Tourism becomes a sector that gets more attention every year by the government, but now the form of tourism and the essence gained is less relevant. Demak Regency has similar problems, lack of varied forms of tourism, the absence of recreational and educational elements to be one cause of the number of tourists who come to be unstable and declining each year. [Demak In Figures 2015]. The form of tourism that is less environmentally friendly is the next impact. The impact on nature that is less guarded sustainability and only concerned with profit alone. Alternative tourism is one of the forms completion taken. Alternative tourism has many advantages that provide a positive impact for the community directly and the environment and also provide educational and recreational value for tourists. Alternative tourism also has a selling point for the potential that exists, one of them potential fruits in the District Demak. Especially guava and star fruit, both the fruit is very abundant and many processed products from both fruit. Agrotourism is an idea chosen as an alternative form of tourism which will support the concept of agri-business center from the existing local government. Agrotourism also as a means of introducing the potential of fruit and agribusiness center to the visitor with the hope that the planned place will live and the standard of living of the local community will increase. To support agrotourism that presents the concept of sustainable tourism, the Eco-architecture is raised to support the objectives of Agrotourism. In eco-architecture there are some basic thoughts that can be a solution of natural damage that occurs due to the form of mass tourism. Eco-Architecture is environmentally sound development, which utilizes the potential of nature as much as possible but still prioritizes conservation, environmental education and welfare of the surrounding community.


A novel computer vision methodology is proposed to monitor fatigue cracks of steel structures using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Through a short video recorded by a consumer-grade camera carried by a UAV, this methodology tracks the surface motion of the structure under fatigue loading and detects fatigue cracks by revealing the differential motion patterns induced by the cracks. Three main steps are developed to process the video for fatigue detection. First, the global motion of the UAV embedded in image frames in the video is compensated through geometric transformation. The transformation matrices are computed and applied to the video frames to obtain motion-compensated frames. Next, feature points are identified from each image frame as natural targets to track the surface motion. Subsequently, with the compensated surface motion tracked by the feature points, a localized circular region scans the entire surface to reveal differential movement patterns for crack identification. Compared with traditional computer vision techniques that are based on edge features for crack detection, the proposed method detects the breathing behavior of fatigue cracks; therefore, it is able to distinguish true cracks from crack-like features and structural boundaries. Laboratory validation is performed to validate the proposed methodology.


Topical 0.1% tacrolimus was used for treatment of localized lesions associated with 10 cases of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and two cases of pemphigus erythematosus (PE) either as a sole therapy (n=2) or as an adjunctive treatment (n=10). Eight of 10 dogs with DLE and both dogs with PE were improved following 8 weeks of topical application. In six of the eight dogs that improved, other medications were discontinued. No adverse effects in clinical or laboratory parameters were noted throughout the study.


Background: Mandibular third molar impaction is a major oral health burden globally. The associated morbidity and increasing public awareness necessitate the need for more researches into the subject of third molar impaction. Objective: To audit cases of third molar impaction and its management in our institution. Methodology: We carried out a descriptive clinical study involving patients who presented for management of impacted third molar between January 2010 and December 2011. Demography of the patients including third molar spatial relationship, indications for surgery and pre- and post-operative visual analogue score for pain, were analysed. Result: Demography of the patients revealed a mean age of 27.67±7.19 (range 19-56 years) and male to female ratio of 1:1.15. The most common indication for surgery was peri-coronitis, and the mesio-angular variety was the most common form of impaction in our series (46.5%, N=40). Analysis of mean pre-operative and post-operative pain perception with paired t-test revealed statistically significant difference (p=0.00 & 0.01, respectively). Only 14% of the patients developed post-operative infection. Conclusion: Management of impacted mandibular third molar constitutes a sizeable workload of oral surgeons and dental practitioners globally. Early surgery for symptomatic impacted third molar tooth is hereby advocated.


Asthma is an inflammatory disease that represents an important health problem. The origin of this disease seems to be due to an immunological anomalous response to apparently innocuous antigens. In the last years, an important number of molecular intermediaries have been found to be implicated in the progression of this disease. The importance of these mediators is determined by the fact that they are actively being investigated as potential therapeutic targets. In this regard, numerous evidences indicate that Interleuquina-4 (IL-4) and IL-13 have a central role in the development of asthma through the activation of the factor of transcription STAT6. In a previous study, our group demonstrated that antiinflammatory doses of salicylates inhibited the activation of this factor of transcription. The objective of the present study was to obtain new inhibitors of STAT6 derived from salicylates by performing sequential chemical modifications. With this approach, we obtained several compounds with a planar and rigid structure, and a specific pattern of hydroxyl groups that were able to inhibit the activation of STAT6 with great efficiency. Among the obtained compounds, the named JRC688 and JRC706 inhibited the activation of STAT6 at concentrations of 20 μM. To investigate the effect of these compounds in asthma, we chose JRC706 since it had little effect on cell viability, suggesting it could have less undesirable effects. The found results indicate that the administration of JRC706 could prevent the inflammatory response in asthma. Thus, infiltrated inflammatory cells in lung and bronchoalveolar fluids, mucus production, hyperplasia of globet cells, and levels of IgE were greatly diminished in mice treated with JRC706 with regard to untreated asthmatic controls. These findings indicate that JRC706 is a good compound to investigate in asthma.


Introduction As a nation, we have recently experienced a significant positive shift in norms against casual campus sexual violence. These changes are perhaps as dramatic as the attitudinal shifts over recent decades regarding drunk driving or cigarette smoking. In a world in which masculinity is too often associated with sexual conquest, and women still suffer under intense and conflicting pressures regarding their sexual behavior, pushing this potential transformation forward is both difficult and necessary. Enforcement of Title IX protections has become a crucial driver of much of this change. This is an account of some of what I learned as a participant in Title IX sexual misconduct enforcement at my law school and university. As with drunk driving and smoking, the newly strengthened norms against nonconsensual campus sex result from a combination of public activism, new laws and regulations, new enforcement of existing laws and regulations, and purposeful steps taken by strong institutional leaders. Michigan State University (MSU) exemplifies all this. Indeed, my optimism on these issues is grounded in my experience at MSU. MSU is a particularly good source of relevant lessons. MSU features some aspects of campus culture that have been found to be most related to sexual violence, including strong Greek life and heavy presence of athletics.1


A new donor-acceptor type poly[3-{5-[3,4-didecyloxy-5-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)thiophen-2-yl]-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl}-9-dodecyl-9H-carbazole] (P) has been synthesized starting from thiodiglycolic acid and 9H-carbazole through multistep reactions. The polymer has been synthesized through precursor polyhydrazide route. The weight average molecular weight of the polymer was found to be 7210. The polymer exhibited intense green fluorescence in solid sate. Cyclic voltammetric experiments showed that the polymer has low-lying LUMO (-3.55 eV) and high lying HOMO (-5.77 eV) energy levels due to the presence of alternate donor and acceptor units. The optical and electrochemical studies reveal that the new polymer (P) is a promising material for the development of polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs).


USE OF MANNITOL IN RENAL FAILURE MADAM: It has, for many years, been customary to use intravenous infusions of mannitol to promote urine flow in some cases of oliguric acute renal failure. While the merits of this practice, from both the diagnostic and therapeutic points of view, are arguable, attention has not often been drawn to the potential hazards involved. We report here an instance of mannitol intoxication, complicating a case of acute on chronic renal failure:


Technological advances in both hardware and software have made possible the realization of sophisticated biological imaging experiments using the optical microscope. As a result, modern microscopy experiments are capable of producing complex image datasets. For a given data analysis task, the images in a set are arranged, based on the requirements of the task, by attributes such as the time and focus levels at which they were acquired. Importantly, different tasks performed over the course of an analysis are often facilitated by the use of different arrangements of the images. We present a software framework that supports the use of different logical image arrangements to analyze a physical set of images. This framework, called the Microscopy Image Analysis Tool (MIATool), realizes the logical arrangements using arrays of pointers to the images, thereby removing the need to replicate and manipulate the actual images in their storage medium. In order that they may be tailored to the specific requirements of disparate analysis tasks, these logical arrangements may differ in size and dimensionality, with no restrictions placed on the number of dimensions and the meaning of each dimension. MIATool additionally supports processing flexibility, extensible image processing capabilities, and data storage management.


During the last decade, there has been a significant bias towards bond financing on emerging markets, with private investors relying on a bail-out of bonds by the international community. This bias has been a main cause of the recent excessive fragility of international capital markets. The following paper shows how collective action clauses in bonds contracts help to involve the private sector in risk-sharing. It argues that such clauses, as a market-based instrument, will raise the spreads for emerging market debt and so help to correct a market failure towards excessive bond finance. Recent pressure by the IMF to involve the private sector faces a conflict between the principle of honouring existing contracts and that of equal treatment of bondholders.


The geometrically nonlinear response of a circular sandwich plate that consists of two face sheets and a compliant ("soft") core with mechanical properties that may be either independent or dependent of temperature and subjected to both mechanical loads and thermal induced deformations, but remain elastic linear throughout the loading process, is presented. The mathematical formulation follows the principles of the high-order sandwich panel theory (HSAPT) and includes the vertical flexibility of the core in addition to the temperature dependency of the mechanical properties of the core material. The mathematical formulation outlines the set of governing partial differential equations as well the appropriate boundary conditions for a general sandwich layout. The particular case of an axisymmetric circular sandwich plate subjected to axisymmetric mechanical and thermal loads, and with axisymmetric boundary conditions is studied analytically and numerically. The numerical study includes an interaction of mechanical and thermal loads which is presented through results within the plate for various load levels of various structural quantities as well as equilibrium curves of temperatures versus these structural quantities. The results reveal that the combination of mechanical and thermal loads along with a compliant core material with mechanical properties that degrade with increasing temperatures shifts the behavior from a linear and stable (strength controlled) response into a strongly nonlinear response with limit point behavior and associated loss of stability, when large displacements and large rotations (geometrical nonlinearity) are included in the modeling.


Sambar deer breeding under existing forest plantation with local Sabal Tapang
community participation was one of the Agroforestry projects implemented in
Sarawak aimed at bringing socio-economic benefits to the shifting cultivators and
to strike a balance in nature conservation.
The research and observation conducted during the implementation of this
agroforestry deer breeding focused on the animal performance, initial effect of
deer browsing behaviour on the plantation and attitude and perception of adjacent
communities towards the overall agroforestry systems in Sabal.
Brody's Growth Model was the most suitable model for deer production under
this system. The appropriate age of venison production was about two years when
the animal weighed around 74.2 kg. Sambar deer was found to have no definite
breeding season. The sex ratio of fawn male to female was 1:1.5, female became sexually mature at 23.1 months, fawning interval was 11.3 months and gestation
was 257 days. The period of stag which did not cause damage to vegetation was
4.7 months compared to the long period of 6.9 months of destructiveness to the
trees stand as a result of rubbing and territorial marking.
There were 22 known families of woody plant and another 10 families of non-woody
plant found in the 12-year old Acacia mangium plantation. A total of more
than 21 species were eaten by 14 heads of Sam bar deer over a total observation of
65 days within an area of 8.0 ha. Sambar deer browsing was highest in Ficus spp.
(34%) for all leaves, fruits and bark; followed by Dillenia sp. shoots (30%);
Agrostistachys sp. leaves (8%) and Macaranga spp. leaves (7%). The maximum
limit of browsing was observed at height of 4 m with diameter of less than 3.8
cm. The browsing pattern based on nutritional selectivity was shown in species
with high dry matter digestibility, crude protein, fibre, potassium, calcium,
copper and zinc content. The other factors affecting the browsing pattern were
microhabitat and closeness to perimeter fence. It was found that more than 70
percent of tracks and trampling happened near to stream and near to fence
compared to only 20 percent observed in the middle of paddock.
The criteria for villages acceptance of agroforestry projects were (1) ease of
management; (2) fast economic returns; (3) proximity to village and; (4)
involving direct participation oflocal people in most of the activities.


The paper presents an example of application of models for binary variables and polynomial ordered. In the theoretical part characterized these models and discusses how their estimation. The methods section built two econometric models, which are explained by the following variables: subjective assessment of the financial situation and satisfaction with working conditions. The most important conclusions should be included, that is the strongest influence on the evaluation of the work is to undertake investment activities on the farm. In addition, more people learning, have a greater chance of a better assessment of their financial situation.


I provide conditions that guarantee that a Stackelberg game with a setup cost and an integer number of leaders and followers has an equilibrium in pure strategies. The main feature of the game is that when the marginal follower leaves the market the price jumps up, so that a leader's payoff is neither continuous nor quasiconcave. To show existence I check that a leader's value function satisfies the following single crossing condition: When the other leaders produce more the leader never accommodates entry of more followers. If demand is strictly logconcave, and if marginal costs are both non decreasing and not flatter than average costs, then a Stackelberg equilibrium exists. Besides showing existence I characterize the equilibrium set and provide a number of results that contribute to the applied literature. As the number of leaders increases, leaders produce more and eventually they deter entry. Leaders produce more than the Cournot best reply, but they may under invest in entry deterrence. As the number of followers increases, leaders become more aggressive. When this number is large, if leaders can produce the limit quantity and at the same time have market power, then they deter entry.


This paper deals with the construction, physical interpretation and application of a uniform high-frequency representation of array Green's functions (AGFs) for planar rectangular phased arrays of dipoles. An AGF is the basic constituent for the full-wave description of electromagnetic radiation from large periodic structures. For efficient treatment of high-frequency phenomena, the AGF obtained by direct summation over the contributions from the individual radiators is globally restructured via the Poisson sum formula into a series of propagating and evanescent Floquet waves (FWs) together with corresponding FW-modulated diffracted waves, which arise from FW scattering at the array edges and vertexes. These results are obtained by high-frequency uniform asymptotics applied to the wave integrals generated by Poisson summation in the spatial or spectral domains. The final algorithm is physically appealing, numerically accurate, and efficient, owing to the rapid convergence of both the FW series and the series of corresponding FW-modulated diffracted fields away from the array plane. The use of the asymptotic AGF in the full-wave analysis of large slot arrays is discussed, with the inclusion of numerical results. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.


In this study, lipoic acid and heat shock treatments were applied to C(2)C(12) myotubes and Sprague-Dawley rats to investigate changes in the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in 4 different skeletal muscle groups. The results of western blotting indicated that treatment of lipoic acid for 24 h, heat-shock and combined lipoic acid and heat-shock which all increased the level of HSP70 substantially in C(2)C(12) myotubes. However, either lipoic acid or heat-shock did not increase the level of GLUT4 in C(2)C(12) myotubes. In an in vitro migration assay, lipoic acid increased wound migration only when it was applied for 3 h. Moreover, our in vivo results revealed that lipoic acid did not increase HSP70 and GLUT4 in all 4 different skeletal muscles. Furthermore, heat-shock increased HSP70 in all 4 different muscle groups, and heat-shock treatment alone increased the GLUT4 in the soleus muscle only, suggesting that the GLUT4 increased by heat-shock was slow-twitch muscle specific. Collectively, our results indicated that heat-shock is critical factor that modulates GLUT4 and HSP70 in the skeletal muscle of rats.


Ultra-high-resolution neutron diffraction studies of BiFe(0.8)Co(0.2)O3 show a transition from a cycloidal space modulated spin structure at T = 10 K to a collinear G-type antiferromagnetic structure at T = 120 K. The model of antiparallel directions of Fe(3+) and Co(3+) magnetic moments at the shared Wyckoff position describes well the observed neutron diffraction intensities. On heating above RT, the crystal structure of BiFe(0.8)Co(0.2)O3 changes from a rhombohedral R3c to a monoclinic Cm. At 573 K only the Cm phase is present. The collinear C-type antiferromagnetic structure is present in the Cm phase of BiFe(0.8)Co(0.2)O3 at RT after annealing.


Participants in the pig production industry focus on feed and feed additives to improve growth performance and meat quality of pigs. Consequently, the Rural Development Administration of the Republic of Korea produced a new paternal line to improve economic traits in pigs. However, there is an absence of information on pig traits with regard to season and sex, and a comparison between the new paternal line and past paternal lines. Therefore, the authors conducted this study to investigate the influence of season of birth, sex and paternal line on growth performance and carcass traits in pigs. A total of 2888 piglets ((Landrace × Yorkshire) × Darby Duroc (DD) or Chookjin Duroc (CD)) with an average age of three weeks were tested for 22 weeks during the four season of the year (spring 608 piglets, summer 404 piglets, autumn 576 piglets and winter 1300 piglets). The bodyweights (BW) of individual pig were recorded, and feed consumption was recorded at weeks 2, 12 and 22, to determine growth performance. At reaching market weight, backfat thickness was determined at the last rib area. Meat was graded according to the criteria of the slaughterhouse. There were no significant differences in growth performance and carcass traits between sexes. The CD line crossbred pig had a significant higher BW at 16 weeks, and higher carcass trait values at 22 weeks than the DD line. During weeks 8 to 16 the CD line crossbred pigs showed a tendency of an increased average daily gain (ADG) and gain : feed (G : F) ratio compared with the DD line. Furthermore, pigs born in spring had significant lower ADG, average daily feed intake (ADFI) and carcass trait values than born in the other seasons. In conclusion, the new paternal line (Chookjin Duroc) improved growth performance and carcass traits compare with the DD line. Keywords: sex, growth, terminal sire, meat quality, backfat thickness


The profile of an individual is a record of the types and areas of skills of that individual ("topical profile") plus a description of her collaboration network ("social profile"). In this paper we define and formalize the task of automatically determining an expert profile of a person from a heterogeneous corpus made up of a large organization's intranet. We propose multiple models for addressing the topical profiling task. Our main methods build on ideas from information retrieval, while refinements bring in filtering (allowing an area into a person's profile only if she is among the top ranking experts in the area). An evaluation based on the W3C-corpus made available by TREC, shows significant improvements of the refined methods over the baseline. We apply our profiling algorithms to significantly enhance the performance of a state-ofthe-art expert finding algorithm and to help users of an operational expert search system find the person they would contact, given a specific problem, topic or information need. Finally, we address the task of determining a social profile for a given person, using graph-based methods.


[1] The global ionospheric map (GIM) is used to observe variations in the total electron content (TEC) of the global positioning system (GPS) associated with 35 M ≥ 6.0 earthquakes that occurred in China during the 10-year period of 1 May 1998 to 30 April 2008. The statistical result indicates that the GPS TEC above the epicenter often pronouncedly decreases on day 3–5 before 17 M ≥ 6.3 earthquakes. The GPS TEC of the GIM and electron density profiles probed by six microsatellites of FORMOSAT3/COSMIC (F3/C) are further employed to simultaneously observe seismoionospheric anomalies during an Mw7.9 earthquake near Wenchuan, China, on 12 May 2008. It is found that GPS TEC above the forthcoming epicenter anomalously decreases in the afternoon period of day 6–4 and in the late evening period of day 3 before the earthquake, but enhances in the afternoon of day 3 before the earthquake. The spatial distributions of the anomalous and extreme reductions and enhancements indicate that the earthquake preparation area is about 1650 km and 2850 km from the epicenter in the latitudinal and longitudinal directions, respectively. The F3/C results further show that the ionospheric F2 peak electron density, NmF2, and height, hmF2, significantly decreases approximately 40% and descends about 50–80 km, respectively, when the GPS TEC anomalously reduces.


The primary immune response of BALB/c mice to influenza (PR8) hemagglutinin (HA), a complex protein antigen, has been examined by the splenic focus assay, and the resulting monoclonal anti-HA antibodies have been characterized by their reactivity with heterologous viruses. The analysis of the primary B-cell response to HA revealed marked differences from responses previously defined for haptenic determinants. There were following differences: (a) the frequency of HA- specific B cells in both conventional and germ-free BALB/c mice was 1 in 1.0-1.5 X 10(5) splenic B cells, which is substantially lower than the frequency of B cells responsive to various simple haptenic determinants; (b) monoclonal anti-HA antibodies were predominantly of the IgA or IgM isotypes instead of IgG, which dominates antihapten responses; and (c) after immunization, the frequency of anti-HA- specific B cells increases by 10- to 50-fold, which is much greater increase than that observed after immunization with haptenic determinants. Fine specificity analysis of primary monoclonal HA- specific antibodies revealed extensive diversity and a considerable overlap with the specificities obtained from immune mice. Given the low overall frequency of HA-specific B cells, it could be calculated that the representation of most HA-specific clonotypes within the B-cell repertoire could not exceed 1 in 10(7) B cells. These findings indicate that the primary B-cell clonotype repertoire is extremely diverse and largely antigen independent in its generation.


OBJECTIVE
The authors examined the effectiveness of unguided self-help as a first step in the treatment of bulimia nervosa.

METHOD
A total of 85 women with bulimia nervosa who were on a waiting list for treatment at a hospital-based clinic participated. The patients were randomly assigned to receive one of two self-help manuals or to a waiting list control condition for 8 weeks. One of the self-help manuals addressed the specific symptoms of bulimia nervosa (cognitive behavior self-help), while the other focused on self-assertion skills (nonspecific self-help).

RESULTS
Twenty patients (23.5%) dropped out of the study. The data were analyzed with intention-to-treat analysis. Although the group-by-time interaction for binge eating and purging was not statistically significant, simple effects showed that there was a significant reduction in symptom frequency in both self-help conditions at posttreatment but not in the waiting list condition. There were no statistically significant changes in levels of dietary restraint, eating concerns, concerns about shape and weight, or general psychopathology. A greater proportion of patients in the cognitive behavior self-help (53.6%) and nonspecific self-help (50.0%) conditions reported at least a 50% reduction in binge eating or purging at posttreatment, compared with the waiting list condition (31.0%). A lower baseline knowledge about eating disorders, more problems with intimacy, and higher compulsivity scores predicted a better response.

CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that a subgroup of patients with bulimia nervosa may benefit from unguided self-help as a first step in their treatment. Cognitive behavior self-help and nonspecific self-help had equivalent effects.


Cryptosporidium sp. is predominant universally and sheep are an imperative zoonotic supply of the disease. Owing to the little information presented with respect to Cryptosporidium sp. infecting sheep, this study was directed to survey the predominance and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium sp. among sheep of different ages and sexes in Qalyubia governorate, Egypt. The fecal specimens were gathered from 432 sheep of various ages (≤1 to 12 months) and sexes. The samples were microscopically examined after staining by modified Zeihl- Neelsen technique and the intestinal mucosa was scanned by electron microscopy. A nested PCR was connected to amplify a 830 bp of 18S rRNA sequence of Cryptosporidium. RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) technique using SspI and VspI enzymes for digestion of the secondary product of PCR for species identification was applied. The total infection rate was 25.93%. The parasite was more prevalent in males than females of different age groups. Two zoonotic Cryptosporidium species were distinguished after RFLP-PCR sequencing: C. parvum and C. ubiquitum (identified previously as Cervine genotype). The finding recommends that sheep must be considered as a noteworthy potential source of human cryptosporidiosis. A strict reconnaissance of zoonotic cryptosporidiosis must be set up to counteract human infection and to assess forthcoming disease when applying control programs.


In Rasul v. Bush, the Supreme Court held that U.S. district courts have jurisdiction to consider challenges to the legality of the detention of foreign nationals captured abroad in connection with hostilities and incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay. In this paper, I explore what has happened since the Rasul decision: most notably, the introduction of combatant status review tribunals as a response to Rasul and the challenges that have been filed thereto and adjudicated in the federal courts (Khalid, In re Guantanamo Detainee Cases); the charges brought against certain detainees by military commissions and challenges to these commissions filed in the federal district courts (e.g. Hamdan v. Rumsfeld); and the disaggregating of conventional and customary international law from the conduct of the war on terror. I argue that Guantanamo stands as a metaphor for a broader view that posits law as impairing instead of promoting national security interests. The resultant twilight of law extends well beyond Guantanamo to include detentions in Iraq and Afghanistan; renditions; attempts to minimize judicial review of decisions of the executive branch; and bold reinterpretations of the Geneva Conventions and Convention Against Torture. The paper ends by proposing a different model that, instead of viewing the crimping of law as necessary to promote national security interests, posits a synergy between respect for law and protection of national security.


Given calls for more inclusion of women in the political space and political studies, we analyze the nomination acceptance speeches of vice-presidential candidates, from two countries with different sociocultural and economic backgrounds (Ghana and the United States). Our analysis builds on two well-established theories for studying political discourses. The authors uncover in both speeches, four similar and salient language frames synonymous to women in the political space. We advance the argument that the similarities in the language frames employed by both candidates can be attributed to their quests to wrestle power from incumbent regimes and concern about being ostracized. Our findings on their frames indicate that, negligible of the context or position, the feminine language frames hold true in the speeches of women in politics. It also reinforces the wide applicability of the functional theory of political campaign discourse and supports the argument that women go negative in their political discourse contrary to societal expectations.


Background Severe nausea and vomiting are recognised complications of OGTT and the estimated rate of failure to complete the 75 g test protocol has been stated as 2.4%. This scenario leaves clinicians with a dilemma about further management and there are no guidelines on this subject. Aims To analyse the management of pregnant women with risk factors for gestational diabetes whose diagnosis remains unresolved following an incomplete WHO 75 g OGTT and to relate this to outcomes. Methods Retrospective case note reviews of incomplete OGTT cases where fasting levels were normal according to WHO criteria. Results 17 women met the selection criteria. All the women had at least one NICE recognised risk factor for gestational diabetes, the commonest factor being relevant history in a first degree relative [58.8%]. The OGTTs were performed between 26 and 34 weeks gestation and were all incomplete due to severe nausea or vomiting. Subsequently, 53%(9/17) of the women were given dietary advice and carried out blood glucose monitoring for one week before discharged to standard antenatal care, 6%(1/17) continued monitoring for 1 month, 6% (1/17) continued monitoring till the end of the pregnancy and 35% (6/17) were discharged to standard care without any monitoring. None of the women required any further intervention on the grounds of raised glucose levels. They all proceeded to live-births and there were no adverse sequelae directly attributable to GDM. Conclusions Limited monitoring after an incomplete "normal" OGTT in women with risk factors for GDM resulted in no significant increase in adverse sequelae.


Phosphotungstic acid (HPW) supported on activated carbon (AC) combined with hydrogen peroxide formed an oxidative desulfurizaiton (ODS) system to oxidize sulfur-containing compounds in diesel fuel. Dibenzothiophene (DBT) dissolved in n-octane was selected as a model feedstock for studying this new ODS system. The HPW/AC catalysts were characterized with XRD, FTIR and N2 adsorption-desorption measurements. HPW was highly dispersed on the surface of carbon support. It was found that the DBT adsorption capacity decreased from 42 mg S/g to 33.13 mg S/g as HPW loading amount increased from 0 to 15 wt.%. Oxidative removal of DBT in the model oil significantly increased with increasing HPW loadings on the support from 0 to 10 wt.%. 100 % DBT was removed by using the catalysts with HPW content higher than 10 wt. %. At 80 °C, oxidative removal of DBT reached 100 % after 40 min of reaction when O/S molar ratio ranged from 4 to 10.


The field of cancer research is now generating vast amounts of data from a variety of high throughput techniques and these have helped to define cancers based on their genetic foundations. As this knowledge on the processes and underlying genetics of cancer improve, these should be factored back into the research and analyses conducted by other researchers. Managing this volume of data, often conflicting, is becoming increasingly challenging for researchers. This work demonstrates an innovative application of argumentation theory within cancer research by providing a framework to accommodate missing data, address critical questions and generate hypotheses. The prototype system has been validated to demonstrate it identifies the same interesting interactions and molecules as researchers, even when certain key data was deliberately withheld from the system.


We propose a processing' methodology which is based on the · piere'~wise modeling, ' adaptive estimation, and removal of reverberation components. An important feature of this ' approach is that backscatter models and information from pre-processing are used to guide the modeling of the reverberation components and the design of the algorithms to estimate them. The proposed processing methodology is developed for the case when strong, highly temporally localized reverberation components plus a weak target echo are present in single channel time series data and the only prior information available about the reverberator is the approximate location and extent. For this case we derive a reverberation suppression algorithm which is based on the reduced-rank: modeling of the reverberator transfer function followed by application of the Principal Component Inverse (PCI) method of reduced-rank: adaptive interference cancellation. The algorithm is tested using simulated and real reverberation data.


: The subtest Digit Span (Wechsler, 1945) is revealed as a frequently applied, standardized test procedure in the assessment of memory in the aged. A lot of studies show high degrees of age-dependence of the Digit Span task. Visually presented digits lead to a more distinct age-decline in reproduction. Practise effects can be observed even in old subjects with pathological symptoms. The hypothesis that the Digit Span score represents a basic intellectual function, which constitutes a prior condition for different other intellectual areas, is rejected. Memory span measured by the Digit Span task represents an independent component of cognitive functioning in old age. The Digit backwards task includes encoding procedures, which are not necessary for the Digit forwards task. A major problem in memory span research is that there are only a few longitudinal studies, which are concerned with this topic and enable conclusions for the underlying processes of a declining capacity of the short-term memory.


Background: Preference weights for EQ-5D-3L based on visual analogue scale (VAS) has recently been developed in Iran. The aim of the current study was to compare performance of this value set against the UK VAS-based value set. Methods: The mean scores for all possible 243 health states were compared using Student t test. Absolute agreement and consistency were investigated using concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and Bland-Altman plot. Health gains for 29 403 possible transitions between pairs of EQ-5D-3L health states were compared. Responsiveness to change and discriminative ability across subgroups of health transitions were assessed. Results: The mean EQ-5D-3L scores were similar for two value sets (mean = 0.31, P = 1.00). For 36% of health states, the absolute differences were greater than 0.10. There were three pairwise logical inconsistencies in the Iranian value set. The Iranian scores were lower (higher) for severe (mild) health states than the United Kingdom. The CCC (95% CI) was 0.85 (0.81 to 0.88) and Bland-Altman plot showed good agreement. The mean health gain for all possible transitions predicted by the Iranian value set was higher (0.22 vs. 0.20, P < .001) and two value sets predicted opposite transitions in 15% of transitions. The responsiveness of these two value sets were similar with lower discriminative ability for Iranian value set. Conclusion: The Iranian value set attribute lower values to most severe health states and higher values to mild health states compared with the UK value set. Such systematic differences might translate into discrepant health gains and cost-effectiveness which should be taking into account for informed decision-making.


This paper targeted to reduce the Queue at a billing counter in a shopping complex. The system does the same by displaying the total price of the product kept inside the cart. In this way the customer can directly pay the amount at the billing counter and leave with the commodities he/she has bought. It eliminates the traditional scanning of products at the counter and in turn speeds up the entire process of shopping, also with this system the customer shall know the total amount to be paid and hence can accordingly plan his shopping only buying the essential commodities resulting in enhanced savings. Since the entire process of billing is automated it reduces the possibility of human error substantially. Also the system has a feature to delete the scanned products to further optimize the shopping experience of the customer. The hardware for the test run is based on the Arduino platform and Xbee modules, as both are very popular in small-scale research and wireless automation solution.


Anomalous finite-temperature transport has recently been observed in numerical studies of various integrable models in one dimension; these models share the feature of being invariant under a continuous non-abelian global symmetry. This work offers a comprehensive group-theoretic account of this elusive phenomenon. For an integrable quantum model invariant under a global non-abelian simple Lie group $G$, we find that finite-temperature transport of Noether charges associated with symmetry $G$ in thermal states that are invariant under $G$ is universally superdiffusive and characterized by dynamical exponent $z = 3/2$. This conclusion holds regardless of the Lie algebra symmetry, local degrees of freedom (on-site representations), Lorentz invariance, or particular realization of microscopic interactions: we accordingly dub it as superuniversal. The anomalous transport behavior is attributed to long-lived giant quasiparticles dressed by thermal fluctuations. We provide an algebraic viewpoint on the corresponding dressing transformation and elucidate formal connections to fusion identities amongst the quantum-group characters. We identify giant quasiparticles with nonlinear soliton modes of classical field theories that describe low-energy excitations above ferromagnetic vacua. Our analysis of these field theories also provides a complete classification of the low-energy (i.e., Goldstone-mode) spectra of quantum isotropic ferromagnetic chains.


Two groups of patients were recognized among 27 black and latin adolescents who underwent diagnostic evaluation for hypertension. Group I consisted of ten patients, seven of whom had arterial pressures consistently higher than 1 standard deviation above the pressure means of normal adolescents and three had pressures below this level. Group II consisted of 17 patients, 16 of whom had systolic and diastolic pressures greater than 2 standard deviations above the means for their age-sex group. One patient had solely systolic hypertension. An assignable cause for their hypertension was not apparent. Chemical parameters, including plasma renin activity (radioimmunoassay Angiotensin I), were similar to those observed in adult hypertensive patients of the same community. A difference in response to therapy was noted in adolescents compared to adults which may imply differences in the mechanisms involved at this phase of the disease, as has been reported in patients with labile and early hypertension and spontaneously hypertensive rats.At least three facets of this adolescent hypertension study deserve implementation and investigation: 1) routine blood pressure measurements in high schools, 2) longitudinal evaluation of the indications for and effects of therapy, and 3) intensive inquiry into the hemodynamic and neurohumoral aspects of hyperten- sion in its early unfolding.


The student dietitian will be able to relate stages (menses, follicular phase and luteal stages) of the menstrual cycle and corresponding hormone releases of undergraduate university students to food cravings and eating habits. The objectives of this study were to determine the stage of the menstrual cycle and relate food cravings and eating habits to the stage of the menstrual cycle in undergraduate university females. A survey was designed to meet research objectives and approved by the Department of Nutritional Sciences Research Review Committee. Subjects were recruited and the research instrument was administered. Data was entered into SPSS and responses were computed to meet objectives. A total of 323 undergraduate female subjects completed the survey, 17% indicated to be in the menses stage of the cycle, 29.7% indicated to be in the follicular stage of the cycle leading up to ovulation, and 53% indicated that they were in the luteal stage of the cycle. Of the questions pertaining to food cravings of foods observed more this week than usual, >50% of participants in all stages responded "No". However, 56.4% of participants in menses stage responded "Yes" to craving chocolate more frequently this week than usual. Regarding other questions related to food cravings, students in menses stage responded "Yes" to various additional food cravings at a higher percentage than those in follicular and luteal stage. Research has shown that hormone changes throughout the menstrual cycle are related to food cravings, particularly during menstruation. Management of these dietary practices and cravings would improve the nutritional quality of the diet and reduce risk of obesity and other chronic diseases including diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.


Mate choice is expected to be important for the fitness of both sexes for species in which successful reproduction relies strongly on shared and substantial parental investment by males and females. Reciprocal selection may then favour the evolution of morphological signals providing mutual information on the condition/quality of tentative partners. However, because males and females often have differing physiological constraints, it is unclear which proximate physiological pathways guarantee the honesty of male and female signals in similarly ornamented species. We used the monomorphic king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) as a model to investigate the physiological qualities signalled by colour and morphological ornaments known to be under sexual selection (coloration of the beak spots and size of auricular feather patches). In both sexes of this slow-breeding seabird, we investigated the links between ornaments and multiple indices of individual quality; including body condition, immunity, stress and energy status. In both sexes, individual innate immunity, resting metabolic rate, and the ability to mount a stress response in answer to an acute disturbance (capture) were similarly signalled by various aspects of beak coloration or auricular patch size. However, we also reveal interesting and contrasting relationships between males and females in how ornaments may signal individual quality. Body condition and oxidative stress status were signalled by beak coloration, although in opposite directions for the sexes. Over an exhaustive set of physiological variables, several suggestive patterns indicated the conveyance of honest information about mate quality in this monomorphic species. However, sex-specific patterns suggested that monomorphic ornaments may signal different information concerning body mass and oxidative balance of males and females, at least in king penguins.


This edited volume offers readers 17 chapters on the age factor in different educational contextsacross three continents. Papers discuss curriculum and assessment, individual differences, innovation in teacher education, and the role of target language. The book documents the impressive development in research methods into early language learning and teaching. It is a valuable resource for future studies.


lamb abattoir in Western Australia. The first experiment was designed to optimise settings in relation to rate of pH decline post mortem. The second experiment was designed to investigate the eating quality and visual appearance effects of the optimal setting. In the first experiment, nine different settings were compared with a control using 60 lamb carcasses from each of 10 different consignments. The rate of pH × temperature decline was optimal with a pulse width of 2.5 ms and a current of 1.2 A.

In the second experiment, 80 lamb carcasses consisting of four carcasses from each of 20 consignments were examined for various eating quality parameters including sarcomere length, shear force, bloom colour and colour stability. Two of the lambs from each consignment were stimulated and two were not stimulated. Stimulation improved compliance with the Sheep Meat Eating Quality (SMEQ) pH × temperature 'window' for domestic and frozen product but not for long ship product. Colour was improved by electrical stimulation without changing colour stability. There was a small effect on sarcomere length and no effect of stimulation on shear force measured at day 1 and day 10 after slaughter.


An analytical model based on the yield line mechanism [1] has been proposed by the authors to predict the beam-web shear buckling and bottom-flange buckling in fire. This paper described the development of a component-based element considering both buckling phenomena at the beam-ends, based on this analytical model. The component-based buckling element consists of top springs and bottom springs, all of which are capable of dealing with loading-unloading-reloading cycles. This new component-based element has been implemented into the software Vulcan, adjacent to the existing component-based connection element. An example case using a single-span beam has been analysed in Vulcan. The modelling results have been validated against finite element modelling using ABAQUS, indicating that the newly developed component-based buckling element is of good accuracy to reflect the behaviour of local buckling phenomena. Comparison of the structural responses of the beams with and without the buckling element in Vulcan has been carried out. This comparison shows that with and without the buckling element does make a difference in the modelling results. This indicates the potential effects of the local buckling at beam ends on the connected joints and columns and on the entire frames at elevated temperatures.


In order to develop an economical production method of high Si steel sheet, 6%Si (by weight percent, unless specified otherwise) steel was prepared by a combined process of conventional casting and hot- and cold-rolling. Tension and nano-hardness tests and TEM analysis were carried out to examine the effects of ordered phases, Si-content, and testing temperature on cold workability. By optimizing the successive processes of casting, hot-rolling, heat treatment, and cold-rolling, 0.5 mm thick 6%Si steel sheet was successfully produced without crack formation. As Si content increased from 3% to 6%, core loss (W10/50) of the 0.5 mm thick Si steel sheet decreased from 1.36 W/kg to 0.89 W/kg.


BACKGROUND In spite of potential implications for anti‐aging therapy regarding the selection of the most suitable therapeutical method and potential perinterventional complications, cutaneous microcirculation of the aging hand in healthy individuals as well as in those with diabetes mellitus or peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) has never been evaluated. HYPOTHESIS Functional microcirculation of the dorsal hand differs between healthy individuals and individuals with diabetes or PAOD at the same age. MATERIALS AND METHODS Prospective controlled cohort study. One hundred ten individuals were allocated to group A (healthy individuals, n = 37), group B (diabetes mellitus, n = 36), and group C (PAOD, n = 37). Microcirculatory data were obtained using combined laser‐Doppler and photospectrometry. RESULTS Cutaneous oxygen saturation at the dorsal hand of healthy individuals was 11.1% higher than of those with diabetes mellitus (p = .04) and 18.8% higher than of those with PAOD (p = .001). Cutaneous capillary blood flow in participants with PAOD was 20% higher than in healthy individuals (p = .047). CONCLUSION This is the first study demonstrating that capillary microcirculation of the dorsal hand differs between healthy individuals and those with diabetes or PAOD of the same age. Further studies should explore whether ameliorating cutaneous tissue oxygen saturation could emerge as a viable antiaging strategy for elderly hands.


The identification of a casual agent in the so-called "idiopatic acute pancreatitis" is of great interest in relationship with the prognosis and the election of correct therapy. We have performed a duodenal drainage for the microscopic study of the bile, looking for cholesterol crystals and bilirrubinate's in a group of 19 patients with idiopatic acute pancreatitis. The results have been compared with a control group composed by 45 assymptomatic individuals. In the patients group drainage results were abnormal in 11 cases (57.9%) vs. 11.2% in the control group (difference statistically significant). In 4 of the 11 cases, a cholecystectomy was performed showing biliary pathology. Patients at follow-up were assymptomatic. Duodenal drainage is an easy method without risks that must be used always in idiopatic acute pancreatitis. It allows the diagnosis of microlithiasis and may help in the therapeutic indication of cholecystectomy.


Biocompatibility has been considered one of the most important items to validate a biomaterial for its application in human organisms. The present work evaluates the biocompatibility of a new biomembrane using in vivo assay in different animal species. The experiments to evaluate the cellular reaction were carried out through the implantation of the material into the subcutaneous tissue of animals and the results showed a good reaction of the host tissue without any signal of fibrosis or rejection. The cell adhesion experiments were done by means of the measure of the DNA content on the material surface after its implantation into the subcutaneous tissue of animals and the results showed a growing number of DNA that was proportional to the time of implantation. The healing process was evaluated using a dermal ulcer model and the results showed a good tissue repair resembling a physiologic process. The overall results presented here lead to the conclusion that this new biomembrane is a biocompatible material but more research must be done, as it is a new material desired for medical use.


Introduction For many years, chest-X-ray (CXR) has been used as a diagnostic tool to complement clinical diagnosis of bacteriologically negative tuberculosis (TB) cases. Increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was also used as laboratory surrogates to augment the diagnosis of bacteriological test negative TB cases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of CXR and ESR in comparison with geneXpert® for TB case notification among PLHIV in a resource-limited setting. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was carried out from February 1, 2018–January 31, 2019. During regular HIV-clinic visits, PLHIVs were assessed for TB using the National and WHO screening tool, and those with positive results were further evaluated using ESR, CXR and sputum for AFB and GeneXpert®. Patients were interviewed for demographic and clinical data using a standardized tool. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 21. Frequency, percentage, cross tabulation and proportion were used to describe variables of importance. Logistic regression was used to assess factors affecting CXR and ESR findings. Kappa was used to assess reliability, and a p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results A total of 384 patients with presumptive TB-HIV co-infection were included of which 165 (43.0%) were diagnosed to have TB, and 79 (53.3%) of these were confirmed by GeneXpert®, and the remaining 77 (46.7%) TB cases were diagnosed using clinical judgment, CXR and ESR. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of CXR were 67.9%, 77.3%, 43.8%, and 90.3%, and that of ESR were 49.4%, 55.1%, 22.1%, and 83.0%, respectively. The overall agreement between CXR and GeneXpert® was good with a kappa value of 0.38 while that of ESR and GeneXpert® was poor with a kappa value of 0.028. Conclusion CXR in diagnostic work of TB among PLHIV plays an unprecedented role while ESR has little clinical significance in the evaluation of TB.


Background

The increasing rates of cesarean sections (CS) in places with adequate access to health care is a global concern because they are related to higher rates of maternal and neonatal complications and do not provide a positive childbirth experience for women. The objective is to highlight the possibility of achieving CS rates acceptable by WHO standards, like Nordic countries, following evidence-based protocols in Brazil.

Methods

A cross-sectional study evaluated CS rates by Robson Groups for women who sought vaginal delivery in a private health practice in Brazil, comparing the rates with Swedish data. A collaborative practice with midwives and obstetrician, adopting evidence-based guidelines, was offered. The overall CS rate, CS rate by Robson group, contribution of each Robson group to the overall CS rate, clinical and non-clinical interventions and vaginal birth, pre-labor CS and intrapartum CS proportions were estimated. The expected CS rate for the population by the WHO c-model tool was calculated. The analysis used Microsoft EXCEL and the software "R Studio" (version 1.2.1335. 2009-2019).

Results

The overall CS rate was 15.1% (within the expected by the WHO c-model tool) in a population composed of 43.7% of women in Robson Group 1, 11.4% in Group 2 and 14.9% in Group 5, the greatest responsible for higher rates of CS, who altogether contributed to 75.4% of all cesarean sections.

Conclusions

Multidisciplinary care following evidence-based protocols, associated to a high motivation of both women and professionals of childbirth care for a vaginal route for delivery may lead to a significant and safe reduction of CS rates, obtaining better results even in contexts such as Brazil, where there is high medicalization of obstetric care and excess of CS.


Medication adherence is of utmost importance for many chronic conditions, regardless of the disease type. Engaging patients in self-tracking their medication is a big challenge. One way to potentially reduce this burden is to use reminders to promote wellness throughout all stages of life and improve medication adherence. Chatbots have proven effectiveness in triggering users to engage in certain activity, such as medication adherence. In this paper, we discuss "Roborto", a chatbot to create an engaging interactive and intelligent environment for patients and assist in positive lifestyle modification. We introduce a way for healthcare providers to track patients adherence and intervene whenever necessary. We describe the health, technical and behavioural approaches to the problem of medication non-adherence and propose a diagnostic and decision support tool. The proposed study will be implemented and validated through a pilot experiment with users to measure the efficacy of the proposed approach.


Background : Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is escalating in Asia. The present study aimed toinvestigate the prevalence of GERD symptoms as well as potential risk factors associated with GERD in residents in a rural area in Jakarta. Method : The study population consisted of subjects who aged 20 years or more and lived in rural area Kebon Bawang-Tanjung Priok, Jakarta. A self-administered questionnaire based on earlier validated questionnaire (GERDQ) was given. The questionnaire consisted of demographic characteristic, self and environment sanitary, social and past illness history, and the symptoms score for GERD. Total score for GERD's symptoms score was 18, with a score of at least 8 was considered to have symptomatic GERD. Results : The questionnaire was completed in 90 subjects. Of the 90 subjects, 12 (13.3%) had GERDQ score ≥ 8 which was the cut-off for definingpresence of GERD. On both univariate and multivariate analysis, age > 50 years old (OR = 6.33; 95% CI 1.1-35.6), handwashing habit before eating (OR = 6.93; 95% CI 1.1-43.8), and raw/tap water (OR = 10.28; 95% CI 0.8-130) were significantly associated with the presence of GERD. Conclusion : Prevalence of GERD was high (13.3%) in rural area in Jakarta. Age > 50 years old, handwashing habit before eating, and raw/tap waterwere risk factors for GERD in this population.


Introduction Global estimates of pesticide poisonings in agriculture are hard to find, although important for prevention. The reason is a poor registration of poisonings in especially middle- and low-income countries. WHO estimated 20–25.000.000 occupational pesticide poisonings around 1990 and a newer estimate from 2009 mentions 3–5.000.000 serious occupational poisonings per year. The number of poisonings varies between surveys, including our own from Bolivia, Nepal and Uganda depending on toxicity of pesticides used, spraying frequency and personal protection performed when spraying. Methods Surveys were identified through Pubmed and WebofScience and selected on the basis of titles, abstracts and full articles. Results Different surveys reports a varying number of self-reported pesticide poisonings from a few percent and up to more than 90% among farmers each year. The magnitude depends on the criterias used to define a poisoning such as 'one or more symptoms after spraying', 'the seriousness of symptoms', 'the need for medical treatment in connexion with a poisoning'. The fewest numbers are reported from high income countries and the highest from low income countries. Personal protective devices seems to be important for the experience of symptoms such as the use of boots, gloves, hat. Likewise hygienic factors such as changing clothes and bathing after spraying, eating and smoking during spraying operations, reading labels of use and maintenance of spraying equipment are of importance. Intergrated pest management as a preventive method can apart from increasing yields, also lower risk factors for poisonings and decrease the number of poisoning symptoms. Conclusion Pesticide poisonings must be counted in millions each year. Prevention is possible by banning the most toxic pesticides, secure availability of protective equipment and information on hygienic measures to perform when using pesticides. Integrated pest management gives solutions but must be politically promoted to stop the increasing pesticide use in traditional agriculture.


Aim: To compare the effectiveness of supervised exercise programme as proposed by Stasinopoulos and colleagues with home exercise programme as proposed by Pienimaki and his coworkers in the treatment of lateral elbow tendinopathy. Design : Controlled clinical trial. Setting : Physiotherapy and rehabilitation centre. Participants : This trial was carried out with 60 patients, who had lateral elbow tendinopathy. Intervention : Group A ( n = 30) had received supervised exercise programme, once per day for 4 weeks. Group B ( n = 30) was treated with home exercise programme four to six times daily for 8 weeks. Outcome measures : pain, using a visual analogue scale, function, using a visual analogue scale for elbow function and the pain-free grip strength. Patients were evaluated at baseline, at the end of treatment (week 12), and 3 months (week 24) after the end of treatment. Results : Both the supervised and home exercise programme were found to be significantly effective in the reduction of pain and in the improvement of functional status. The supervised exercise programme resulted in significantly different improvement in comparison to those who received home exercise programme. Conclusion : A specific supervised exercise programme is superior to a specific home exercise programme in reducing pain and improving function in patients with LET at the end of the treatment and at the 3 month follow-up. Further research is needed to confirm our results.


As the use of cost-effectiveness analysis with quality adjusted life years (QALY) as the outcome measure grows in policy use, a major unresolved issue is that of the monetary value to place on a QALY. This paper addresses this issue by estimating and discussing willingness to pay (WTP) estimates for a QALY in Sweden This paper uses all published estimates of the value of a statistical life since the year 2000, based on a Swedish population, to implicitly derive the WTP for a QALY. Based on 16 recently published estimates of the value of a statistical life (year 2000 or later) in Sweden, 11 papers explicitly stating that they estimate policy values of VSL are used to estimate the WTP for a QALY. Estimates range from 750,000 to 3,200,000 Swedish kronor (approx. €80,000 to €350,000) assuming a discount rate of 3%. Using the current government-recommended estimate of value of a statistical life produces a value of approx. 1.2 million Swedish kronor (€130,000) per QALY. There is significant variance in the WTP for a QALY based on conversions from value of statistical life estimates in Sweden. Still, using a discount rate of 3%, the range of estimates in this paper is higher compared to the current informal "thresholds" as discussed by Swedish government authorities.


The response of a model helicopter rotor blade to random excitation while in simulated forward flight is studied analytically and experimentally by means of an electromechanical apparatus. Generalized transfer functions are defined which relate steady-state responses in bending, flapping, and torsion modes to a sine input. Responses occur at the input and side-band frequencies. These transfer functions are then used along with excitation power spectra to predict the nonstationary time-averaged power spectrum of the response. Validity of the transfer function analysis is investigated by means of the electromechanical model which includes analog computer simulation of the interaction of blade deflections and aerodynamic load. Generalized transfer functions are measured for sinusoidal excitation. They are then used with measured excitation power spectra to predict the response, and the result is compared with measured response power spectra. Agreement is generally good for low advance ratio, but discrepancies diverge with increasing advance ratio.


: Lay theories of illness are a collection of lay people's knowledge, explanations, and attitudes toward a particular disease. Compared with medical professionals, lay people are more concerned with the pathogenic effects of psychological, family and social factors than biological factors. They choose diverse medical treatments rather than follow the standardized medical model; they are more willing to treat the disease experience as a special issue of personal life and develop a constructive understanding. The discrepancies between lay theories of illness and scientific medical theories can lower patient's satisfaction with medical care, trust in medical practitioners, and adherence to doctor's advice, thereby affecting treatment outcomes. It is believed that studying Chinese lay theories of illness, their impact on doctor-patient relationships and the social psychological mechanism thereof, in the context of the Chinese medical culture and medical system, will provide useful suggestions for reducing the current tension between doctors and patients in China.


We compared the seabird communities at two sites of the southern and northern shores of the Alboran Sea in the Western Mediterranean (Melilla and Adra respectively) during a whole year. Similarities and differences in environmental characteristics of the two study sites were caused by a set of geographical, physical and socio-economic human factors. Sampling was performed weekly during two-hour periods by counting seabirds crossing a given point of the coast. We found similarities in the composition and seasonality of the species between Melilla and Adra. However, there were differences between the two sites in the number of species and individuals, which were usually higher on the southern shore. In this area, seabirds depending on marine trophic resources were more abundant, whereas on the northern shore the most abundant seabird species were those whose feeding habits were not so dependent on sea resources.


Growth hormone is responsible for growth in childhood after the first one to two years, and its deficiency results in short stature. Use of GH has been restricted over the years, initially due to scarcity of supply (human pituitary GH), and thereafter due to expense of the drug (synthetic GH). In the UK, GH is licensed for the treatment of children with GHD,TS, PWS, CRI, and those born SGA who fail to catch up in growth. In some countries GH is used for other indications, and it is also used off-license in the UK for treatment of other conditions (primarily 'short stature syndromes'). Growth hormone plays an important role in determining peak bone mass in adolescence/early adulthood, and has an important metabolic role in adults. Growth hormone deficiency in adults leads to lack of energy, abnormal body composition (reduced lean mass, increased fat mass), adverse cardiovascular factors (elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, abnormal echocardiography, hypertension), and reduced insulin sensitivity. It is thus associated with reduced quality of life and increased cardiovascular risk.


Abstract

Every year outcomes from public examinations in the UK rise: politicians congratulate pupils on their hard earned achievement; the media questions whether this achievement is real; those responsible for administrating the examinations defend their standards; various subject councils and employers decry the failings of candidates with high grades; admissions officers from the elite universities report their struggle with the decrease in discrimination in grades achieved; and academics debate what it means to compare standards from one year to the next. The debate cannot be easily resolved because examination results are put to many purposes some of which are more suited to certain definitions of comparability than others. In procedural terms, however, it should be relatively straightforward to evaluate the strength of the evidence that is put forward on the comparability of standards against various definitions.

Broadly, solely in terms of discrimination, the statistical evidence in the maintenance of standards over time and between qualifications can be evaluated by reference to measures such as model fit, significance and effect size. An evaluation of the literature suggests that predictive statistical models, where employed in the maintenance of standards to meet definitions of cohort referencing, tend to be robust. Beyond discrimination, measures of performance standards are required to support inferences drawn from grades on what candidates can actually do. These are, and have been for many years, underpinned by processes reliant on human judgement. An evaluation of the literature suggests that judgement provides very weak evidence and is subject to unknown bias. The combination of statistical and judgemental evidence is poorly specified, has no theoretical basis and is therefore impossible to evaluate. If anything more than pure cohort referencing is required from public examinations in the UK there is clearly a need to explore models with a sound theoretical basis whose evidence can be evaluated in terms of model fit, significance and effect size.

The task of maintaining a performance standard can essentially be reduced under test theory to making comparisons between persons that are independent of the items on the basis of which these comparisons are made. Test theory however has been sparingly applied to comparability issues in UK public examinations. This study considers which test theory model would be most suited to the examinations in use in the UK, examines issues of model fit under frequentist and Bayesian frameworks, compares the results from different test equating methods and the practical issues of implementing a test equating design under the given constraints of the UK examination system.

To begin with the Rasch model and the One Parameter Logistic Model were fitted to operational data gathered from examinations in a range of subject domains where marking reliability would not be considered as a potential confound. In this framework the Rasch model requirement of a single discrimination parameter across items appeared overly restrictive. Further, potential issues with model fit were highlighted related to dimensionality, guessing and weak local independence. More complex models were therefore pursued under a Bayesian framework. The Posterior Predictive Model Checking Procedures and Deviance Information Criterion confirmed that a model which allowed discrimination to vary across items, such as the two-parameter Item Response Theory model, would produce better model predictions. Use of the Multi-Class Mixture Rasch Model suggested that multidimensionality due to a confounding speededness factor could result in misleading inferences being drawn from unidimensional models. The Testlet Response Theory model showed enhanced predictions where weak local independence was correctly specified; however it proved difficult to specify where this weak local independence was expected. When tests from one of the examinations particularly affected by speededness were equated OPLM proved more robust to the confounding speededness factor than the Rasch model.

A Post-equating Non-Equivalent Groups Design was then set up as an experiment using a set of relatively simple Science examinations and candidates at a later stage in their programme of study than those who would take the live examinations in order to understand some of the practical issues involved in equating designs. The study found that item parameters were not stable across samples due to context effects, school effects and maturity effects. These results were partly due to the scale of study, which, though small, still produced reasonably sensible outcomes. It is suggested that more care paid to the context of linking items, their underlying construct, and the sampling of schools would yield more robust results. Finally, a qualitative exploration of views related to test equating designs suggested that teachers, pupils and examiners would not reject the possibility of embedding equating items into live tests.

For examinations where marking reliability is not considered an issue the results reported here suggest that the use of test theory could provide a unified theoretical framework for the maintenance of standards in UK public examinations which would allow the strength of the evidence presented to be evaluated. This would represent a substantial improvement over the current situation in which no comprehensive or coherent evaluation can be made. The time and investment required, however, to introduce such a framework is also substantial. A suitable technical infrastructure is required as well as psychometric expertise. The alternative is to revert to an examinations system that is essentially cohort referenced and focuses on discrimination between candidates in any one year rather than attempting to quality assure, as it cannot do, performance standards from one year to the next.


Bioleaching has been demonstrated to be an effective technology for the removal of heavy metals and sludge dewaterability. Since bacteria gain nutrients by diffusion of soluble compounds, the insolubility of elemental sulfur may slow the growth of bacteria. Thus, it is very important to find an energy substance quickly become available to Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. This paper studies the improvement of sludge dewaterability and heavy metal removal with sodium thiosulfate as the source of energy for Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. Through orthogonal experiments with specific resistance to filtration (SRF) as the target index, four factors (FeSO4 dosage, Na2S2O3 dosage, sludge reflux ratio and sludge moisture content) were identified to be the important influencing parameters. The optimal conditions were: FeSO4 dosage, 8 g/L; Na2S2O3 dosage, 1.5 g/L; sludge reflux ratio, 30%; sludge moisture content, 97%. Results indicated that the SRF of the sludge decreased from 9.89 × 1012 to 1.03 × 1011 m/kg. The removal efficiencies of heavy metals Cu, Zn, Pb and Cr could reach 83%, 78%, 31% and 38% within 3 days, respectively. These results confirm the potential of sodium thiosulfate as an alternative energy substance in bioleaching to improve sludge dewaterability as well as removal of metals.


Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA sequences are found in the majority (90%) of cervical tumors, and in cell lines derived from them. The products of the viral E6 and E7 oncogenes inactivate those from the p53 and Rb tumor suppressor genes. The p53 protein controls the entrance to the cell cycle. When DNA damage occurs, p53 levels are increased, resulting in cell arrest. This allows cells to repair the damage before replication occurs. Cells without p53 (either mutated or absent) will replicate their unrepaired DNA, increasing their genomic instability. In cells from cervical cancer the E6 protein will induce degradation of p53, so continuous expression of viral oncogenes will lead to genomic instability, that in turn will increase the risk of acquiring new mutations that probably contribute to cancer development.


This article describes new micro-foundations for theorizing about executive compensation, drawing on the behavioral economics literature and based on a more realistic set of behavioral assumptions than those that have typically been made by agency theorists. We call these micro-foundations "behavioral agency theory." In contrast to the standard agency framework, which focuses on monitoring costs and incentive alignment, behavioral agency theory places agent performance at the center of the agency model, arguing that the interests of shareholders and their agents are most likely to be aligned if executives are motivated to perform to the best of their abilities. We develop a line of argument first advanced by Wiseman and Gomez-Mejia and put the case for a more general reassessment of the behavioral assumptions underpinning agency theory. A model of economic man predicated on bounded rationality is proposed, adopting Wiseman and Gomez-Mejia's assumptions about risk preferences, but incorporating new assumptions about time discounting, inequity aversion, and the trade-off between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. We argue that behavioral agency theory provides a better framework for theorizing about executive compensation, an enhanced theory of agent behavior, and an improved platform for making recommendations about the design of executive compensation plans.


This paper discusses under which circumstances and how configurational comparative methods (i.e. QCA) and statistical methods can be combined to provide tests for the 'quasi'-sufficiency of any given set of combination of causal conditions. When combined, QCA provides the ability to explore causal substitutability (i.e. multiple paths to a given outcome) and the ways in which many multiple causes interact with one another to produce effects, while the statistical elements can provide robust indications of the probable validity of postulated hypotheses. The potential utility of the mixed-method approach for analyzing political phenomena is demonstrated by applying it to cross-national data regarding party positions on European integration and party-based Euroscepticism in Western Europe. The findings show that oppositional stances to European integration are partly associated with non-governmental ideological fringe parties on both the left and right. The empirical example presented in this paper demonstrates that configurational methods can be successfully combined with statistical methods and supplement the QCA-framework by providing statistical tests of 'almost sufficient' claims. However, combining QCA with statistical methods can sometimes be problematic in middle-sized data analysis, especially as the latter usually cannot handle limited diversity (i.e. insufficient information) in the data and/or overtly complex relationships (i.e. having a large number of conjunctional conditions or interacting variables).


were at the time. The book generously records the American debt to British thoracic surgeons, who had earlier experience of war wounds and shows how much some of the American surgeons, particularly Snyder and Burford, contributed to our eventual knowledge. Contrary to the general belief, the American forces were not always supplied to the hilt and we are told that in August 1942 the 77th Evacuation Hospital landed in Britain with thoracic surgical equipment consisting only of one rib shears, two respitories, one trochar-equipment according to the 1918 establishment. This, however, was soon remedied. In general, the book will be of interest only to a small parfof the Profession-to the medical historian or the war surgeon. The problems of closed chest injury in civilian life tend to be different and since the war the development of positive pressure respiration has revolutionised things so that, inevitably, this book has little relevance to current practice. Although some of the chapters and statistics were of great interest to the reviewer, he was not attracted by the general style and was particularly disturbed by one chapter in which the chapter's author brashly ascribes most of the thoracic surgical st.ccess to his own brilliance and expel tise.


Although thalidomide (Thal) was initially used to treat multiple myeloma (MM) because of its known antiangiogenic effects, the mechanism of its anti-MM activity is unclear. These studies demonstrate clinical activity of Thal against MM that is refractory to conventional therapy and delineate mechanisms of anti-tumor activity of Thal and its potent analogs (immunomodulatory drugs [IMiDs]). Importantly, these agents act directly, by inducing apoptosis or G1 growth arrest, in MM cell lines and in patient MM cells that are resistant to melphalan, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone (Dex). Moreover, Thal and the IMiDs enhance the anti-MM activity of Dex and, conversely, are inhibited by interleukin 6. As for Dex, apoptotic signaling triggered by Thal and the IMiDs is associated with activation of related adhesion focal tyrosine kinase. These studies establish the framework for the development and testing of Thal and the IMiDs in a new treatment paradigm to target both the tumor cell and the microenvironment, overcome classical drug resistance, and achieve improved outcome in this presently incurable disease.


Recent breakthroughs in process mining research make it possible to discover, analyze, and improve business processes based on event data. Activities executed by people, machines, and software leave trails in so-called event logs. Events such as entering a customer order into SAP, checking in for a flight, changing the dosage for a patient, and rejecting a building permit have in common that they are all recorded by information systems. Over the last decade there has been a spectacular growth of data. Moreover, the digital universe and the physical universe are becoming more and more aligned. Therefore, business processes should be managed, supported, and improved based on event data rather than subjective opinions or obsolete experiences. The application of process mining in hundreds of organizations has shown that both managers and users tend to overestimate their knowledge of the processes they are involved in. Hence, process mining results can be viewed as X-rays showing what is really going on inside processes. Such X-rays can be used to diagnose problems and suggest proper treatment. The practical relevance of process mining and the interesting scientific challenges make process mining one of the "hot" topics in Business Process Management (BPM). This article provides an introduction to process mining by explaining the core concepts and discussing various applications of this emerging technology.


In a post-feminist age of gender equality, we tend to conflate the functions of 'soul-mate' and romantic life-partner (regardless of sexual orientation) into the same person : one's spouse / partner is ideally one's best friend. Consequently the intimacy of male friendship, witnessed so often in Shakespeare and elsewhere in the writings of Renaissance Humanism, often surprises us. Our first assumption is usually that there is something homosexual going on, whereas (so MacFaul asserts) there usually is not. Rather we should understand male intimacy in Humanist literature as homoerotic rather than homosexual.


The content of styrene units in nonhydrogenated and hydrogenated styrene-butadiene-styrene and styrene-isoprene-styrene triblock copolymers significantly influences product performance. A size exclusion chromatography method was developed to determine the average styrene content of triblock copolymers blended with tackifier in adhesives. A complete separation of the triblock copolymer from the other additives was realized with size exclusion chromatography. The peak area ratio of the UV and refraction index signals of the copolymers at the same effective elution volume was correlated to the average styrene unit content using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with commercial copolymers as standards. The obtained calibration curves showed good linearity for both the hydrogenated and nonhydrogenated styrene-butadiene-styrene and styrene-isoprene-styrene triblock copolymers (r = 0.974 for styrene contents of 19.3-46.3% for nonhydrogenated ones and r = 0.970 for the styrene contents of 23-58.2% for hydrogenated ones). For copolymer blends, the developed method provided more accurate average styrene unit contents than nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy provided. These results were validated using two known copolymer blends consisting of either styrene-isoprene-styrene or hydrogenated styrene-butadiene-styrene and a hydrocarbon tackifying resin as well as an unknown adhesive with styrene-butadiene-styrene and an aromatic tackifying resin. The methodology can be readily applied to styrene-containing polymers in blends such as poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene).


Abstract: This study adopts Oxford's (2017) definition of language learning strategies (LLS) framed by self‐regulation theory and explores the longitudinal development in the use of three second language (L2) writing strategies (global planning, local planning, L1‐to‐L2 translation) by Japanese university students as it interacts with cognitive, affective, and environmental variables. The study is innovative in its use of a comprehensive, theoretically supported definition of LLSs, a long observation period, and its use of an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. Mixed effects modeling, which provides the main statistical analysis, enabled us to simultaneously investigate the participants' strategy use at both group and individual level while relating these findings to the participants' emic data from a self‐regulation perspective. The results reveal that (a) developmental trajectories in LLS use were differentially affected by other cognitive and environmental factors at both group and individual level, (b) the self‐regulation perspective was useful in explaining the systematicity and individuality observed in the developing use of the three strategies, and (c) students' motivation related to study abroad experiences may be a key factor in understanding such trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]


This article gives a historical overview of a number of chemical practices carried out by the Ancient Egyptians and shows that beyond being purely empirical, in more than one instance their methods suggest an understanding of the rudiments of modern day chemistry. A close analysis of some of their preparations indicates that Ancient Egyptians were familiar with the principles of oxidation and reduction, could control the pH of a solution and were successful in preparing novel compounds through a controlled technology of chemical synthesis. In the latter endeavor it is shown that these Ancient people embraced the scientific method, preceding Aristotle's rejection in Ancient Greece of a purely deductive approach to scientific enquiry. Egyptian Blue, the only pigment synthesized by the Ancient Egyptians is also discussed, and attention is drawn to its potential future contributions to modern high-tech applications.


INTRODUCTION
Focal liver lesions (FLLs) are common on conventional ultrasound. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is highly accurate for differentiating between benign and malignant FLLs, with an accuracy comparable to that of contrast-enhanced CT and contrast-enhanced MRI. Notably, there is no evidence supporting the routine use of CEUS for evaluating benign and malignant FLLs in Switzerland. In this study, we assessed the use of CEUS in a clinical routine setting in a tertiary Swiss gastroenterology centre.

METHODS
We analysed all CEUS investigations performed on new or unclear FLLs in our department between November 2011 and March 2013. In all patients, the CEUS results (benign versus malignant FLLs) were compared with CT or MRI findings. To avoid interobserver variation, CEUS was performed by a single experienced gastroenterologist using one ultrasound device (Acuson Sequoia 512®, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). All patients were examined using the intravenous application of 1.5–2 ml Sonovue®. An FLL with arterial enhancement with wash-out in any vascular phase was defined as a malignant FLL. Malignant FLLs were confirmed by histology.

RESULTS
The study included 112 patients. None of them experienced side effects after injection of Sonovue®. The final diagnoses included malignant FLLs (n = 37) and benign FLLs (n = 75) that ranged in size from 7 to 120 mm. The biopsy-proven malignant FLLs (n = 37) included hepatocellular carcinoma, metastatic cancers, peripheral cholangiocarcinoma and primary B-cell lymphoma. CEUS correctly identified 36 out of 37 malignant FLLs, showing a sensitivity of 96–97.2% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 94.1–98.5%. In contrast, CT/MRI did not identify three metastatic cancers, one HCC, one peripheral cholangiocarcinoma and one primary lymphoma in the liver as malignant FLLs, resulting in a sensitivity of 80.6–80.9% and an NPV of 78.9–89.8%. All these malignant FLLs were correctly classified by CEUS.

CONCLUSIONS
In daily clinical practice, CEUS is a fast imaging tool which uses a renal-independent contrast agent and shows excellent accuracy for differentiating between malignant and benign FLLs in about five minutes. The use of CEUS helps to avoid false negative results from CT/MRI and improves sensitivity. CEUS should be the first diagnostic step for investigating new or unclear FLLs.


ABSTRACT J.M. Coetzee's post-millennial writing has been marked by new forms of inventiveness, formal risk-taking and narrative experimentation that have blurred the boundaries between fiction, autobiography and social commentary. Using the example of the novel Diary of a bad year (2007), it is argued that this latter fiction is exemplary of Edward Said's idea of "late style", accounting not only for Coetzee's surprising venture into explicit political commentary, but also his narrative minimalism. The paper looks carefully at the content and style of Coetzee's novel, contrasting its descriptive technique with earlier fictions.


The safeguard of health and the pursuit of improved living standards and quality of life are both key Italian and European issues. The Republic of Italy protects health as a basic right of the individual and in the interest of the community, and provides free medical care to the poor (Article 32 of the Italian Constitution). The State is responsible for planning and providing a uniform level of healthcare and assigns the necessary resources to Regions which have become the main tier of government of healthcare activities. Regions operate through a network of Aziende Sanitarie and Ospedaliere (hereafter "Healthcare Agencies" which are about 800 in Italy) which are required to comply with Italian and European legislation on public procurement. The current lack of funds, however, risks undermining the quality of the health service and requires a prompt solution that could be found in public procurement policies. Favouring professional buying and collaborative procurement could help reduce costs and allow further control over the performance of the contracts. Collaborative procurement started later in Italy, compared to other European countries, but the awareness of the need to develop aggregation and central purchasing bodies is presently growing. However, the number of contracting authorities seems to be too high to guarantee the professionalism which is necessary in the modern era. The need to save costs and expenditure in the Italian healthcare public sector has brought about the establishment of models of collaborative procurement organisations as well as of central purchasing bodies at national and regional levels. The Italian national central purchasing body (CONSIP S.p.A., acronym of Concessionaria Servizi Informatici Pubblici), entrusted with the tasks of entering agreements on behalf of other contracting authorities (as well as the Healthcare Agencies), will have to cooperate with a network of regional central purchasing bodies which should be created in the near future. The need to cooperate is also linked to the fact that prices obtained by the major Italian central purchasing body (CONSIP s.p.a) have become benchmarks for all other Italian public administrative bodies. This article highlights the main difficulties in undertaking collaborative procurement in Italy, within a wider European perspective. It is the result of a research project that focused on the wide - and not only Italian - problem of improving professional buying. This is aimed at obtaining savings in monetary and workforce terms to intensify control over the execution phase, thus assuring the safeguard of competition in that phase. The article, after dealing with the main difficulties in collaborative procurement such as the drawing of technical specifications when there is a lack of market knowledge, stresses the importance, not only for Italy, of defining qualitative selection criteria to check bidders' suitability, and proposes the use of penalty clauses, and other instruments in order to ensure quality in contract performance in the healthcare sector. In general, often after the award, the winner does not act correctly as indicated in the contract, and the public administration does not challenge this, accepting partial or less costly fulfilment, thereby effectively accepting an amendment to the subject matter of the contract. In Italy this, at times, reaches the level of bad faith, as the honest bidder considers in depth the costs implied in the contract, whereas the dishonest bidder wins the award with a very low offer, knowing that he will never be requested to perform exactly what was set out in the contract documents. This is true particularly in the Italian Healthcare system where non-compliance with the contract conditions throughout the whole procurement process arises due to inadequate contract conditions and the lack of control in the execution phase.


Whilst public participation is now accepted as an essential requirement of planning, there is limited literature which considers the effectiveness of participation in practice. In this study we focus on the perspectives of members of the public, and planners and policy makers in the island state of Malta, to identify (i) expectations of the participation process, (ii) the extent to which practices meet expectations, and (iii) ways in which participation practices could be rendered more effective. Five key areas of concern emerge: (a) lack of influence on decisions, (b) lack of professional ethics and expertise, (c) methods and techniques used, (d) the nature of information provision, and (e) local cultural influences. Results illustrate the inadequacy of present legal requirements for ensuring effective participation, and a related need for institutionalizing review mechanisms. Results also reveal tension between positivist views of planning as an expert discipline, and public expectations of democracy. Furthermore, the study provides wider insights into processes of assessment and evaluation.


A precast, prestressed concrete girder with circular web openings allows building service systems (mechanical, electrical, communications, and plumbing) to cross the girder line within the member's depth, reducing a building's floor-to-floor height and the overall height of the structure. These height reductions have the potential to improve the competitiveness of total precast concrete structures versus other types of building systems. The experimental program reported in this paper tested five full-scale inverted-tee girders with circular web openings to failure, to evaluate the openings' effect on girder behavior. The girders failed in a ductile manner due to diagonal cracking above the openings. The tested girders were designed using available recommendations in the existing literatures. It was observed that concrete fractured from tension zones around an opening, with cracks developing vetically towards the beam flanges. A beam would collapse when the cracks reached the flanges. In the present work, an analytical solution is developed for the load-deflection calculation of prestressed beam with web openings at any load stage. The solution assumes a trilinear deflection response characterized by the flexural cracking initiation, steel yielding, and ultimate capacity. Closed form expressions are presented for the case of simple beams subjected to four-points loading. These expressions are modified from present ACI code equations by incorporating appropriate laboratory determined coefficients in order to predict more precisely with some degree of conservativeness on flexural load-point deflection with any extent of uncracked, postcracked, and postyielded region along their spans. Accordingly, a simplified analysis procedure is developed by adopting a trilinear load-deflection response. The effectiveness of the simplified procedure is demonstrated by comparing its results to those of the analytical solution and the experimental values.


Calibration curve is a regression model used to predict the unknown concentrations of ana- lytes of interest based on the response of the instrument to the known standards. Some statistical analyses are required to choose the best model fitting to the experimental data and also evaluate the linearity and homoscedasticity of the calibration curve. Using an internal standard corrects for the loss of analyte during sample preparation and analysis provided that it is selected appropriately. After the best regression model is selected, the analytical method needs to be validated using quality control (QC) samples prepared and stored in the same temperature as intended for the study samples. Most of the international guidelines require that the parameters, including linearity, specificity, selectivity, accuracy, precision, lower limit of quantification (LLOQ), matrix effect and stability, be assessed during valida tion. Despite the highly regulated area, some challenges still exist regarding the validation of some analytical methods including methods when no analyte-free matrix is available.