the months preceding the ATW. The goal set for the exercise was to create a set of history-matched reservoir models and then to find an optimal waterflooding strategy for an oil field containing 20 producers and 10 injectors that can each be controlled by three inflow-control valves (ICVs). A synthetic data set was made available to the participants by TNO, consisting of well-log data, the structure of the reservoir, 10 years of production data, inverted time-lapse seismic data, and other information necessary for the exercise. The parameters to be estimated during the history match were permeability, porosity, and net-to gross-(NTG) thickness ratio. The optimized production strategy was tested on a synthetic truth model developed by TNO, which was also used to generate the production data and inverted time-lapse seismic. Because of time and practical constraints, a full closed-loop exercise was not possible; however, the participants could obtain the response to their production strategy after 10 years, update their models, and resubmit a revised production strategy for the final 10 years of production. In total, nine groups participated in the exercise. The spread of the net present value (NPV) obtained by the different participants is on the order of 10%. The highest result that was obtained is only 3% below the optimized case determined for the known truth field. Although not an objective of this exercise, it was shown that the increase in NPV as a result of having three control intervals per well instead of one was considerable (approximately 20%). The results also showed that the NPV achieved with the flooding strategy that was updated after additional production data became available was consistently higher than before the data became available.


A major challenge in the training of recurrent neural networks is the so-called vanishing or exploding gradient problem. The use of a norm-preserving transition operator can address this issue, but parametrization is challenging. In this work we focus on unitary operators and describe a parametrization using the Lie algebra u(n) associated with the Lie group U(n) of n × n unitary matrices. The exponential map provides a correspondence between these spaces, and allows us to define a unitary matrix using n2 real coefficients relative to a basis of the Lie algebra. The parametrization is closed under additive updates of these coefficients, and thus provides a simple space in which to do gradient descent. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this parametrization on the problem of learning arbitrary unitary operators, comparing to several baselines and outperforming a recently-proposed lower-dimensional parametrization. We additionally use our parametrization to generalize a recently-proposed unitary recurrent neural network to arbitrary unitary matrices, using it to solve standard long-memory tasks.


The rapid rise in antibiotic-resistant pathogens is causing increased health concerns, and consequently there is an urgent need for novel antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which have been isolated from a wide range of organisms, represent a very promising class of novel antimicrobials. In the present study, the analogue FL9, based on the amphibian AMP fallaxin, was studied to elucidate its mode of action and antibacterial activity against the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Our data showed that FL9 may have a dual mode of action against S. aureus. At concentrations around the MIC, FL9 bound DNA, inhibited DNA synthesis and induced the SOS DNA damage response, whereas at concentrations above the MIC the interaction between S. aureus and FL9 led to membrane disruption. The antibacterial activity of the peptide was maintained over a wide range of NaCl and MgCl(2) concentrations and at alkaline pH, while it was compromised by acidic pH and exposure to serum. Furthermore, at subinhibitory concentrations of FL9, S. aureus responded by increasing the expression of two major virulence factor genes, namely the regulatory rnaIII and hla, encoding α-haemolysin. In addition, the S. aureus-encoded natural tolerance mechanisms included peptide cleavage and the addition of positive charge to the cell surface, both of which minimized the antimicrobial activity of FL9. Our results add new information about FL9 and its effect on S. aureus, which may aid in the future development of analogues with improved therapeutic potential.


The concept of robustness in biology has gained much attention recently, but a mechanistic understanding of how genetic networks regulate phenotypic variation has remained elusive. One approach to understand the genetic architecture of variability has been to analyze dispensable gene deletions in model organisms; however, the most important genes cannot be deleted. Here, we have utilized two systems in yeast whereby essential genes have been altered to reduce expression. Using high‐throughput microscopy and image analysis, we have characterized a large number of morphological phenotypes, and their associated variation, for the majority of essential genes in yeast. Our results indicate that phenotypic robustness is more highly dependent upon the expression of essential genes than on the presence of dispensable genes. Morphological robustness appears to be a general property of a genotype that is closely related to pleiotropy. While the fitness profile across a range of expression levels is idiosyncratic to each gene, the global pattern indicates that there is a window in which phenotypic variation can be released before fitness effects are observable.


Energy conversion cycles are aimed at driving unfavorable, small-molecule activation reactions with a photon harnessed by a transition metal complex. A challenge that has occupied researchers for several decades is to create molecular photocatalysts to promote the production of hydrogen from homogeneous solution. We now report the use of a two-electron mixed-valence dirhodium compound to photocatalyze the reduction of hydrohalic acid to hydrogen. In this cycle, photons break two RhII–X bonds of a LRh0–RhIIX2 core in the presence of a halogen trap to regenerate the active LRh0–Rh0 catalyst, which reacts with hydrohalic acid to produce hydrogen.


Chamomile is a package which is applied for cosmetic. In industry this package is being processed by blow molding. Thereare many parameters that influence cycle time during production; in this project only three of them were varied, i.e. blowingpressure, blowing time and stopping time. Each parameter is determined three chosen level. Middle level is taken fromstandard setting of machining which is being used by industry. Top and bottom level is randomized. Three stopping time are0.1, 0.55, and 1.0 second. Blowing time are 10.5, 11.5 and 12.5 second. Where as, blowing pressures is 4, 5 and 6 bar.Combination of among levels is based on Box Behnken design. Those three parameters are called variable process. In theother hand, variable responses are cycle time and net weight. Each combination is replicated 5 times and then averaged. Thedata then is processed by using Minitab version 14th. Square regression of the model for cycle time is ?CT = 21,1300 - 0,0912X1 + 0,2000 X2 + 0,6313 X3 + 0,6100 X12 + 0,6975 X22 – 0,1000 X1 X2 – 0,1725 X1 X3 + 0,1100 X2 X3 and Net = 19,2933 –0,0088 X1 + 0,0175 X2 + 0,0712 X3 + 0,0133 X 21 + 0.0158 X22- 0.0217 X 23 + 0.0125 X1X2 - 0,0150 X1 X3 for product netweight. Where X1 is blowing pressure, X2 is blowing time and X3 is stopping time.The model developed then tested by lack offit testing, variance by ANOVA and R square. Second stage of model testing is residual test. Three tests are carry out, i.e.identically test and independency test and normality. Optimization of both values, cycle time and net weight, are searched byResponse Surface Method. By the method it is found that the optimum condition of cycle time is 20.5 seconds and net weightis 19.19 grams. The optimum condition is achieved when stopping is 0.1 second, blowing time 11.35 second and blowingpressure 5.1 bars.


Attempts to control industrial bladder cancer in the United Kingdom started with studies in the 1920s and 1930s among workers in the dye manufacturing industry. Annual cystoscopy examinations were attempted in some work forces. In addition, studies on microscopic hematuria were under way when Papanicolaou's method was published. In the United Kingdom this method was tested and refined and became standardized. Use of the Papanicolaou method spread through the high-risk industries, including dye manufacture, some other parts of the organic chemical industry, and rubber-related industries. Current mandatory screening programs in the United Kingdom are summarized, and consideration is given as to how screening might be changed in the future. Clinical practice associated with bladder cancer screening is reviewed. The identification of possible new high-risk groups is used to highlight future trends.


We describe the identification of five transcriptional units under the control of the sporulation transcription factor sigma F in Bacillus subtilis. These are csfA, csfB, csfC, csfD, and csfF, located at approximately 230 degrees, 2 degrees, 316 degrees, 205 degrees, and approximately 290 degrees, respectively, on the genetic map. Null mutations in csfA, csfB, csfC, or csfD, either alone or together, do not cause a noticeable defect in sporulation or germination.


The geometrical aromaticity HOMA index can be useful for acyclic linear systems. It approaches a horizontal asymptote as the periodic linear system increases in size. For the unsaturated polymers such as polyenes or polythiophenes, the index seems to be a fair measure of the π-electron delocalization and thus to be a good simple tool for the design of conducting polymers.


Abstract We exploit the duality between the cost function and the directional distance function in value space to recover hedonic prices of product or asset characteristics. An application is offered for 96 Oregon vineyards located in the Willamette Valley of Oregon that sold between 1995 and 2007. Specifically, we recover hedonic prices for the number of high-, medium-, and low-quality vineyard acres and the number of nonvineyard acres sold in the parcel. Not surprisingly, higher-quality vineyard acres have a higher estimated hedonic price than medium- or low-quality acres, but as the number of high-quality acres increases, the hedonic price falls. (JEL Classification: D24, C61, Q10)