Background: The application of biochar as a soil amendment has achieved popularity and has been found to improve considerably soil nutrient status and plant productivity in low fertile soils. Methods: This study used two different methods to apply sewage sludge and sewage sludge biochar with three replicates in a completely randomized block design. The experiment included (1) control, (2) mulch biochar (20 t/ha), (3) incorporated biochar (20 t/ha), (4) mulch sewage sludge (45 t/ha), and (5) incorporated sewage sludge (45 t/ha). This study aimed to investigate the potential benefits of sewage sludge and its biochar as mulch and incorporated into the top-soil for soil fertility, growth, yield, and shoot nutrient concentration of soybean and the effects of treatments on dry bulk density, water content, and mechanical resistance. Results: The results showed higher values of height, biological yield, grain yield, and number of pods in the biochar mulch treatments (116.5, 10627.01, 4180, and 71.2, respectively). Moreover, it was determined that the addition of biochar and sewage sludge to soil resulted in increased shoot nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) concentrations, soil P, soil K, and total soil N (TN) compared with the control plots. Results from this study also showed that biochar and sewage sludge had positive impacts on the physical properties of soil. Bulk density and soil mechanical resistance were decreased, and volumetric water content was increased. Conclusion: Heating sludge removed all pathogens. It is recommended that shortand long-term studies be conducted in the region to investigate further increases in the combined biochar and sewage sludge application rates.


Abstract In the past decade, single-molecule fluorescence techniques provided important insights into the structure and dynamics of proteins. In particular, our understanding of the heterogeneous conformational ensembles of unfolded and intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) improved substantially by a combination of FRET-based single-molecule techniques with concepts from polymer physics. A complete knowledge of the forces that act in unfolded polypeptide chains will not only be important to understand the initial steps of protein folding reactions, but it will also be crucial to rationalize the coupling between ligand-binding and folding of IDPs, and the interaction of denatured proteins with molecular chaperones in the crowded cellular environment. Here, I give a personalized review of some of the key findings from my own research that contributed to a more quantitative understanding of unfolded proteins and their interactions with molecular chaperones.


The Gulf of Finland has during the last centuries been loaded with heavy metals of anthropogenic origin. Work with mapping of the chemistry of the sediments have been done in all surrounding countries during several decades, first in the Soviet Union and later in Russia and similarly in Finland. More recent sediment chemistry data from the last two decades was in this study combined into sediment chemistry maps added with some data from the commercial Nord Stream project. The result shows that zinc, copper and chromium are enriched in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, while mercury, cadmium and lead are showing the highest concentrations in the northeastern part of the gulf.


Dennis Lindberg came into his aunt's care when he was in the 4th grade because his parents struggled with drug addiction and could not provide for him. At thirteen, he was baptized in his aunt's faith as a Jehovah's Witness. Just days after he turned fourteen, on November 6, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The prognosis was that Dennis had a 75% chance of cure with standard oncology treatment. Consistent with the requirements of his new faith, however, Dennis told his doctors, "I do not want to be treated if the requirement is that I would have to take a blood transfusion." His aunt, whose custodial rights seem not to have included medical decisionmaking, was adamant that "[t]his is Dennis's decision." The hospital social worker assigned to Dennis's case assured his aunt that "having just turned 14, [he] could be considered mature enough to make his own decisions." But hospital psychologists declined to evaluate Dennis's maturity because they did "not have the tools for such an assessment." Established hospital policy described the failure to provide a minor with necessary, life-saving care as medical neglect. Hospital ethicists advised that Dennis's autonomy interests were outweighed by the benefits associated with treatment. And, standard oncology practice norms are that doctors should push back against minors' lifesaving treatment refusals. Still, Dennis's doctor agreed with his social worker and aunt, saying, "We owe respect to a 14-year-old[.]" In this view, he was supported by colleagues on staff and by hospital counsel. A county judge got the case only at the eleventh hour, on an emergency motion filed by Dennis's parents and Child Protective Services for a declaration of dependency and to compel the necessary transfusion. Although Dennis was degrading rapidly, his doctor testified that if a transfusion were ordered that day, Dennis still had a 70% chance of survival. The judge had no background in the applicable law and no time to research the issues; nevertheless, he denied the motion concluding, "It is time to do what Dennis has decided." "Seven hours later, at 6 p.m., on Nov. 28, Dennis died."1


The colour, dentition and body shape of Geotria austvalis change markedly during adult life. The immature stages possess a smaller eye and oral disc and a longer and more slender trunk than other lampreys. Metamorphosis is generally initiated in January/February and is followed by a nocturnal downstream migration in July/August during heavy discharges of fresh water. G. australis enter metamorphosis at the relatively small length of 90 to 105 mm 00.9 g). At the commencement of the spawning run, the mean lengths and weights were approximately 640 mm and 230 g. Upstream migration in the river occurred mainly during rising water levels and on dark, rainy nights. The length remained constant throughout the 5-6 months of metamorphosis but declined markedly during the exceptionally long spawning-run period of approximately 16 months. However, the mean weight and condition factor fell during both these non-trophic periods.

Although the total lipid content of ammocoetes fluctuated seasonally, it increased with body size, reaching levels of approximately 141 at the end of larval life before declining during metamorphosis to 8%. The very high lipid content in the muscle (25%) and liver (38-40%), as well as in the whole animal (21%) at the end of the marine trophic phase, reflect the need for extensive energy sources in the ensuing 16 months. Values for standard animals showed that some protein, as well as large amounts of lipid, were catabolised as an energy source during metamorphosis and the upstream migration. On the spawning-run, lipid and protein from various regions of the body were used for the massive development of the ovary which occurs during this period. The main depot lipid class of G. australis was triacylglycerol. The presence of larger proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids in adults than in larvae reflect differences in diet. The appreciable amounts of 22:5 (n-3) and 22:6 (n-3) in the phospholipids of larvae and adults would be of advantage in low water temperatures. Exceptionally high levels of these acids were also found in ovarian triacylglycerols.


This study analyzes the risk perceptions and risk attitudes of farmers practicing different rice-based cropping patterns in the rainfed lowland ecosystems of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. The Likert scale and Kruskal-Wallis test were employed to assess the farmers' risk perceptions while the experimental method was applied to determine the farmers' risk attitudes (i.e., risk averse, risk neutral, or risk taker). Regression analysis highlights the significant factors affecting perceptions and attitudes. Resource-endowed and resource-poor farmers generally perceived various risk sources as moderately low regardless of crops planted. However, on the average, resource-poor farmers were more likely to consider farming as not risky possibly because they had little to lose or gain compared to their resource-endowed counterparts. By source of risk, both farmer groups perceived that farming is relatively risky considering the increasing price of fertilizer and environmental factors (e.g., weather), which are beyond their control. By crop, the farmers considered rice and corn as relatively risky compared to other crops. The major crops are rice during the wet season and corn in the dry season. High fertilizer costs and erratic climatic conditions usually burden the farmers during the wet season. Similarly, corn output is badly affected by adverse weather circumstances. Farm size and wealth are the variables that affect the farmers' risk perceptions. The farmers in Ilocos Norte were found to be generally risk averse. Wealth, age, and availability of credit are important determinants of the farmers' risk attitudes, but their impacts vary across cropping patterns.


This paper describes a model-based control approach to synthesizing a nonlinear controller for a single-spool gas turbine engine. Since the main control variable, engine thrust, cannot be directly measured, a model-based observer is constructed using a nonlinear model of the engine in order to provide an on-line estimation of the thrust for feedback control. Both proportional and proportional-integral (PI) observers have been used in the model-based observer design. The latter is intended to provide a robust estimation in the event of modeling errors. The controls are the fuel flow and final nozzle area, and the control structure is the PI controller designed using the KQ (K-matrix compensator, Q-desired response) multivariable design technique. A study has been made of the model-based observer control scheme when the engine is subjected to the disturbance of inlet flow distortion. The results are shown to be acceptable in terms of the thrust response and the transient trajectory on the compressor characteristic.Copyright © 1993 by ASME


NMR spectroscopy is a powerful technique well-known for its ability to elucidate structures, analyse mixtures and its quantitative nature. However, the cost and maintenance of high field NMR instruments prevents its widespread use by forensic chemists. The introduction of benchtop NMR spectrometers to the market operating at 40-80 MHz have a small footprint, are easy to use and cost much less than high field instruments which makes them well suited to meet the needs of forensic chemists. These modern low-field spectrometers are often capable of running multiple nuclei including 1 H, 13 C, 19 F, and 31 P, 2D NMR experiments, and advanced experiments such as solvent suppression and DOSY are possible. This has resulted in a number of publications in the area of forensic chemistry using benchtop NMR spectroscopy in the last five years that was previously missing from the literature. This mini-review summarises this research including examples of benchtop NMR being used to identify and quantify compounds relevant to forensics and some advanced methods that may be used to overcome some of the limitations of these instruments for forensic analysis. Further validation and automation are likely required for widespread uptake of benchtop NMR in industry however it has been demonstrated as a useful complement to other analytical techniques commonplace of forensic laboratories.


We study a two-class model of growth and the distribution of income and wealth at the intersection of contemporary work in classical political economy and post-Keynesian economics. The key insight is that aggregate demand is an externality for individual firms: this generates a strategic complementarity in production and results in equilibrium underutilization of the economy's productive capacity, as well as hysteresis in real output. Underutilization also affects the functional distribution of income and the distribution of wealth: both the wage share and the workers' wealth share would be higher at full capacity. Consequently, fiscal allocation policy that achieves full utilization also attains a higher labor share and a more equitable distribution of wealth;while demand shocks have permanent level effects. Extensions look at hysteresis in the employment rate and growth. These findings are useful as an organizing framework for thinking through the lackluster economic record of the so-called Neoliberal era, the sluggish recovery of most advanced economies following the Great Recession, and the importance of fiscal policy in countering large shocks such as the Covid-19 pandemic.


Little is known about longitudinal associations between added sugar consumption (solid and liquid sources) and glucose-insulin homeostasis among youth. Caucasian children (8-10 y) with at least one obese biological parent were recruited in the QUébec Adipose and Lifestyle InvesTigation in Youth (QUALITY) cohort (n = 630) and followed-up 2 y later (n = 564). Added sugars were assessed by 3 24-h dietary recalls at baseline. Two-year changes were examined in multivariate linear regression models, adjusting for baseline level, age, sex, Tanner stage, energy intake, fat mass (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), and physical activity (7 d accelerometer). Added sugar intake in either liquid or solid sources was not related to changes in adiposity measures (fat mass, body mass index, or waist circumference). However, a higher consumption (10 g/d) of added sugars from liquid sources was associated with 0.04 mmol/L higher fasting glucose, 2.3 pmol/L higher fasting insulin, 0.1 unit higher homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and 0.4 unit lower Matsuda-insulin sensitivity index (Matsuda-ISI) in all participants (P < 0.01). No associations were observed with consumption of added sugars from solid sources. Overweight/obese children at baseline had greater increases in adiposity indicators, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR and decreases in Matsuda-ISI during those 2 y than normal-weight children. Consumption of added sugars from liquid or solid sources was not associated with changes in adiposity, but liquid added sugars were a risk factor for the development of impaired glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance over 2 y among youth at risk of obesity.


The purpose of this research was to analyse nutritional status, physical activity, and sedentary activity in school children in West Java, Indonesia. The study used a cross-sectional design and was conducted from October to December 2016. Samples were taken using simple random sampling technique with a total sample of 300 subjects taken among fifth-grade students in seven elementary schools located in Bandung city, West Java. The data collected in this research were anthropometric data such as physical activity and sedentary activity. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson test. The results showed that 21.7% of school children were overweight, while 19.7% were obese. The results of the subject activity, based on nutritional status category, were not significantly different. All subjects with underweight nutritional status were having light activity (100%), the percentage of subjects with normal nutritional status, overweight, and obese were 71.6%, 75.4%, and 74.6%, respectively. The average duration of underweight subjects performing sedentary activities on holidays was 4.2±3.0 hours, 5.4±2.7 hours for normal subjects, 5.8±2.7 hours for overweight, and 5.4±2.5 hours for obese subjects. The proportion of sedentary activity time on holiday among underweight, normal, overweight, and obese subjects were 17.6±12.4%; 22.3±11%; 24.1±11.3%; and 22.3±10.5%. The sedentary activity of children on holiday was not significantly different, but there was a significant difference between the proportion of sedentary time in a day between groups of nutritional status (p<0.05), i.e., normal children and overweight children. The correlation test results indicated a negative correlation between physical activity and sedentary activity, meaning that higher sedentary activity of subjects both in school time and holiday resulted in lower physical activity (p<0.01). The nutritional status, physical activity, and subject sedentary activity based on nutritional status were not significantly different.


In the recent past a new drug known as Tofranil * or imipramine hydrochloride has come into use for the treatment of depressive states.1 Chemically it is a drug of the phenothiazine group ( N-γ-dimethyl-aminopropyl-iminodibenzyl-hydrochloride). Pharmacologically it acts as an antidepressant. As the use of this drug became more widespread, reports of toxic side-effects, similar to those of certain antihistamines, began to appear in the literature, although cases of acute poisoning are rare. In June, 1960, we had the opportunity of treating a case of acute imipramine poisoning in an infant of 1½ years. Report of a Case On June 17, 1960, a girl of 1½ years, weighing 10 kg. was admitted to Pediatric Department A of the "Asaf Harofe" Government Hospital after having one hour previously ingested 15-20 tablets of imipramine, 25 mg. each, which had been prescribed for her mother who was suffering from depression. On admission the child


In this work, low density polyethylene (LDPE) was grafted with trifluoroacetic acid allyl ester using γ-ray irradiation from a Cobalt-60 source at different adsorbed doses. It was found that the grafting degree increases with the absorbed doses. The highest grafting degree was obtained at 100 kGy of absorbed dose and with 30 wt% of trifluoroacetic acid allyl ester. The grafting was identified with fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) using a calibration curve reported in literature. Thermal properties of the functional polymers were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the surface morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM).


Populations of Pipistrellus nathusii (Nathusius's bat), an insectivorous aerial-hawking species that breeds in north-eastern Europe, perform long-distance migrations between breeding sites and hibernation areas in central and southern Europe. The feeding strategy of migrating P. nathusii was investigated in Latvia on the east coast of the Baltic Sea, exploring evidence for and against two non-mutually exclusive predictions that i) the bats feed shortly after dusk at highest aerial insect activity and continue to migrate thereafter or ii) apply a 'fly-and-forage' strategy and frequently interrupt their migration flight to feed. Echolocation calls and feeding buzzes of P. nathusii were recorded throughout the night from August until September on a known migration flyway over coastal dunes and at potential foraging sites in adjacent woodlands, over meadows and wetlands. The results indicate that P. nathusii applies a fly-and-forage strategy along the Baltic coast. However, a threshold in aerial insect availability may exist, below which no foraging occurs and migration continues.


Despite good results of orthotopic liver transplantation in patients with fulminant hepatic failure the need still exists for an effective and safe artificial liver, able to temporarily take over the complex liver function so as to bridge the gap with transplantation or regeneration. Attempts to develop non-biological artificial livers have failed, mostly when controlled clinical trials were performed. In the last decade several different types of bioartificial livers have been devised, in which the biocomponent consists of freshly isolated porcine hepatocytes or a human hepatoblastoma cell line. The majority use semipermeable hollow fibers known from artificial kidney devices. The liver cells may lie either inside or outside the lumen of these fibers. In vitro analysis of liver function and animal experimental work showing that the bioartificial liver increases survival justify clinical application. Bioartificial livers are connected to patients extracorporeally by means of plasmapheresis circuit for periods of about 6 hours. In different trials about 40 patients with severe liver failure have been treated. No important adverse effects have not been reported in these phase I trials. Results of controlled studies are urgently needed. As long as no satisfactory immortalised human liver cell line with good function is available, porcine hepatocytes will remain the first choice, provided transmission of porcine pathogens to man is prevented.


We demonstrated a new method of atom detection by means of the magnetic optical effect. The number density of the atom cloud was measured by detecting the rotation angle of the polarization plane of linearly polarized probe light when propagating inside the atomic cloud. Detuning, the magnetic field and light intensity dependencies of the rotation angle were studied theoretically and experimentally to find the best parameter for atom detection. In this way, we managed to achieve a rotation angle of 0.22 rad with a signal to noise ratio (SNR) of 75 and a contrast of 87.5%.


Electrodes erosion caused by spark discharge can lead to effective nanoparticles formation. In this work, we present the simulation of the early stage of the discharge formation. In particular, streamer parameters are calculated in 1D and in 2D and compared with the results of previous experiments and models [1-3]. Two infinite parallel-plate electrodes are considered, the initial electron distribution is Gaussian at the anode. Electron's drift and diffusion, Townsend ionization and photo-ionization processes are shown to be dominant factors of positive streamer formation and propagation. An implicit scheme is applied for the calculation of the electric field based on Poisson's equation. The calculation results demonstrate a transition from streamer to spark. In addition, we calculate the power input for the following cathode erosion thus providing initial conditions for nanoparticle formation model (next step). This work is performed in the frame of the FP7 project "BEOUNAPART-E". The results of the model are under verification by a comparison with the experimental results obtained by other partners. [1]. N. S. Tabrizi, Q. Xu, N. M. van der Pers and A. Schmidt-Ott, Generation of mixed metallic nanoparticles from immiscible metals by spark discharge, J. of Nanopart. Research 12, 1 (2010), 247-259. [2]. A A Kulikovsky, Two-dimensional simulation of the positive streamer in N2 between parallel-plate electrodes, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 28 (1995) 2483-2493. [3]. A Bourdon, V. P. Pasko, N. Y. Liu, S C'elestin, P. S'egur and E. Marode, Efficient models for photoionization produced by non-thermal gas discharges in air based on radiative transfer and the Helmholtz equations, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 16 (2007) 656-678.


Social Work & Society (SW&S) is an Online-Only Journal on Social Work and Social Policy, which was founded in 2003. SW&S is based on an international, non-governmental network of Social Work and Social Policy Researchers and Teachers. SW&S opens up an independent platform for critical analyses, political discourses and informations on current developments in Social Work and Social Policy. SW&S is also of the International Open Access Initiative and therefore all papers and informations are free available for all SW&S-users. To widen the possibilities for the users, SW&S starts in 2006 a SW&S-Glossary on Social Work and Social Policy (Issue 6).


Overexpression of the unconventional motor protein myosin VI (MYOVI) has been seen in aggressive cancer phenotypes. Its ability to interact with numerous intracellular pathways influences downstream targets and promotes cell growth. Recently MYOVI has been found to positively impact the ER pathway directly through the estrogen receptor. Activation of this receptor results in downstream signaling via estrogen responsive elements (EREs) to regulate transcription of a vast plethora of genes including P53. Furthermore interactions with Dab2, which binds to the WWY motif located in MYOVI's cargo binding domain, hinder MYOVI's functionality in transcription factories within the nucleus, hence negatively impacting ER-driven gene expression. To assess, in the context of cancer, what is regulating MYOVI distribution within cells we performed experiments to compare the effect of intrinsic protein interactions, using the ESR1-DAB2 fusion gene isolated from an endocrine therapy resistant metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patient treated with tamoxifen, to extrinsic environmental changes, in this case hypoxia. While the majority of breast cancers in patients are ER-positive (ER+), and hence respond to endocrine therapy, acquired resistance to therapy is a big problem. Determining the localization and interactions in vitro of ESR1-DAB2 and elucidating its association with MYOVI could highlight novel therapeutic targets in MBC. Hypoxia characteristics are found in many tumours and are associated with a poor prognosis. Low oxygen levels alter the transcriptome of cells drastically, typically favouring pathways that upregulate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) encouraging angiogenesis to relieve the hypoxic stress. Microscopy revealed that the effect of ESR1-DAB2 varies between MCF7 and HeLa cell lines and MYOVI distribution can be compared, with the plasmid exhibiting higher toxicity in HeLa potentially due to the loss of ER in this cell line. While hypoxia did not result in increased expression levels of MYOVI, the distribution was altered depending on the duration of hypoxia. The data presented in this thesis is not conclusive but lays a foundation to build upon in future work and contributes to the growing collection of roles MYOVI has been found to play.


The hostility of the common law in respect of collective action by workers in the form of strikes is notorious. To provide workers with a right to strike, legislative intervention is necessary. In New Zealand and Australia, legislative enactment of the right to strike has taken the form of the "immunity approach" whereby strike action which meets the prerequisites for protection under the relevant statute receives immunity from common law action, while that which does not remains subject to potential liability at common law.This article analyses the adoption of the immunity approach in Australia under the relevant federal industrial relations statutes that have operated since 1993. Commencing with discussion of the hostility of the common law to collective action and the principle of legality, a presumption of statutory interpretation that presumes Parliament would not have abrogated common law rights without an express intention to do so, this article examines how the scope of protected industrial action in Australia has been consistently narrowed through hostile judicial interpretation. Such interpretation has been grounded in an approach which narrows the extent that common law rights are restricted by the statute and construes the statutory enactment of a right to strike as conferring a "privilege" on those industrial actors who remain "worthy" enough to access it.Considering the progressively negative impact on the right to strike of this approach, the argument in this article echoes calls made by Gordon Anderson in 1987 to reject the continued role of the common law in the regulation of industrial action. It is argued that the law of strikes in Australia should be codified. Such an approach should assist in downplaying judicial tendencies to interpret the right to strike as a privilege rather than as a necessary component of a functioning system of voluntary collective bargaining.


Abstract Sexual harassment and abuse (SHA) can have a profound negative impact, but research on SHA in sport is scarce and studies of SHA in Swedish sport are absent. This study explores (a) self-reported prevalence of SHA perpetrated by coaches among male and female Swedish athletes, and (b) descriptive statistics for coach–athlete relationship factors and the association between these relationship factors and reported SHA. Current and former Swedish club sport athletes (n = 477) aged 25 participated in the survey. Athletes reported 5.5% prevalence of coach SHA, of which inappropriate, unpleasant, or offensive physical contact were most common. No significant differences of SHA frequency were displayed across gender, sport performance levels, or individual/team sports. A majority of athletes (55–95%) reported trust, closeness, substantial coach influence over sport performance, and instructional physical contact as main coach–athlete relationship factors. A minority (13–39%) reported dependency, substantial coach influence over personal-life, non-instructional physical contact, sexualized comments and jokes, and flirting. Prevalence of coach–athlete friendships, athlete attraction to coaches, and coaches' instructional physical contact differed significantly between male and female athletes. Closeness and athlete attraction to coaches were negatively related, and coaches' non-instructional physical contact and flirting were positively related to reported SHA. Multi-causality and ambiguity of coach–athlete relationship factors are discussed.


After the intake of a yohimbine bark food supplement a thirty-eight-year old man declared serious complaints: headache, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, cold sweating, rush, tremor. The patient took only 1 capsule per day every morning for two days. After the discontinuation of supplementation the symptoms disappeared. The purpose of the study was to determine the factors causing the described side effects. Series of analyses were performed: HPLC/MS and GC/MS. Yohimbine bark contains a number of different alkaloids. It was important to be established the content of the main alkaloidyohimbine because the content of yohimbine was not declared on the label. We also suspected the presence of undeclared sibutramine. The screening did not find presence of sibutramine but it was found that the total content of yohimbine in 1 capsule was 50 mg. 50 mg of yohimbine per 1 capsule is extremely high dose- the approved daily dose of yohimbine in medicinal product is up to 30 mg/person/ day. We also established presence of α-yohimbine (ajmalicine) in high levels. We consider that the total content of yohimbine should be declared on the label of every food supplement which contains yohimbine bark, otherwise the customers would be exposed to risk.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the feasibility of ocular ultrasonography for measurement of the ratio of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) to eyeball transverse diameter (ETD) in dogs with various morphologies and to evaluate the interobserver reliability of the ONSD/ETD ratio and its correlation with various morphological variables.

ANIMALS
45 healthy dogs of various breeds.

PROCEDURES
Height, head circumference, body weight, body condition score, intraocular pressure, and blood pressure were recorded for each dog. Unsedated dogs underwent bilateral ocular ultrasonography once. A veterinarian and board-certified ophthalmologist who were unaware of subject signalment independently reviewed the ultrasonographic videos and selected 1 image for each eye on which the ETD and ONSD were measured. The ONSD/ETD ratio was calculated and compared between the 2 observers. Correlations between the ONSD/ETD ratio and various physiologic and morphological variables were assessed.

RESULTS
172 ONSD/ETD ratios were recorded. The ONSD/ETD ratio was calculated for at least 1 eye for 44 of the 45 (98%) dogs. Mean ± SD time required to complete the ultrasonographic examination was 90 ± 30 seconds (range, 15 seconds to 3 minutes). The mean ± SD ONSD/ETD ratio was 0.17 ± 0.01 (range, 0.15 to 0.20). The ONSD/ETD ratio did not differ significantly between the left and right eyes or the 2 observers and was not correlated with any of the variables assessed.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Ocular ultrasonography was a rapid, noninvasive, and reliable method for measurement of the ONSD/ETD ratio. The ONSD/ETD ratio did not appear to be influenced by dog morphology.


This exploratory study captures media selection practices in offshore outsourced teams. The findings are based on a survey of 114 respondents, 72 of whom have directly participated in global virtual teams.Local resource constraints and the need to be cost-effective have driven many companies tosend various business functions offshore. Several studies have reported on failed offshore outsourcing projects that annually end up costing participant organizations billions of dollars. Why do such projects fail? Among the most common reasons are the communication challenges inherent to offshoreprojects. Members of a global team face many well-documented challenges (language barriers,cultural differences, organizational differences) and choice of media in particular has an impact on team performance.The significance of media selection was particularly evident in our research in relation to conflicts within teams, which were largely attributable to less rich, low-synchronous media. A further key finding that the research identifies is a high success rate of global virtual teams and a correlationbetween use of instant messaging and team success, with instant messaging users being significantly more likely to report a very effective team and very high team satisfaction. Furthermore the researchindicates no correlation between face-to-face meetings, more effective teamwork and higher team satisfaction. This was an unexpected result, as it is contrary to the common understanding. The last section of the paper proposes avenues for further research.


Pilot experiments in the tidally dominated Dutch Wadden Sea indicated a negative rela- tionship between Zostera marina L. transplantation success and tidal depths. As light availability was sufficient, we hypothesised that water dynamics (particularly waves) and ensuing sediment mobility (movement or resuspension of the sediment) were the major cause for the loss of transplants at larger depths. Transplantation experiments were carried out at intertidal flats and depths under conditions of normal and reduced water dynamics and sediment mobility, using exclosures that reduced water dynamics and shells that stabilised the sediment. To test bioturbation effects, cages that excluded large biota were used. Without protection, Z. marina plants were successfully established in a belt within the intertidal zone (0 to -0.20 m mean sea level, MSL) at 2 out of 3 transplantation sites during the first growing season. Reduced water dynamics by exclosures prevented the loss of plants in the zone -0.40 to -1.15 m MSL; removal of the exclosures after 1 mo resulted in loss of all plants within a few days. Neither light limitation nor bioturbation could explain these results. We conclude that prevalent water dynamics, particularly the relative period of exposure to wave dynamics, were too high for establishment and maintenance of intertidal Z. marina at depths below -0.20 m MSL at these sites of intermediate exposure. At the third, exposed, transplantation site, water dynamics prevented transplantation success along the entire depth gradient studied. Reduction of sediment mobility by shells had a positive effect on transplant survival, particularly at -0.20 m MSL. Shell armour can therefore be recommended in transplantations near the lower limit of potential intertidal habitats of Z. marina. Anchorage of the plants with pegs had no positive effect. Depth limitation of intertidal Z. marina populations by water dynamics can explain zonation patterns that occur in several tidal sys- tems in northwest Europe.


Abstract Coals are heterogeneous, complex noncrystalline macromolecules having both organic and inorganic materials that contain some inorganic constituents. Some techniques have been applied to this fossil fuel in order to remove these undesired inorganic parts from the organic part. Chemical demineralization is one of the suitable methods for removal of inorganic elements although it is an expensive way. But by this method, many elements are leached effectively from the lignite body from the point of economic view because these inorganic parts may cause some undesired deleterious effects. In this study, the demineralization effect of some aqueous acids of 5% such as HCl, H2SO4, HNO3, and HF was studied. The effect of these mineral acids was shown by X-ray spectroscopy.


In this comprehensive volume in the Dogmatic Theology series, the late Bavarian theologian Johann Auer (1910-1989) takes up the challenge of presenting an understanding of the nature of the Church that is relevant for our time. Central to his discussion is the Vatican II concept of the Catholic Church as the universal sacrament of salvation. Auer argues that as such, the Church is a sacrament not only for those who are already known as members of the church, but for all human beings of all times and all places, to saint and sinner alike. Firmly grounding his commentary in scripture and in the history of doctrine, Auer clearly outlines the meaning of the Church's sacramental nature. Emphasising that the Church cannot be understood as a mere social phenomenon, Auer then further examines the sacramental nature of the Church as it is expressed in its life and activity. Here he discusses the beginning of the Church (its founding, basis and genesis); its unique inner constitution, the orders and organisation of the Church in which this hidden structure is manifested, and the origins of the Church's important offices such as those of the pope or the bishops. He also addresses the problems of apostolic succession and the infallibility of the pope. Lastly, Auer considers the Church's tasks in the modern world and it relationship to those important elements in our society - the state, the economy, art, science - that impinge upon our everyday lives.


In this paper, we develop an analytical framework for conducting forward-looking assessments of profitability and solvency of the main euro area insurance sectors. We model the balance sheet of an insurance company encompassing both life and non-life business and we calibrate it using country level data to make it representative of the major euro area insurance markets. Then, we project this representative balance sheet forward under stochastic capital markets, stochastic mortality developments and stochastic claims. The model highlights the potential threats to insurers solvency and profitability stemming from a sustained period of low interest rates particularly in those markets which are largely exposed to reinvestment risks due to the relatively high guarantees and generous profit participation schemes. The model also proves how the resilience of insurers to adverse financial developments heavily depends on the diversification of their business mix. Finally, the model identifies potential negative spillovers between life and non-life business through the redistribution of capital within groups.


The author analyses the fundamental issues of the crisis of economic science and develops a new scientific paradigm that can explain many anomalous facts, which do not fit the «mainstream» of economic thought. The reasons for the inability of the latter to explain the observed crises and processes of modern economic development rooted in the inadequacy of the basic assumptions of neoclassical economic theory are revealed. Its (neoclassical economic theory) concentration on the study of the position of market equilibriumd, which is never achieved in the real economy, leads to scholastic interpretations of the processes of distribution of the public product. These interpretations are degenerated in the apology of the existing order of regulation of the economy. The proposed new approach is focused on the study of issues of economic development, and the changes in the economic system are the main subject of the analysis. The author pays attention to the fact that the dynamics of these changes in general case is nonlinear, nonequilibrium and uncertain. The patterns of economic dynamics due to the features of scientific-technical progress, technological life cycles and global economic structures, mechanisms of formation of technological trajectories and industrial cycles are revealed. The development of the modern economic system is represented as a movement from one attractor to another, which is never reached due to continuous emerging of innovations creating the new attractors. A new scientific paradigm explains the reasons for periodically occurring economic crises interrupting the process of economic growth, reveals the patterns of the latter, provides some justification for recommendations of successful economic policy.


ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. sustainable, landscape, roof garden SUMMARY. Green roofs are becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States due to their economical and environmental benefits as compared with conventional roofs. Plant selection for green roofs in the variable climate of the southeastern United States has not been well evaluated. Shallow substrates on green roofs provide less moderation of temperature and soil moisture than deeper soils in traditional landscapes, necessitating empirical evaluation in green roof environments to make informed recommendations for green roof plant selection. Nineteen species and cultivars, including succulents, grasses, and forbs, were evaluated under seasonal irrigated and non-irrigated conditions in experimental green roofs. Plants were planted on 26 Oct. 2009 and each evaluated for survival and increase in twodimensional coverage of the substrate during establishment, after overwintering, and after thefirstgrowing season. Thewinter 2009‐10was colder thannormal,and some plants, such as ice plants (Delospermaspp.), considered to be cold-hardy in this climate did not survive through the winter. Irrigation influenced survival for the summer period and only succulent plants like stonecrops (Sedum spp.) survived without irrigation. Irrigated experimental green roofs had significantly lower summer substrate temperatures (up to 20 � F lower) and plants survived in irrigated conditions. Plants that survived both winter and summer under irrigated conditions include pussytoes (Antennaria plantaginifolia), mouse-ear tickseed (Coreopsis auriculata), eastern bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix), glade cleft phlox (Phlox bifida stellaria), and eggleston's violet (Viola egglestonii). Irrigation is recommended on extensive green roofs to increase the palette for plant selection by protecting against plant mortality due to drought and extreme soil temperatures.


Anaphylaxis is an acute severe reaction involving multiple systems that results from a rapid release of inflammatory mediators. Patients with asthma and prior allergic reactions are at risk for anaphylaxis. Infants can present a special challenge, as the hallmark symptoms and signs of anaphylaxis may be mistaken as normal findings. These include drooling, vomiting or diarrhea, scratching, and drowsiness. The clinical manifestations of anaphylaxis are broad, as a result of it being a systemic response to an external agent. Among infants and children, there are often respiratory and cutaneous findings. There also can be subtle signs and symptoms, which can often be missed or the findings misinterpreted as normal for developmental age. The incidence of anaphylaxis has increased globally among children presenting with allergic reactions. Early recognition of the signs and symptoms is crucial to effective diagnosis and treatment. This is particularly true among infants 13 months of age or younger who are nonverbal and may have subtle signs and symptoms of a life-threatening reaction to allergens. The purpose of this article is to highlight the differential clinical presentations of young children with anaphylaxis.


Phyllosphere microbial communities were evaluated on leaves of field-grown plant species by culture-dependent and -independent methods. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) with 16S rDNA primers generally indicated that microbial community structures were similar on different individuals of the same plant species, but unique on different plant species. Phyllosphere bacteria were identified from Citrus sinesis (cv. Valencia) by using DGGE analysis followed by cloning and sequencing of the dominant rDNA bands. Of the 17 unique sequences obtained, database queries showed only four strains that had been described previously as phyllosphere bacteria. Five of the 17 sequences had 16S similarities lower than 90% to database entries, suggesting that they represent previously undescribed species. In addition, three fungal species were also identified. Very different 16S rDNA DGGE banding profiles were obtained when replicate cv. Valencia leaf samples were cultured in BIOLOG EcoPlates for 4.5 days. All of these rDNA sequences had 97–100% similarity to those of known phyllosphere bacteria, but only two of them matched those identified by the culture independent DGGE analysis. Like other studied ecosystems, microbial phyllosphere communities therefore are more complex than previously thought, based on conventional culture-based methods.


As we write this, scenes of struggle on the streets of Europe, of official policy increasingly at odds with popular opinion, and a massive crisis of legitimacy spreading across many countries are repeating a drama familiar since the events of 1789-92, 1830 and 1848 - described in 1850-5 by Lorenz von Stein as "the social movement". In the uneven and contradictory struggle for substantive democracy across the last quarter-millennium in Europe, unofficial popular agency keeps reappearing as a central figure on the European stage, with a wide variety of forms, issues and ideologies. Research on social movements in this broad sense is a long-standing feature of European Studies under many disciplinary headings: sociology, political science, history, anthropology, geography, industrial relations, women's studies and so on, and is routinely invoked as part of the background of the study of literature, popular culture, philosophy etc.
When social movements have been part of the making and unmaking of states or threatened to become so - as in 1789-1815, 1848, 1871 in France, 1916 – 1923, 1943-45, 1967 – 69, 1975 in Portugal, 1980-1 in Poland, 1989-90 and arguably again since the turn of the millennium – they can be so omnipresent as to be taken for granted. At other times, such as between 1968 and 1989, the established order and its routines can seem so firmly in control of the institutional (and military) reins that movements are analysed only at their own assigned "level" of action.
In a longer perspective, one of the most important features of social movements as collective popular agency is precisely their waxing and waning: if at one time a "movement" consists of a handful of NGOs or intellectuals, at another it is a piece on the strategic chessboard, and at yet another it may be rewriting the rules of the political game.


We investigate upon the influences on the Board exerted by politicians concerning strategic management and corporate governance, an invasive activity which we characterize as moral governance. We present a list of actions through which politicians and other outside parties who intervene in the political arena show power in influencing corporate policies. We analyze three Italian clinical cases some of which can be considered reluctant forms of privatization. At crossroads between corporate governance and stakeholder management, our model could be used as a guideline and checklist for insiders to interact with politicians, for cross-country comparisons of business environment, and for assessing transparency of companies in developed and developing countries.


The Italian system of professions is characterized by strong disparities between professionals recognized by the state and non-regulated professions, dividing professionals in terms of protection from market and personal risks. As a consequence, the absence/presence of public regulation is not neutral, but has a direct impact on three factors: education and training, acknowledgement, and welfare integration.This article address this issue explaining the divergences between self-employed representatives of two professions (architects and management consultants), considered as idealtypical examples of those disparities. The investigation has confirmed strong cleavages in terms of education and welfare system access, but not in terms of acknowledgement, that still represents an issue for both the professionals considered. Furthermore, our analysis demonstrates that this fragility is partially balanced by a growing interest in self-organization, which acts as a convergent strategy for both regulated and non-regulated professionals in order to deal with increasing instability in the market and social vulnerability.


The physical and chemical characteristics of surfaces along with the structure and dynamics of molecules near surfaces or interfaces have recently become critically important. Surface measurements have provided important information concerning the properties of the surfaces and the surface/adsorbate interactions. The physical, chemical and biological sciences have benefited tremendously from these studies, with significant developments being made in the areas of diagnostic devices, optical devices, electronic devices and sensors.

The specific behavior of macromolecules at or near surfaces, interfaces, and membranes is currently of primary interest in the biological sciences. Important applications include: adsorption of blood proteins on biomaterials in thrombogenesis research; the binding to and triggering of living cells by hormones, neurotransmitters and antigens; cell adhesion to various surfaces; the mechanism of electron transport in mitochondrial and photosynthetic membranes; and also reaction rate enhancement with membrane receptors by nonspecific adsorption and surface diffusion of ligands. However, investigation of biomolecular behavior at surfaces and interfaces remains a difficult task. Most of the common analytical methods available for investigation of surfaces either lack the extent of surface selectivity required or demand relatively harsh sample handling that severely limits the biological relevance of any results obtained. This article specifically describes ultraviolet/visible (UV/VIS) absorption and photoluminescence techniques applicable to analysis of surfaces or thin films.


A Hadamard matrix is balanced splittable if some subset of its rows has the property that the dot product of every two distinct columns takes at most two values. This definition was introduced by Kharaghani and Suda in 2019, although equivalent formulations have been previously studied using different terminology. We collate previous results phrased in terms of balanced splittable Hadamard matrices, real flat equiangular tight frames, spherical two-distance sets, and two-distance tight frames. We use combinatorial analysis to restrict the parameters of a balanced splittable Hadamard matrix to lie in one of several classes, and obtain strong new constraints on their mutual relationships. An important consideration in determining these classes is whether the strongly regular graph associated with the balanced splittable Hadamard matrix is primitive or imprimitive. We construct new infinite families of balanced splittable Hadamard matrices in both the primitive and imprimitive cases. A rich source of examples is provided by packings of partial difference sets in elementary abelian $2$-groups, from which we construct Hadamard matrices admitting a row decomposition so that the balanced splittable property holds simultaneously with respect to every union of the submatrices of the decomposition.


Improvement of overall survival in breast cancer patients has lead recently to an increased focus on prevention and management of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL), a condition that deeply impacts function and quality of life (QoL) of cancer survivors. Current data still demonstrate BCRL rates ranging from 10% to 30% at 2 years, with a high heterogeneity of measurement methods and different incidence of the disease (from 5% after breast-conserving surgery to over 50% after mastectomy, radiation and chemotherapy). The present paper will describe the available data regarding the value of prevention and rehabilitation treatments of BCRL.


Purpose of review This article reviews recent advances in the postoperative ICU management of patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), especially with regards to hemodynamic management, methods of improving neurological outcomes, and management of cardiac and pulmonary complications. Recent findings Several hemodynamic monitors and parameters may be useful for guiding volume therapy, including cardiac output, stroke volume variation monitoring, and global end-diastolic volume index. Early goal-directed hemodynamic therapy after SAH has recently been shown to improve clinical outcomes in patients with a poor clinical grade or coexisting cardiopulmonary complications. Recent laboratory and imaging modalities are being developed to identify patients at risk for developing vasospasm after SAH. Evidence for the use of various prophylactic adjuvant therapies to prevent vasospasm, including magnesium, phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitors, and therapeutic hypothermia, is emerging. Intrathecal administration of vasodilators or fibrinolytics may have offered advantages over systemic drug administration in the treatment of vasospasm. Pulmonary and cardiac complications are common after SAH, and are associated with an increased risk of mortality. Summary The postoperative ICU period after SAH is associated with a significant morbidity and mortality risk, and recent studies have greatly contributed to our understanding of how to optimally manage these patients.


The prototypical embedded librarian can be found at a small, often one-person library belonging to a university department or a research institution. But central libraries in large university systems stand to gain from the idea of embedded librarianship. Three years ago, the library system of the University of Münster underwent considerable structural changes to move from a two-track system to a functional one-track one. The core element of this process was a changeover in the administrative responsibility for the faculty libraries' personnel: they are no longer employees of their respective faculties or institutes, but of the central library, which now is responsible for the management of all 97 faculty libraries. While this helped to improve the libraries' processes and services, it also provided all staff members with more far-ranging opportunities to work in different areas of the library system. Furthermore, it brought a big change for some of the former subject specialists: they became unit managers and are now responsible for the libraries in "their" faculties – they evolved from subject librarians to liaison librarians. This kind of restructuring – demanding intensive discussions, preparations, effort, and some compromise – is still quite rare for German two-track university libraries. However, the experiences made during these first years of transformation are promising. Alongside several other large-scale and small-scale measures, e.g. for collection development, information literacy, or publications, the librarians were able to build closer ties to their students and scientists, but also to their fellow librarians. The paper will give an outline of the organisational change process and the outcomes for the library's subject services.


This paper concerns the provision of affordable housing for the poor and needy Muslims through zakat and wakaf funding. The study's objectives are to determine whether zakat and wakaf resources are employed therein, examine the roles of the zakat and wakaf authorities, and identify constraints and the ensuing strategies. The study was carried out through desk research and interviews with representatives of selected zakat and wakaf authorities. Key findings from the study are that zakat and wakaf are involved in the provision of affordable housing for the poor and needy Muslims and that their funds have been employed therein. However, their roles are dissimilar, therefore, each authority has its own modus operandi. In addition, both zakat and wakaf authorities have constraints in the availability of expertise to undertake the procurement of housing development and they address this problem through collaborative working styles, with each other, and with private property developers.


Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is a hereditary cardiodegenerative and neurodegenerative disease that affects 1 in 50 000 Americans. FRDA arises from either a cellular inability to produce sufficient quantities or the production of a nonfunctional form of the protein frataxin, a key molecule associated with mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis. Within the mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) assembly pathway, frataxin serves as an allosteric regulator for cysteine desulfurase, the enzyme that provides sulfur for [2Fe-2S] cluster assembly. Frataxin is a known iron-binding protein and is also linked to the delivery of ferrous ions to the scaffold protein, the ISC molecule responsible for the direct assembly of [2Fe-2S] clusters. The goal of this report is to provide structural details of the Drosophila melanogaster frataxin ortholog (Dfh), using both X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, in order to provide the foundational insight needed to understand the structure-function correlation of the protein. Additionally, NMR iron(II) titrations were used to provide metal contacts on the protein to better understand how it binds iron and aids its delivery to the ISC scaffold protein. Here, the structural and functional similarities of Dfh to its orthologs are also outlined. Structural data show that bacterial, yeast, human and Drosophila frataxins are structurally similar, apart from a structured C-terminus in Dfh that is likely to aid in protein stability. The iron-binding location on helix 1 and strand 1 of Dfh is also conserved across orthologs.


We perceive the shapes and material properties of objects quickly and reliably despite the complexity and objective ambiguities of natural images. Typical images are highly complex because they consist of many objects embedded in background clutter. Moreover, the image features of an object are extremely variable and ambiguous owing to the effects of projection, occlusion, background clutter, and illumination. The very success of everyday vision implies neural mechanisms, yet to be understood, that discount irrelevant information and organize ambiguous or noisy local image features into objects and surfaces. Recent work in Bayesian theories of visual perception has shown how complexity may be managed and ambiguity resolved through the task-dependent, probabilistic integration of prior object knowledge with image features.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether favorable clinical response and magnitude of improvement are associated with increased aqueductal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow rates in patients who undergo ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS) for idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Between January 1995 and June 2000, 49 patients (14 men and 35 women; mean age, 72.9 years; range, 54-88 years) underwent magnetic resonance quantification of aqueductal CSF flow followed by VPS for presumed idiopathic NPH at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Logistic regression models for the odds of any improvement in score as a function of aqueductal CSF flow and separate models for any improvement in gait, incontinence, cognition, and total score were constructed.

RESULTS
Forty-two patients (86%) had improvement in gait at postoperative follow-up (mean, 10 months). Of the 32 patients with incontinence, 27 (69%) improved. Of the 36 patients with cognitive impairment, 16 (44%) improved. In univariate and fully adjusted models, increased CSF flow through the aqueduct was not significantly associated with improvement or the magnitude of improvement in gait, cognition, or incontinence. Thirty-six patients underwent high-volume lumbar puncture preoperatively, of whom 5 (14%) had no response. The aqueductal CSF flow rates of these 5 patients were significantly higher than those of the patients who improved after lumbar puncture. Postoperative complications occurred in 15 patients. The aqueductal CSF flow rates in these 15 patients were not significantly different from those of patients who experienced no complications.

CONCLUSION
Among patients who underwent VPS for the treatment of NPH, measurement of CSF flow through the cerebral aqueduct did not reliably predict which patients would improve after shunting or the magnitude of improvement.


With particular reference of Gianni Amelio's  Lamerica (1994) and Ennio De Dominicis's  L'Italiano (2001), this article looks at a number of recent Italian films that ostensibly deal with migration from Albania to Italy in the 1990s. I argue that these films use migration as a means of exploring the nation's past history of colonial expansion and emigration rather than documenting a current socio-cultural phenomenon. The article begins by analyzing these films in terms of the constitutive role afforded to cinema in the construction of Italian national identity. It then goes on to examine how Italy's historical relationship with Albania is recalled in ambivalent terms. This ambivalence is projected onto the bodies of the Albanian migrant whose alterity these films construct through an insistence on an essential cultural and physiological difference. The article explores the various strategies that these films employ to remind the spectator of the irreconcilable difference between Italians and Albanians. The avowed humanitarian intentions of these films are compromised by their insistence on the impermeablity of Italian identity.


Abstract Objective. To explore the use of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) for analysing the proteome of clinically relevant tissue samples such as biopsies from transurethral resections of the bladder (TURB), by generating a Ta proteome map, possibly identifying technical or biological artefacts, and searching for biological subgroups associated with clinical data. Material and methods. Biopsies from 23 patients were homogenized and the protein content was separated by 2DE. The gels were silver stained and scanned, and the resulting pictures were analysed for similarities in the spot pattern. Results. A majority of 18 patients displayed a consistent protein expression profile and a Ta proteome map was constructed by averaging the grey value of each pixel in all 18 pictures. Spot detection was performed on a project proteome map (based on all 23 samples) and resulted in 1583 detected spots. 416 of these which were positively detected in all 18 "Ta-map" samples. Three patients displayed a pattern with some marked alterations to the majority profile, possibly artefacts of yet unknown heredity. One patient revealed a protein pattern deemed to constitute a separate group, later revealed as a blinded control from a T4 tumour. Only one sample was sparse in protein spots, probably containing mostly blood owing to inadequate sampling. No biological subgroups associated with clinical data were identified. Conclusions. A Ta proteome map was successfully created from TURB samples. Deviating protein expression profiles were identified, indicating a future potential to reveal biologically relevant subgroups in this or other stages of urothelial cell carcinomas.


Devices that can
process more information in reduced dimensions are essential for an
increasingly information- and efficiency-driven future. To this end,
nanocomposites are promising due
to their inherent multifunctional properties and special behavior at the nanoscale.
Vertically aligned nanocomposites (VANs) are particularly interesting because
of their ability to self-assemble into anisotropic nanostructures and high density
of heterointerfaces – characteristics which introduce unique functionalities
and offer exciting new avenues for device applications. However, a vast
majority of VAN systems are currently fabricated on single-crystal oxide substrates,
which may be cost-prohibitive at large scales and are generally incompatible
with the prevalent device fabrication techniques. Thus, integration of VAN thin
films on silicon becomes a critical step toward implementing VANs in a
well-established semiconductor manufacturing industry.

In this dissertation, the
viability of oxide-metal and nitride-metal VAN thin films integrated on silicon
substrates has been demonstrated through a set of unique buffer layer designs. For
the first three systems presented in this dissertation, namely, LaSrFeO4-Fe,
BaTiO3-Au, and BaTiO3-Fe, microstructural and physical property
(i.e. electrical, magnetic, and optical) analyses confirm their successful epitaxial
growth on silicon, with only minor differences compared to their counterparts
grown on single-crystal oxide substrates. For the fourth system, a new and
robust TiN-Fe VAN has been proposed and demonstrated. The new TiN-Fe VAN system
on Si exhibits superior magnetic properties and unusual optical properties. With
further growth optimization and/or patterning techniques, VAN thin film integration
on silicon presents itself as a feasible and cost-effective approach to
designing electronic, spintronic, photonic, and sensing devices.


Various sources of error hinder the possibility of achieving tight accuracy requirements for high-value manufacturing processes. These are often classified as: pseudo-static geometric errors; non-rigid body errors; thermal errors; and dynamic errors. It is comparatively complicated to obtain an accurate error map for the thermal errors because they are influenced by various factors with different materials, time constants, asymmetric heating sources and machining process, environmental effects, etc. Their transient nature and complex interaction mean that they are relatively difficult to compensate using pre-calibration methods.

For error correction, the magnitude and sign of the error must first be measured or estimated. Pre-calibrated thermal compensation has been shown to be an effective means of improving accuracy. However, the time required to acquire the calibration data is prohibitive, reducing the uptake of this technology in industrial applications. Furthermore, changing conditions of the machine or factory environment are not adequately accommodated by pre-calibrated compensation, leading to degradation in performance. The supplementary use of on-machine probing, which is often installed for process control, can help to achieve better results.

During the probing operation, the probe is carried by the machine tool axes. Therefore, the measurement data that it takes inevitably includes both the probing errors and those originating from the inaccuracies of a machine tool as well as any deviation in the part or artefact being measured. Each of these error sources must be understood and evaluated to be able to establish a measurement with a stated uncertainty. This is a vital preliminary step to ensure that the calibration parameters of the thermal model are not contaminated by other effects.

This thesis investigates the various sources of measurement uncertainties for probing on a CNC machine tool and quantify their effects in the particular case where the on-machine probing is used to calibrate the thermal error model.

Thermal errors constitute the largest uncertainty source for on-machine probing. The maximum observed thermal displacement error was approximately 220 μm for both X and Z-axis heating test at 100 % speed. To reduce the influence of this uncertainty source, sensor data fusion model using artificial neural network and principal component analysis was developed. The output of this model showed better than 90 % correlation to the measured thermal displacement. This data fusion model was developed for the temperature and FBG sensors.

To facilitate the integration of the sensor and to ease the communication with machine tool controller, a modular machine tool structural monitoring system using LabVIEW environment was developed.

Finally, to improve the performance of the data fusion model in order to reduce the thermal uncertainty, a novel photo-microsensor based sensing head for displacement measurement is presented and analysed in detail. This prototype sensor has measurement range of 20 μm and resolution of 21 nm.


Abstract Objective: To describe the short-term, liver safety, immunological, and virological outcome in HIV subjects according to their hepatitis co-infection status after switching to ritonavir-boosted atazanavir (ATV/r)-based therapy. Methods: Rates of treatment discontinuation, changes in liver enzyme values, viral load, and CD4+ T-cell counts responses from patients included in the Bristol-Myers Squibb Atazanavir Early Access Program (BMS ATV EAP) were evaluated in hepatitis C and/or B co-infected patients (co-infected) and non–co-infected. Results: A total of 304 subjects with known HCV and/or HBV status from 55 centers were included in the analysis: 180 co-infected and 124 HIV non–co-infected. Accumulated follow-up until study closure was 762 and 551 person-months in the co-infected and non–co-infected subjects, respectively. The proportion of discontinuations through Month 6 was 9.4% (co-infected) and 5.6% (non–co-infected). Discontinuations due to elevated liver enzymes [1.7% (co-infected) and 0% (non–co-infected)] and due to scleral icterus/jaundice [4.4% (co-infected) and 3.2% (non–co-infected)] were low and similar between groups. Only three subjects (1%) discontinued due to virological failure. Successful virological outcome (viral load <500 copies/mL or a decrease >1 log10) was observed in 74% of subjects in each group. CD4+ T-cell count changes were +51 (co-infected) and +53 cells/mm3 (non–co-infected). Conclusions: Short-term effectiveness and liver safety in HCV and or HBV co-infected patients changing to an ATV/r-based regimen was similar to that observed in non–co-infected patients.


In this paper we propose a robust estimator for the frequencies of biased multi-harmonic signals in the presence of unknown additive disturbances. The estimator consists of a continuous-time stable linear system and a discrete-time recursive least-squares identifier. In absence of additive disturbances, the proposed design guarantees global exponential convergence to the optimal (in the least-squares sense) parameter estimates. In presence of disturbances, instead, an input-to-state stability property relative to such optimal estimates holds.


Superelastic Ni-Ti (Nitinol) is a member of the shape memory alloy (SMA) family of metals. The physical properties of Nitinol are highly dependant on a number of factors, including manufacturing method, subsequent processing, operating temperature, and strain rate. These factors complicate the prescription of material constitutive models, leading to complexities in the computational analysis of Nitinol components. The current work explores the limitations in the Nitinol material model available in existing commercial finite element (FE) software using a series of specially design experimental tests and representative FE models.


Until now, most researches for XML message filtering have focused on the efficient and scalable path matching of a large number of XPath queries over a continuous XML data stream. However, we think there is another key problem of the semantic interoperability of subscribed XPath queries against heterogeneous data sources. Recent studies only assume that the filtering system maintains a single global schema covering all data sources, or the data sources follow the defined global schema. However, beyond the simple assumption, the data sources can have various different element tag structures and names, although related with a similar subject. Therefore, the path expression of a subscribed query against a specific data source cannot be matched with other data sources that have semantically the same information. In order to resolve this problem, a query translation method rewriting the subscribed path expression into one corresponding to each data source is required. In this paper, we introduce the problem of semantic interoperability in XML message filtering and suggest a novel query translation method.


Total quality management (TQM) is increasingly being adopted by construction companies as an initiative to solve quality problems in the construction industry and to meet the needs of the final customer. However, TQM should incorporate the integrated quality management activities of members in the supply chain. This supply chain context is especially salient in the quality assurance of construction projects as a general contractor often outsources most of the construction work to other members in the supply chain, i.e. its suppliers and subcontractors. Therefore, this paper aims to delineate the supply chain management issues in total quality for construction projects. Through the use of an in-depth case study on the TQM system of a leading construction company in Hong Kong, the strategy, structure and tasks for managing supplier/subcontractor relationships are examined. The study concludes with identification of some supply chain management issues in the construction industry, as well as future research ...


Delayed quota adjustments, and/or lagged fishing effort and catch by harvesters, to changes in stock abundance may induce unstable population dynamics and exacerbate the risk of fishery collapse. We examined a 39-y time series of change to quotas by managers, and to effort and catch by both commercial harvesters and anglers, in response to changes in Lake Erie walleye abundance (Sander vitreus) estimated both contemporaneously and retrospectively. Quotas, commercial effort and catch were entrained by contemporaneous estimates of stock abundance. Recreational effort and harvest were not; they had better tracked abundance, as better estimated today, than did the commercial fishery. During the 1990s, a significant mismatch developed between the quota-driven commercial harvest and stock abundance that persisted until a new assessment process obtained. The quasi-open access recreational fishery, instead, freed anglers to respond better to stock abundance. Further elaboration of adaptive risk governance processes, including multi-model inference for stock assessments, may bode well to further reduce risk to fisheries imposed by lagged adjustments to variation in stock abundance.


This paper describes an algorithm which can achieve a constant bit rate when coding multiple video objects. The implementation is a nontrivial extension of the MPEG-4 rate control algorithm for single video objects which employs a quadratic rate quantizer model. The algorithm is organized into two stages: a pre- and a post-encoding stage. In the pre-encoding stage, an initial target estimate is made for each object. Based on the buffer fullness, the total target is adjusted and then distributed proportional to the relative size, motion, and variance of each object. Based on the new individual targets and rate-quantizer relation for texture, appropriate quantization parameters are calculated. After each object is encoded, the model parameters for each object are updated, and if necessary, frames are skipped to ensure that the buffer does not overflow. A preframeskip control is exercised to avoid buffer overflow when the motion and shape information occupies a significant portion of the bit budget. The rate control algorithm switches between two operation modes so that the coder can reduce the spatial coding accuracy for an improved temporal resolution. A shape-coding control mechanism is also proposed, which provides a tradeoff between texture and shape coding accuracy. Overall, the algorithm is able to successfully achieve the target bit rate, effectively code arbitrarily shaped objects, and maintain a stable buffer level. These techniques have been adopted by the MPEG committee in July 1997 as part of the video verification model (VM8).


When cultivating the nervous tissue of newborn rats, rabbit embryos and tadpoles (as whole fragments or dissociated cells), 3 groups of neuroblasts are distinguished: differentiating, migrating and with growing processes. These groups correspond to different stages of neuroblast development in vivo and their presence in the tissue cultures of different brain regions reflects the heterochrony of cell development in these regions. The neuroblasts realize their morphogenetic potential within several days of cultivation irrespective of the contact with the other cells but the subsequent differentiation (dendrite branching, nuclear clearance etc.) proceeds only in cells united in aggregates.


In this intriguing blend of the commonplace and the ancient, Jean Bottero presents the first extensive look at the delectable secrets of Mesopotamia. Bottero's broad perspective takes us inside the religious rites, everyday rituals, attitudes and taboos, and even the detailed preparation techniques involving food and drink in Mesopotamian high culture during the second and third millenniums BCE, as the Mesopotamians recorded them. Offering everything from translated recipes for pigeon and gazelle stews to the contents of medicinal teas and broths and the origins of ingredients native to the region, this book reveals the cuisine of one of history's most fascinating societies. Links to the modern world, along with incredible re-creations of a rich, ancient culture through its cuisine, make Bottero's guide an entertaining and mesmerizing read.


The increasing demand of energy, coupled with the decline in fossil fuel reserves and their increasing effect on carbon emissions, has driven global population to pursue sustainable and renewable energy sources. One of such alternative fuels is bioethanol, which has received a lot of attention recently toward process development for full-scale production. It mixes easily with gasoline fuel without engine modification and provides higher octane rating. It also has lower emission of carbon monoxide, particulate, unburned hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide emission though it has a slightly higher NOx emission. However, the exact economic and sustainability benefits are unclear as existing feedstock materials for bioethanol production, such as corn, sugar cane and wheat, creates 'food versus fuel' issue in terms of land competition and other agricultural requirements thus hindering its commercialization. Microalgae have been identified as an alternative feedstock for bioethanol production as it requires a smaller area of land for cultivation, possesses high growth rates and accumulates satisfactory amounts of carbohydrates. Microalgae are microscopic photosynthetic organisms that are found in both marine and freshwater environments. Their photosynthetic mechanisms are similar to that of land-based plants and are generally more efficient in converting solar energy into biomass. Additionally, microalgae utilises large quantities of CO2 during photosynthesis, thus CO2 released from bioethanol production can be recycled for microalgae cultivation to make the process more sustainable. This study explores the bioprocess engineering viability of microalgal biomass feedstock for bioethanol production via yeast fermentation. Overall results indicated that microalgal biomass is a promising bioethanol feedstock, displaying comparable and even higher bioethanol yields than existing feedstock under specific process conditions for specific microalgal strains. The key process steps included disruption, pre-treatment, hydrolysis and fermentation of microalgal biomass. Cell disruption by sonication resulted in ~40% wt reduction in biomass carbon content and was found to be the most effective technique amongst the tested physio-chemical techniques. Microwave exposure and high pressure homogenisation displayed ~20% wt and ~30%wt carbon content reduction respectively. The effect of biomass pretreatment using acidic or alkaline chemicals was also investigated in this study. The acid pre-treatment method displayed a significantly higher bioethanol yield of ~52wt% (g ethanol/g microalgae) compared to the alkaline method, ~27wt% (g ethanol/g microalgae). In addition, the utilization of lipid-extracted microalgae debris displayed bioethanol yield of ~38 wt% (g ethanol/g microalgae) which shows promise for coproduction of biodiesel, via transesterification extracted lipids, and bioethanol. The addition of enzyme (cellulase) during hydrolysis improved saccharification of microalgal biomass and the rate of production of fermentable sugars. The highest glucose yield of 64.2% (w/w) was obtained at a temperature of 40 oC, pH 4.8, and a substrate concentration of 10 g/L of microalgal biomass. Different fermentation techniques, such as Separate Hydrolysis and Fermentation (SHF), Separate Hydrolysis and Co-Fermentation (SHCF) and Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF), were adopted to investigate their effect on bioethanol production yield. It was observed that SHF gave the highest bioethanol production yield of ~34 wt% (g ethanol/g microalgae) compared to SHCF and SSF which displayed ~30 wt% (g ethanol/g microalgae) and ~21wt% (g ethanol/g microalgae) respectively. The findings from this dissertation contribute significantly to the process development and answer fundamental questions essential to enable full-scale production of bioethanol using microalgal biomass as the feedstock.


Bimodal depth distribution patterns observed for sprat Sprattus sprattus larvae in previous field studies conducted in the deep basins of the Baltic Sea have led researchers to hypothesise that larval sprat condition was depth-dependent. We examined this hypothesis by measuring morphological, biochemical and otolith-based proxies for nutritional condition in sprat larvae collected in discrete 5 m depth intervals from the surface to the bottom in the central Bornholm Basin. Similar to earlier studies, larval sprat were most abundant in 2 depth strata (0 to 10 and 65 to 75 m). Their nutritional condition in surface and deep waters was not uniformly expressed by the different indices. For example, sprat larvae from 0 to 10 m could not be distinguished from conspecifics caught at 65 to 75 m by a long-latency condition proxy (otolith-based growth rates). Similarly, a medium-latency proxy (RNA:DNA) did not suggest differences in condition between the depths. However, short-latency proxies (protein:standard length and DNA:dry weight) supported the depth-dependent condition hypothesis. The lack of correspondence and pitfalls associated with the use and interpretation of multiple condition indices (e.g. the influences of temperature and body size) are discussed and recommendations to strengthen these various metrics are provided.


Summary In this study, detection of a possible relationship of some trace element levels of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe), toxic heavy metals, cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), and antioxidant functions in cattle, which are living near the trunk roads for at least 3 years, was aimed. Totally, 70 cattle, which were in diff erent herds, were used. Fifty-four cattle (3-13 years), which were living near the trunk roads at about 0-500 m were used for the experiment group. Also, 16 cattle (3-12 years), which were living far from trunk roads at about 2-3 km were used for the control groups. Blood samples were collected and Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Fe levels, lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidative defense system indicators, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, and plasma ceruloplasmin (CP) level were measured. Cd and Pb levels of the experimental animals were determined to be higher than the control group (P<0.01 and P<0.001, respectively). However, Zn level of the experiment group was found lower than the control animals (P<0.001). MDA increased about three times and CP increased about two times more than the control group (P<0.001). Significantly correlations were observed among Pb, MDA and CP levels. Also, important correlations were found between Fe and CP, also Cu and MDA levels. Besides, MDA and CAT levels of the animals increased with CP and SOD together, respectively. At the end of the study, Cd and Pb accumulation was observed in cattle, which were living near the road with intensive traffic for at least three years when compared with the control group. In addition, the results showed significant interactions among toxic heavy metals, physiological trace elements, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and the lipid peroxidation.


Sulfur has been incorporated into asphalt mixture for a number of years in an attempt to combat various damage and failure mechanism that occur in flexible pavements at an increasing rate such as shoving, rutting, and raveling. Furthermore, the cost of road construction materials in particular bitumen is expensive. Hence, among the alternatives is by incorporating sulfur in the asphalt bound layers of the pavement structure. Sulfur is a major waste of by-product from gas and oil production that has potential for encapsulation in civil engineering purposes.
This study will cover on the use of sulfur in road construction opportunities and concerns. The utilization of sulfur on road construction has been known as Sulfur Extended Asphalt Modifier (SEAM). Opportunity for utilization of sulfur as partial substitute for bitumen in asphalt mixtures is a great application. Sulfur may make the asphalt more economical and may improve mechanical and durability properties such as increased stiffness and reduced permanent deformation.
In the asphalt mixture, sulfur crystallization will function as a structuring agent. Sulfur and asphalt is mix together above the melting point of the modified sulfur and when the blend cools, it solidifies. Then, the crystallization result is in different level of strengthening depending on the amount of modified sulfur and asphalt is ratio. The amount of sulfur added is important as it will affect the performance of pavement structure. However, handling and safety issues need to concern due to the oxidizing of sulfur dioxide will produces the poisonous gas that was toxic.


This article examines the extent to which a "reconceptualization" from the deontological and consequentialist paradigms that characterize traditional legal ethics discourse, even as it attempts to break from the tradition, still remains rooted in Western ideals of "self;" "law" and "society" -- that is, a notion of lawyers as understood in the common and civil law traditions. It engages the emerging notion of a multi-juridical Canadian legal tradition -- that is, in addition to the common law and civil law traditions of the English and French, Canada's legal inheritance includes (and thus must be harmonized with) indigenous law -- and questions how our notions of lawyering and legal practice may have to change to accommodate this non-Western (but nevertheless Canadian) perspective.


We present an hybrid segmentation technique that combines both the speed of an edge based approach with the robustness of a surface based approach. It consists of three stages. In the first stage a scan line approximation process extracts the edges contained into the given range image. These edges are later on used to define the positions of seed points. Through the second stage a two steps region growing technique is applied. First a 2D growing process enlarges the original seed points generating bigger regions. Next, each region is fitted to a plane and a cylinder. The one that best fit the given points is selected to represent that region and used during the 3D growing stage. The 3D growing stage is carried out taking into account the approximation error from candidate points to be added to the fitted surface. In this way, each surface is grown until no points can be added according to a user defined threshold. Finally, in the third stage, a post-processing algorithm merges neighbour regions that belong to the same surface. Experimental results by using industrial environments are presented.


Using data for 265 banks in the Central and Eastern European Countries for the period of 1995-2003, this paper analyses the differences in profitability between domestic and foreign banks. We show that foreign banks, especially greenfield institutions, earn higher profits than domestic banks. However, this effect is acquired, rather than inherited, since there is evidence that foreign banks tend to take over less profitable institutions. Profits of foreign banks in the CEEC also exceed profits of their parent banks, explaining the reasons for their entry. Further, we study benefits and costs of foreign ownership by analyzing determinants of profitability for domestic, takeover, and greenfield banks. Profits of foreign banks are less affected by macroeconomic conditions in their host countries. However, greenfield banks are sensitive to the situation of their parent banks. Only domestic banks enjoy higher profits in more concentrated banking markets, whereas takeover banks suffer from diseconomies of scale due to the fact that they acquired large institutions.


It is quite challenging to quantify the precursor to damage state in composite materials. Interaction between intrinsic material state and ultrasonic wave signal is evident from many literatures. But, quantifying such state, before their manifestation, has not been investigated properly. It has been found that the fluctuation in time of flight (TOF) of dominant wave modes in structures are possible to be detected, if measured using equipment with the capability to measure at least nano to pico second fluctuations. Therefore, it is imperative to quantify such fluctuations by understanding of the physics behind such changes. Microcontinuum approach provides the tool to explain the nano to pico second fluctuations of wave modes at early stage of damage. In this paper Bi-Helmholtz type nonlocal parameters are used to quantify the damage state in carbon fiber composite specimens and subsequently the state is verified using high frequency scanning acoustic microscopy imaging. Two carbon fiber composite specimens were tested under fatigue loading and the damage state is quantified every 500 cycles. It has been found that before actual visible damage the new damage parameter is able to indicate the precursor to damage state.


Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis which can affect most organs of the body is the lungs. Chronic pain conditions tend to cause increased stress associated with decreased physical function, treatment and death threats. Physical, environmental and psychosocial conditions are factors that influence life quality of the patients.
Objectives: the aim of this research was to find out the correlation of the stress level and life quality of the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis at Balai Besar Kesehatan Paru Masyarakat Makassar.
Method: this is an analytical survey research that employed the approach of cross sectional study. The research was conducted in 21


Abstract – As a preliminary study the keratin proteins of human oral stratified epithelia from buccal mucosa and hard palate were investigated using SDS-PAGE technique. The keratinized hard palate consistently showed six polypeptides varying in molecular weight from 47 to 67 k daltons, whereas the nonkeratinized buccal epithelium lacked the larger polypeptides and showed three polypeptides with molecular weight from 50 to 56 k daltons. The individual variations in the SDS-gel pattern from eight clinically normal individuals were restricted to minor quantitative differences.


The innovative software architecture of the wireless distributed measurement system (W-DMS) including the dynamic measurement application repository server (D-MARS) is proposed. The tasks of the D-MARS are devoted to supply the mobile devices, as the personal digital assistant (PDA) with the measurement applications in order to manage and control the measurement instruments. The D-MARS permits to download on demand two different topologies of virtual instruments (Vis). One concerns all the functionalities of the measurement instrument (MI). The other one concerns with the specific functionalities of the MI selected by the mobile user and it is organised by modules on the basis of the new design approach. The modules are obtained by splitting up the traditional VI in several functional entities. Each module implements specific functionalities of the MI and is able to operate as autonomous and self containing entity. The selection among these modules allows the user to dynamically configure the measurement procedure by operating on the PDA. The aspects concerning the design and the architecture of the D-MARS are discussed. The new design approach of the modules is shown. In order to evidence the innovative features, an applicative example is shown.


The development of terrorist groups continues to undergo metamorphosis through the transformation of the communication network and radicalism doctrine. This phenomenon makes affiliation efforts with radical groups, including building networks in the higher education. Radical Ideas easily penetrate campuses and universities. The vulnerability is not only seen from a psycho-social approach alone, but also as in instrument or media that outspread hatred and violence that designed to fit campus lifestyle. Some of the ways are such as books, magazines, bulletins, internet and social media networks. Universities can formulate appropriate and effective communication strategies as an effort in de-radicalisation, indoctrination, and de-ideologisation. Altering Islamic stigma as a terrorist religion and eliminating the image of Indonesia as implementing the teachings of Islam substantively according to Indonesian Islamic localities can do a terrorist country. Islam penetrated and developed in Indonesia not based on violence or religious radicalism, but by reflecting the spirit of Islam as the religion of blessing to the world (rahmatan lil alamin).


Murcott and Afourer mandarin varieties are anticipated to drive future expansion of the mandarin export industry in Australia. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and commercial citrus growers have previously secured plant breeders rights for the propagation of low seed Murcott varieties generated via radiation mutagenesis. In this investigation, we sought to identify radiation induced mutations within three low seed Murcott varieties (IrM1, IrM2 and Phoenix) that could be used to effectively differentiate each cultivar. In the course of this investigation, we developed improved methods for isolating high quality citrus DNA up to 130 kb in size. We also gained expertise in the use of cutting-edge portable DNA sequencers which have broad utility in a range of diagnostic applications. Our investigations led to the development of useful software for processing long-read sequencing data and generated significant amounts of genomic information for the economically important Murcott variety. Future investigations will focus on optimising genome assembly algorithms and generating effective pipelines for identifying mutations within both long and short-read sequencing data. Ultimately, our aim is to develop molecular tests that can accurately identify low seed Murcott cultivars for variety protection purposes. Information gained from the investigation may also allow for the elucidation of genetic mechanisms underlying the low seed phenotype.


Three synthesis procedures of Cu/ZnO catalyst for steam reforming of methanol were tested for loading in a micro reactor. The best procedure that resulted in the strong adhesion to the wafer was determined out of the tested procedures. The molecular structure of the synthesized catalyst was examined by XRD and its performance in methanol conversion was measured. A micro fabrication method that incorporates the catalyst loading and micro structure processing was developed. A MEMS methanol steam reformer was built by this process and the completed device resulted in methanol conversion of 93%.


In order to investigate the state-trait anxiety distinction in emotionally disturbed and normal children, the responses of 120 emotionally disturbed children and 126 normal children to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (Spielberger, 1973) were factor analyzed separately. For the emotionally disturbed group two A-State and two A-Trait factors were found with the A-State factors accounting for significantly more of the variance than did A-Trait factors. For the normal group four A-State and two A-Trait factors were found, but there was not a significant difference between the amount of variance accounted for by A-State and A-Trait factors. Results were discussed as supporting the state-trait distinction and as having several implications for future research on anxiety.


To clarify the mechanism of intractable asthma, we examined the cellular content and chemical mediators in BALF and peripheral blood of a chronic asthma model which we had already established by inhalation of ascaris suum antigen. The serum levels of antigen specific IgG antibody on the eighth day were signicantly higher than those before inhalation. The serum levels of antigen specific IgG(1) antibody increased on the eighth day compared with levels before inhalation. The serum levels of antigen specific IgG(2) antibody as a blocking antibody increased and immediat asthmatic response (IAR) gradually improved until the fourth day. The number of eosinophils after eight days of inhalation was decrease in peripheral blood but was significantly increased in BAL and lung tissue. The serum levels of LTC(4) after eight days of inhalation decreased significanlty compared to those after one day of inhalation. LTB4 concentration in BAL after eight days of inhalation were significanlty lower than those after one day of inhalation. Histamine concentrations were increased in BAL in both the IAR and dual asthmatic response (DAR) animal model. These data suggest that intractable asthma was induced by many kinds of chemical mediators produced by inflammatory cells including eosinophils, mast cell-basophils, neutrophils and lymphocytes.