Abstract. Solar–terrestrial physics, like any other scientific field, has evolved and developed by replacing older theories with newer theories. Unfortunately, each generation of young researchers tends to learn naturally only the latest, and perhaps the most popular theory and believes that it is the only useful one to pursue. Therefore, they do not necessarily realize that in the past the theory they chose had struggled to reach its presently acceptable state, and that eventually it might be replaced with a new theory. Two generations of scientists or in some subjects even more generations tend to be guided by one particular idea or theory. Thus, among us (namely, one or two generations) a high degree of agreement occurs, both on the theoretical assumptions and on the problem to be solved within the framework provided by the theory. Such an idea or theory was termed paradigm by Kuhn (1970). The purpose of this article is to describe several examples of the transition of paradigms and ideas in the subjects of solar–terrestrial physics. The examples are subjects that experienced a paradigm change after prevailing in the field for a few generations and also some that are perhaps on the verge of the transition. The chosen subjects are (1) Stormer's single particle theory to Chapman's plasma theory (1907–1963), (2) the auroral zone to the auroral oval (1860–1971), (3) the closed to open magnetosphere (1931–1971), (4) the current system controversies (1918–1963) and (1964–present), (5) the fixed pattern concept to the concept of auroral/magnetospheric substorms (1935–1982), (6) the importance of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) in the development of geomagnetic storms (1905–1966), (7) the ring current: solar wind protons to oxygen ions from the ionosphere (1933–1977), (8) the storm–substorm controversy (1963–present), (9) substorm onset (1964-present), (10) solar flares (1958–present) and (11) sunspots (1961–present).


AIM
To elucidate factors related to acute vessel closure (AVC) after transluminal coronary intervention.

METHODS
From population of 10439 patients subjected to transluminal coronary intervention 2 groups were formed: with (n=885) and without (n=885) acute vessel closure (AVC). Twenty five clinical, angiographical and procedural characteristics of patients of these 2 groups were included into mono and multifactorial logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
The following factors were univariate predictors of acute vessel closure: smoking [odds ratio (OR) 1.42], unstable angina (OR=2.130, acute myocardial infarction within previous 24 hours (OR 2.76), cardiogenic shock (OR 4.31), urgent procedure (OR 1.94), eccentric stenosis (OR 1.67), calcified lesion (OR 2.21), preexisting thrombosis (OR 3.79), lacerated complicated stenosis (OR 2.02), tortuous lesion (OR 1.35), low operator experience (OR 3.37), balloon angioplasty as sole procedure (OR 1.66), concomitant rheolytic thrombectomy (OR 1.95), urgent stenting (OR 1.45). Elective stenting significantly lowered risk of acute vessel thrombosis. Multifactorial step-up analysis selected the following independent predictors of AVC: smoking, acute myocardial infarction within previous 24 hours, cardiogenic shock, preexisting thrombosis, lacerated complicated stenosis, and concomitant rheolytic thrombus extraction. Thus only elective stenting significantly reduced risk of AVC.


The demand for poultry meat world-wide has imposed great responsibility on poultry processing industry, and especially in de-feathering operation which is usually achieved manually in Nigeria. Being a core stage of poultry processing, de-feathering when carried out manually attracts low production rate (the number of birds produced per hour), high time consumption and labour intensity. This study was focused on design, construction and performance evaluation of chicken de-feathering machine using locally available materials. The design was based on market weight of chicken. The selected materials used to fabricate the machine were trimmed tyre rubber, sheet metals, angle iron and shaft. The rubber cross section was 20 mm×20mm and were arranged both on the shaft length (50mm, 70mm, 90mm, 110mm, 130mm and150mm in length) and at the wall of the bottom cone (80mm length). The height of the machine was 1400mm and 500mm×500mm square area. The performance evaluation result showed that chicken variety had effect on the de-feathering efficiency, throughput capacity and energy consumption of the machine. Scalding time and scalding temperature did not significantly affect throughput capacity and energy consumption but scalding temperature had significant effect on de-feathering efficiency. Maximum mean throughput capacity of 1034 chickens per hour was obtained at 96 % de-feathering efficiency.


The various sectors of India's economy - industry, finance, trade, transport, health, and education - have adopted information and communication technology (ICT) in a big way. Additionally, in recent years, India has emerged as the most preferred destination for the outsourcing of ICT services. In fact, the ICT industry has become India's premier growth engine, crossing significant milestones in terms of revenue growth, employment generation, and value creation. The rapid growth of the industry has been attributed to the availability of human capital, entrepreneurship, social networking, a favorable policy environment, and the entry of multinationals. This book examines the role and contribution of the ICT industry in various sectors of the economy of India. It provides an analytical framework to evaluate the competitive strength of this industry in India.


Abstract The purpose of this study is to ponder some theoretical considerations concerning a predominant phenomenon of mental translation (MT) observed by second language teachers and learners in learning and using a second/foreign language. The sample available to the researcher consists of seven female adult learners speaking different languages. The choice of the sample is not related to the age level of the learners, but their English level (5-6) according to the Canadian Language Benchmarks. The research instruments used in this study are two compositions written on two occasions, during 2013-2015 and in 2016, a personal questionnaire, a strategy questionnaire, and a structured face-to-face interview. The results show that learners use mental translation as a strategy to compare and establish similarities and differences between first language (L1) and second language (L2). The learners create a translational zone where they put the results of the comparisons between L1 and L2 (MT product). The MT product becomes a procedural knowledge, stored in the long-term memory. To write in L2, the learners retrieve the information from their translational zone automatically and without awareness. The type of errors made in both written compositions shows how the influence of the mother tongue prevails despite the time living in the second language country, or the study within an academic system or with tutors. The use of mental translation as a strategy and as a product can explain the errors made by the learners in the second language and the prevalence of the influence of L1 in learning and using L2.


Fluoroscopic techniques have been recently used to detect in vivo knee joint kinematics. This article presents a technique that uses two fluoroscopes to form a dual orthogonal fluoroscopic system for accurately measuring in vivo 6DOF total knee arthoplasty (TKA) kinematics. The system was rigorously validated and used to investigate in vivo kinematics of 12 patients after cruciate‐retaining TKA. In a repeatability study, the pose of two different TKA components was reproduced with standard deviations (SD) of 0.17 mm and 0.57° about all three axes. In an accuracy study, the reproduced component positions were compared to the known component positions. Position and rotation mean errors were all within 0.11 mm and 0.24°, with SD within 0.11 mm and 0.48°, respectively. The results of this study show that the matching process of the imaging system is able to accurately reproduce the spatial positions and orientations of both the femoral and tibial components. For CR TKA patients, a consistent anterior femoral translation was observed with flexion through 45° of flexion, and thereafter, the femur translated posteriorly with further flexion. The medial–lateral translation was measured to be less than 2 mm throughout the entire flexion range. Internal tibial rotation steadily increased through maximum flexion by approximately 6°. Varus rotation was also measured with flexion but had a mean magnitude less than 2.0°. In conclusion, the dual orthogonal fluoroscopic system accurately detects TKA kinematics and is applicable towards other joints of the musculoskeletal system, including the wrist, elbow, shoulder, ankle, and spine. © 2006 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res


The paper describes a special correlation technique. It is shown that a two-state characterization of a random process leads to a simple correlation procedure, called the "polarity coincidence correlation method." The utility of the method in dynamics studies of man-machine systems, its limitations, its assumptions, and, finally, the accuracy due to a finite time of observation are discussed.


Proxy credentials are commonly used in security system when one entity wishes to grant some set of its privileges to another entity. Proxy credential chain is produced when new entities with proxy credentials use their proxy credentials to authenticate and establish secured connections with other entities in the same manner and are asked to wait for the completion of a task online. Due to network unstable, some middle node of the credential chain is not accessed by certain reasons, and, as a result, proxy credential chain problem occurs. The problem is an important research issue in grid security. In this paper, we explore the problem by using double signatures and applying X.509 proxy credential. We provides a method to create double signatures using data redundancy and to establish proxy credential chain with double signatures, and provide a recovery mechanism of proxy credential chain in grid when certificate chain broken problem occurs. We analyze the disadvantages of existing mechanism when the middle-node of the credentials chain was broken, and present a new scheme to extend the existing mechanism (including the description of new proxy credential format, the creation mechanism of proxy credentials and the strategy of validating). We also analyze the security of our new scheme.


This paper presents a study of the resistance of solder joints to failure when subjected to strain rates that simulate the conditions of drop impact on a portable electronic product. Two test methods are used in this study: board-level drop/shock test (BLDT) and component-level ball impact test (BIT). The performance of 12 material combinations consisting of 6 solder alloys and 2 pad finishes were investigated using these two test methods, and analysis of correlations between the methods was performed. Quantitative correlation and sensitivity coefficients for the failure modes and the measured characteristics, namely, number of drops to failure for BLDT and peak load, total fracture energy, and energy to peak load for BIT, were evaluated. Analysis of the test results indicates that there is a lack of universal correlation between BLDT and BIT. Nevertheless, BIT can still serve as a test methodology for quality assurance in view of the strong correlation between the measured BIT characteristics and the failure mode. The total fracture energy parameter is preferred over the peak load and energy to peak load due to its higher sensitivity and reduced susceptibility to measurement error.


Occupationally-exposed lead affects the neuromuscular junction and might cause disturbances in the locomotor activity. This study was undertaken to evaluate pteridine metabolism, in which neurotransmitters are synthesized in battery workers. Urinary neopterin, biopterin and creatinine were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Serum neopterin concentrations were detected by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Blood dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) activities and delta-aminolevulinic acid (delta-ALA) were measured spectrophotometrically. Blood and urinary lead were detected by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Significantly increased blood and urinary lead levels, urinary neopterin, biopterin and delta-ALA were found in workers, while DHPR activities were indifferent compared to control group. Urinary creatinine decreased. This is the first study to demonstrate that increased activity of the pteridine pathway results in the accumulation of the neurotransmitters that may be responsible for the neurological disorders.


Diverse works on health sciences emphasise the importance of burnout in specific jobs. However, there is a lack of research about the presence of this syndrome in Spanish physiotherapists. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of burnout among physiotherapists and the relationship with work-related factors. 462 questionnaires were sent to health-centres. The questionnaire of work-related factors was administered, as well as the Maslach burnout inventory (MBI). 258 responses were received (55.8% response rate) from Murcia and Valencia. Regarding results 10 (4%) physiotherapists showed severe burnout. In relation to work-related factors, significant differences were observed. Although the percentage of physiotherapists with severe burnout was relatively low, it is important take into account that the syndrome requires the combined presence of three dimensions, which implies a very relevant situation of mental deterioration.


The Earth's magnetic field is generally assumed to approximate a geocentric axial dipole (GAD) field when averaged over sufficient time (10⁵-10⁶ yrs). In a GAD field, magnetic declination is zero at every point on the Earth's surface while magnetic inclination and intensity vary predictably with latitude. Departures from GAD are observed in the present field and in paleomagnetic measurements over historical and archaeological timescales. Early compilations of paleodirectional and paleointensity data for the last few million years support the GAD hypothesis with only minor deviations. Most paleomagnetic data are from mid-latitudes in the northern hemisphere, producing a geographic sampling bias that is not accounted for in existing paleomagnetic compilations and geomagnetic field models. Until recently there has not been sufficient global coverage of high-quality paleomagnetic data to adequately evaluate latitudinal field structures across the globe. In this dissertation we add new high-quality paleomagnetic sites from the Arctic and document data quality issues that have affected the development of paleosecular variation (PSV) and time- averaged field (TAF) models. We compare our new Arctic directional results to the existing Antarctic data and a new global compilation of published directional sites. We observe a greater variance of paleodirections in the southern hemisphere, especially at high latitudes, relative to northern hemisphere sites and find that time- averaged geomagnetic field models with a small axial- quadrupole (g⁰/₂) component fit the global data set better than GAD models. Accurate paleointensity estimates of the ancient and modern field are difficult to obtain, but we show that historic Hawaiian volcanic glasses can reliably recover the expected field strength when using appropriate statistical controls. We use this methodology to acquire paleointensity data from Iceland for the last 780 ka, which are consistent with long-term estimates of geomagnetic field strength. Our analysis of high-quality paleodirectional data from the global data set and accurate paleointensity results from the Arctic suggest different geomagnetic field structures between northern and southern hemispheres which are not yet predicted by existing field models


Action research is characterized by a new paradigm of empowering teachers to monitor their own practices in a more autonomous manner with a vision of challenging and improving their own techniques of teaching through their own participatory research. Yet in spite of this apparently radical shift in the function of the teacher from the constant consumer of scientific theories to a researcher, as envisioned, the concept of action research as an in-service teacher education strategy has not received due attention in practice. For this reason, the presented case study was undertaken to examine whether the notion of action research by teachers was a viable option for in-service teacher development in a highly centralized education system. More specifically, this paper sought to answer whether teachers have any vision of what they can achieve with action research, whether there is scepticism on the part of teachers about the effectiveness and feasibility of action research as practice-based undertaking, and whether there are inherent structural problems that preclude teachers from undertaking such a role. Three English Language Teaching teachers were involved in this action research. The findings indicate that teachers, being capable of carrying out action research, were quite positive about action research and hopeful for overcoming some inadequacies in their educational environment, making it an asset for personal-professional development despite a highly centralized education system.


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common tumor of the liver and the third cause of cancer death worldwide (1). Noteworthy, HCC incidence has increased in the last decades, and mortality rates are still rising among many population groups (2). Despite the efforts in order to detect the disease in its early stages, most tumors are only diagnosed after achieving significant dimensions or local/systemic complications. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging system (BCLC) is one of the most used classifications to stratify patients according to estimated survival, also suggesting the treatment options that should be conducted in each stage based on prior clinical evidences.


We report the formation of silicon and carbon hetero-nanostructures in an inductively coupled plasma system by a simultaneous growthletching mechanism. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes were grown during one, three and five hour depositions, while tapered silicon nanowires were progressively etched. The carbon and silicon nanostructures and the interfaces between them were studied by electron microscopies and micro Raman spectroscopies. The potential of this method for large-scale controlled production of nano heterostructures without the requirement of a common catalyst is explored.


The influence of hypokinetic stress and low-intensive electromagnetic field of extremely high frequency (EMF of EHF) on cytokine concentration changes (IL-1, 2, 4, 6 and TNF-6) in serum of rats was investigated. Using an immunoenzyme method it was shown that the concentration of the investigated cytokines under influence of the hypokinetic stress and low-intensive EMF of EHF is changed in an inversed direction.. An isolated influence of EMF of EHF on animals resulted in significant decrease of IL- 1B concentration and in the tendency of IL-6 concentration reduction while concentration of IL-2, IL-4 and TNF-6 increased. Mobility restriction of animals has caused substantial growth of IL-1B, IL-2, IL-6 and TNF-6 concentration with simultaneous decrease of IL-4 concentration. Variation of the investigated parameters differed considerably from the results obtained for animals in the case of a restricted mobility, which does not take place under activity of EMF of EHF with the combined influence of hypokinesia activity and EMF of EHF. It is assumed that revealed changes of the cytokine profile after the use of low-intensive EMF of EHF resulted in increase of the nonspecific immunological reactivity level of animals that is very important component of its physiological action.


The visual exploration and analysis of high-dimensional data sets commonly requires projecting the data into lower-dimensional representations. The number of possible representations grows rapidly with the number of dimensions, and manual exploration quickly becomes ineffective or even
infeasible. In this thesis I present automatic algorithms to compute visual quality metrics and show different situations where they can be used to support the analysis of high-dimensional data sets. The proposed methods can be applied to different specific user tasks and can be combined with established visualization techniques to sort or select projections of the data based on their information-bearing content. These approaches can effectively
ease the task of finding truly useful visualizations and potentially speed up the data exploration task. Additionally, I present a framework designed to generate synthetic data, where users can interactively create and navigate through high dimensional data sets.


Abstract The structure of three simple pyrazole-4-carboxylic acids unsubstituted in position 1 (NH derivatives) 1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid (1), 3(5)-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid (2) and 3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid (3) are discussed based on crystallographic results (two new structures) and solid-state NMR (CPMAS). Compounds 1 and 3 present polymorphism and one of the polymorphs of each compound shows solid-state proton transfer (SSPT). Compound 2 presents tautomerism that has been studied by NMR, both in the solid-state and in solution at low temperature.


This paper, Part I, presents a general 'direct design procedure' for the design of reinforced concrete hollow beams subjected to a combined load of bending, shear and torsion. Elastic stress field in conjunction with Nielsen's two-dimensional yield criterion for reinforced concrete subjected to in-plane forces were used in the design of reinforcement. This procedure is based on and satisfies the lower bound theorem of the classical theory of plasticity. The main features of this procedure are the precluding of the use of empirical equations as is the case with existing codes of practice and in addition to satisfying the requirements of the theory of plasticity it reduces the ductility demand assumed by this theory. Comparison between the direct design procedure and the truss analogy showed that the direct design procedure leads to steel requirements close to those of the truss analogy when the angle of inclination of the struts is 45°. The direct design procedure produced much less reinforcement than the American Concrete Institute and the British Standards Institute codes.


In this paper, we propose a robust approach for scheduling of smart appliances and electrical energy storages (EESs) in active apartments with the aim of reducing both the electricity bill and the CO2 emissions. The proposed robust formulation takes the user behavior uncertainty into account so that the optimal appliances schedule is less sensitive to unpredictable changes in user preferences. The user behavior uncertainty is modeled as uncertainty in the cost function coefficients. In order to reduce the level of conservativeness of the robust solution, we introduce a parameter allowing to achieve a trade-off between the price of robustness and the protection against uncertainty. Mathematically, the robust scheduling problem is posed as a multi-objective Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP), which is solved by using standard algorithms. The numerical results show effectiveness of the proposed approach to increase both the electricity bill and CO2 emissions savings, in the presence of user behavior uncertainties. Mathematical insights into the robust formulation are illustrated and the sensitivity of the optimum cost in the presence of uncertainties is investigated. Although home appliances and EESs are considered in this work, we point out that the proposed scheduling framework is generally applicable to many use cases, e.g., charging and discharging of electrical vehicles in an effective way. In addition, it is applicable to various scenarios considering different uncertainty sources, different storage technologies and generic programmable electrical loads, as well as different optimization criteria.


Abstract : This paper examines translational or "bench to bedside" research – which is promoted as the application of biomedical knowledge to medical practice – at the interface between the laboratory and the clinic. Referring to the field of "metabolomics", the post-genomic study of metabolism, it argues that efforts to make and make sense of data emerge as one of the key challenges in translational research. Focusing on case studies of translational molecular imaging, clinical databases, and surgery, I explore how metabolomics researchers and clinicians have fundamentally different notions of what data entail. I then argue that metabolomics researchers experience great difficulty not in generating but in interpreting statistical and metabolic data. Finally, I examine the future visions of translational metabolomics research to suggest that data and automation cannot replace judgment and interpretation in clinical practice. Ultimately, the paper problematizes the changing form, role, and value of "data" in post-genomic efforts to carry out translational research. Keywords : data; metabolomics; translational research; objectivity; statistics.


Abstract. Traditional Darwinian theory presents two difficulties for Thomistic natural-law morality: relativism and essentialism. The sociobiology of E. O. Wilson seems to refute the idea of evolutionary relativism. Larry Arnhart has argued that Wilson's views on sociobiology can provide a scientific framework for Thomistic natural-law theory. However, in his attempt to reconcile Aquinas's views with Wilson's sociobiology, Arnhart fails to address a critical feature of Aquinas's ethics: the role of rational goods in natural law. Arnhart limits Aquinas's understanding of rationality to the Humean notion of economic rationality–that "reason is and ought to be the slave of the passions." On Aquinas's view, rationality discovers goods that transcend the merely biological, viz., the pursuit of truth, virtue, and God. I believe that Aquinas's natural-law morality is consistent with some accounts of sociobiology but not the more ontologically reductionist versions like the one presented by Wilson and defended by Arnhart. Moreover, Aquinas's normative account of rationality is successful in refuting the challenges of evolutionary relativism as well as the reductionism found in most sociobiological approaches to ethics.


Marketing in the business world has long used focus group interviews and survey techniques to explore the attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions of their customers. In the college setting, these same techniques are now being used to improve program quality, assess the effectiveness of publications, and explore the image of the college. At Durham College (DC) in Oshawa, Ontario, focus groups with secondary school students, guidance counselors, and DC students have led to significant positive changes in the college calendar. In DC's Program Review Model for Evaluation and Review, focus groups are used to obtain initial feedback, while surveys provide measures of attitudes toward programs, curricula, and instruction. Focus groups, involving loosely structured interviews with small groups of 5 to 12 people, allow for close, face-to-face contact with customers. Group interaction, facilitated by a moderator, allows for the free flow of ideas and opinions. The moderator should encourage people to express themselves, ensure topics are addressed, control dominant individuals, and avoid giving personal opinions. Taping of focus group sessions can assist in the subsequent process of analysis. Surveys are more complicated and costly than focus groups, but they provide important quantitative data. Steps to conducting an effective survey include determining the research topic, listing the needed data, conducting a preliminary investigation if necessary, determining who is to be surveyed and how to survey them, selecting the type of survey, creating and testing a questionnaire, and collecting and analyzing data. Survey types include mail and telephone cuestionnaires, and personal interviews. (PAA) Using Marketing Research Techniques to Improve Quality and Service Tony Rahilly Director Institutional Research Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology Oshawa, Ontario CANADA PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY


Thomas Kyd is traditionally accepted as the author of The Spanish Tragedy , Soliman and Perseda , and Cornelia . Kyd may also have written a lost Hamlet play that preceded Shakespeare's version. Among his contemporaries, Kyd enjoyed a far higher reputation than he does today. Thomas Dekker and Ben Jonson's respective epithets, 'industrious' and 'sporting', suggest that Kyd's canon was considerably larger than the three plays now acknowledged as his, and that he may have written comedies. The article explores the ways in which Kyd's reputation as a major dramatist has been impeded, with scholarly arguments for his authorship of anonymous texts often displaced by claims for Marlowe and/or Shakespeare. Furthermore, the theory that Kyd wrote the original Hamlet play has been countered by Terri Bourus, who argues that Q1 represents an older version of the play written by Shakespeare. The article thus surveys recent attribution and textual scholarship and suggests that Kyd has been the victim of a curious ideological phenomenon in early modern literary studies, which at once isolates Shakespeare, while enforcing notions of authorial plurality, even when the evidence for co-authorship is lacking. The article calls for a reassessment of Kyd's legacy as a major dramatist of the period.


Invitations are open for papers for next year's conference 'Frankenstein: 200 Yeras of Monsters', to be held at the HRC from 12 to 15 September. We invite proposals for 20‐minute papers or 3 x 20‐minute panel sessions from scholars across the humanities, sciences, and social sciences that respond in interdisciplinary ways to this most interdisciplinary of novels. See here for further details.


This paper is based on the systematic literature review method and investigates the impacts of the EMS and ISO 14001 Standards towards corporate performance. Two units are considered through the methodology of research; firm size and market orientation. The evidence comes from the analysed dataset of 19 papers. Aggregated search results show that global firms orientated towards export have a higher probability to achieve product and process innovation than companies who focus primarily on regional and local markets due to higher competition in the global market. Moreover, firms who adopted EMS and ISO 14001 standard have a greater impact on performance, a positive influence on innovation and commitment to the environment related to company targets than those firms who did not apply it. The results of this research could be interesting for both investors and academics to know how the voluntary adoption of these two standards affects corporate performance.


Abstract Background The ability of unstandardized methods to track kidney growth in clinical trials for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) has not been critically evaluated. Methods The Tolvaptan Efficacy and Safety Management of ADPKD and its Outcomes (TEMPO) 3:4 study involved baseline and annual magnetic resonance follow-up imaging yearly for 3 years. Total kidney volume (TKV) measurements were performed on these four time points in addition to the baseline imaging in TEMPO 4:4, initially by Perceptive Informatics (Waltham, MA, USA) using planimetry (original dataset) and for this study by the Mayo Translational PKD Center using semiautomated and complementary automated methods (sequential dataset). In the original dataset, the same reader was assigned to all scans of individual patients in TEMPO 3:4, but readers were reassigned in TEMPO 4:4. Two placebo-treated cohorts were included. In the first (n = 158), intervals between the end of TEMPO 3:4 and the start of TEMPO 4:4 scan visits ranged from 12 to 403 days; in the second (n = 95), the same scan (measured twice) visit was used for both. Results Growth rates in TEMPO 3:4 were similar in the original and sequential datasets (5.5 and 5.9%/year). Growth rates during the TEMPO 3:4 to TEMPO 4:4 interval were higher in the original (13.7%/year) but were not different in the sequential dataset (4.0%/year). Comparing volumes from the same images, TKVs showed a bias of 2.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) −5.2–9.7] in the original and −0.16% (95% CI −1.91–1.58) in the sequential dataset. Conclusions Despite using the same software, TKV and growth rate changes were present, likely due to reader differences in the transition from TEMPO 3:4 to TEMPO 4:4 in the original but not in the sequential dataset. Robust, standardized methods are essential in ADPKD trials to minimize errors in serial TKV measurements.


Background: Manufacturers of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) are facing new challenges that compel them to outperform their competitors economically, and to consider environmental and social impacts. Customer demands regarding sustainability are channelled upstream to these manufacturers through retailers. This resulted in manufacturers being very conscious of the sustainability of their production processes, as well as their packaging. To that extent, FMCG manufacturers are encouraged to integrate sustainability, with other supply chain partners, to improve sustainability performance across the supply chain.Aim: The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which FMCG manufacturers in South Africa apply sustainability to their supply chain integration.Setting: The study was conducted among South African FMCG manufacturers.Method: The study applied a generic qualitative research design. Altogether 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted with middle to senior supply chain managers.Results: Having a clear sustainability focus, supported by leadership and embedded into the corporate culture, is key to integrating sustainability internally and thus improving the sustainability performance. The findings indicate that customers do not pressure firms to adhere to their sustainability expectations. Instead, sustainability expectations are driven internally. Firms find it difficult to align the three sustainability aspects equally, due to the local variables and context in which they operate. Therefore, economic sustainability is considered most important and firms act on environmental and social sustainability aspects within strict economic constraints.Conclusion: Academically, the study adds to the literature by creating an understanding of sustainable supply chain integration (SSCI) from a South African perspective. For practitioners, the study encourages firms to collaborate with supply chain partners on sustainability, as this opens up opportunities to create shared value through joint sustainability problem-solving.


Extracellular recordings were made from 127 neurons, identified by antidromic activation from the supraoptic nucleus, in the A1 area of urethan-anesthetized rabbits. The median axonal conduction velocity was 0.7 m/s, and the median discharge rate was 3.9 spikes/s. Raising arterial pressure decreased the discharge rate in 94 of 101 neurons tested. Lowering arterial pressure increased the discharge rate in 50 of 64 neurons tested. Of 70 neurons inhibited by baroreceptor activation, 40 were excited and 25 inhibited by hypercapnic hypoxia. Of 23 neurons excited by hypercapnic hypoxia, all were excited by hypoxia but only 2 were affected by hypercapnia. Of 16 neurons inhibited by hypercapnic hypoxia, 15 were inhibited by hypoxia and 1 was inhibited by hypercapnia. Of 14 neurons excited by hypoxia, 13 were excited by injection of sodium cyanide into the common carotid artery. Of five neurons inhibited by hypoxia, four were inhibited by sodium cyanide. Our results provide electrophysiological evidence that neurons projecting from the A1 area to the supraoptic nucleus increase their discharge rate in response to baroreceptor unloading and decrease their discharge rate in response to baroreceptor activation. These neurons may form part of the central pathway mediating secretion of vasopressin in response to hemorrhage. A high proportion of the neurons also receive peripheral chemoreceptor inputs, and these A1 cells may also be part of the central pathway whereby chemoreceptor stimulation modifies the secretion of vasopressin.


Objectives: To figure out how to provide analysis results on changes in research topic trends of the institute which have performed national RD analysis rules are applied to perform analysis. The analyzed results are stored in the result database used in a knowledge map and shown using a knowledge map tool. To analyze research topics of the research institutes, Network analysis was conducted, and results were stored through the following procedures (Step 1: Create basic data, Step 2: Analysis on the size of R&D expenses, Step 3: Analysis of association relationship, Step 4: Expression of knowledge map). Findings: The Research Topic Map was implemented to help users easily figure out changes in research fields that are they are interested in. The Research Topic Map makes it easy to figure out changes in the research topics of the research institutes performed national R&D projects. It provides primary information such as the number of the research projects involved in the user-interested national R&D programs and size of R&D expenses. In addition, it offers diverse analysis results by analyzing changes in research fields. First, according to the comparison of changes in the size R&D expenses in top R&D fields, changes in key and promising sectors are found. In addition, it is able to estimate changes in total R&D expenses. Therefore, growth factors for research institutes can be examined. Particular research fields exist depending on the characteristics of college, hospital or research institute. Users are able to check changes in research fields considering the latest trends. Since correlations among research fields can be examined, furthermore, it would be possible to figure out research trends in a convergence field. Improvements/ Applications: The Research Topic Map visualizes Topic Trends information (ex: changes in research fields, changes in R&D expenses, relationship among research fields, etc.) as well as information on the projects performed by research institutes. It is meaningful in that service users are able to get data insight on research institutes.


Abstract. Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) populations have declined drastically since 1970 because of continued destruction and fragmentation of their habitat. Although they are known to shift their home ranges because of environmental degradation, it is unknown how solar arrays impact Eastern Box Turtles. From 2011–2018, we collected data on Eastern Box Turtle movement and occupancy in a 79-ha solar farm. The solar farm is divided into six fenced areas, each containing wildlife openings for movement of terrestrial fauna every 23 m around the fenced solar arrays. We hypothesized that the solar arrays changed the home range sizes of turtles that interacted with the field. We fitted 41 Eastern Box Turtles with radio transmitters and tracked their locations twice per week in June–August from 2011–2018. Seventeen turtles had home ranges that overlapped with the solar arrays whereas 24 turtles had home ranges that never interacted with the solar arrays. We calculated home range sizes and tested for differences between overlapping and nonoverlapping groups. We further considered if the number of observations within the solar farm impacted home range size and displacement. We found that Eastern Box Turtles that used the solar farm exhibited 55–83% larger home ranges on average than turtles in natural habitats, but there was no significant association of home range size with the amount of time observed within the solar farm. Finally, we discuss strategies to mitigate negative impacts of solar farm development on turtles.


This paper addresses the problem of data detection in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems operating under a time-varying multipath fading channel. Optimal detection in such a scenario is infeasible, which makes the introduction of approximations necessary. The typical joint data-channel estimators are decision directed, that is, assume perfect past data decisions. However, their performance is subject to error propagation phenomena. The variational Bayes method is employed here, which approximates the joint data and channel distribution as a separable one, greatly simplifying the problem. The data detection part of the resulting algorithm provides soft data estimates that are used for channel tracking. The channel itself is modeled as an autoregressive process allowing for a Kalman-like tracking algorithm. According to the developed algorithm, both data and channel estimates are exchanged and updated in an iterative manner. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated by simulations. Furthermore, since OFDM is extremely sensitive to the presence of phase noise, the algorithm is extended to operate under severe phase noise conditions, with moderate performance degradation.


Objective Plants belonging to the genus Celastrus exhibit antitumor activity and the ability to reverse multidrug resistance in tumor cells; however, it remains unclear whether the compound oleanen from Celastrus hypoleucus also exhibits antitumor activity. The objective of this study was to explore the inhibitory effect of 12-oleanene-3β, 6&agr;-diol (oleanen) on the proliferation of cervical cancer HeLa cells in vitro, as well as its relative mechanism. Methods HeLa cells were treated with different concentrations of oleanen for different times. Cell proliferation was determined by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide assay. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry and caspases activities assay. The expression of several proapoptotic proteins belonging to the Bcl-2 family, such as Bax, Bim, and Bad, was detected by Western blot. Results Oleanen mainly inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cells at the G0 to G1 and G2 to M phases, and the IC50 of oleanen for cells was significantly higher at 24 hours compared to 48 hours (17.45 ± 3.71 vs 9.02 ± 0.83 μg/mL, respectively; P < 0.05). The significant increase in activity of caspase 3/7, caspase 6 in oleanen-treated HeLa cells indicated that oleanen promoted the apoptosis of HeLa cells. The activity of caspase 9 representing the endogenous apoptotic pathways also increased obviously in oleanen treatment. Furthermore, the increase in the expression of Bim was the most significant among the Bcl-2 family after oleanen treatment. Conclusion Oleanen up-regulates the expression of Bim and other proapoptotic molecules to activate the endogenous apoptosis pathway, thus promoting apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation of human cervical cancer HeLa cells in vitro.


In the 1970s, Italy experienced a difficult crisis that marked the end of the economic model carried out after world war two. The resulting changes in production relations led to the disappearance of traditional public spaces and meeting places such as open squares, workplaces, party offices or the premises of left extra-parliamentary groups. Within this context, in the 1980s and 1990s, these groups managed to create new social and political spaces by setting up Self-Managed Social Centers, ie squatted properties which became the venue of social, political and cultural events. In Italy, over 300 Social Centers have been active over the past 25 years, especially in urban areas. Their organizational modes indicate examples of successful direct democracy in non-hierarchical structures and may provide alternative options to the bureaucratic organization of so many aspects of social and political life. Social Centers have turned abandoned places into public spaces relying mostly on collective action, that is cooperative working modes which do not come under the provisions governing regular employment contracts. Their actions explicitly contest marginalization and exclusion processes which are becoming more and more fierce in our cities. An analysis of the evolution of this original Italian movement provides the opportunity to address a number of issues associated with alternative practices to neoliberal globalization.


Abstract. Subducted continental terranes commonly comprise an assembly of subunits that reflect the different tectono-metamorphic histories they experienced in the subduction zone. Our challenge is to unravel how, when, and in which part of the subduction zone these subunits were juxtaposed. Petrochronology offers powerful tools to decipher pressure–temperature–time (P–T–t) histories of metamorphic rocks that preserve a record of several stages of transformation. A major issue is that the driving forces for re-equilibration at high pressure are not well understood. For example, continental granulite terrains subducted to mantle depths frequently show only partial and localized eclogitization. The Sesia Zone (NW Italy) is exceptional because it comprises several continental subunits in which eclogitic rocks predominate and high-pressure (HP) assemblages almost completely replaced the Permian granulite protoliths. This field-based study comprises both main complexes of the Sesia terrane, covering some of the recently recognized tectonic subunits involved in its assembly; hence our data constrain the HP tectonics that formed the Sesia Zone. We used a petrochronological approach consisting of petrographic and microstructural analysis linked with thermodynamic modelling and U–Th–Pb age dating to reconstruct the P–T–t trajectories of these tectonic subunits. Our study documents when and under what conditions re-equilibration took place. Results constrain the main stages of mineral growth and deformation, associated with fluid influx that occurred in the subduction channel. In the Internal Complex (IC), pulses of fluid percolated at eclogite facies conditions between 77 and 55 Ma with the HP conditions reaching  ∼  2 GPa and 600–670 °C. By contrast, the External Complex (EC) records a lower pressure peak of  ∼  0.8 GPa for 500 °C at  ∼  63 Ma. The juxtaposition of the two complexes occurred during exhumation, probably at  ∼  0.8 GPa and 350 °C; the timing is constrained between 46 and 38 Ma. Mean vertical exhumation velocities are constrained between 0.9 and 5.1 mm year−1 for the IC, up to its juxtaposition with the EC. Exhumation to the surface occurred before 32 Ma, as constrained by the overlying Biella Volcanic Suite, at a mean vertical velocity between 1.6 and 4 mm year−1. These findings constrain the processes responsible for the assembly and exhumation of HP continental subunits, thus adding to our understanding of how continental terranes behave during subduction.


In vitro 3D cultures of hepatocytes are increasingly being used to assess human hepatic metabolism and toxicity in drug development. Here, we developed an in vitro 3D cell culture method with a microstructured mesh sheet and applied it to culturing human hepatoma HepG2 cells. The micromesh sheet is constituted of fine mesh strands and apertures that are each much larger than a single cell in size. Proliferating on a micromesh sheet, HepG2 cells spread out in a planar manner and then formed a multilayered cell sheet, so that cell-cell adhesion was dominant over cell-substrate adhesion as being different from 2D cultures. In micromesh cultures, the increase rate in thickness of the cell mass was visually slower than that in spheroid cultures, enabling us to clearly observe inside cells of the cell population by microscopy. Micromesh-cultured HepG2 cells showed higher viability compared with spheroid-cultured cells. The multilayered HepG2 cell sheet increased expression of hepatic marker genes and induced cell polarization with bile canalicular membranes. Furthermore, a combination of micromesh cultures with medium perfusion further induced expression of hepatic marker genes in HepG2 cells; especially CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 mRNA increased 86-fold and 43-fold compared with 2D controls, respectively, which were much higher than those in spheroid cultures. Thus, this simple and versatile micromesh culture method holds some advantages over traditional spheroid cultures and is expected to be instrumental in culturing more differentiated hepatic cells such as HepaRG cells and primary hepatocytes for future preclinical testing.


The chemistry of nanoscale materials and self-assembled monolayers are largely determined by interfacial properties, structural dimensionality, bonding and lattice structures, and defect types and densities. Bottom-up design strategies differ from prototypical top-down nanofabrication approaches in that the aim is to control and to place single molecules and atoms precisely, which may provide routes to breaking the current lithography limits. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is able to probe the molecular world and to extract information from single molecules, groups of molecules, and even submolecular features. Here, we use STM in both ultrastable and ambient conditions to test the nature of dipolar interactions between molecules, to probe novelbuilding blocks for assembly, to manipulate surface binding modes, to examine a holey graphene framework against chemical deposition as a means in patterning, and to explore the nature of buried hydrogen-bonding networks in self-assembled monolayer matrices. The simultaneous usage of STM in topographic imaging mode and local barrier height (LBH) mode, in an ultrahigh vacuum (≤10-12 torr) and low temperature (4 K) environment, enables the measurement of both molecular topography and the buried dipolar interface. Using a block-matching approach, the correlation between molecular apexes and dipolar extrema is computed, thus enabling the visualization of molecular orientations at the submolecular scale. We also use STM in ambient conditions to examine the assembly of p-mercaptobenzoic acid derivative of carboranethiol on a Au{111} surface, where the carboxyl-modified carboranethiol backbone provides a surface available for further chemical functionality. Adding a second thiol group attachment in 1,2-carboranedithiol and 9,12-carboranedithiol isomers enables the control of valency between neighboring thiol/thiolate attachment sites. The assembly and manipulation of the two different binding modes using simple acid-base chemistry is evaluated and measured at a local level. Two-dimensional graphene has garnered much interest recently due to extraordinary two-dimensional properties. The design and placement of holes within a protecting sheet is tested against the deposition of molecules, where the holey network acts as a mask that may find use in lithographic processing. Hydrogen bonds also exhibit strong dipoles, where STM in simultaneous topographic and LBH mode may be able to measure the topographic map along with buried amide bond dipoles. We use an amide-containing self-assembled network to evaluate the nature of these 'hidden' networks at the single-molecule scale. The embodiment of this work aims to provide a fundamental understanding of chemical properties at the nanoscale and a complementary tool with averaging and ensemble techniques.


Turi (1991) introduced the important notion of a constrained atomc an atom with associated equality and disequality constraints on its arguments. A set of constrained atoms is a constrained interpretation. We investigate how nondground representations of both the stable model semantics and the welldfounded semantics may be obtained through Turi's approach. The practical implication of this is that the welldfounded model (or the set of stable models) may be partially predcomputed at compiledtime, resulting in the association of each predicate symbol in the program to a constrained atom. Algorithms to create such models are presented, both for the well founded case, and the case of stable models. Query processing reduces to checking whether each atom in the query is true in a stable model (resp. welldfounded model). This amounts to showing the atom is an instance of one of some constrained atom whose associated constraint is solvable. Various related complexity results are explored, and the impacts of these results are discussed from the point of view of implementing systems that incorporate the stable and welldfounded semantics.


Purpose of reviewThis review addresses recent major developments in symptomatic therapy and the principles of disease modification in osteoarthritis. It emphasizes issues that are of importance to the practicing clinician at a time when researchers in the field are trying to improve ways not only to provide symptomatic relief but also to slow disease progression. Recent findingsThe past year has led to a reassessment of the role of cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors in osteoarthritis therapy and has yielded new information on nutriceuticals such as glucosamine. The relative efficacy of intra-articular injections of agents such as corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid preparations has been assessed. In addition, reports on trials of potentially disease-modifying agents for osteoarthritis have been published. SummaryBecause the therapeutic options have been reduced over the past year and the role of nutritional supplements remains unclear, the clinician is faced with a need to reassess osteoarthritis therapy. Although no practical disease-modifying agent for osteoarthritis has been identified, reports such as the recent doxycycline trial reviewed herein provide hope that continued research will soon yield a therapeutic model similar to that used in rheumatoid arthritis, for which some therapeutic agents achieve disease modification and other agents can be added as needed for symptomatic relief.


This article engages in a thorough assessment of the Bush Administration's main security strategy documents related to combating terrorism, namely the 2002 and 2006 National Security Strategy documents, the 2003 National Strategy for Combating Terrorism, and the 2006 National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism. First, the article assesses the value and importance of strategy documents and the utility in analyzing them. Second, the strategies are analyzed based on the process by which they were authored, the structural elements of the strategy, and the strategy's content. Third, the article discusses the overall content of counter-terrorism strategy and makes some recommendations for change. The article concludes with suggestions as to how the NSS can be improved from a legal and structural standpoint. Congress should either begin to enforce the provisions of 50 U.S.C. § 404a, or amend it to reflect realistic expectations for national security strategizing.


The effects of reaction parameters, including reaction temperature and space velocity, on hydrogen production via steam reforming of methane (SRM) were investigated using lab- and bench-scale reactors to identify critical factors for the design of large-scale processes. Based on thermodynamic and kinetic data obtained using the lab-scale reactor, a series of SRM reactions were performed using a pelletized catalyst in the bench-scale reactor with a hydrogen production capacity of 10 L/min. Various temperature profiles were tested for the bench-scale reactor, which was surrounded by three successive cylindrical furnaces to simulate the actual SRM conditions. The temperature at the reactor bottom was crucial for determining the methane conversion and hydrogen production rates when a sufficiently high reaction temperature was maintained (>800 °C) to reach thermodynamic equilibrium at the gas-hourly space velocity of 2.0 L CH4/(h·gcat). However, if the temperature of one or more of the furnaces decreased below 700 °C, the reaction was not equilibrated at the given space velocity. The effectiveness factor (0.143) of the pelletized catalyst was calculated based on the deviation of methane conversion between the lab- and bench-scale reactions at various space velocities. Finally, an idling procedure was proposed so that catalytic activity was not affected by discontinuous operation.


Abstract The absence or deficiency of specific platelet glycoprotein receptors has a well-defined role in causing several rare bleeding disorders such as Bernard-Soulier syndrome or Glanzmann's thrombasthenia. Several new rare disorders caused by defects in other receptors or their signalling pathways have recently been described. Platelet receptors are also often targets for antibodies in pathological conditions. The roles of platelet receptors or their polymorphism variants in diseases such as cardiovascular disorders have started to be intensively investigated over the last 5 years. Many of these findings still remain controversial. Recent evidence points to a fundamental role for platelets and their receptors in the origins of atherosclerosis. Studies on the role of platelet receptors in diseases such as asthma, diabetes and HIV are still at an early stage.


Abstract Target motion analysis (TMA) using conventional passive bearing together with frequency measurements is explored. This approach offers one tactical advantage over the classical bearings-only TMA. It makes the ownship maneuver superfluous. In this paper, TMA is carried out using an unscented Kalman filter (UKF). The inclusion of range, course, and speed parameterization is proposed in the UKF target state vector to obtain the convergence of the solution fast. Finally the results of one scenario in Monte-Carlo simulation are presented.


This paper presents a low-power wideband signaling (WBS) digital transceiver for data transmission through a human body for body area network applications. The low-power and highspeed human body communication (HBC) utilizes a digital transceiver chip based on WBS and adopts a direct-coupled interface (DCI) which uses an electrode of 50-Omega impedance. The channel investigation with the DCI identities an optimum channel bandwidth of 10 kHz to 100 MHz. The WBS digital transceiver exploits a direct digital transmitter and an all-digital clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit. To further reduce power consumption, the proposed CDR circuit incorporates a low-voltage digitally-controlled oscillator and a quadratic sampling technique. The WBS digital transceiver chip with a 0.25-mum standard CMOS technology has 2-Mb/s data rate at a bit error rate of 1.1 times 10-7, dissipating only 0.2 mW from a 1-V supply generated by a 1.5-V battery.


PbS shares several features with the other lead chalcogenides PbX (X: Te, Se), which are good thermoelectric materials. PbS has a potential advantage in that it is quite earth abundant and inexpensive. In this work we tune the transport properties in n‐type, single‐phase polycrystalline PbS1‐xClx (x ≤ 0.008) with different carrier densities. Lead chloride provides a nearly 100% efficient doping control up to 1.2 × 1020 cm−3. The maximum zT achieved at 850 K is 0.7 with a predicted zT ∼ 1 at 1000 K. This is about twice as high as what was previously reported (∼0.4) for binary PbS. Compared with the other lead chalcogenides the higher effective mass and higher lattice thermal conductivity makes binary PbS an inferior thermoelectric material. However this study also predicts greater potential of zT improvement in PbS by material engineering such as alloying or nanostructuring compared to PbSe or PbTe. Considering their abundance and low cost, PbS based materials are quite competitive among the lead chalcogenides for thermoelectric applications.


Imatinib-resistant tyrosine kinase (TK) fusions involving FGFR1, JAK2, or FLT3 are rare but recurrent in patients with eosinophilia-associated neoplasms. We report here 2 male patients with ETV6-FLT3(+) myeloid/lymphoid neoplasms with eosinophilia who were treated with the multitargeted TK inhibitors sunitinib and sorafenib. Patient 1 achieved rapid complete hematologic response and complete cytogenetic response after 3 months of taking sunitinib. A secondary blast phase caused by clonal evolution was diagnosed after 6 months. He achieved a second complete hematologic response after taking sorafenib but relapsed 2 months later. An N841K point mutation within the TK domain of FLT3, previously reported in acute myeloid leukemia and potentially conferring resistance to sorafenib, was subsequently identified. Patient 2 was heavily pretreated according to the initial diagnosis of T-lymphoblastic lymphoma and died in sunitinib-induced pancytopenia. This report highlights the importance of a careful diagnostic workup for eosinophilia-associated neoplasms to evaluate the possibility of TK inhibitor therapy.


Optimizing discriminative objectives in HMM parameter training proved to outperform Maximum Likelihood-based parameter estimation in numerous studies. This paper extends the Maximum Mutual Information objective by applying utterance specific weighting factors that are adjusted for minimum sentence error. In addition to that, the paper investigates tuning separate numerator and denominator weighting factors in a way that favors Maximum Likelihood parameter estimates for reasons of stability and generalization on unseen data. The experimental evaluations carried out on German digit string data show that the Error-WeightedMaximumMutual Information approach has the potential of outperforming ordinary discriminative parameter estimates. In our experiments, we see a substantially larger word error rate reduction compared to conventional MMI training. Following the ML-preferred error-weighted discriminative training approach, we see another small improvement.


We present a fully quantum model to process the intensity noise reduction of a single-frequency intracavity-doubled laser with an electronic feedback loop connected directly to the pump current of a laser diode. Adding an electronic feedback term to the quantum Langevin equations for a free-running single-frequency-doubling laser yields an analytical expression for the intensity noise spectrum of this system. Our previous experimental results with a Nd:YVO4/KTP green laser are basically in agreement with the theoretical calculation.


The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has identified the maintenance of traffic (MOT) as a top priority to serve the motoring public as part of a department strategic initiative. A key component of this strategy is to ensure that traffic flows efficiently through work zones. This paper describes work that was performed for ODOT to determine if commercially available traffic simulation models could be calibrated to yield accurate queue length and delay time predictions for planning purposes in freeway work zones. Four work zones on multi lane freeways were selected by ODOT for collection of the calibration data. Traffic flow video records were obtained at the four selected work zones using two ODOT video recording vans equipped with 15 m masts. Traffic flow parameters were extracted from the video records using the Mobilizer-PC software package. The traffic simulation/prediction tools that we investigated included the Highway Capacity Software (HCS), Synchro, Corsim (under ITRAF and TRAFVU), NetSim, and a macroscopic model called QueWZ92. Simulation models were constructed with all models for the selected work zones, and the simulated queue lengths and delay times were compared to the data that was extracted from the field data with Mobilizer-PC. The results of this study indicated that the microscopic simulation packages could not be calibrated to the oversaturated conditions that existed at the work zones. The calibrated microscopic simulation packages underestimated the actual length of the queues that formed in the real world. The macroscopic QueWZ92 produced more accurate estimates than the microscopic packages.


Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults. Baseline health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) is a major subject of concern for these patients. We aimed to assess the independent prognostic value of HRQoL in unresectable glioblastoma (UGB) patients for death risk stratification. One hundred and thirty‐four patients with UGB were enrolled from the TEMAVIR trial. HRQoL was evaluated at baseline using the EORTC QLQ‐C30 and BN20 brain cancer module. Clinical and HRQoL parameters were evaluated in univariable and multivariable Cox analysis as prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). Performance assessment and internal validation of the final model were evaluated with Harrel's C‐index, calibration plot, and bootstrap sample procedure. Two OS independent predictors were identified: future uncertainty and sensitivity deficit. The final model exhibited good calibration and acceptable discrimination (C statistic = 0.63). The internal validity of the model was verified with robust uncertainties around the hazard ratio. The prognostic score identified three groups of patients with distinctly different risk profiles with median OS estimated at 16.2, 9.2, and 4.5 months. We demonstrated the additional prognostic value of HRQoL in UGB for death risk stratification and provided a score that may help to guide clinical management and stratification in future clinical trials.


Robust control of gene expression in both space and time is of central importance in the regulation of cellular processes, and for multicellular development. However, the mechanisms by which robustness is achieved are generally not identified or well understood. For example, mRNA localization by molecular-motor-driven transport is crucial for cell polarization in numerous contexts, but the regulatory mechanisms that enable this process to take place in the face of noise or significant perturbations are not fully understood. Here we use a combined experimental-theoretical approach to characterize the robustness of gurken/TGF-alpha mRNA localization in Drosophila egg chambers, where the oocyte and 15 surrounding nurse cells are connected in a stereotypic network via intracellular bridges known as ring canals. We construct a mathematical model that encodes simplified descriptions of the range of steps involved in mRNA localization, including production and transport between and within cells until the final destination in the oocyte. Using Bayesian inference, we calibrate this model using quantitative single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization data. By analyzing both the steady state and dynamic behaviours of the model, we provide estimates for the rates of different steps of the localization process, as well as the extent of directional bias in transport through the ring canals. The model predicts that mRNA synthesis and transport must be tightly balanced to maintain robustness, a prediction which we tested experimentally using an over-expression mutant. Surprisingly, the over-expression mutant fails to display the anticipated degree of overaccumulation of mRNA in the oocyte predicted by the model. Through careful model-based analysis of quantitative data from the over-expression mutant we show evidence of saturation of transport of mRNA through ring canals. We conclude that this saturation engenders robustness of the localization process, in the face of significant variation in the levels of mRNA synthesis. Statement of significance For development to function correctly and reliably across a population, gene expression must be controlled robustly in a repeatable manner. How this robustness is achieved is not well understood. We use modelling to better study the localization of polarity determining transcripts (RNA) in fruit fly development. By calibrating our model with quantitative imaging data we are able to make experimentally testable predictions. Comparison of these predictions with data from a genetic mutant reveals evidence that saturation of RNA transport contributes to the robustness of RNA localization.


We present a further improvement of our SLO/OCT imaging system which enables to practically eliminate all eye motion artifacts with a correction accuracy approaching sub-cellular dimensions. Axial eye tracking is achieved by using a hardware based, high speed tracking system that consists of a rapid scanning optical delay line in the reference arm of the interferometer. A software based algorithm is employed to correct for transverse eye motion in a post-processing step. The instrument operates at a frame rate of 40 en-face fps with a field of view of approximately 1 degrees x 1 degrees. Dynamic focusing enables the recording of 3D volumes of the human retina with cellular resolution throughout the entire imaging depth. Several volumes are stitched together to increase the total field of view. Different features of the three dimensional structure of cone photoreceptors are investigated in detail and at different eccentricities from the fovea.


Recent findings from our laboratory as well as those of other laboratories do not support the postulation that the mechanism of the positive inotropic action of digitalis is due to inhibition of NA,K-ATPase. Using short-acting digitalis steroids and drug washout experiments, in isolated myocardial preparations, it has been demonstrated that Na,K-ATPase isolated from such preparations is still significantly inhibited, whereas the positive inotropic effect is no longer present. Also, based on kinetic measurements the two exponential rate constants observed for drug half-life, a rapid and slow phase, were found to be associated, respectively, with the very short inotropic half-life and the very long enzyme inhibition half-life. In addition, a dissociation of the transient inotropic effects of digitalis was observed from the long lasting cardiotoxic effects of digitalis during drug washout. Moreover, a temporal correlation was noted between the persistent inhibitory effects of digitalis on Na,K-ATPase and the persistent cardiotoxic effects of digitalis. Therefore, it is concluded that inhibition of Na,K-ATPase is not responsible for the positive inotropic action of digitalis, but may be the mechanism, at least in part, for certain cardiotoxic effects of digitalis.


This study aims to analyse correlations between the self-leadership strategies employed by university students and their self-efficacy and to determine whether or not their self-leadership and self-efficacy differ significantly on the basis of gender. The study is in the model of correlational survey and it uses random sampling method. The study was performed with the voluntary participation of undergraduate students (N=341), and the research data were collected through Self-Leadership Scale and General Self-Efficacy Scale. Multiple regression analysis was employed in determining the predictive power of self-leadership strategies. The analysis results demonstrated that self-leadership strategies were correlated with self-efficacy and that self-leadership strategies were predictors of self-efficacy. Accordingly, the strongest predictor of self-efficacy was natural reward strategies. In the context of the conclusions reached in this research, training and activities to promote self-leadership skills can be included in higher education programmes.

 Key words: Self-leadership, self-leadership strategies, self-efficacy, university students.


Background: Severity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that is assessed using Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification is a main prognostic factor of hepatocellular carcinoma. Assessment of the serum level of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is considered to reflect the severity of HCC. However, there is still no fundamental basis of the association of severity of HCC with the serum VEGF level. The objective of this study is to know the relationship between serum VEGF levels with the severity of HCC by assessing the average difference of serum VEGF level in various severity of HCC. Method: This study was a cross sectional study to identify the association between serum VEGF levels with the severity of HCC based on BCLC classification. This study was performed in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital between January and May 2015. Statistical tests used to evaluate the association between serum VEGF level with BCLC classification was one-way ANOVA analysis, and continued with post hoc Tukey Schaffe analysis. Results: A total of 61 subjects with HCC were included into this study. In this study, we did not find subjects with stage 0 BCLC. The average of serum VEGF level in stage A BCLC was 288.26 ± 156.6 pg/mL; stage B BCLC: 434 ± 164.8 pg/mL; stage C BCLC: 785.57 ± 194.25 pg/mL; stage D BCLC: 1537.97 ± 660.62 pg/mL. One-way ANOVA analysis showed significant difference (P < 0.001) between serum VEGF level and HCC severity based on BCLC classification. Post hoc Tukey Schaffe analysis showed the presence of significant difference between stage A and C BCLC (p < 0.05) and stage A and D BCLC (p < 0.001), stage B and D BCLC (p < 0.001), and stage C and D BCLC (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between stage A and B BCLC, and between stage B and C BCLC. Conclusion: It was found that serum VEGF level increased in accordance to the HCC severity based on BCLC classification, particularly for stage B BCLC and above.


In this paper the first results of a new method for the configuration of district energy systems are presented. District energy systems are believed to help decreasing the CO2-emissions due to energy services (heating, cooling, electricity and hot water), by implementing polygeneration energy conversion technologies. However, because polygeneration technologies are complex, it is meaningful to use them not just for one single building, but for several buildings connected together with a network. The configuration of the network is an important but not trivial task, mainly because the problem involves a large number integer variables and results in an MILP that needs to be optimised.


The diagnosis of lymphatic malformations can present problems with diagnosis and treatment. Non-response to a chosen procedure can magnify the initial problems or create new ones. We present such a case.

CASE REPORT
            A 9-year-old boy initially presented with a 3-year history of soft upper eyelid mass with red-violet discoloration after hitting his head on a wooden post. About 2 years before this presentation, progressive enlargement in size of the mass with extension to the left maxillary and left scalp region prompted an ophthalmologic consult, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the orbit and Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) of intracranial vessels revealed a venous-lymphatic malformation. (Figure 1) He was then referred to our institution for further management.
            The patient was noted to have a 4x2 cm reddish vascular mass over the left eyelid with no thrill or bruit and a surrounding 9x9 cm bluish left facial swelling in the periorbital region extending to the maxillary area corresponding to the MRI images. A repeat MRI/MRA showed a prominent branch of the left external carotid artery coursing towards the mass. (Figure 2)
An angiogram of the neck for possible coil insertion into the prominent vessel from the external carotid artery was performed by interventional radiology. However, the left common carotid, left external carotid, and left vertebral arteries showed no evidence of high- or low-flow arteriovenous malformation. (Figure 3) This favored a hypovascular, space-occupying lesion consistent with a cystic lymphatic malformation and the boy was referred back to our service for possible surgery.
Meanwhile, the mass continuously increased in size and by the time he was seen again in our clinic, the mass measured 15x15x20 cm occupying the left hemifacial area from the midportion of the parietal bone superiorly to the body of the mandible inferiorly, with violaceous skin discoloration and verrucous infraorbital lesions. (Figure 4) The patient was not considered a good candidate for surgical excision due to the size of the mass relative to his body, and initial sclerotherapy was planned to possibly decrease the size of the mass enough for excision of any residuals.
Percutaneous Sclerotherapy was performed using a guidewire-catheter replacement technique. An initial drainage of 800mL of non-clotting serosanguinous fluid was followed by infusion of 3% sodium tertradecyl sulfate, followed by 99% ethanol infusion. There was gross decrease in the size of the mass after the procedure. (Figure 5) A pigtail drainage catheter was maintained to continuously drain fluid from the lesion. On the 10th hospital day, the boy had febrile episodes associated with enlargement of the left hemifacial mass. Blood cultures showed no bacterial growth. Culture of the pigtail catheter tip grew Morganella morganii. Amikacin 170mg IV every 8 hours was started but fever was unrelenting. Wound cultures grew Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, and Co-trimoxazole 40mg/200mg per 5ml Pediatric Suspension, 10ml every 12 hours and Metronidazole 200mg/5mL oral suspension, 5mL every 8 hours were initiated.
During this month-long post-operative period, the mass continued to expand to its preoperative size. (Figure 6) Due to lack of funds, the antibiotics were given by mouth and the patient was discharged. On 3-month follow up, the mass had grown to even larger than the pre-embolization stage.

DISCUSSION
            Lymphatic malformations (LM) are made up of variously dilated lymphatic channels or cysts, lined by endothelial cells with a lymphatic phenotype.1  Histologically, LM is classified into the macrocystic type, consisting of cysts larger than 2 cm with clear boundaries, and the microcystic type consisting of cysts smaller than 2 cm that appear diffuse and sprouted without clear boundaries. The two types coexist in the combined type.2
            A 5-stage clinicoradiologic staging system has been devised by de Serres et al. based on cervical LM laterality and relationship to the hyoid bone predicting operative risk and surgical outcome.3 The higher the clinicoradiologic stage, the greater the potential risk of intraoperative and postoperative complications.  In general, bilateral microcystic suprahyoid LMs are more difficult to treat than infrahyoid LMs, especially when there are microcystic LMs involving the oral cavity, tongue, and/or pharynx. In this case, confirming whether it was a high-flow or a low-flow disease presented a dilemma early on. We relied on the initial MRI/MRA findings of a possible arterial feeding vessel, considering that MRI/MRI is more than 90% accurate in the diagnosis of high-flow vascular anomalies.4 However, during angiography for coil insertion, there were no feeding vessels found and a low-flow disease was considered. Thus, there were further delays in management associated with these procedures.
            In our case, the patient had a unilateral suprahyoid LM that has a complication rate of 41% with an average of 1.5 procedures to treat and cure the disease.3 The possible complications that were considered included facial nerve palsy, seroma, exsanguination and most importantly, functional compromise due to the projected large post-operative defect and location of the mass which could affect function of the left eye, feeding problems and long term facial disfigurement.5
            Considering these possible complications, we planned to attempt initial sclerotherapy before considering surgery. However, we encountered infection of the pigtail site and wound, and sclerotherapy failed to decrease the size of the mass. At the moment, subjecting the patient to repeat sclerotherapy may have a higher chance of failure.
            Noting that the treatment of lymphatic malformation should be directed towards preservation of functional and aesthetic integrity,5 we present our case for consideration.


Efficient and effective learning of social infectivity presents a critical challenge in modeling diffusion phenomena in social networks and other applications.Existing methods require substantial amount of event cascades to guarantee the learning accuracy and they only consider time-invariant infectivity.Our paper overcomes those two drawbacks by constructing a more compact model and parameterizing the infectivity using time-varying features, thus dramatically reduces the data requirement, and enables the learning of time-varying infectivity which also takes into account the underlying network topology.We replace the pairwise infectivity in the multidimensional Hawkes processes with linear combinations of those time-varying features, and optimize the associated coefficients with lasso-type of regularization. To efficiently solve the resulting optimization problem, we employ the technique of alternating direction method of multipliers which allows independent updating of the individual coefficients by optimizing a surrogate function upper-bounding the original objective function. On both synthetic and real world data, the proposed method performs better than alternatives in terms of both recovering the hidden diffusion network and predicting the occurrence time of social events.


We present a new binaural sound-source separation and localization technique for the underdetermined case where the present sound sources outnumber the available microphones. The proposed technique has access to a generic set of head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) and processes input signals obtained from two small microphones placed inside the ear canals of a robot humanoid head equipped with artificial ears and mounted on a torso. By exploiting sparse representations of the ear input signals, the 3D position of three concurrent sound sources is extracted by identifying the HRTFs that have filtered the sound signals. The sought HRTFs are estimated using a well-known self-splitting competitive learning technique for clustering. Simulation results demonstrated the performance of the new technique in localizing both azimuth and elevation angles for three concurrently active sound sources. The proposed method relies purely on auditive cues and provides an easy implementation on robotic platforms.


In this research we describe the institutionalization process of an organizational field: that of ERP customization choices. We will ground our analysis on the case of a public sector organization in the course of 10 years. Implementation choices evolved according to a process where pressures towards cross-unit homogeneization were followed by a period of internal differentiation. A subsequent time period of inter-organizational and inter-regional homogeneization gave rise to a time period of particularization based on local organizational contexts. The processual analysis of implementation choices let us conclude that the evolution of the organizational field of customization choices can be described as a framing/overflowing dynamics where actors and relations and the 'situation' in which the issue of similarity can be addressed vary according to a discountinuous and recursive pattern and that actors consciously use space and time as resources in their search for niches of autonomy.


Navicular syndrome is a complex of degenerative processes arising from many types of injury to structures in the heel area of the foot. Although classically presenting as a chronic forelimb lameness, the clinical signs of horses with navicular syndrome can vary widely, leading to difficulties in making a definitive diagnosis. The recent increase in availability of advanced imaging techniques such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging has not only improved our understanding of the disease, but also our ability to localise lesions within the foot that may not be evident on radiographs. Due to the multiple aetiologies that may contribute to any one case, treatment and management of the condition is rarely straightforward and often requires a combination of strategies. This article reviews the current concepts of navicular syndrome and outlines a practical approach to its diagnosis and management.


INTRODUCTION: Rotary nickel-titanium (NiTi) instruments are thought to allow shaping of narrow, curved root canals more efficiently and more effectively than stainless steel hand instruments. However, the continued search for even more effective and safer instruments has resulted in new rotary systems being introduced on a regular basis. The aim of this study was to compare shaping parameters of RaCe and Mtwo NiTi rotary files with stainless steel K-Flexofile hand instrument. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 mandibular first molars with 20-40 degree of curvature in mesial root were divided in to three groups and each was prepared with one kind of instrument (RaCe, Mtwo, stainless steel K-Flexofile). Using pre and post-radiographs, canal curvature was measured, with the Schneider technique. Preparation time was recorded. For evaluating canal centering and transportation, the tooth was sectioned 3, 6 and 9 mm from the apex. Pre and post- preparation photographs were taken from mesiolingual canal. Data was statistically analyzed using One-way ANOVA and Chi-Square tests. RESULTS: RaCe and Mtwo maintained canal curvature better than K-Flexofile (P<0.001). Mtwo prepared the canal in a shorter time (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Significant statistical difference was not found in the three canal sections between the various systems. RaCe resulted in significantly fewer canal aberrations and better centering ability.


A small-scale field experiment was conducted near Prince George to evaluate the effectiveness of topical treatments with CO2 and liquid N2 for killing brood in lodgepole pine trees infested with the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk. (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). CO2 and liquid N2 caused significant (p < 0.05) mortality of approximately 40% and 60 - 63 % of larvae and adults, respectively. About $263 and $67 worth of N2 and CO2, respectively, would be needed to treat 1.5 m of the trunk of an infested tree. The low mortality and high treatment costs make freezing uneconomical compared to the alternatives of monosodium methane arsonate or felling and burning. Key words: mountain pine beetle; Dendroctonus ponderosae ; liquid nitrogen; carbon dioxide; control techniques


In recent decades, the demand for replacement of damaged or broken tissues has increased; this poses the attention on problems related to low donor availability. For this reason, researchers focused their attention on the field of tissue engineering, which allows the development of scaffolds able to mimic the tissues' extracellular matrix. However, tissue replacement and regeneration are complex since scaffolds need to guarantee an adequate hierarchical structured morphology as well as adequate mechanical, chemical, and physical properties to stand the stresses and enhance the new tissue formation. For this purpose, the use of inorganic materials as fillers for the scaffolds has gained great interest in tissue engineering applications, due to their wide range of physicochemical properties as well as their capability to induce biological responses. However, some issues still need to be faced to improve their efficacy. This review focuses on the description of the most effective inorganic nanomaterials (clays, nano-based nanomaterials, metal oxides, metallic nanoparticles) used in tissue engineering and their properties. Particular attention has been devoted to their combination with scaffolds in a wide range of applications. In particular, skin, orthopaedic, and neural tissue engineering have been considered.


With the feature size shrinking down to 65 nm and beyond, manufacturing process variation starts to signif cantly impact the device and interconnect electrical parameters, and therefore the performance of circuits. Back-end-of-line (BEOL) design for manufacturability concerns such as lithography variation and misalignment are more pronounced in the advanced technology node. Since SRAM cell always ¿tests¿ the most advanced technology among all design blocks, SRAM cell yield analysis considering the internal cell interconnect BEOL impact is important and necessary. In this paper, we perform a critical study of the effects of BEOL lithographic variations on SRAM performance and yield analysis. An SRAM simulation model with internal cell interconnect RC parasitics is presented in order to study the BEOL lithographic impact. With our method, the impact of BEOL variations on memory designs are systematically evaluated. First, we study the impact of ideal parasitics assuming no lithographic variations. This is followed by considering worstcase, best-case and nominal lithographic variations. On average, ideal parasitics impact the delay by more than 20¿30% and impact the stability yield leading to SRAM minimum operating voltage, Vmin, increase of 100mV. This implies that the power estimation with our BEOL model is more accurate, and a traditional model without interconnect parasitic may be 33% off in terms of accuracy. Additional accounting of the litho variations for BEOL study induces about 4% variation on the SRAM read delay. Finally, when the resistance change due to misalignment is of the same order of magnitude as the nonlinear device resistance, the impact is more severe.


The synthesis of a novel 2,2-disubstituted 2H-azirin-3-amine 10 as a building block for racemic Glu(2Me) is described. This synthon contains an ester group in the side chain. The reaction of 10 with thiobenzoic S-acid and the amino acid Z-Val-OH yielded the racemic monothiodiamide 17 and the dipeptide 18 as a mixture of diastereoisomers, respectively (Scheme 2). From 18, each of the protecting groups was removed selectively (Scheme 3).


Summary Antibody responses of unconditioned Syrian hamsters to 4 heterotransplantable human tumors implanted at either cheek pouch, s.c., or i.p. sites were measured by a hemagglutination technic. The least effective site for immunization was the cheek pouch, whereas the i.p. site was the most effective. The antibody response was most rapid and intense to HeLa and H. Ep. No. 2 tumors, somewhat less rapid to KB, and significantly slower and less intense to H. Ad. No. 1 U tumor (Toolan9s human adenocarcinoma No. 1 adapted to unconditioned hamsters). The latter tumor, the only 1 of the 4 employed which was serially transplantable in unconditioned hosts, was employed in studies of second-set reactions. Hamsters sensitized by a 12-day-old s.c. tumor implant rejected a second tumor implanted s.c. or in the cheek pouch, whereas growth of tumor in the cheek pouch for 12 days failed to induce a second-set rejection reaction. Thus the pouch prevented primary sensitization to H. Ad. No. 1 U but did not prevent second-set reactions in adequately sensitized hosts. The cheek pouch barrier hypothesis and the limitations which the results of these studies impose thereon are discussed. It is concluded that the cheek pouch is not impervious to soluble antigens but may either impede dissemination of relatively insoluble cellular components or prevent host access to these antigens within the graft. The relationship of vascular permeability and integrity to the phenomenon are discussed. The hypothesis is presented that successful heterotransplantation in the cheek pouch of unconditioned hamsters is dependent upon the minimal amount of vascular trauma which accompanies cheek pouch implantation and the maintenance of an intact blood supply during tumor growth. Some possible mechanisms responsible for the serial transplantability of H. Ad. No. 1 U in cheek pouches of unconditioned hamsters include the above mentioned factors, the protective colloid effect of mucin found in H. Ad. No. 1 U, and the possible antigenic deficiency of this tumor. Evidence suggesting the latter possibility includes the immunologic results reported herein and certain karyologic observations reported by others.


Eukaryotic microorganisms, as well as higher animals and plants, display many autonomous physiological and biochemical rhythmicities having periods approximating 24 hours. In an attempt to determine the nature of the timing mechanisms that are responsible for these circadian periodicities, two primary operational assumptions were postulated. Both the perturbation of a putative element of a circadian clock within its normal oscillatory range and the direct activation as well as the inhibition of such an element should yield a phase shift of an overt rhythm generated by the underlying oscillator. Results of experiments conducted in the flagellate Euglena suggest that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), the mitochondrial Ca2+-transport system, Ca2+, calmodulin, NAD+ kinase, and NADP+ phosphatase represent clock "gears" that, in ensemble, might constitute a self-sustained circadian oscillating loop in this and other organisms.


Using bilateral migration flow data from the 2010 population census of Nepal, this paper provides evidence on the importance of public infrastructure and services in determining migration flows. The empirical specification, based on a generalized nested logit model, corrects for the non-random selection of migrants. The results show that migrants prefer areas that are nearer to paved roads and have better access to electricity. Apart from electricity's impact on income and through income on migration, the econometric results indicate that migrants attach substantial amenity value to access to electricity. These findings have important implications for the placement of basic infrastructure projects and the way benefits from these projects are evaluated.


The relationship between venture capital and growth is examined using an endogenous growth model incorporating dynamic contracts between entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. At each stage of financing, venture capitalists evaluate the viability of startups. If viable, VCs provide funding for the next stage. The success of a project depends on the amount of funding. The model is confronted with stylized facts about venture capital; viz., statistics by funding round concerning the success rate, failure rate, investment rate, equity shares, and the value of an IPO. Raising capital gains taxation reduces growth and welfare.


This article explores the potential for eportfolios to contribute to the development of student critical awareness of social justice, including the role of the university as a social justice actor, through module assessment. It will critically address how eportfolios were introduced in 2019-20 to assess student reflection on social justice in a first year law module 'Critical Approaches to Law' at DCU. To date, there has been a slow adoption of eportfolios in Irish higher education (Farrell 2018). Although there is some evidence of reflective assessment in comparative legal education, especially in schools with an emphasis on socio-legal approaches to law, and in clinical legal education, there is limited analysis of eportfolio assessment in classroom-based or blended legal education, (Waye and Faulkner 2012) and none in the Irish context.

The article will discuss the motivation to use eportfolios; the benefits, challenges and lessons learned in the design of the assessment, and the first time experience for the educator of marking and student experience of eportfolios. It assesses eportfolios as a mechanism for prompting student reflection and the development of critical thinking, (Farrell 2019) with a particular reflective focus on social justice and university education as a social justice experience. (Connell 2019). It queries the extent to which eportfolios enable students to incorporate prior learning experiences to their reflection, (Chen and Black 2010) and for students self-determine the parameters of their personal interaction with social justice questions raised by the experience in the module and their lived experience. (Brooman and Stirk 2020)


Meaningful reductions in racial and ethnic inequities in chronic diseases of aging remain unlikely without major advancements in the inclusion of minoritized populations in aging research. While sparse, studies investigating research participation disparities have predominantly focused on individual-level factors and behavioral change, overlooking the influence of study design, structural factors, and social determinants of health on participation. This is also reflected in conventional practices that consistently fail to address established participation barriers, such as study requirements that impose financial, transportation, linguistic, and/or logistical barriers that disproportionately burden participants belonging to minoritized populations. These shortcomings not only risk exacerbating distrust toward research and researchers, but also introduce significant selection biases, diminishing our ability to detect differential mechanisms of risk, resilience, and response to interventions across subpopulations. This forum article examines the intersecting factors that drive both health inequities in aging and disparate participation in aging research among minoritized populations. Using an intersectional, social justice, and emancipatory lens, we characterize the role of social determinants, historical contexts, and contemporaneous structures in shaping research accessibility and inclusion. We also introduce frameworks to accelerate transformative theoretical approaches to fostering equitable inclusion of minoritized populations in aging research.