The Revised National Plumbing Code of the Philippines of 1999 requires the use of and construction of septic tank basedfrom the provisions and specifications provided in the code. However, many septic tanks are incorrectly designed and improperly Constructed resulting to environmental contamination. Hence, this study developed a spreadsheet program for designing septic tank for residential dwelling units that would aid designers, engineers and master plumbers. The program was developed using MS Excel ® (Office Home and Student 2010 – Family Pack) as it is the most popular and widely used spreadsheet software. The program was evaluated by comparing its output with manual solution. The results indicated that the spreadsheet program can be developed to hasten the design of septic tank. It also provides sketch plans and bill of materials for the said plumbing structure. However, it is recommended to develop other septic design computer programs for apartment and other types of occupancy. Keywords - ICT, septic tank, plumbing, contamination, spreadsheet, software, program, R and D, Philippines


The distribution of magnetic field in the container is important for the polishing ability of a permanent magnet-type magnetic barrel finishing machine. Therefore, in this study, the magnetic field distribution was measured with different magnets arrangement. It is found that the polarity and strength of magnets on a magnet block greatly affect the distribution of magnetic field. Polishing experiments were done to investigate the polishing ability. The relationship between the magnetic field distribution and the polishing ability was discussed. As a result, it was concluded that strong magnetic field led to superior polishing ability.


Data were analyzed for a random sample of sixty-four juvenile participants who completed the program between January 1, 1977 and April, 1978 and a random sample of forty-seven juvenile participants who completed the program between May, 1978 and August, 1979. In order to assess program impact, all the juvenile participants are administered a pretest during the first JIP session and a posttest after the last session. Follow-up data on impact measures are collected six months after program completion. In addition, participants are asked to complete a one-page questionnaire assessing their participation at the completion of each of the seven JIP sessions. Analysis of the data indicates that the program positively affected family communication patterns, self-esteem levels and drug knowledge levels at follow-up. The follow-up data indicated that drug-related school system and drug-related criminal justice system contacts were significantly reduced. The data also indicated that there was a reduction in drug usage by regular users for selected drugs.


The current standard adaptive control algorithm was developed twenty years ago from field studies in 26 buildings across Europe. In the UK, the correlation between comfort temperature and measures of outside temperature was around 0.2. In this paper, we review the results of 1,081 surveys from 84 participants carried out in two buildings in the UK between 2017 and 2018. Results show significant but very low relationships between comfort temperature and measures of outside temperature. While the buildings were in free-running mode, participants exposed to similar environmental conditions felt consistently different. Some participants reported felling cold and other hot. These results lead to the assumption that sets of personal algorithms should be developed to control localised solutions.


AIMS To determine the role of formoterol in the treatment of children with bronchial asthma who are symptomatic despite regular use of inhaled corticosteroids. METHODS A randomised, double blind, parallel group, placebo controlled study to investigate the effects of inhaled formoterol (12 μg twice a day) in 32 children with moderate to severe bronchial asthma. The study consisted of two week run in periods and six week treatment periods, during both of which the patients continued their regular anti-inflammatory drugs. The efficacy parameters were symptom scores, bronchodilator use, daily peak expiratory flow rates (PEFR), methacholine hyper-reactivity, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), lung volumes, and airway conductance. RESULTS Formoterol treatment for six weeks decreased symptom scores, PEFR variability, and the number of rescue salbutamol doses, and increased morning and evening PEFR significantly. No adverse reactions were seen. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that inhaled formoterol is effective in controlling chronic asthma symptoms in children who are symptomatic despite regular use of inhaled corticosteroids.


Three different types of academic texts written by advanced learners of English were analysed to discover whether they differed from each other in terms of syntactic and lexical complexity. The writing tasks differed in formality and personal involvement. The results were in accordance with earlier studies on L2 writing, in that the most formal texts, the MA thesis conclusions, did not contain any more subordination than the less formal texts. By the same token, the thesis texts showed the longest clauses in the data, suggesting a strong reliance on complex phrases. Another feature previously discovered to characterize formal academic L2 writing, the proportion of general academic vocabulary, was also found in the present study to differentiate the formal thesis texts from the less formal text types.


A new dopamine analog, 6,7-dihydroxy-2-dimethylaminotetralin (TL-99), was compared to apomorphine in three tests of dopaminergic function in the central nervous system. The tests, performed on rats, included production of changes in locomotor activity (involving both presynaptic and postsynaptic receptors), inhibition of dopa accumulation (quantifying presynaptic receptor activity), and the rotation model (quantifying postsynaptic receptor activation). Apomorphine was efficacious at both presynaptic and postsynaptic receptors, whereas TL-99 was much more efficacious at the presynaptic receptor. This result indicates not only that differences exist between presynaptic and postsynaptic dopamine receptors, but also that these differences may be exploited in the design of selective dopamine agonists.


Freshwater ecosystems form unique environments with high biodiversity. However, freshwater biodiversity is increasingly threatened because of human activities, such as the ongoing climate change and land use alterations. To prevent the further decline in biodiversity, it is crucial to understand the factors that affect and modify biotic communities. For freshwater systems, information on the patterns and underlying mechanisms of biodiversity is still inadequate, which may complicate any conservation and management efforts.
Ecologists must often rely on different proxy variables in studies examining biodiversity-environment and biodiversity-space relationships due to difficulties in obtaining direct measures of numerous factors across large regions. Biodiversity patterns in streams have been shown to be structured by direct physical properties of the local habitat and by proxy features on the catchment and regional scales, but one problem has been related to only moderate explanatory power using such 'traditional environmental variables'. The goal of this thesis was to study biodiversity patterns in northern streams by introducing the use of geographical proxy variables of environmental features (i.e. geodiversity) and dispersal (i.e. different geographical distances). More precisely, the aims were to 1) examine the effects of local environmental and geographical variables on stream biodiversity; 2) investigate how environmental and spatial distance types between stream sites affect the variation of stream insect communities; 3) compare the relative roles of habitat-scale geodiversity measures and traditional in-stream variables in explaining stream macroinvertebrate biodiversity and; 4) examine how catchment-scale geodiversity contributes to the variation in stream biodiversity in a boreal region.
According to the results, traditional environmental variables contributed most to the variation in stream biodiversity. However, geographical proxies showed a clear usefulness in understanding biodiversity-environment relationships. It was demonstrated that physical distance measures describing dispersal routes also showed a notable role affecting community compositional variation between stream sites, implying that interesting patterns are shaped by dispersal processes in stream environments. Moreover, the results indicated that the geodiversity on local and catchment scales correlated with stream biodiversity, which underlines the value of geodiversity as a proxy to explain biodiversity variations in the freshwater realm. If further developed, similar proxy variables to those presented in this thesis could offer complementary insights to help explain the structuring of biodiversity patterns in streams. Finally, conservation efforts may also benefit from the identified cost-efficient proxy variables helping to understand the nuances in biodiversity variation.


Olivine-type lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) powders were synthesized applying three different methods: solid state reaction at high temperature, ultrasonic spray pyrolysis, and sonochemical treatment. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). Particle morphologies of the obtained powders were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that structural and microstructural parameters of this material were strongly dependent on the synthesis conditions. We present here the results obtained upon optimization of each procedure for designing this cathode material.


Pseudapocryptes lanceolatus (Bloch and Schneider) is a monomorphic protogynous hermaphrodite teleost that possesses ovotestis as gonadal unit of reproductive structure. At the onset of breeding season (i.e., June–July), the ovarian tissue is gradually differentiating into female-phased P. lanceolatus. At the same time, the pear-shaped crypt cells (a type of neuron) are frequently appeared at apical part of pseudostratified olfactory neuroepithelium of P. lanceolatus. The crypt neuron is characterized by the presence of sunken cilia and microvilli at the proximal region. The features of subcellular organelles are also explored in lieu of their probable functional significance. The nucleoplasm of mature crypt neuron shows chromatin granules having diameter: 15–25 nm. This cell undergoes neural apoptosis at the end of breeding phase (i.e., October–November). Fragmented chromatin fibers with numerous chromatin granules (diameter: 25–30 nm) in nucleoplasm and lysosomal diversity are the most notable characters of apoptotic crypt neuron. The large accumulation of heterochromatin chromatins in nucleoplasm is also marked under fluorescence microscope. The frequent presence of acetylcholinesterase-positive vesicles in axoplasm of crypt neurons is also a prime subcellular indicator for inhibition of neural transmission of olfactory signals. Therefore, it is concluded that the sex differentiation in P. lanceolatus and occurrence of crypt neuron in olfactory neuroepithelium are interrelated events during the reproductive period. Consequently, we hypothesized that the crypt neuron plays an active role in the implementation of unique reproductive strategy through recognition of pheromonal cues within the social organization of P. lanceolatus.


In the present work, the aqueous slurry containing 30 wt% solid aluminum particles was prepared, using paraffin oil and oleic acid dispersant and surface active agent respectively. The results showed that no obvious aluminum particle sediment was observed even after being kept it at room temperature in air up to 15 days. The hydrogen generator based on the reaction of the aluminum slurry and sodium hydroxide aqueous solution was manufactured and could supply a maximum hydrogen flow rate of 20 NL/min. The dew point of the hydrogen from the generator was lower than -40oC, indicating the high purity of the as-obtained hydrogen. As expected the X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the byproduct was bayerite.


The preparation of some new coordination compounds for cobalt (II), nikel (II), and copper (II) with Schiff base ligand derived from 4-Amino antipyrine, sulphadiazine and acetoacetanilide. Ligand (4- APSDA) were prepared and then react with metal salts in ethanol as asolvent in 1 : 1 ratio (metal : ligand). The complexes which have the general formula [MLCI.2H2O] where M = Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II). Ligand and its metal complexes were characterized using metal analysis by atomic absorption, infrared spectra, electronic spectra, 1 H NMR spectral studies, molar conductance and magnetic moment measurements. The measurements indicated that the ligand coordinate with the metal (II) ion in neutral tridentate manner through the azo methane nitrogen atoms, and oxygen group of the acetoacetanilide, stability constant of complexes were calculated by spectrophotometricaly. All the studies reveal a coordination six for the metals in all the complexes. Octahedral structures were suggested for metal complexes.


The kinematics and dynamics characteristics of Chinese medical massage manipulation, such as pressing, kneading, rolling and pushing are studied. Based on the results of this analysis, the serial mechanical arm with six rotational joints and the end actuator with 3-DOF parallel mechanism are selected, and a new type of hybrid massage robot is proposed. The kinematic equation of the robot is set up through the D-H transformation matrix in D-H coordinate system. The direct and inverse kinematic solutions of the mechanical arm are calculated. Through the introduction of the arm-shaped mark, the inverse solution becomes unique. This shows that this mechanical arm can be in good control. The virtual prototype of this mechanical arm is built by Pro/E, and it is input to ADAMS from Mechanical/Pro. The movement simulation of the virtual prototype shows that the kinematic equation of the robot is right and this kind of hybrid massage robot can simulate the massage manipulation with very well smooth movement characteristics.


ABSTRACT Primary care physicians play a central role in the process of providing a timely diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent reviews reported that their lack of knowledge and stigmatic beliefs about the disease are important barriers to providing an adequate diagnosis and even affect physicians' referral recommendations for help-seeking (HS). This topic however, has not been examined among medical students. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine Israeli medical students' HS recommendations for a person with AD, and their associations with knowledge about the disease and stigmatic beliefs, including agism and AD stigma. A convenience sample of 142 six-year medical students completed a structured questionnaire (60% female; mean age = 25.8). Overall, regarding nonprofessional sources, the vast majority of the participants stated they would recommend seeking help from close family members and friends. Regarding medical sources, almost all the participants recommended seeking help from family physicians and neurologists. Results showed that AD stigma mediated the relationship between knowledge about AD and HS recommendations. Our results stress the importance of investing efforts during the training and socialization phases of future clinicians in order to improve the timely diagnosis of AD, placing special attention on AD stigma.


Shoulder and centreline rumble strips are used on highways in the USA to prevent single-vehicle run-off-road and opposite direction crashes. Both rumble strip types have been shown to provide positive safety benefits on a variety of roadway types. The elevated in-vehicle sound and vibration levels produced by rumble strip patterns provide the alerting properties to warn drivers that their vehicles have left the intended travel lane. This study estimated a model of in-vehicle sound intensity, frequency, and duration using seemingly unrelated regression. The statistical model indicates that increasing the vehicle speed; rumble strip length, width, and groove depth; and using a milled versus a rolled rumble strip pattern, all increase the in-vehicle sound level relative to the ambient level. A rumble strip on the right-side of the travel lane; increasing the vehicle angle of departure; increasing the centre-to-centre spacing of the grooves; a concrete roadway surface; and a wet roadway surface, all decrease the in-vehicle sound relative to the ambient sound.


Although algorithm visualizations have become numerous, they still have not been successfully adapted into mainstream computer science education. Algorithm visualization systems need to better address pedagogical requirements for effective educational use. We discuss the relevance of several such requirements that are not supported in most systems. The combination of two existing algorithm visualization systems implements these requirements and thereby provides a rich testbed for future studies of effectiveness.


: This report described primary malignant melanoma of the maxilla in the region of the palate and gingiva, the two most common locations of oral melanoma. It fulfilled the three criteria for a primary lesion as described by Greene and others, that is, malignant melanoma was demonstrated in the oral mucosa by biopsy examination, intraepidermal activity was present, and melanoma was not present at any other site. Treatment consisted of partial maxillectomy and the immediate use of maxillofacial prosthetics to offer the patient the maximum comfort in early rehabilitation.


Hyssopus officinalis L.has been known as a culinary and medicinal herb for hundreds of years. The present study was designed to investigate the chemical composition, antimicrobial and free radical-scavenging activity of H.officinalis ethanolic extracts which is cultivated in Iran and has not been studied previously. Forty four compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The ethanolic extract of aerial parts of Hyssopus officinalis which is cultivated in Iran inhibited the growth of some of examined microorganisms including different kinds of bacteria. The highest antimicrobial activity was observed against Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa but the extract was inactive against the fungi, C.albicans and A.niger. The ethanolic extract of aerial parts of Hyssopus officinalis was evaluated as DPPH free-radical scavenger. The antioxidant potential of extract was evaluated by FRAP assay and its ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation was also determined by TBARS test in rat. In vivo evaluation of antioxidant effects of H.officinalis with these two methods showed that the extract of H.officinalis has a moderate ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation and has a moderate antioxidant power with all doses comparing to control (p<0.05).


A method for reconstructing 3D scene geometry from a set of projected shadows is presented. It is composed of two stages. First, the scene geometry is retrieved up to three scalar unknowns using only the information contained in the observed shadow edges on the image plane. Then, the three remaining unknowns are computed making use of the known depths at three points. This technique improves upon previous results in that it does not require the presence of a reference plane in the background. A mathematical analysis is presented using dual-space geometry, a formalism that provides adequate tools to carry out all the derivations in a compact and intuitive manner. A linear algorithm based on singular value decomposition (SVD) is presented leading to a closed form solution for reconstruction.


Deep learning has significantly advanced the state of the art in artificial intelligence, gaining wide popularity from both industry and academia. Special interest is around Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), which take inspiration from the hierarchical structure of the visual cortex, to form deep layers of convolutional operations, along with fully connected classifiers. Hardware implementations of these deep CNN architectures are challenged with memory bottlenecks that require many convolution and fully-connected layers demanding large amount of communication for parallel computation. Multi-core CPU based solutions have demonstrated their inadequacy for this problem due to the memory wall and low parallelism. Many-core GPU architectures show superior performance but they consume high power and also have memory constraints due to inconsistencies between cache and main memory. FPGA design solutions are also actively being explored, which allow implementing the memory hierarchy using embedded BlockRAM. This boosts the parallel use of shared memory elements between multiple processing units, avoiding data replicability and inconsistencies. This makes FPGAs potentially powerful solutions for real-time classification of CNNs. Both Altera and Xilinx have adopted OpenCL co-design framework from GPU for FPGA designs as a pseudo-automatic development solution. In this paper, a comprehensive evaluation and comparison of Altera and Xilinx OpenCL frameworks for a 5-layer deep CNN is presented. Hardware resources, temporal performance and the OpenCL architecture for CNNs are discussed. Xilinx demonstrates faster synthesis, better FPGA resource utilization and more compact boards. Altera provides multi-platforms tools, mature design community and better execution times.


Three large-scale concrete-filled FRP-steel composite circular tubes and a control steel tube were tested to investigate flexural behavior. The effects of FRP and composite with different types of FRP with various ultimate strains were investigated. The study demonstrated the important effect of FRP, and showed that the load-displacement curves of FRP-steel composite tube beams could be divided into four stages: elastic stage, plastic stage, hardening stage and residual stage. An additional decline stage was gained for multi-fiber with different ultimate strains and steel composite tube concrete beams. FRP could increase the ultimate bearing capacity and bring the hardening stage after steel tube yielding, and a certain degree of stiffness would be achieved to avoid the "zero stiffness". The composite of a variety of FRP could relax fracture failure for the FRP-steel composite steel concrete beams, realized the successive rupture of fiber in batches and changed the failure modes.


The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of graft fixation with a novel side graft holder for sequential or composite graft anastomosis in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Records of 34 patients who underwent CABG using sequential or composite graft anastomosis technique were reviewed. The device was used on 47 anastomoses (sequential=43; composite graft=4). Excellent fixation and visualization of the graft was obtained in all patients without graft injury. Postoperative angiographic patency rate of distal anastomoses was 95.2% (arterial, 91.2%; venous, 96.7%). All sequential and composite graft anastomoses were patent and without stenosis. One operative death occurred due to low cardiac output after emergent CABG for acute myocardial infarction. No elective patient died during hospitalization. Postoperative complications occurred in two patients (ventricular fibrillation, 1; postoperative catheter intervention, 1). No perioperative myocardial infarctions or re-operations occurred. Our clinical experience shows that graft fixation with the device is safe, reliable, and effective for sequential and composite graft anastomosis during CABG.


Genomic data repositories like The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE), Bioconductor's AnnotationHub and ExperimentHub etc., provide public access to large amounts of genomic data as flat files. Researchers often download a subset of files data from these repositories to perform their data analysis. As these data repositories become larger, researchers often face bottlenecks in their exploratory data analysis. Based on the concepts of a NoDB paradigm, we developed epivizFileServer, a Python library that implements an in-situ data query system for local or remotely hosted indexed genomic files, not only for visualization but also data manipulation. The File Server library decouples data from analysis workflows and provides an abstract interface to define computations independent of the location, format or structure of the file.


This article draws on critical feminist methodologies and approaches to focus on hypermasculinist violence against marginalized populations—specifically women—in the geopolitical peripheries of modern nation-states. It treats Assam, one of the eight states of Northeast India, as a textbook case, lending itself to a gendered study of hierarchical, hypermasculinized structures in hegemonic postcolonial nation-states. Basing its analysis on the portrayal of women's bodies in Parag Das's Sanglot Fenla— one of the most iconic Axamiyā novels written against the backdrop of insurgency and independentist violence in Assam—it discusses themes of postcolonial masculinities, relational marginalization, and the mutation of gendered relations in the context of ethnonationalist conflicts. At the same time, it also examines how the novel shows a way forward toward resistance and reclamation of power by marginalized entities, particularly women. Underscoring the article's critical analysis of the role of women (and other marginalized constituencies) in violent conflicts are the theoretical assumptions of literature as witness and the writer as chronicler.


Calcareous nannoplankton underwent devastating diversity loss at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (65.5 Ma), but recovered rapidly in the early Paleocene from a small number of survivor species. An understanding of this survivorship has been hampered by uncertainties introduced by reworking and mixing, but new high-resolution assemblage data from the northwest Pacific (Shatsky Rise, Ocean Drilling Program Site 1210) allow the unequivocal identification of 10 survivors. Evidence of shared adaptive strategies among these species provides the first indication that the extinctions were selective, with survival limited to a few neritic and/or opportunistic species, probably facilitated by hardiness and/or life-cycle escape strategies. © 2005 Geological Society of America.


Haldane's rule of speciation states that sterility or inviability affects the heterogametic sex of inter-species hybrids. Darwin's corollary to Haldane's rule implies that there are asymmetric phenotypes in inter-species hybrids from reciprocal crosses. Studying the phenotypes of F1 hybrids among closely related species of malaria mosquitoes can assist researchers in identifying the genetic factors and molecular mechanisms of speciation. To characterize phenotypes of sterile hybrid males in the Anopheles gambiae complex, we performed crosses between laboratory strains of An. merus and either An. gambiae or An. coluzzii. The reproductive tracts had normal external morphology in hybrid males from crosses between female An. merus and male An. gambiae or An. coluzzii. Despite being sterile, these males could copulate with females for a normal period of time and could transfer a mating plug to induce female oviposition and monogamy. In contrast, the entire reproductive tracts in hybrid males from crosses between female An. gambiae or An. coluzzii and male An. merus were severely underdeveloped. These males had atrophic testes and reduced somatic organs of the reproductive system including male accessary glands and ejaculatory duct. In addition, hybrid males with underdeveloped reproductive tracts displayed a shorter copulation time with females and failed to induce female oviposition and monogamy due to their inability to form and transfer a plug to females during mating. The asymmetry of the phenotypes associated with hybrid male sterility suggests that different genetic factors and molecular mechanisms are responsible for reproductive isolation in reciprocal crosses among species of the An. gambiae complex.


Background: Production of inflammatory cytokines by mesenteric adipose tissue (MAT) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Animal models of colitis have demonstrated inflammatory changes within MAT, but it is unclear if these changes occur in isolation or as part of a systemic adipose tissue response. It is also unknown what cell types are responsible for cytokine production within MAT. The present study was designed to determine whether cytokine production by MAT during experimental colitis is depot-specific, and also to identify the source of cytokine production within MAT. Methods: Experimental colitis was induced in 6-month-old C57BL/6 mice by administration of dextran sulfate sodium (2% in drinking water) for up to 5 days. The induction of cytokine mRNA within various adipose tissues, including mesenteric, epididymal, and subcutaneous, was analyzed by qRT-PCR. These adipose tissues were also examined for histological evidence of inflammation. The level of cytokine mRNA during acute colitis was compared between mature mesenteric adipocytes, mesenteric stromal vascular fraction (SVF), and mesenteric lymph nodes. Results: During acute colitis, MAT exhibited an increased presence of infiltrating mononuclear cells and fibrotic structures, as well as decreased adipocyte size. The mRNA levels of TNF- a , IL-1 b , and IL-6 were significantly increased in MAT but not other adipose tissue depots. Within the MAT, induction of these cytokines was observed mainly in the SVF. Conclusions: Acute experimental colitis causes a strong site-specific inflammatory response within MAT, which is mediated by cells of the SVF, rather than mature adipocytes or mesenteric lymph nodes.


The Ca2+-induced expression of the primary response genes egr-1 and c-fos was investigated in the murine erythroleukaemia cell line ELM-I-1. Exposure of the cells to the Ca2+-ionophore A23187 led to a rapid transient rise in egr-1 and c-fos mRNA production followed by an increase in Egr-1 and c-Fos protein levels as well as an increase in Egr-1 and activator protein 1 (AP-1) DNA-binding activity. Preincubation of the cells with KN-62, a specific inhibitor of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases, strongly decreased the Ca2+-mediated expression of egr-1 and c-fos. In contrast, treatment with cyclosporin A, which inhibits the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase 2B or calcineurin, increased both egr-1 and c-fos mRNA production and the DNA-binding activity of the Egr-1 and AP-1 transcription factors in response to the intracellular Ca+ concentration ([Ca2+]i)-increasing agents A23187 or cyclopiazonic acid. Enhancement of the Ca2+-induced c-fos and egr-1 expression by cyclosporin A was correlated with the capability of this agent to inhibit calcineurin phosphatase activity in ELM-I-1 cells. Studies on the phosphorylation state and DNA-binding activity of the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) did not demonstrate an early Ca2+-dependent activation of this transcription factor, suggesting that the regulation of c-fos and egr-1 expression by Ca2+ is not linked to CREB in the haematopoietic ELM-I-1 cells. The results indicate that calcineurin exerts negative regulatory effects on both egr-1 and c-fos expression in murine erythroleukaemia cells, in addition to the calcineurin-mediated down-regulation of c-myb expression observed previously in this cell system. This study therefore emphasizes the important role of calcineurin as a negative modulator of gene expression in certain cell types.


This paper presents a 3-dimentional numerical study with CFX software on physical field in rotary kiln with multi-air channel coal burner. The effects of some parameters on flame feature and temperature profile were conducted, which provides reference for optimal operation and design of the multi-air coal burner. A thermal measurement was conducted on an industrial rotary kiln with a length of 90 meters and an inner diameter of 4.5 meters with four-air channel coal burner to obtain the operational conditions and to validate the simulation predictions. The computational result shows that velocity profile near the burner exit is saddle-like. Little central airflow can avoid coal backing up. It was also found that the four-channel coal burner has a good adaptability for the volatiles and size of the coal. Generally, for anthracite coal, average coal size should be limited within 60 micron, and for bituminous coal, an active flame still can be obtained even when the coal size is 86.4 micron.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the intratester reliability of joint torque testing with a hand-held dynamometer (HHD) during contractions of four major lower extremity muscles in children with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) and to compare results for children with JCA to results for children without disability.

METHODS
Eleven children with JCA and 14 children with normal musculoskeletal function were tested with a HHD using isometric muscle contractions of the right quadriceps, hamstrings, tibialis anterior and triceps surae.

RESULTS
Intratester reliability values exceeded the 0.92 level, regardless of the number of trials, for all motions tested. Statistically lower joint torque values were found in a subgroup of children with JCA for contractions of the tibialis anterior (p=0.003) and triceps surae (p=0.05) muscles.

CONCLUSIONS
HHD offers a reliable means of testing the joint torque generated with contraction of these lower extremity muscles in children with JCA. Findings in children with JCA compared to children without disability agree with previous reports concerning quadriceps muscle function, but also point to concerns for muscles associated with generating ankle joint torque.


Occasionally, developers need to ensure that the compiler treats their code in a specific way that is only visible by inspecting intermediate or final compilation artifacts. This is particularly common with carefully crafted compositional libraries, where certain usage patterns are expected to trigger an intricate sequence of compiler optimizations -- stream fusion is a well-known example.
The developer of such a library has to manually inspect build artifacts and check for the expected properties. Because this is too tedious to do often, it will likely go unnoticed if the property is broken by a change to the library code, its dependencies or the compiler. The lack of automation has led to released versions of such libraries breaking their documented promises.
This indicates that there is an unrecognized need for a new testing paradigm, inspection testing, where the programmer declaratively describes non-functional properties of an compilation artifact and the compiler checks these properties. We define inspection testing abstractly, implement it in the context of Haskell and show that it increases the quality of such libraries.


In the current work ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Ziziphus spina-christi leaves were investigated for their phytochemical and antibacterial activity. Phytochemical screening was conducted using standard qualitative methods and the antibacterial activity was investigated using disc diffusion method. The microorganisms employed were six pathogenic bacteria; three Gram -positive: Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC1026), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC19659) and Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC29212); and three Gram -negative: Salmonella typhi (ATCC14038), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC15442) and Escherichia coli (ATCC10536). Phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenolics, terpenoids and tanins in ethanol extratct. Aqueous extract showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and tanins. Both extracts demonstrated varying levels of activity against Gram -positive bacteria, whereas all Gram -negative bacteria completely resistance to the extracts. Ethanol extract dominated aqueous extract in inhibiting the growth of the pathogenic bacteria under study. Highest antibacterial activity was observed with ethanol extract against S. aureus (18.1 mm), while minimum activity was observed with aqueous extract against B. subtilis (13.3 mm). The findings of this study indicated that the leaves of Z. spina-christi possess various secondary metabolites having the potential for the developing pharmaceutical drugs, especially antibacterial ones.


The research concerned assessment of the respiratory function and function of the respiratory muscles of women in the third trimester of pregnancy in terms of the level of their physical activity. Using the ATS/ERS assessment criterion, there was no lung ventilation disorder in the studied groups of women. The results of the study indicate that in women who were more active, the values of all measured functional parameters of the respiratory system were higher. In almost all women, irrespective of the level of physical activity, the strength of the inspiratory muscles was found to decrease. The majority of surveyed women undertook physical activity in the form of walking with varying frequency during the week, but only a few of them had undertaken a more intense physical effort. Pregnant women frequently do not undertake more demanding activities due to concerns about the child.


Coercive Diplomacy in U.S. Foreign Policy Coercive diplomacy is the use of military power short of war to effect a change in a target country's policies or political makeup. This includes positive inducements as well as negative sanctions (a carrot as well as a stick, although the carrot should be dangled only after the stick has been vigorously brandished). As the studies in The United States and Coercive Diplomacy, edited by Robert J. Art and Patrick M. Cronin (United States Institute of Peace Press, Washington, DC, 2003), demonstrate, coercive diplomacy is a difficult endeavor with a low success rate. Often, it is the last step before resorting to force. The book's table of contents reads like today's newspaper. Case studies examine U.S. attempts to employ coercive diplomacy between 1990 and 2001 in the Balkans, Somalia, Haiti, North Korea, China-Taiwan, and Iraq. The authors of the studies are experts in their subject, and several were involved in the cases they examined. Two theoretical essays about the nature and utility of coercive diplomacy bracket the seven case studies. Alexander George, who developed the concept of coercive diplomacy, contributes a foreword. His expertise on the subject is so significant that all the essays defer to his pioneering work. An Alternative to War In the introduction, Art and Cronin explain: "The need to back U.S. diplomacy with force will not go away; consequently, political-military coercion short of all-out war will remain a highly attractive option to U.S. leaders. Therefore, these leaders need to understand what coercive diplomacy can and cannot accomplish." Although coercive diplomacy is an alternative to war, it is a risky way to use military force. Failed coercive diplomacy leaves a state with only two options: back down or go to war. The worst situation to be in is attempting coercive diplomacy when the other side has a much higher stake in the outcome than you do. Coercive diplomacy is particularly difficult in humanitarian interventions. Art and Cronin list eight elements in coercive diplomacy, two of which are essential to success: the opponent's fear of unacceptable escalation and the coercer's stronger will to prevail. The paradox is that it is often difficult to communicate the coercer's resolve without actually going to war. The editors also warn that military superiority is no guarantee of success, as was demonstrated in Somalia in 1993. To evaluate the success of U.S. coercive diplomacy, the editors reorganized the 7 case studies into 16 cases. They find five successes, eight failures, two mixed results, and one case wherein the relation between coercion and result is ambiguous. Two of the failures led to war (Iraq [1990-1991] and Afghanistan [2001]). In two cases (North Korea [1994] and China [1996]), the coercion was mutual, and neither situation is more stable now than before. Mixed Results in the Taiwan Strait Possibly the most interesting of the cases was the crisis in the Taiwan Strait during the run-up to Taiwan's first free presidential election in March 1996. …


This article focuses on the Israeli politicization of the Armenian genocide from the perspective of foreign policy. Since the early 1980s Israel's official position has been to not recognize the Armenian genocide. The issue of recognition came to the surface in 1982 after Turkey put pressure on Israel to cancel a Holocaust and genocide conference. This article shows that Israel agreed to pressure the conference organizers to cancel the conference in order to secure protection for Jews fleeing Iran and Syria through the Turkish border. This article also explores the role of informal ambassadors in shaping Israel's position on this issue. Using recently declassified archival documents and oral interviews with key Israeli stakeholders, this is the first investigation into the role of informal ambassadors, specifically the Jewish minority in Turkey, and the American Jewish pro-Israeli lobby. The article also addresses a secondary incentive for Israel's refusal to recognize the genocide: ethnic competition between Jews and Armenians as victims of genocide.


This paper investigates the relationship between the cost of producing wheat and the size of the wheat enterprise on farms in the Boolooroo Shire of New South Wales. The impact of seasonal variation and new technology on the cost/size relationship is also examined. The estimated longrun cost functions suggest that significant cost economies may be achieved as the area sown to wheat on a farm in the region concerned is increased to approximately 1,000 acres.


The coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi constitutes a key player of global carbon cycling and its massive algal blooms are frequently terminated by viruses. Thus, the alga is an attractive target for investigations in the context of its ecological role or mechanisms of viral infection, which I addressed by metabolic analysis. Comparative metabolic profiling revealed a unique metabolic composition for both the diploid and haploid life phase. Further, the growth stage of cells influences the metabolic composition, since I observed changes in intensities of specific metabolic classes during growth. For example carbohydrates as mannitol showed highest concentrations in the exponential phase, whereas fatty acids were correlated with the stationary and sterols with the declining phase. A mesocosm study confirmed the complexity of phytoplankton metabolism. Changes in metabolic profiles could partly be tracked back to the plankton group contributing the metabolite and carbon dioxide and iron manipulation affected metabolic profiles. Metabolomic analysis of E. huxleyi infected by a lytic or non-lytic virus aimed to shed light at the hitherto poorly understood processes leading to host cell lysis. A profound rewiring of host metabolism started with changes in energy shuffling facilitating fatty acid production. The importance of fatty acid biosynthesis is reflected in a dose-dependent reduction in viral release, if the pathway was inhibited. Further, specific inhibition of the mevalonate branch of terpene and sterol biosynthesis strongly reducing viral release and the presence of epibrassicasterol, the dominant host sterol, in virion membranes pointed at the pivotal role of this pathway during lytic infection. These results indicate the metabolic variability of E. huxleyi and the tremendous role of the lipid metabolic machinery during both regular cell cycling and lytic viral infection.


The effect of variations in H2 concentrations on methanogenesis from the non-competitive substrates methanol and methylamine (used by methanogens but not by sulfate reducers) was investigated in methanogenic marine sediments. Imposed variations in sulfate concentration and temperature were used to drive systematic variations in pore water H2 concentrations. Specifically, increasing sulfate concentrations and decreasing temperatures both resulted in decreasing H2 concentrations. The ratio of CO2 and CH4 produced from 14C-labelled methylamine and methanol showed a direct correlation with the H2 concentration, independent of the treatment, with lower H2 concentrations resulting in a shift towards CO2. We conclude that this correlation is driven by production of H2 by methylotrophic methanogens, followed by loss to the environment with a magnitude dependent on the extracellular H2 concentrations maintained by hydrogenotrophic methanogens (in the case of the temperature experiment) or sulfate reducers (in the case of the sulfate experiment). Under sulfate-free conditions, the loss of reducing power as H2 flux out of the cell represents a loss of energy for the methylotrophic methanogens while, in the presence of sulfate, it results in a favourable free energy yield. Thus, hydrogen leakage might conceivably be beneficial for methanogens in marine sediments dominated by sulfate reduction. In low-sulfate systems such as methanogenic marine or freshwater sediments it is clearly detrimental--an adverse consequence of possessing a hydrogenase that is subject to externally imposed control by pore water H2 concentrations. H2 leakage in methanogens may explain the apparent exclusion of acetoclastic methanogenesis in sediments dominated by sulfate reduction.


Ideals of masculinity and femininity may limit South African women's decision making power in relationships and increase their risk of HIV infection. We conducted 30 in-depth interviews with 18–24-year-old women in inner-city Johannesburg with the aim of understanding young women's expectations of intimate relationships with men, their perceptions of gender and power and how this influences HIV risk. We found that the majority of young women reported expectations of power in relationships that conform to a model of femininity marked by financial independence, freedom to make decisions, including over sexuality, and equality (resistant femininity). The majority of young women, however, were in relationships marked by intimate partner violence, infidelity or lack of condom use. In spite of this, more young women who subscribed to a resistant model of femininity were in less risky relationships than young women who subscribed to acquiescent models, in which power was vested in their male partners. Further, young women who subscribed to resistant femininity had more education than women who subscribed to an acquiescent model. The disconnect between expectations of relationships and young women's lived realities emphasises the need for structural changes that afford women greater economic and thus decision making power.


The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) for gastrointestinal disorders in term and preterm infants. Eligible studies were searched on PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, Cinahl, and PEDro. Two reviewers independently assessed if the studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective studies with OMT compared with any kind of control in term or preterm infants to improve gastrointestinal disorders. Nine articles met the eligibility criteria, investigating OMT compared with no intervention, five involving term infants, and the remaining treating preterm infants. Five studies showed low risk of bias. In the meta-analysis, two studies were included to analyze the hours of crying due to infantile colic, showing statistically significant results (ES = −2.46 [−3.05, −1.87]; p < 0.00001). The quality of evidence was "moderate". The other outcomes, such as time to oral feeding, meconium excretion, weight gain, and sucking, were presented in a qualitative synthesis. OMT was substantially safe, and showed efficacy in some cases, but the conflicting evidence and lack of high-quality replication studies prevent generalization. High-quality RCTs are recommended to produce better-quality evidence.


Three major issues of Benedetto Croce's view of political economy are discussed. 1) The role of history vs. natural order (or equilibrium) in the economic discourse: the belief in a natural order, ensured by the market's capacity for self-regulation, introduces a determinist element into the analysis and suggests that the normal state of the economic system is equilibrium. 2) The reduction of political economy to economics: i.e. the shift from a science conceived and discussed using ordinary language to a tecnique conceived and expressed in mathematical form. 3) The so-called marxian law of a falling rate of profit, which is not - as Croce maintains - a determinist law.


This paper analyzes the implications of effective taxation of labor for profits and, hence, the location decision of a multinational enterprise. We set up a stylized partial equilibrium model and, presuming that worker effort is a function of net wages, assume that a higher employee-borne tax burden reduces effort. In turn, this raises a firm's production costs and reduces efficiency. Accordingly, we show that a higher employee-borne income tax negatively influences a multinational's profit by reducing manager effort. Furthermore, we compile data on personal income tax profiles for 49 economies and the year 2002. We decompose tax profiles into the component borne by employers and that borne by employees. We then determine effective tax rates for employees across four centiles of the distribution of gross wages: 33, 100, 167, and 500 percent of the average, following the OECD's Taxing Wages Approach. Apart from describing features of the personal income tax data, we use them to shed light on their role for bilateral foreign direct investment (FDI) stocks among the economies considered. Not surprisingly, personal income tax rates turn out relatively less important than profit tax rates for bilateral FDI stocks. The employee-borne part of labor taxes determines bilateral FDI significantly different from zero: both a higher employee-borne tax rate on average wages and, in particular, an increase in the progression from the average wage to five times the average wage is less conducive to headquarters location and, hence, reduces a country's bilateral outward FDI stocks.


The article deals with a historical retrospective of the emergence of social entrepreneurship. Approaches to the definition of the concept of "social entrepreneurship" are given and characterized. They are broad, combined, and problem-oriented. According to a study by The Possibilists, today businessmen from 138 countries are not motivated to start a business for their own needs and desires, they are motivated by the goal of improving the lives of others globally and locally. This is a huge paradigm shift in the cause of business that the world is living in right now. This change can be accelerated by crisis factors, which, unfortunately, occur in society.The article also analyzes the impact of the war in Ukraine on the development of social entrepreneurship. Often in our country, social entrepreneurship exists as a volunteer or charitable organization that has limited resources. Sometimes they are created in combination with business approaches and give a more sustainable effect. The legalization of the term "social entrepreneurship" has been analyzed. In Ukraine, there are false statements about it that need to be clarified.The authors' definition of the essence of the category "social entrepreneurship" is presented. The main activities of social enterprises are listed and examples are given. The key differences between social entrepreneurship, charity, and traditional business are revealed. The characteristics of organizations engaged in social entrepreneurship are given. Current trends in the development of foreign social entrepreneurship are identified. The dynamics of the number of social enterprises in Ukraine are analyzed and the main organizational and legal forms of functioning of social enterprises in Ukraine are presented. The current problems and obstacles in social entrepreneurship are given, and the directions promoting the development of social business are defined.


In recent years membrane separation technology has found increasing appli cation in the treatment of industrial effluent streams. Many wastewater and waste air treatment procedures today involve collection of many streams and treatment of the combined stream with conventional technology (e.g., precipitation, filtration, biological treatment, adsorption) . How ever as discharge regulations are changed and the allowable maximum conta minant levels are reduced for many potentially hazardous chemicals, these treatment practices must be modified. Hazardous chemicals must be removed at the generation source, thereby allowing for r' ecycle or reuse of the chemicals in the process. Membrane processes, will be ideal for many of these point-of-generation treatment systems. Membrane processes have seve ral advantages over conventional technology for this application, inclu ding the following. 1.) Membrane systems have simple designs. 2. ) Membrane systems are modular in nature, making expansion of systems easy. 3.) Membrane systems often use less energy than conventional treatment systems. 4.) Membrane systems have potentially lower capital and operating costs than conventional treatment systems.


Memory-based heuristics are a popular and effective class of admissible heuristic functions. However, corruptions to memory they use may cause these heuristics to become inadmissible. Corruption can be caused by the physical environment due to radiation and network errors, or it can be introduced voluntarily in order to decrease energy consumption. We introduce memory error correction schemes that do not require additional memory and exploit knowledge about the behavior of consistent heuristics. This is in contrast with error correcting code approaches which can limit the amount of corruption but at the cost of additional energy and memory consumption. Search algorithms using our methods are guaranteed to find a solution if one exists and its suboptimality is bounded. Moreover, our methods are resilient to any number of memory errors that may occur. An experimental evaluation is also provided to demonstrate the applicability of our approach.


In the digital age, access to data sought in the framework of a criminal investigation often entails the exercise of prosecuting powers over individuals and material that fall under another jurisdiction. Mutual legal assistance treaties, and the European Investigation Order allow for the lawful collection of electronic information in cross-border proceedings. These instruments rely on formal judicial cooperation between competent authorities in the different countries concerned by the investigative measure. By subjecting foreign actors' requests for data to domestic independent judicial scrutiny, they guarantee that the information sought during an investigation is lawfully obtained and admissible in court. At the same time, pressure is mounting within the EU and in the US to allow law enforcement authorities' access to data outside existing judicial cooperation channels. Initiatives such as the European Commission's proposals on electronic evidence and the CLOUD Act in the US foster a model of direct private–public crossborder cooperation under which service providers receive, assess and respond directly to a foreign law enforcement order to produce or preserve electronic information. This paper scrutinises these recent EU and US initiatives in light of the fundamental rights standards, rule of law touchstones, and secondary norms that, in the EU legal system, must be observed to ensure the lawful collection and exchange of data for criminal justice purposes. A series of doubts are raised as to the Commission e-evidence proposal and the CLOUD Act's compatibility with the legality, necessity and proportionality benchmarks provided under EU primary and secondary law.


Abstract. We prove here that the intuitionistic theory T0↾ + UMIDN. or even EETJ↾ + UMIDN, of Explicit Mathematics has the strength of –CA0. In Section 1 we give a double-negation translation for the classical second-order μ-calculus, which was shown in [Mö02] to have the strength of –CA0. In Section 2 we interpret the intuitionistic μ-calculus in the theory EETJ↾ + UMIDN. The question about the strength of monotone inductive definitions in T0 was asked by S. Feferman in 1982, and — assuming classical logic — was addressed by M. Rathjen.


The use of resistant cultivars is the most effective method for controlling soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines Ichinoe; SCN) on soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill]. However, resistance to SCN is oligogenic, making inheritance patterns complex and breeding difficult. One major partial-resistance locus for SCN resistance is located on molecular linkage group (MLG) 'G'. This locus controls more than 50% of variation assodated with response to SCN and resistant alleles are present in many important sources of SCN resistance, including PI 209332, PI 88788, PI 90763, PI 437654, and 'Peking'. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) linked to the major SCN resistance alleles on MLG G have proven effective in tracking the alleles and predicting SCN response. These RFLPs are much more efficient in terms of time and labor than greenhouse assays for SCN. Nevertheless, more efficient DNA markers are needed to screen the many lines required for marker-assisted selection. Polymerase chain reaction-based markers, such as microsatellites (simple sequence repeats), have been sought because they are faster, less expensive, more polymorphic, and require less labor than RFLPs. In this study, we report two microsatellites, BARC-Satt038 and BARC-Sattl30, that flank the major SCN resistance locus on MLG G. These microsatellites efficiently identify the chromosome fragment carrying the resistance allele and are also good predictors of SCN phenotype response.


Statistical properties of crack-seal veins are investigated with a view to assessing stress release fluctuations in crustal rocks. Crack-seal patterns correspond to sets of successive parallel fractures that are assumed to have propagated by a subcritical crack mechanism in the presence of a reactive fluid. They represent a time-sequence record of an aseismic and anelastic process of rock deformation. The statistical characteristics of several crack-seal patterns containing several hundreds of successive cracks have been studied. Samples were collected in three different areas, gold-bearing quartz veins from Abitibi in Canada, serpentine veins from the San Andreas system in California and calcite veins from the Apennine Mountains in Italy. Digitized pictures acquired from thin sections allow accurate measurement of crack-seal growth increments. All the samples show the same statistical behaviour regardless of their geological origin. The crack-seal statistical properties are described by an exponential distribution with a characteristic length scale and do not show any spatial correlation. They differ from other fracture patterns, such as earthquake data, which exhibit power-law correlations (Gutenberg-Richter relationship). Crack-seal series represent a natural fossil record of stress release variations (less than 50 bars) in the crust that show a characteristic length scale, associated with the resistance of rock to effective tension, and no correlation in time.


Considered a medical emergency, a transient ischemic attack (TIA) resulting from a focal ischemia in the brain or retina signals a sudden neurological deficit with patient symptoms typically lasting only 1 to 2 hours.1,2 The 90-day risk of stroke after a TIA is reported as high as 17% with the highest risk occurring in the first week.3,4 Approximately 240 000 US adults each year experience a TIA.5 The true prevalence of TIAs seems under-reported because patients fail to report their symptoms to healthcare providers.6,7 Evidence supports when an individual is at risk for TIA or one is suspected, immediate action is required.

Nurses play a pivotal role in all phases of patient care. Also, they frequently are on the front line regarding TIA and stroke education of patients/families, recognition of signs/symptoms, assessment and evaluation of modifiable risk factors, and long-term management of TIA.7–9 The purpose of this article is to provide an update of the most salient aspects of evidence-based TIA nursing care.

Nurses especially with advance practice training have a unique role in the initial evaluation (eg, identifying symptoms, eliminating mimics, triaging TIA referrals or early access to initial evaluation, assessing risk of acute and long-term complications), diagnosis, management, and patient/family education.7,9 Evidence resulting from a 5-year prospective study reveals key clinical characteristics associated with an impending stroke which include first diagnosis of TIA, increased age, deficits lasting >10 minutes, history of gait disturbance, dysarthria, elevated blood pressure …


The age at menarche and its association with nutritional status in a rural area of Bangladesh was determined. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four villages of Rupganj Thana of Narayanganj district. Data was collected through October to December 1996 using a pre-tested structured questionnaire interview schedule, and nutritional status was measured by weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and physical examination. Data were obtained on 436 adolescent girls aged 10-17 years. Among them, 165 (37.8%) girls had commenced menarche. The mean age at menarche as determined by retrospective recall was 13 years SD 0.89 (n=165). The median age at menarche determined by the status quo method was 13.0. Among the adolescents 60.1% were thin (BMI< 5th centile WHO recommended reference) and 48.2% were stunted (< 3rd centile NCHS/WHO). The mean weight and BMI were significantly higher among the menstruating girls of 13, 14 and 15 years (p < 0.01) than non-menstruating girls. The mean height was found to be significantly higher at 11-14 years among the menstruating girls (p < 0.05). A lower prevalence of angular stomatitis was found among the menstruating adolescent girls compared with the non-menstruating girls, 36.4% versus 46.5%, although this was statistically non-significant (odds ratio=0.66, 95% CI 0.43-1.00). For glossitis, no significant difference was found. Among the menstruating girls 12.1% were suffering from menorrhagia and 31.5% from dysmenorrhoea. We conclude that the age of menarche among this rural Bangladeshi community is not as delayed as expected. Not surprisingly, menarche is associated with better nutritional status. The surveyed population had extremely high rates of undernutrition which suggests that adolescents in this and similar situations require specific intervention programmes to improve their nutritional status.


There are ongoing discussions about the appropriate level of complexity and sources of uncertainty in rainfall runoff models. Simulations for operational hydrology, flood forecasting or nutrient transport all warrant different levels of complexity in the modelling approach. More complex model structures are appropriate for simulations of land-cover dependent nutrient transport while more parsimonious model structures may be adequate for runoff simulation. The appropriate level of complexity is also dependent on data availability. Here, we use PERSiST; a simple, semi-distributed dynamic rainfall-runoff modelling toolkit to simulate flows in the Upper Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. We present two sets of simulations driven by single time series of daily precipitation and temperature using simple (A) and complex (B) model structures based on uniform and hydrochemically relevant land covers respectively. Models were compared based on ensembles of Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) statistics. Equifinality was observed for parameters but not for model structures. Model performance was better for the more complex (B) structural representations than for parsimonious model structures. The results show that structural uncertainty is more important than parameter uncertainty. The ensembles of BIC statistics suggested that neither structural representation was preferable in a statistical sense. Simulations presented here confirm that relatively simple models with limited data requirements can be used to credibly simulate flows and water balance components needed for nutrient flux modelling in large, data-poor basins.


Mining of ebb shoals has become more prevalent in recent years due to limited sources of beach quality sand available for beach nourishment projects. This paper examines eight ebb shoal mining projects completed since 1981 in an attempt to examine this relatively new practice of removing material from an inlet ebb shoal. A brief description of each inlet's history, morphology, and processes is given in an Appendix for background information and available information on the ebb shoal mining events at each inlet is presented in this paper. The eight projects presented range in size from 170,000 m 3 removed from the ebb shoal at Boca Raton Inlet (Florida) to 6,235,000 m 3 removed from the ebb shoal at Great Egg Harbor Inlet (New Jersey). The recent completion of many of these projects and lack of systematic monitoring has resulted in limited monitoring data to assess shoal mining impacts on the inlet system. With this in mind, impacts of ebb shoal mining inferred from the data and the level of monitoring at each project site are discussed. From this study, it has been determined that most ebb shoals are mined on the outer "passive" portion of the shoal feature. Ebb shoal sand was found to be compatible with the native beach material, indicating that the ebb shoal acts as a "sand bridge" between the updrift and downdrift beaches. The rate of recovery of the mined area appears to be a function of the degree to which the system equilibrium is perturbed, sand availability (longshore transport rate), storm frequency, and the depth of the mined area. Estimates of borrow area recovery were often overpredicted, probably due to poor longshore transport estimates. Further analysis is needed to determine ebb shoal mining impacts to navigation, inlet adjacent shoreline, ebb shoal equilibrium, and reusability of borrow area infill material. This paper is an attempt to evaluate the state-of-the-art in the practice of removing material from inlet ebb shoals and monitoring of these projects. A suggested monitoring plan for future ebb shoal mining projects is also presented.


The author's report in this article on their study in questionnaire format that tested the perception of 89 small-business tax practitioners regarding the complexity of 37 tax provisions. They found overwhelming consistency on the five most complex and five least complex small-business tax provisions with partnerships, estate and gift valuations, tax-deferred exchanges, frequency of law changes, and retirement plans topping the hit parade. Progressive tax rates, estimated taxes, Social Security/self-employment taxes, corporate capital gain provisions, and cash versus accrual method were uniformly and consistently perceived as the least complex. These results have tax policy implications. According to the authors, for example, a House bill to move S corporations to a partnership regime may not be optimal from the simplification perspective. The authors question whether familiarity with an issue results in lower perception of complexity. There is some discussion in the tax policy literature about tiering (different tax rules for small versus large companies). That policy seems to have made certain tax areas (cash versus accrual, depreciation, installment sales, and possibly corporate alternative minimum tax and uniform capitalization (UNICAP) less complex for small-business practitioners.


Abstract: Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, this report provides demographic and economic information about same-sex couples and same-sex couples raising children in West Virginia. We compare same-sex "unmarried partners," which the Census Bureau defines as an unmarried couple who "shares living quarters and has a close personal relationship," to different-sex married couples in West Virginia.


The number of patients with meningitis and bacteremia due to Haemophilus influenzae was studied in Sweden over the period 1987-1994. Conjugated H. influenzae type b vaccines were introduced in Sweden in 1992, and all children born after December 31, 1992, were offered vaccination free of charge. A rapid decline of H. influenzae meningitis and bacteraemia was observed in the autumn of 1993, when the expected peak incidence failed to appear. In the prevaccination period 1987-1991, the average annual incidence (cases/100,000) was 34.4 in children aged 0-4 years. In 1994, the annual incidence fell to 3.5. No significant decline was observed in older children or adults. There was a 92% reduction in the number of meningitis cases and an 83% reduction in cases of bacteraemia. A similar decline was noted in 2 regions which followed different strategies for the introduction of the vaccination programme.


Early childhood development plays a key role in a child's future health, educational success, and economic status. However, suboptimal early development remains a global challenge. This study examines the influences of quality of the home learning environment (HOME) and child stunting in the first year of life on child development. We used data collected from a randomized controlled trial of preconceptional micronutrient supplementation in Vietnam (n = 1,458). The Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III were used to assess cognition, language, and motor development domains at 2 years. At 1 year, 14% of children were stunted, and 15%, 58%, and 28% of children lived in poor, medium, and high HOME environments, respectively. In multivariate generalized linear regression models, living in a high HOME environment was significantly associated with higher scores (0.10 to 0.13 SD) in each of the developmental domains. Stunted children scored significantly lower for cognitive, language, and motor development (-0.11 to -0.18), compared to nonstunted children. The negative associations between stunting on development were modified by HOME; the associations were strong among children living in homes with a poor learning environment whereas they were nonsignificant for those living in high-quality learning environments. In conclusion, child stunting the first year of life was negatively associated with child development at 2 years among children in Vietnam, but a high-quality HOME appeared to attenuate these associations. Early interventions aimed at improving early child growth as well as providing a stimulating home environment are critical to ensure optimal child development.


Mastitis is the inflammatory reaction of the udder to invading pathogens. One of the most apparent reactions is the increased influx of immunoreactive cells from blood into milk inducing a dramatic increase of milk somatic cell counts (SCC). We have investigated (i) the relationship between log SCC/ml in infected quarters being >6 (n = 8, group I) or varying between 5.4 and 6 (n = 8, group II) and concentration of dry ma�er (DM), fat, protein, lactose, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, insulin, prolactin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, sodium, potassium, chloride, electrical conductivity and osmolarity as compared with the contralateral (healthy) quarter (log SCC/ml <5.2); and (ii) composition of fractionized milk [cisternal milk, quartiles of alveolar milk and residual milk (a�er i.v. injection of 10 u.i. oxytocin)] during machine milking of infected and healthy quarters. SCC were higher (P < 0.05) in infected than in healthy quarters. Concentrations of fat, sodium, chloride, and IGF-1 were higher (P < 0.05), while that of lactose was lower (P < 0.05) in infected than in healthy quarters (group I). Concentrations of fat and chloride in both groups, of DM (in group II), and electrical conductivity and sodium (in group I) increased from the cisternal to alveolar (100%) fractions in infected quarters, while fat and DM concentrations similarly increased in healthy quarters. In conclusion, several but not all milk traits changed in a different manner during the course of milking in infected and non-infected quarters.


I examine the extent to which the FASB's agenda determination is a function of the contemporaneous preferences of its primary constituents: auditors, preparers, and financial statement users. Using the FASB's consultation with the FASAC as a lens through which to view constituent preferences, I find evidence that from 1982 to 2001 influence on FASB agenda decisions is concentrated among "Big N" audit firms, whereas from 2002 to 2006 the preferences of financial constituents appear most significant. Across both periods, I find no evidence of significant preparer influence in agenda formation, which is in contrast to their documented role in later stages of standard setting. Collectively, the results contribute to our understanding of the influence of constituents in standard setting and highlight a shift in that influence over time.


Simple RNA viruses efficiently encapsulate their genome into a nano-sized protein shell: the capsid. Spontaneous coassembly of the genome and the capsid proteins is driven predominantly by electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged RNA and the positively charged inner capsid wall. Using field theoretic formulation we show that the inherently branched RNA secondary structure allows viruses to maximize the amount of encapsulated genome and make assembly more efficient, allowing viral RNAs to out-compete cellular RNAs during replication in infected host cells.


This thesis identifies and systematizes two categories ofpractical problems that stem from work and working environmentcontexts: workplace privacy and occupational health risks. Thefocus of the discussion is on ethical justification. Do we havereason to accept a certain level of (potential) harm toemployees by virtue of the fact that they are employees, and ifso, under what circumstances? The thesis consists of a briefintroduction and three essays. InEssayI, it is argued that employees have a prima facieright to privacy, but that this right can be overridden bycompeting moral principles that follow, explicitly orimplicitly, from the contract of employment. Three types ofjustification are specified: those that refer to the employer'sinterests, those that refer to the interests of the employee,and those that refer to the interests of third parties. A setof ethical criteria is developed and used in the subsequentessay to determine the moral status of infringement ofworkplace privacy. InEssayII, these criteria are applied to three broadcategories of intrusive workplace practices: (1) monitoring andsurveillance, (2) genetic testing, and (3) drug testing.Scenarios are used to show that such practical ethical problemscan be handled systematically using proposed guidelines. It isalso shown that some practices are dubious and at least some ofthem can be replaced by less intrusive means of ensuring thedesired outcome, for instance efficiency or safety in aworkplace. EssayIII deals with the fact that health and safetystandards for employees are less protective than those thatapply to the public. Emphasis is put on the distinction betweenexposure and risk, and this distinction is claimed to be a keyfactor in the relevance of arguments in favour of such doublestandards. The analysis of 'double standards' for public andoccupational exposure to risk aims to show that a justificationof such standards is closely linked to two separate types ofissues, namely empirical and normative issues. It is claimedthat this kind of differentiation seems to be supported neitherby a reasonable conception of the contract of employment nor byany obvious ethical principle that is applicable to workplacesor work situations in general. Key words:Contract of employment, double standards,drug testing, ethics, ethical justification, exposure, genetictesting, health and safety standards, privacy, surveillance,risks, work, work environment


Micro-LEDs, with unparalleled high brightness compared to conventional LEDs and OLEDs, have been regarded as a research priority for high-power light emitting diodes. Thermal issue is an inevitable concern in LED operation, leading to luminescence degradation and lifetime shortening. Here we studied the role the piezo-phototronic effect played in the luminescence enhancement of microstripe array-LEDs via strain compensation at room temperature. And also, we firstly reveal the effective modulation of the piezo-phototronic effect on luminescence characteristics at high temperatures via EL measurements with the temperature increasing from 300 K to 380 K. Industrial GaN-based high-power LEDs have been reported to be commonly operated in the temperature range of 70–90 °C. Compared to at 300 K, the integrated EL intensity at 364 K decreases to 67.8% without strain; however, by applying a strain of 0.09%, it is demonstrated to rise to as high as 104% of that at 300 K. This work deepens the understanding of the high-temperature piezo-phototronic effect and will give significant guidance for high-power LEDs from the important direction of nitride semiconductors.


Online learning has grown considerably in recent years. However attrition rates from online courses indicate that not all learners are successful in such settings, and various factors have been identified as crucial to learner persistence. Research evidence suggests that motivation is one such factor. This study builds on previous studies by using self-determination theory (SDT) as an analytical framework to explore, in-depth, the motivation of pre-service teachers situated within an online learning context. In particular, the underlying concepts of autonomy, competence and relatedness from SDT were adopted as critical lenses to identify social and contextual influences which undermined the psychological needs of these learners. Most prominent among these in the current study were: high workload, assessment pressure, perceptions that the learning activity lacked relevance (autonomy-undermining), unclear and complicated guidelines, insufficient guidance and feedback from the instructor (competence-undermining), and communication issues with peers (relatedness-undermining). By not exclusively focusing on learners' autonomy needs as others have done, the paper offers a more extensive picture of undermining influences on motivation than has been previously identified in online studies.


A component-based health information resource, delivered on an intranet and the Internet, utilizing World Wide Web (WWW) technology, has been built to meet the needs of a large integrated delivery network (IDN). Called PartnerWeb, this resource is intended to provide a variety of health care and reference information to both practitioners and consumers/patients. The initial target audience has been providers. Content management for the numerous departments, divisions, and other organizational entities within the IDN is accomplished by a distributed authoring and editing environment. Structured entry using a set of form tools into databases facilitates consistency of information presentation, while empowering designated authors and editors in the various entities to be responsible for their own materials, but not requiring them to be technically skilled. Each form tool manages an encapsulated component. The output of each component can be a dynamically generated display on WWW platforms, or an appropriate interface to other presentation environments. The PartnerWeb project lays the foundation for both an internal and external communication infrastructure for the enterprise that can facilitate information dissemination.


The Strudel system applies concepts from database management systems to the process of building Web sites. Strudel's key idea is separating the management of the site's data, the creation and management of the site's structure, and the visual presentation of the site's pages. First, the site builder creates a uniform model of all data available at the site. Second, the builder uses this model to declaratively define the Web site's structure by applying a "site-definition query" to the underlying data. The result of evaluating this query is a "site graph", which represents both the site's content and structure. Third, the builder specifies the visual presentation of pages in Strudel's HTML-template language. The data model underlying Strudel is a semi-structured model of labeled directed graphs.
We describe Strudel's key characteristics, report on our experiences using Strudel, and present the technical problems that arose from our experience. We describe our experience constructing several Web sites with Strudel and discuss the impact of potential users' requirements on Strudel's design. We address two main questions: (1) when does a declarative specification of site structure provide significant benefits, and (2) what are the main advantages provided by the semi-structured data model.


Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a clinical condition in which the lungs suffer severe irreversible, large-scale damage causing a grievous form of hypoxemic respiratory failure. Acute respiratory distress syndrome is one of the most evasive diagnosis confronted in the Intensive care unit (ICU) as the name, definition and diagnostic standards have adapted over the past four decades. An ARDS diagnosis is established by physiological criteria and continues to be a diagnosis of exclusion, which makes it crucial that medical professionals expand their knowledge base to effectively diagnose ARDS. Patients admitted with ARDS have high mortality rates ranging from 40 to 60 percent. High-level quality supportive care continues to be the sole option for ARDS treatment. Even with improved supportive care, however, ARDS prognosis is still poor. Extended prone positioning (PP) has been shown to increase alveolar recruitment end expiratory lung volume, thereby improving oxygenation and survival. Unfortunately, few studies have examined the association of mortality and prone positioning in ARDS. A systematic review was conducted to examine the following research question: Does prone positioning compared to supine positioning in patients with ARDS decrease mortality rates? This systematic review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). A literature review was performed and data were collected from each study. A cross study analysis was performed and PP was found to reduce mortality rate in patients who were severely hypoxic. The reviewed studies demonstrated that incorporating early and longer periods of PP may improve mortality in ARDS patients, but further research is needed. Table of


AIM: To evaluate the diagnosis, management principles and long-term results of congenital choledochal cysts in pregnancy. METHODS: Three adult patients were diagnosed as choledochal cysts in pregnancy from 1986 to 1989 and their long-term results were evaluated. RESULTS: The first patient had a Roux-en-Y cystojejunostomy with T-tube external drainage and died of septic shock and multi-organ failure 25 d after operation. In the second patient, 4 wk after percutaneous trans-choledochal cyst was drained externally with a catheter under US guidance, four weeks later the patient delivered vaginally, and had a cysto-jejunostomy 3 mo after delivery, and lived well without any complications for 15 years after operation. The third patient received Roux-en-Y cysto-jejunostomy after a vertex delivery by induced labor at 28 wk gestation, and demonstrated repetitively intermittent retrograde cholangitis within 10 years, and then died of well-differentiated congenital cholangioadenocarcinoma one month after reoperation with exploratory biopsy at the age of 36. CONCLUSION: More conservative approaches such as external drainage of choledochal cyst should be considered for pregnant patients with high risk, complete excision of choledochal cyst during hepaticojejunostomy or modified hepaticojejunostomy is highly recommended at the optimal time.


Brief Summary of prescribing information (based on 8E1252 Rev 3 / 9 7 ) See package insert for full prescribing information. INDICATIONS AND USAGE LUVOX Tablets are indicated for the treatment of obsessions and compulsions in patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), as defined in the DSAHII-R. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is characterized by recurrent and persistent ideas, thoughts, impulses or images (obsessions) that are ego-dystonic and/of repetitive, purposeful, and intentional behaviors (compulsions) that ore recognized by the person as excessive or umeasonable. CONTRAINDICATIONS Co-administratior) of lerfenodine, astemizole, or cisapride wilfi LUVOX Tablets is contraindicated (see WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS). LUVOX Tablets are controindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to fluvoxamine maleate. WARNINGS In patients receivwg M o t h e r serotonhi reaptoke inhibitor drug h combmtion wi th no i ioo iHm oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) , fare have been reports of ser iws, sometimes fata l , reactions. Therefore, i t is recommended that LUVOX* Tablets not be •sed !• (ombimrtioH whi i a M A O I , or w H H n 14 days of dmontbubig treatment wi th a M A O I . In addition, after stopping LUVOX" Tablets, at least 2 weeks sboild be allowed before starting a M A O I . Terieiadine, astemhole and dsapride are all metabolized by the cytocbrome P450 I I IA4 i s o e n z y m . Increased plasnia toMeatrations of terfeiadi iw, astemhote and dsapride cawe QT prolongatioa and have been associated w i th torsades ae potots-tyne veatricMar tachycardia, s o a e t i M S f a t a i JUf lmgh H has not been definitively demonstrated that flwoxamine is a potent I I IA4 h t i b i t o r , » i s Bkefy to be. Conseqwatty, i t is reconmended that fbvoxamnw not be ised in CMHoinaHon wi th eHlwr terienadiae, ostemiiole, or dsapride. Other Potentially Important Drug Interactions (Also see PRECAUTIONS • Drug Interactions) Benzodhiepmes: Benzodiazepines metabolized by hepatic oxidation (e.g., alprazolam, midazolam, triazolom, etc.) should be used with caution because the clearance of these drugs is likely to be reduced by fluvoxamine. The clearance of benzodiazepines metabolized by glucuronidation (e.g., lorazepam, oxazepam, temazepam) is unlikely to be affected by fluvoxamine. AlpratohmWhen fluvoxamine maleate (100 mg qd) and alprazolam (1 mg qid) were administered to steady state, plasma concentrations and other pharmacokinetic parameters (AUC, CTM, T..) of alprazolam were approximately twice those observed when alprozolom was administered alone; oral clearance was reduced by about 50%. The elevated plasma alprazolam concentrations resulted in decreased psychomotor performance and memory. This interaction, which has not been investigated using higher doses of fluvoxamine, may be more pronounced if a 300 mg daily dose is co-administered, particularly since fluvoxamine exhibits nonlinear phaimacokinetics over the dosage range 100-300 mg. If alprazolam is administered with LUVOX Tablets, the initial alprazolam dosage should be at least halved and M a n to the lowest effective dose is recommended. No dosage adjustment is required for LUVOX Tablets. DiazepomThe administration of LUVOX Tablets and diazepam is generally not advisable. Because fluvoxamine reduces the clearance of both diozepom and its active metabolite, Ndesmethyldiazepam, there is a strong likelihood of substantial accumulation of both species during chronic co-administration. Evidence supporting the conclusion liwt i t is inadvisable to co-administer fluvoxamine and diozepom is derived from a study in which healthy volunteers raking 150 mg/day of fluvoxamine were administered a single oral dose of 10 mg of diazepam. In these subjects (n=8), the clearance of diazepam was reduced by 65% and that of rWesmerhyldiozepom to o level that was too low to measure over the course of the 2 week long study. It is likely that this experience significantly underestimates the degree of accumulation that might occur with repeated diazepam administration. Moreover, as noted with alprazolam, the effect of fluvoxamine may even be more pronounced when it is administered at higher doses. Accordingly, diazepom and fluvoxomine should not ordinarily be coadministered. Theophya%e: The effect of sreooVstote fluvoxamine (50 ma bid) on the pharmacokinetics of a single dose of theophylline (375 mg as 442 mg aminophytline) was evaluated in 12 healthy nonsmoking, male volunteers. The clearance of theophylline was decreased approximately 3-fold. Therefore if theophylline is co-administered with fluvoxamine maleate, its dose should be reduced to one third of the usual daily maintenance dose and plasma concentrations of theophylline should be monitored. No dosage adjustment is required for LUVOX Tablets. Warfarin: When fluvoxamine maleate (50 mg rid) was administered concomrrantty with warfarin for two weeks, warfarin plasma concentrations increased by 98% ami prothrombin times were prolonged. Thus patients receiving oral anticoagulants and LUVOX Tablets should have their prothrombin time monitored and their anticoagulant dose adjusted accordingly. No dosage adjustment is required for LUVOX Tablets. PRECAUTIONS General Activation of Mauk/Hypommia; During piemarketing studies involving primarily depressed patients, hypomania or mania occurred in approximately 1% of patients treated with fluvoxamine. Activation of monia/hypomonia has also been reported in a small proportion of patients with major affective disorder who were treated with other marketed anridepressants. As with all antidepressonts, LUVOX Tablets should be used cautiously in patients with a history of mania. Seizures: During Dremarketing studies, seizures were reported in 0.2% of Duvoxamine-rreated patients. LUVOX Tablets should be used cautiously in patients with a history or seizures. It should be discontinued in any patient who develops seizures. Saddle: The possibility of a suicide attempt is inherent in patients with depressive symptoms, whether these occur in primary depression or in association with another primary disorder such as OCD. Close supervision of high risk patients should accompany initial drug therapy. Prescriptions for LUVOX Tablets should be written lor the smallest quantity of tablets consistent with good patient management in order to reduce the risk of overdose. Use in Patients with Concomitant Illness: Closely monitored clinical experience with LUVOX Tablets in patients with concomitant systemic illness is limited. Caution is advised in administering LUVOX Tablets to patients with diseases or conditions that could affect hemodynomk responses or metabolism. LUVOX Tablets hove not been evaluated or used to any appreciable extent in patients with a recent history of myocardiol infarction or unstable heart disease. Patients with these diagnoses were systematically excluded from many clinical studies during the product's premarketing testing. Evaluation of the electrocardiograms for patients with depression or OCD who participated in piemarketing studies revealed no differences between fluvoxamine and placebo in the emergence of clinically important EC6 changes. In patients with liver dysfunction, fluvoxamine clearance was decreased by approximately 30%. LUVOX Tablets should be slowly titrated in patients with liver dysfunction during the initiation of treatment. l i fornwtion for Patients Physicians are advised to discuss the following issues with patients for whom they prescribe LUVOX Tablets: Interference with Cognitive or Motor Performance: Since any psychoactive drug may impair judgement, thinking, or motor skills, patients should be cautioned about operating hazardous machinery, including automobiles, until they are certain that LUVOX Tablets therapy does not adversely affect their ability to engage in such activities. Pregnancy: Patients should be advised to notify their physicians if they become pregnant or intend to become pregnant during therapy with LUVOX Tablets. Nmsmg: Patients receiving LUVOX Tablets should be advised to notify their physicians if they are breast feeding an infant. (See PRECAUTIONS Nursing Mothers.) Concomitant Medkatiom Patients should be advised to notify their physicians if they are taking, or plan to rake, any prescription or overthe-counter drugs, since there is a potential for clinically important interactions with LUVOX Tablets. Alcohol: As with other psychotiopic medications, patients should be advised to avoid alcohol while taking LUVOX Tablets. AHergk Reactions: Patients should be advised to notify their physicians if they develop a rash, hives, or a related allergic phenomenon during therapy with LUVOX Tablets. Laboratory Tests


Understanding the global mass inventory is one of the main challenges in present research on plastic marine debris. Especially the fragmentation and vertical transport processes of oceanic plastic are poorly understood. However, whereas fragmentation rates are unknown, information on plastic emissions, concentrations of plastics in the ocean surface layer (OSL) and fragmentation mechanisms is available. Here, we apply a systems engineering analytical approach and propose a tentative 'whole ocean' mass balance model that combines emission data, surface area-normalized plastic fragmentation rates, estimated concentrations in the OSL, and removal from the OSL by sinking. We simulate known plastic abundances in the OSL and calculate an average whole ocean apparent surface area-normalized plastic fragmentation rate constant, given representative radii for macroplastic and microplastic. Simulations show that 99.8% of the plastic that had entered the ocean since 1950 had settled below the OSL by 2016, with an additional 9.4 million tons settling per year. In 2016, the model predicts that of the 0.309 million tons in the OSL, an estimated 83.7% was macroplastic, 13.8% microplastic, and 2.5% was < 0.335 mm 'nanoplastic'. A zero future emission simulation shows that almost all plastic in the OSL would be removed within three years, implying a fast response time of surface plastic abundance to changes in inputs. The model complements current spatially explicit models, points to future experiments that would inform critical model parameters, and allows for further validation when more experimental and field data become available.


Education reform advocates who base policy decisions on empirical research often face the argument that because background variables explain so much of student outcomes, it follows that policy interventions cannot be effective. This policy brief explains the logical fallacy in the argument, illustrating with two examples, one taken from the teacher quality literature and one taken from the class size literature.


1. Visual purple solutions are prepared under such conditions that the bleaching reaction is irreversible. 2. A method is described for the colorimetric estimation of very small quantities of visual purple. By this means the kinetics of the bleaching reaction are investigated. 3. The results show that the course of the decomposition follows that of a monomolecular reaction, without any measurable period of induction or after effect.


We calculate the radial diffusion coefficient for a passive contaminant in an accretion disc which is turbulent due to the action of the magnetorotational instability. Numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations are used to follow the evolution of a local patch of the disc using the shearing box formalism. A separate continuity equation for the mass fraction of contaminant is integrated along with the MHD system, and radial profiles of this fraction are obtained as a function of time. Solutions of a linear diffusion equation are fitted to the numerical measured profiles of the contaminant, treating the diffusion coefficient D as the fitting parameter. At early times, the value of D is found to vary; however, once the contaminant is spread over scales comparable to the box size, it saturates at a steady value. The ratio of D to the transport coefficient of angular momentum due to shear stress is small. If D can be used as a proxy for the turbulent magnetic diffusivity, the effective magnetic Prandtl number P eff = ν/D (where ν is the coefficient of 'effective viscosity' associated with shear stress) would be large. Ke yw ords: accretion, accretion discs ‐ MHD.


Information sharing can be effective with structured data. The Semantic Web is mainly aimed at creating standard ontologies. However, users have different preferences and evolving requirements. It is not practical to attempt perfect schema definitions with strict constraints. Creating structured formats should be a collaborative and evolutionary process. Social software motivates wide participation by providing easy interface. We propose a system called StYLiD for sharing wide variety of structured information. Users freely define their own structured concepts. The system consolidates different versions defined by different users. Combined search and browsing can be done. Popular concepts gradually emerge from the concept cloud and stabilize. Concept definitions are flexible. The suggestive range for attribute values does not constrain the contributors. StYLiD generates unique dereferenceable URIs so that data items can form a linked data web. Structured data is embedded using RDFa.


Being a mountainous country with distinct altitudinal zonality, Armenia retains high diversity and endemism of plant and animal species. New edition of the Red Data Book represents an important official document and a guide towards the efficient conservation of Armenia's unique fauna which demands for the large-scale work on the improvement of legislative background, implementation of population monitoring, early detection of imminent threats, and development of the regional strategy of genetic resources conservation. The goal of this article is to present Amphibians and Reptiles included in the new edition of Red Data Book of Armenia.