Crystallization of sodalite was studied in an ethanol–Na2O–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O system. The addition of ethanol was observed to significantly affect the crystallization process and final crystal sizes and morphologies. Micron-sized sodalite particles with disc and thread-ball-like shapes were produced at low ethanol contents whereas sodalite particles with core-shell nanostructures were dominant at high ethanol contents. Prolongation of the reaction time led to hollow architectures with polycrystalline shells. This study showed that the formation of core-shell and hollow sodalite structures followed a surface crystallization process, including the following steps: the formation of amorphous spherical aggregates, multiple nucleation on the surface, growth of shell nanocrystals, and amorphous core digestion. The present work provides new insights into a better understanding of the role of ethanol in zeolite crystallization, and controllable synthesis of sodalite crystals with different morphologies.


Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a standard for taking analogue audio signals, and turning them into digital data that can be transmitted over a network. VoIP has become an important factor in network communication. It has a lower operational cost, greater flexibility, and a variety of enhanced applications. VoIP is time – based. To ensure real-time transmission, Real-Time Transmission Protocol (RTP) is used on top of User Datagram Protocol (UDP). RTP provides endto-end network transport functions suitable for applications transmitting real-time data, such as audio, video or simulation data, over multicast or unicast network services. Java Media Framework (JMF) is an Application Programming Interface (API) that uses RTP and therefore ideal for time-based media. Thus, the topic: leveraging VOIP on LAN using Java Media Framework. The research aims at designing a system that will allow users to communicate over a data network. That is to be able to send text, make voice and video call, and transfer file over a network. The system uses client/server architecture. The architecture is a 3-tier: the client, the main server and the database server. The system designed could be used on Android mobile phones and computers with Windows operating system.The outcome of the research will allow users to communicate at virtually no cost. The product will also put the network of various organizations into full utilization.


One of the ways to make reinforcement learning (RL) more efficient is by utilizing human advice. Because human advice is expensive, the central question in advice-based reinforcement learning is, how to decide in which states the agent should ask for advice. To approach this challenge, various advice strategies have been proposed. Although all of these strategies distribute advice more efficiently than naive strategies, they rely solely on the agent's estimate of the action-value function, and therefore, are rather inefficient when this estimate is not accurate, in particular, in the early stages of the learning process. To address this weakness, we present an approach to advice-based RL, in which the human's role is not limited to giving advice in chosen states, but also includes hinting a-priori, before the learning procedure, in which sub-domains of the state space the agent might require more advice. For this purpose we use the concept of critical: states in which choosing the proper action is more important than in other states.


Background Osteopontin is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in the recruitment and retention of neutrophils to sites of inflammation, which are the primary targets cells in antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis (AAV). Osteopontin may play a role in the pathogenesis of AAV. Methods 24 patients with systemic AAV and six patients with limited granulomatous disease were included. 19 patients were followed up at 6 and 12 months after the initiation of immunosuppressive therapy. 21 matched healthy volunteers and 20 body mass index and glomerular filtration rate-matched patients with IgA nephropathy were included as controls. Plasma levels of osteopontin were measured by ELISA. Disease activity was gauged by the Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Results Osteopontin levels are elevated compared with controls (healthy p<0.001; IgA p<0.001).Osteopontin levels decrease significantly during follow-up (p=0.02). Osteopontin levels correlate with disease activity (BVAS r=0.93; CRP r=0.73; all p<0.001) as well as erythrocyturia (r=0.7, p<0.001) and proteinuria (r=0.54, p=0.007). Conclusions Active AAV is characterised by increased plasma levels of osteopontin, which decrease dramatically with successful therapy. Osteopontin may mediate the inflammatory process in AAV through the recruitment of neutrophils.


Suboptimal dietary intake is a critical cause of poor maternal nutrition, with several adverse consequences both for mothers and for their children. This study aimed to (1) assess maternal dietary patterns in India; (2) examine enablers and barriers in adopting recommended diets; (3) review current policy and program strategies to improve dietary intakes. We used mixed methods, including empirical analysis, compiling data from available national and subnational surveys, and reviewing literature, policy, and program strategies. Diets among pregnant women are characterized by low energy, macronutrient imbalance, and inadequate micronutrient intake. Supply- and demand-side constraints to healthy diets include food unavailability, poor economic situation, low exposure to nutrition counselling, food restrictions and taboos, adverse family influence and gender norms, and gaps in knowledge. Intervention strategies with potential to improve maternal diets include food-based programs, behavior change communication, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions. However, strategies face implementation bottlenecks and limited effectiveness in real-world at-scale impact evaluations. In conclusion, investments in systems approaches spanning health, nutrition, and agriculture sectors, with evaluation frameworks at subnational levels, are needed to promote healthy diets for women.


The prevalence of obesity is on the rise in many parts of the world and so obesity-related disorders such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis. These diseases are the leading causes of chronic kidney and end-stage renal diseases. The metabolic changes in obesity are associated with an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can damage DNA, cell components and disturb cell function.
This study investigates the effects of high-fat diets on the expression of genes coding for prooxidant and antioxidant enzymes in the renal cortex of male C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, it distinguishes between a diet high in animal fat (MFD, milk fat diet) and a diet high in plant fat (COD, coconut oil diet) and investigates if the effects of the animal-fat diet are reversible by normalizing the diet. The mice were fed for 30 weeks according to the specific dietary protocol. At the end of the treatment period, mRNA expression levels of the genes of interest were measured using real-time PCR.
This work shows that the intake of high-fat diet (high in animal fat or plant fat) is associated with increased mRNA expression levels of genes coding for prooxidant and inflammatory enzymes. Specifically, the NAD(P)H-oxidase subunit Nox4 and the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) showed markedly increased expression levels. Additionally, an upregulation of the antioxidant system, particularly of the glutathione peroxidase-1 (Gpx1), in all mice with a higher fat intake was detected. No significant difference between the diet high in animal fat and the diet high in plant fat on the mRNA expression levels of the investigated genes was seen. The effects of the animal fat diet are not reversible by diet normalization protocol used in this work.
This study provides a possible molecular explanation for the increased oxidative stress and the increased inflammation in murine renal cortex observed after high-fat diet intake.


Background The development and evaluation of specific maternity care packages designed to address preterm birth remains a public health priority. We aim to evaluate the implementation, context, and potential mechanisms of action, of a new care pathway that combined midwifery continuity of care with a specialist obstetric clinic for women at risk of preterm birth (POPPIE) in London (UK). Methods We did a multiphase mixed method triangulation evaluation nested within a hybrid type 2, randomised controlled trial in London (United Kingdom). Pregnant women with identified risk factors for preterm birth were eligible for trial participation and randomly assigned (1:1) to either midwifery continuity of care linked to a specialist obstetric clinic (POPPIE group) or standard maternity care. The primary outcome was a composite of appropriate and timely interventions for the prevention and/or management of preterm labour and birth, analysed according to intention to treat. Clinical and process outcome data were abstracted from medical records and electronic data systems, and coded by study team members, who were masked to study group allocation. Implementation data were collected from meeting records and key documents, postnatal surveys (n = 164), semi-structured interviews with women (n = 30), healthcare providers and stakeholders (n = 24) pre-, mid and post implementation. Qualitative and quantitative data from meeting records and key documents were examined narratively. Qualitative data from interviews were analysed using three thematic frameworks: Proctor's (for implementation outcomes: appropriateness, adoption, feasibility, acceptability, fidelity, penetration, sustainability), the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (for determinants of implementation), and published program theories of continuity models (for potential mechanisms). Data triangulation followed a convergent parallel and pragmatic approach which brought quantitative and qualitative data together at the interpretation stage. We averaged individual implementation measures across all domains to give a single composite implementation strength score which was compared to the primary outcome. Results Between May 9, 2017, and Sep 30, 2018, 553 women were assessed for eligibility and 334 were enrolled with less than 6% of loss to follow up (169 were assigned to the POPPIE group; 165 were to the standard group). There was no difference in the primary outcome (POPPIE group 83·3% versus standard group 84·7%; risk ratio 0·98 [95% CI 0·90 to 1·08]). Appropriateness and adoption: The introduction of the POPPIE model was perceived as a positive fundamental change for local maternity services. Partnership working and additional funding were crucial for adoption. Fidelity: More than 75% of antenatal and postnatal visits were provided by a named or partner midwife, and a POPPIE midwife was present in more than 80% of births. Acceptability: Nearly 98% of women who responded to the postnatal survey were very satisfied with POPPIE model. Quantitative fidelity and acceptability results were supported by the qualitative findings. Penetration and sustainability: Despite delays (likely associated with lack of existing continuity models at the hospital), the model was embedded within established services and a joint decision was made to sustain and adapt the model after the trial (strongly facilitated by national maternal policy on continuity pathways). Potential mechanisms of impact identified included e.g. access to care, advocacy and perceptions of safety and trust. There was no association between implementation measures and the primary outcome. Conclusions The POPPIE model of care was a feasible and acceptable model of care that was implemented with high fidelity and sustained in maternity services. Larger powered trials are feasible and needed in other settings, to evaluate the impact and implementation of continuity programmes in other communities affected by preterm birth and women who experience social disadvantage and vulnerability. Trial registration UKCRN Portfolio Database (prospectively registered, 24 April 2017): 31951. ISRCTN registry (retrospectively registered, 21 August 2017): ISRCTN37733900.


A new concept has emerged for far offshore wind energy conversion. It is the wind energy ship (1). It consists of a ship propelled by wind sails towing a water turbine. The water turbine produces electricity. The electricity is converted into a fuel (hydrogen for example). When the tanks are full, the ship sails to a terminal where the fuel is unloaded. Then, it can start a new charging cycle.
 An energy ship consists in several sub-systems: wind propulsion subsystem, hull, water turbine, energy storage. The focus of this paper is on the wind propulsion subsystem because of the many options available. Indeed, it has been proposed to implement rigid sails (2, 3), kite wings (4, 5), airfoils (1, 7) or Flettner rotors (6).
 Applying systems engineering, key requirements for the wind propulsion have been identified for the energy ship application. They are presented in the paper. Next, the advantages and drawbacks of each technology are discussed and most promising options are highlighted.


South Asians ― persons who can trace their origins to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh ― are the largest racialized minority group in Canada. The National Household Survey (2011) revealed that 1,567,400 persons reported being of South Asian origin, making up 4% of the total Canadian population (Statistics Canada, 2013). The substantial presence and rapid growth of this minority group make it an important population to understand in terms of their settlement and integration-related experiences. The authors of this paper bring together their unique disciplinary lensessocial work and law – to discuss various factors that contribute to the multiple oppressions experienced by South Asian immigrant women in Canada. The paper also focuses on the particular vulnerability newcomer immigrant women can face in situations of domestic violence. This paper is divided into four sections. The first section reviews the literature on the multiple oppressions experienced by newcomer South Asian women and their vulnerability in relation to domestic violence. In the second section the authors present the case of Tejinder, an immigrant woman whom the first author interviewed during data collection for her doctoral dissertation. In the third section the authors discuss how language, gender, race, class and immigration policy intersect


BACKGROUND Toll-like receptors (TLRs) detect endogenous ligands released after trauma and contribute to the proinflammatory response to injury. Posttraumatic mortality correlates with the extent of the immunoinflammatory response to injury that is composed of a complex regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Although TLRs are known to modulate innate immune responses, their role in the suppression of lymphocyte responses following traumatic tissue injury is unclear. METHODS This study used a murine model of severe peripheral tissue injury, involving muscle crush injury and injection of fracture components, to evaluate the roles of TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 in the early and delayed immunoinflammatory phenotype. Posttraumatic immune dysfunction was measured in our trauma model using the following parameters: ex vivo splenocyte proliferation, TH1 cytokine release, and iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) induction within splenic myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Systemic inflammation and liver damage were determined by circulating interleukin 6 levels and hepatocellular injury. RESULTS Suppression of splenocyte responses after injury was dependent on TLR4 and TLR9 signaling as was posttraumatic iNOS upregulation in splenic myeloid-derived suppressor cells. TLR2 was found to have only a partial role through contribution to inhibition of splenocyte proliferation. This study also reveals the involvement of TLR2 and TLR4 in the initial systemic inflammatory response to traumatic tissue injury; however, this response was found to be TLR9 independent. CONCLUSION These findings demonstrate the previously unidentified role of TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 in the T cell–associated immune dysfunction following traumatic tissue injury. Importantly, this study also illustrates that TLRs play differing and selective roles in both the initial proinflammatory response and adaptive immune response after trauma. Furthermore, results in TLR9-deficient mice establish that the upregulation of early proinflammatory markers do not always correlate with the extent of sustained immune dysfunction. This suggests potential for targeted therapies that could limit immune dysfunction through selective inhibition of receptor function following injury.


In this paper the mean water year (October through September) flow of the North Saskatchewan River (NSR) at Edmonton, Alberta is reconstructed back to 1063 A.D. using a new network of moisture-sensitive tree-ring chronologies from limber pine and Douglas fir at seven sites in the headwater sub-basins of the North Saskatchewan River Basin (NSRB). Over the full extent of the proxy hydrometric record (10632007), we examined 1) the duration and severity of low flow, 2) the dominant frequencies of periodic variability and 3) the correlation between these significant periodicities in proxy streamflow and climate indices, specifically sea surface temperature oscillations, which are known drivers of regional hydroclimatic variability. This new record of the paleohydrology of the NSRB is compared to previous tree-ring reconstructions of the annul flow of the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers. Extending the reference hydrology for the basin from decades to centuries changes perceptions of the reliability of the water supply and understanding of the hydroclimatic variability. The gauge record not does represent the full extent of interannual to multidecadal variability in the tree-ring data; there are periods of low flow in the pre-instrumental record that are longer and more severe than those recorded by the gauge.


Background / Aims: TMEM16F is a transmembrane protein from a conserved family of Ca2+-activated proteins, which is highly expressed in several tissues. TMEM16F confers phospholipid scramblase activity and Ca2+-activated electrolyte channel activity. Potentially thereby, TMEM16F is involved in cell cycle control and apoptotic signaling. The present study evaluated the role of TMEM16F on cell proliferation and viability in Human Embryonic Kidney cells. Methods: An inducible knockdown of TMEM16F was generated and markers of apoptosis and proliferation were assessed via flow cytometry, western blotting and MTT uptake assay under different conditions. Results: TMEM16F knockdown resulted in attenuated growth of HEK293 cells. This observation correlated with an increased phosphatidylserine exposure and a decreased fraction of viable cells. Interestingly, the cells were not sensitized to Staurosporine- induced cell death. Western blot analyses displayed a parallel activation of pro- and antiapoptotic signaling pathways: Caspase 3 cleavage and Cyclin D1 abundance were simultaneously increased. Furthermore, knockdown of TMEM16F led to activation of AKT signaling. Conclusion: TMEM16F modifies viability of Human Embryonic Kidney cells via its function as a phospholipid scramblase and activation of AKT signaling pathways.


An attempt is made to combine a deterministic digital filter and a stochastic
filter. The state equation is the standard form used for a Kalman filter deriva—
tion and the output equation is of the finite impulse response filter. An optimal
estimator is derived for this combined structure, called a finite impulse response
estimator (FIRE) which permits processing of a signal contaminated by deterministic
and random noises. Derivation of the FIRE utilizes the state augmentation technique
and the innovation technique. The proposed method is straight forward and
easy to implement and it can be applied to areas such as time varying signal processing
or target tracking where radar 'returns are contaminated by low frequency
noises. Full derivation and a tracking application are presented.


Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a multifactorial disease with a complex and largely unknown etiology and pathophysiology. Hypoestrogenemia may be one of the risk factors associated with POP. Recent studies suggest a potential role of estrogen and its receptors in the pathogenesis of POP. Here, we summarize current research regarding the relationship between estrogen and POP to establish a theoretical foundation for using estrogen in POP treatment. Estrogen plays an important role in collagen and elastin metabolism of connective tissues through down-regulating matrix metalloproteinases and increasing cystatin C expression. However, previous studies have shown contradictory data regarding estrogen receptor expression in patients with POP compared to non-POP controls. At this time, there is no conclusive evidence suggesting a causal role of estrogen in POP. Further welldesigned studies are necessary to illuminate both the molecular mechanisms of estrogen function and the role of estrogen in POP.


: A new approach of assessment of cerebrovascular reserve in healthy human is proposed. Twenty-two healthy men volunteers aged 25-43 were examined. Investigation of cerebral blood circulation in each of them was implemented for the six times with one-week interval. The cerebral blood flow was measured by use of Doppler ultrasound. Blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery and homolateral internal jugular vein and pulsative index in this artery were considered as basic structural elements of cerebral blood circulation in this work. Breath-holding, hyperventilation and stress tests served as functional tests. It was shown that degree of basic parameters synchronization in a system cerebral blood circulation under the influence of functional load determine his cerebrovascular reserve. This method of cerebrovascular reserve estimation could be used for determination of psychophysical readiness of separate human to professional occupation.


Cardiac tissue is composed of muscle and non-muscle cells, surrounded by extracellular matrix (ECM) and spatially organized into a complex three-dimensional (3D) architecture to allow for coordinated contraction and electrical pulse propagation. Despite emerging evidence for cardiomyocyte turnover in mammalian hearts, the regenerative capacity of human cardiac tissue is insufficient to recover from damage, e.g. resulting from myocardial infarction (MI). Instead, the heart 'repairs' lost or injured tissue by ongoing synthesis and remodeling of scar tissue. Conventional therapies and timely (stem) cell delivery to the injured tissue markedly improve short-term function and remodeling, but do not attenuate later stage adverse remodeling, leading to functional deterioration and eventually failure of the heart. Material-based therapies have been successfully used to mechanically support and constrain the post-MI failing heart, preventing it from further remodeling and dilation. When designed to deliver the right microenvironment for endogenous or exogenous cells, as well as the mechanical and topological cues to guide neo-tissue formation, material-based therapies may even reverse remodeling and boost cardiac regeneration. This paper reviews the up-to-date status of material-based cardiac regeneration with special emphasis on 1) the use of bare biomaterials to deliver passive constraints that unload the heart, 2) the use of materials and cells to create engineered cardiac constructs for replacement, support, or regeneration of damaged myocardium, and 3) the development of bio-inspired and bioactive materials that aim to enhance the endogenous regenerative capacity of the heart. As the therapies should function in the infarcted heart, the damaged host environment and engineered in vitro test systems that mimic this environment, are reviewed as well.


In the wake of the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision, thousands of teachers of color lost their jobs as black students were integrated into mostly white schools. The number of black teachers in schools across the United States has never recovered resulting in a teaching workforce that is less diverse than the student population that they teach. Many studies have examined the possible impact of this discrepancy including the possibility that this has contributed to the black-white achievement gap that exists in the United States. Other studies have examined the non-academic impacts of a less diverse workforce including the impact on the perceptions of minority students. Indeed, our increased awareness of teacher diversity issues and the need for a more diverse teaching force is based on assumptions that student's having a same-race teacher can be a positive thing. This study seeks to examine these assumptions by looking at how race may actually affect student perceptions of their teacher's effectiveness and their relationship with that teacher. This study focuses on students and teachers in a low-income area of the state of Arkansas to assess student perceptions of their teachers on several key attributes of quality teaching. The aim of the study is to see if classrooms of students with similar races to that of their teacher perceive their teachers differently. More directly, do students share more favorable perceptions of their teacher's effectiveness and relationships if they are of the same racial background? This study finds that students perceive that teachers of the same-race are more effective and have more positive relationships with them but this finding seems to be driven by white students matched with white teachers. The study does find that black students find the expectations and rigor of their same-race teachers to be higher. Last, the study does find that teachers of all races recruited and trained to teach specifically in high-minority, low-income areas have a positive impact on student perceptions of their teacher's effectiveness and relationships. The study concludes with a call for more research and a continued push to diversity the teacher workforce.


Sulaman Bay is one of the aquaculture sites in Sabah that located at the west coast of Sabah, facing to the South China Sea. Most of the fish farming activities are operating in small scales and located along the channel from Sulaman Bay to the South China Sea. The study was conducted to evaluate the current physiochemical properties of the water such as temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, as well as the water current in the cage area. In addition, this study was investigated the environmental changes through the cage area during the extreme weather condition and also the relation between the water properties and the surrounding environment of the cage culture. The sampling spot was located at Pusat Pengumpulan dan Pemasaran Ikan Hidup Persatuan Nelayan Kawasan Tuaran at Kampung Sekudung, Sulaman. Two samplings were conducted where the first sampling was on 20 - 21 March 2012, while the second sampling was on 10 -11 April 2012. Field measurement were carried out within 24 hours with 1 hour interval for three different depths; 0.5m below the water surface, middle depth of the water and 0.5 above the water column. Daily data of water physiochemical (October 2010 - January 2011) was obtained from FELCRA. Data of rainfall was obtained from Meteorological Department while tide tables from IPMB Office also obtained to analyse their effect towards the water parameters. Water parameters measurement shows that the temperatures in different layers were almost similar and range from 28°C - 31°C. Water mixing was occurred at different layers of water. The mean of water pH was above 8.5 and affected by temperature and tidal changes. The concentration of dissolved oxygen at the bottom was high during night and morning. Daily water parameters measurement shows that the mean of the parameters was were fluctuated every month. The total mean of temperature was 32.39±0.86°C. Water salinity mean was 26.85±1.88 PSU, while for dissolved oxygen was 83.53±9.57%. Based on interview, the extreme weathers such as flood were rarely occurred but will bring destruction to the cages structures, disease to fish and rubbish into the cages area.


Control over the synthesis of anisotropic nanoparticles is crucial as slight differences in their size, shape, sharpness, or the number of tips in the case of gold nanostars, has an inordinate influence on their properties and functionality for future applications. Herein, we show that the supplier and purity of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) can significantly alter the synthesis of gold nanostars, demonstrating that impurities, not PVP itself, are the main factor responsible for star-like shape formation. We demonstrate that in the presence of pure PVP and N,N-dimethylformamide, the use of hydrazine leads to the formation of branched nanoparticles. This synthetic approach opens the door to solving issues associated with the use of commercial PVP during the synthesis of gold nanostars.


Enzymes are biodegradable and renewable resources that utilize water as the reaction solvent. Reactions catalyzed by enzymes are among the most effective, selective, and 'green' processes available today. The advantages of using biocatalysts include their high degree of regio- and stereo-specificity, versatility, and high reaction rates under mild reaction conditions. Enzyme catalyzed enantioselective C–C bond formation reactions are rather important aspects of synthetic organic chemistry. Thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) dependent enzymes, especially, have an important role in the stereoselective formation of C–C bonds. This review covers the recent advances in enzyme catalyzed asymmetric C–C bond formation using the most pronounced thiamine pyrophosphate dependent enzymes: acetohydroxyacid synthase, benzaldehyde lyase, benzoylformate decarboxylase, pyruvate decarboxylase, and phenylpyruvate decarboxylase. These enzymes are all capable of acyloin-type condensation reactions in water under mild conditions, in turn leading to chiral α-hydroxy ketones, which are versatile building blocks for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.


The quest to situate Taiwan, and its history, as a field of study continues to accompany a flow of dirges. Taiwan Studies has been argued to occupy 'a marginal position' within the field of Chinese Studies, while at the same time it is acknowledged that those who are interested in China cannot ignore Taiwan entirely. Some argue that the study of Taiwan is 'an impossible task' since 'Taiwan is already written out of mainstream Western discourse due its insignificance'. This survey (though by no means exhaustive) is an effort to chart the evolution of Taiwan history and historiography and argue that those engaging with the study of Taiwan have always sought ways to adapt and thrive. Attention to this is important as scholars of Taiwan seek to define the field as thing unto itself.


Abstract The crystal structure of a synthetic aegirine crystal, NaFe3+Si2O6, was studied at room temperature, under hydrostatic conditions, over the pressure range 0-11.55 GPa using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Unit-cell data were determined at 16 pressures, and intensity data were collected at eight of these pressures. A third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state fit to the P-V data from 0-11.55 GPa yielded K0 = 117(1) GPa, K′0 = 3.2(2), and V0 = 429.40(9) Å3. Aegirine, like the other Na-clinopyroxenes that have been examined at high pressure, exhibits strongly anisotropic compression, with unit strain axial ratios ε1:ε2:ε3 of 1.00:2.38:2.63. Silicate chains in aegirine become more O-rotated with pressure, reducing ∠O3-O3-O3 from 174.1(1)° at ambient pressure to 165.5(5)° at 10.82 GPa. No evidence of a phase transition was observed over the studied pressure range. The relationship between M1 cation radius and bulk modulus is examined for 14 clinopyroxenes, and two distinct trends are identified in a plot of these values. The distinction between these trends can be explained by the presence or absence of antipathetic bonds around M2, a feature first described by McCarthy et al. (2008). Aegirine, with Fe3+, has nearly the same bulk modulus, within error, as hedenbergite, with Fe2+, despite the difference in M2 bonding topology, M2 (Fe) valence and ambient unit-cell volume. Several explanations for this apparent paradox are considered.


The Filipino culture is a mixture of diverse indigenous and foreign influences. As an archipelagic state consisting of more than seven thousand islands, the Philippines is home to 175 ethno-linguistic groups, each with its unique history, cultural identity, and health beliefs and practices. In the realm of healthcare, it is essential to understand the relationship between culture and health and its impacts on health-related behavior of patients. The study aims to (1) to synthesize and review available literature on cultural competence in healthcare delivery and (2) to indicate how these concepts apply in physician-patient interactions in the Philippine setting. The author searched online databases and performed manual searches of bibliographies to identify the studies included. Among other things, the study found that acknowledging and respecting the context of worldviews and decision-making processes of patients can improve communication and healthcare outcomes. This paradigm involving a fiduciary physician-patient relationship is commensurate with genuine respect for human dignity. In the Philippines, however, there is a need to generate specific, relevant, and useful information about the level of cultural competence of physicians. The study recommends that Filipino physicians should be equipped with the necessary training to provide competent care to patients coming from a wide range of backgrounds. Medical education and clinical training should put emphasis on understanding and respecting culture and its crucial role in molding individual and societal concepts about health. Empirical data should be generated to evaluate the impact of incorporating cultural competence to healthcare delivery using important outcome measures such as patient satisfaction, treatment adherence, and improvements in health-seeking behavior.


Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) are a new class of drugs that bind to estrogen receptor (ER) and elicit agonistic or antagonistic responses, depending on the target tissue. We have developed an in vitro system in which some SERMs (4-hydroxytamoxifen and resveratrol) demonstrate estrogenic response through wild-type (wt) ER, whereas others (raloxifene and GW7604) remain antiestrogenic. This system mimics the tamoxifen-resistant phenotype in clinic, when resistant tumors contain wtER. We used Atlas cDNA arrays to study gene expression profiles after ER activation by different SERMs in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells stably transfected with wtER. Cells were treated with estradiol, four different SERMs, and the pure antiestrogen ICI 182,780. The obtained expression data were analyzed using GeneSpring software. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR was used to verify the array data. Our results showed that treatment with various compounds altered the expression of a diverse group of genes, revealing sets of overlapping genes that may represent a complex network of genes of interrelated signal transduction pathways. Sets of "agonistic" and "antagonistic" genes were identified on the basis of the known response to different SERMs. Further analysis of selected sets of genes revealed functionally related group of genes in each set, encoding proteins that were related to cell proliferation, survival, and apoptosis. Flow cytometry data indicated an antiapoptotic activity in cells treated with agonists versus apoptotic activity in cells treated with antagonists. A model for estradiol-like (survival) and antiestrogen-like (apoptosis) activities of SERMs on the basis of their gene expression profiles is suggested.


Film, like the printed imagery inaugurated during the Renaissance, spread ideas – not least the idea of the power of visual art – across not only geographical and political divides but also strata of class and gender. Moving Pictures and Renaissance Art History examines the early flourishing of film, from the 1920s to the mid-1960s, as partly reprising the introduction of mass media in the Renaissance, allowing for innovation that reflected an art free of the control of a patron though required to attract a broad public. Rivalry between word and image, between the demands of narrative and those of visual composition, spurred new ways of addressing the compelling nature of the visual. The twentieth century also saw the development of the discipline of art history; transfusions between cinematic practice and art historical postulates are part of the story told here.


This is an exploratory study with quantitative approach that aims to evaluate the ergonomics related problems of high school level nursing workers, from the obstetric centre of a teaching hospital, in Fortaleza-Ce, during the month of June, 2003. The sample was composed by twenty two auxiliaries and two nursing technicians, all of them young women with little experience in the area. The interview was conducted with a semi-structured questionnaire which identified the professional performance and the difficulties at work. We noticed that the lack of a resting place (96%), the lack of stretcher-bearer (67%), the difficult transport of the patients (62%), resting need (62%) and the lack of material (25%) are the biggest difficulties. The high school level nursing workers daily labour practice, involves physical wear and tear, affecting their health and quality of life. The ergonomics analysis facilitates the recognition of man reality and their interaction with the workers. It also contributes to preserve workers satisfaction and to prevent psychopathologies. Keywords: Ergonomics; Allied health personnel; Nurses' Aides; Delivery rooms.


John Braxton Hicks was born in Rye, Sussex, in 1823. His father, Edward Hicks, was a Justice of the Peace and a banker from Lymington in Hampshire. After a private education near Winchester, John was apprenticed to Dr Fluder of Lymington. At the age of 18 he entered Guy's Hospital Medical School, where he won many prizes and honours, as well as being a successful oarsman. Graduating MB from the University of London in 1847, he went on to obtain an MD in 1851.

At first, wishing to marry, he entered general practice in Tottenham, but in 1858 was recruited by Guy's Hospital as assistant obstetric physician. The following year he became a member of the Royal College of Physicians of London (Fellow, 1866). He also held diplomas from the Royal College of Surgeons and the Society of Apothecaries. In 1868 he was promoted full obstetric physician at Guy's and in 1883 consulting physician. He also held appointments at St Mary's Hospital, the Royal Maternity Charity, and the Royal Infirmary. (fig 1)1

Figure 1
John Braxton Hicks in 1872.

Braxton Hicks had a natural aptitude for scientific research. Enthusiastic, inventive, intelligent and hard working, he also paid meticulous attention to detail. Recognised as a pioneer in midwifery, with 133 medical publications to his name, he is best known for being the first physician to describe bipolar version of the fetus2 and the painless rhythmic contractions of the uterus that occur throughout pregnancy.3

"The method I have found successful, and very easy of application, is conducted thus:- We will suppose the simplest condition, a case where the uterus is passive, membranes unbroken, the liquor amnii plentiful, the os uteri expanded sufficiently to detect the presentation, which is cephalic ... the left hand, with the usual precautions, into the vagina, …


Given a combinatorial optimization problem, we aim at characterizing the set of all instances for which every feasible solution has the same objective value.
Our central result deals with multi-dimensional assignment problems. We show that for the axial and for the planar $d$-dimensional assignment problem instances with constant objective value property are characterized by sum-decomposable arrays. We provide a counterexample to show that the result does not carry over to general $d$-dimensional assignment problems.
Our result for the axial $d$-dimensional assignment problem can be shown to carry over to the axial $d$-dimensional transportation problem. Moreover, we obtain characterizations when the constant objective value property holds for the minimum spanning tree problem, the shortest path problem and the minimum weight maximum cardinality matching problem.


Densities and viscosities of pure solvent mixtures of tetrahydrofuran–water have been measured as a function of the composition of various concentrations (0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.08 m) at 298, 303, 308, 313 and 318 K. The experimental data have been used to calculate excess thermodynamic parameters such as viscosity (η E), molar volume (VE), Gibb's free energy (ΔG*E), enthalpy (ΔH* E), entropy (ΔS* E) and Grunberg's interaction parameter (d). The excess property values were found to be either negative or positive depending on the molecular interactions and the nature of liquid mixtures. Densities and viscosities of Monomethyl ammonium hydrochloride in tetrahydrofuran and water mixtures were also measured. The obtained results were then analysed by the Bresslau-Miller equation, Masson's equation and Jones-Dole equation.


We recently reported the discovery of isofurans, novel products of free radical-induced peroxidation of arachidonic acid that exhibit favored formation with increasing oxygen concentrations. In this review, the biochemistry of isofuran formation is compared with that of isoprostanes, with an emphasis on the mechanistic basis for the favored formation of isofurans at elevated oxygen tensions. In addition, the formation of isofurans in various disease states in vivo is also discussed. Parkinson's disease is presented as a disease model involving mitochondrial dysfunction, a situation in which quantification of isofurans can provide a uniquely sensitive indicator of oxidant injury. Measurement of isofurans has also provided unexpected insights into the earliest events in hyperoxic lung injury, an important clinical problem in which measurement of isofurans might prove to be uniquely valuable in the evaluation of approaches to limit this injury. These two settings are then used as models to suggest a variety of other pathological settings in which measurement of isofurans together with isoprostanes could provide a complete and robust picture of oxidative stress status in ongoing and future investigations.


As the challenges presented by the coronavirus are being processed within national communities and the international order, important new avenues for re-thinking democratic theory and practice present themselves. This short article discusses the potential implications of a shift toward planetary politics whereby we engage not only human communities but also non-human ones in our thinking and practice of democracy. New opportunities to rethink "international order" and how we negotiate with ecosystems are presented by opening up (rather than closing down) our political imaginations in the context of the coronavirus challenge.


Pork and chicken meat samples were collected from pre-selected slaughterhouses to characterize the pH, titratable acidity (%TA) and aerobic plate count (APC) from slaughter until end of shelf-life at ambient temperature (30±2oC). Results showed that the population of microorganisms on meat samples increased over the storage time. On the other hand, pH and % TA were variable, showing no statistically significant changes throughout the storage period. Based on microbiological analysis, the shelf-life of pork and chicken meats ranged from 8 to 12 h and 3 to 6 h, respectively. Pearson correlation revealed there was no significant relationship between APC and pH of pork (r=-0.10, n=278, p>0.05) or between APC and %TA of pork (r=0.053, n=278, p>0.05). On the other hand, there was a weak negative relationship between APC and pH in chicken (r=-0.165, n=267, p<0.005) and a positive relationship between APC and %TA (r=0.401, n=266, p<0.005).  This showed that pH cannot be used as a good indicator of meat spoilage. Furthermore, the differences between fresh and obviously spoiled meat samples, for both pH and %TA, were not great enough for practical use.


In this correspondence, a new and systematic design of cyclotomic lattices with full diversity is proposed by using some algebraic number theory. This design provides infinitely many full diversity cyclotomic lattices for a given lattice size. Based on the packing theory and the concrete form of the design, optimal cyclotomic lattices are presented by minimizing the mean transmission signal power for a given minimum (diversity) product (or equivalently maximizing the minimum product for a given mean transmission signal power). The newly proposed cyclotomic lattices can be applied to both space-time code designs for multi-antenna systems and linear precode design for signal space diversity in single antenna systems over fast Rayleigh fading channels. Although there are some cyclotomic lattices/space-time codes existing in the literature, most of them are not optimal.


The POLDER instrument is devoted to global observations of the solar radiation reflected by the Earth-atmosphere system. Algorithms of the "Earth Radiation Budget and Clouds" processing line implemented at the French Space Center are applied to ADEOS-POLDER data. First results on derived cloud properties are presented from POLDER level 2 data of 10 November 1996 and level 3 products of June 1997. A good correlation is observed between the POLDER cloud detection algorithm and the Dynamical Clustering Method applied to METEOSAT data. The multidirectional capability of POLDER appears useful to check schemes of cloud optical thickness retrieval. As expected, a water droplet model is suitable for liquid water clouds and inadequate for ice clouds. That indirectly validates the algorithm of cloud phase recognition. An apparent pressure is derived from O/sub 2/-absorption measurements and a Rayleigh cloud pressure from polarization observations. For overcast conditions, the apparent pressure is larger (by more than 100 hPa) than the Rayleigh pressure chiefly due to the photon penetration effect. For partly cloudy conditions, it can be larger or weaker depending on the surface reflectivity. Preliminary comparisons between POLDER and ISCCP monthly mean products outline some differences resulting in part from the original characteristics of POLDER.


BACKGROUND
Rising US suicide rates are particularly notable among military veterans, especially women. It is unknown whether these differences extend to suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA), which are major predictors of suicide. Literature comparing SI and SA prevalence and timing of onset between veterans and nonveterans is limited.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to estimate and compare SI and SA prevalence and onset timing relative to age and military service between veterans and nonveterans, by gender.

RESEARCH DESIGN
Gender-stratified analysis of cross-sectional data from the Comparative Health Assessment Interview Study. Generalized estimating equations logistic regression was used to compare prevalence and onset of SI and SA between time periods and across groups, controlling for years at risk in each time period.

SUBJECTS
National sample of 15,082 post-9/11 veterans (36.7% women) and 4638 nonveterans (30.5% women).

MEASURES
Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale adapted to assess SI and SA relative to age (less than 18 y, 18 y and above) and military service (pre-, during, and post-military).

RESULTS
Veteran men experienced significantly higher odds of lifetime SI compared with nonveteran men (odds ratio=1.13), whereas veteran women experienced significantly higher odds of lifetime SA compared with nonveteran women (odds ratio=1.35). SI and SA onset varied considerably for veterans and nonveterans and by gender within veteran groups.

CONCLUSIONS
Veterans and nonveterans appear to differ in periods of risk for SI and SA. Furthermore, gender differences in SI and SA onset for veterans highlight the need for gender-informed veteran suicide prevention strategies that target periods of highest risk.


An open trial of Ketotifen was conducted on 29 children suffering from asthma of varying duration. The drug was given orally in a dose of 1 mg twice a day. Children were followed up weekly for a period of 3 months. It was found beneficial (though the benefit was not statistically significant) in children having asthma of less than 2 years duration who were taking one drug regularly or were on occasional treatment. There was marginal effect in children taking salbutamol and theophylline together, but irregularly and no benefit in children taking prednisolone.


This paper interrogates the issue of sustainability of the market-driven urban residential transformation of Nairobi through a case study of Kileleshwa, a residential neighbourhood located in the western suburbs of the city. The paper examines the impact of the ongoing transformation from low-density housing to higher density high-rise apartment housing on the sustainability of the urban habitat. This is predicated on an understanding of sustainability in which its components are hierarchically organized to privilege the environmental component over the social and economic ones. The investigation was undertaken qualitatively using the case study of high-rise apartment blocks. This entailed qualitative interviews with key actors implicated in the process of transformation including property developers, the local authority, and residents. Research methods also included visual documentation of the apartment blocks being developed as well as document review of public sector and private sector reports on the real estate sector. The results indicate that the current production of housing in Kileleshwa is unsustainable. This is demonstrated by the inadequacy of the neighbourhood ́s infrastructure in supporting the current trajectory of the habitat ́s densification. The infrastructural challenges are discussed in detail highlighting the extent to which they are leading to unsustainable transformation. A reframing of the approach to urban development that requires a paradigm shift in prioritizing the environmental component of sustainability and deliberate planning for densification in place of the current ad hoc approach to urban development is also discussed. The paper concludes that sustainable urban development requires both a foregrounding of environmental concerns and the adoption of a holistic approach in the satisfaction of urban needs such as housing with their commensurate physical and social infrastructure. The paper recommends the upgrading of the existing physical infrastructure to support densification, and the redirection of the ongoing urban development towards the more sustainable compact city structure.


This paper speaks to the conference theme concerning cultural, relational and intercultural
musicology while referring to the politics of intercultural and interdisciplinary events.
Specifically, it explores the way that the chosen composers responded to their artistic
selections. It speaks to the negative criticism this exhibition received in the national UK
press (The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Standard), in debating whether intercultural and
interdisciplinary works might dilute spectator engagement with these artistic works, or
whether it promotes accessibility and wider cultural appreciation. The misalignment
between aesthetic value and accessibility seems striking with this assessment: 'It is feeble,
pusillanimous, apologetic and, even in its resolute wrong-headedness, lacks all ambition'
(Cumming, 2015). In tackling the journalistic criticism, I utilize an intercultural musicological
approach, with an emphasis on identifying the relational features of this exhibition. In so
doing, it challenges how an intercultural musicological assessment of this recent exhibition
asserts that such a mode of enquiry relies on intersemiotic translation and a consideration
of cultural value in terms imposed (due to funding consideration) at least partially by
government. Placing music and art in dialogue emphasizes the ability for music to project
the sense of something beyond itself. With the old work set alongside the new music, and
with composers and artists drawn from diverse historical-cultural backgrounds, the musical
responses reframe the cultural symbolic content of the chosen pieces of art. A musical
appropriation of certain cultural features residing in each painting challenges the spectator
to seek relational features between the audio and visual works.


BACKGROUND
Extracorporeal shock waves are known to stimulate the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells toward osteoprogenitors and induce the expression of osteogenic-related growth hormones. The aim of this study was to investigate if and how extracorporeal shock waves affected new bone formation, bone microarchitecture, and the mechanical properties of bone in a healthy rat model, in order to evaluate whether extracorporeal shock wave therapy might be a potential treatment for osteoporosis.

METHODS
Thirteen rats received 1000 electrohydraulically generated unfocused extracorporeal shock waves to the right tibia. The contralateral, left tibia was not treated and served as a control. At two, seven, twenty-one, and forty-nine days after administration of the shock waves, in vivo single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) scanning was performed to measure new bone formation on the basis of uptake of technetium-labeled methylene diphosphonate ((99m)Tc-MDP) (n = 6). Prior to and forty-nine days after the extracorporeal shock wave therapy, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scans were made to examine the architectural bone changes. In addition, mechanical testing, microcrack, and histological analyses were performed.

RESULTS
Extracorporeal shock waves induced a strong increase in (99m)Tc-MDP uptake in the treated tibia compared with the uptake in the untreated, control tibia. Micro-CT analysis showed that extracorporeal shock waves stimulated increases in both trabecular and cortical volume, which resulted in higher bone stiffness compared with that of the control tibiae. Histological analysis showed intramedullary soft-tissue damage and de novo bone with active osteoblasts and osteoid in the bone marrow of the legs treated with extracorporeal shock waves. Microcrack analysis showed no differences between the treated and control legs.

CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that a single treatment with extracorporeal shock waves induces anabolic effects in both cancellous and cortical bone, leading to improved biomechanical properties. Furthermore, treatment with extracorporeal shock waves results in transient damage to the bone marrow, which might be related to the anabolic effects. After further examination and optimization, unfocused extracorporeal shock waves might enable local treatment of skeletal sites susceptible to fracture.


The East Gobi basin of Mongolia is a poorly described Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous extensional province that holds great importance for reconstructions of Mesozoic tectonics and paleogeography of eastern Asia. Extension is especially well recorded in the structure and stratigraphy of the Unegt and Zuunbayan subbasins southwest of Saynshand, Mongolia, where outcrop and subsurface relationships permit recognition of prerift, synrift, and postrift Mesozoic stratigraphic megasequences. Within the synrift megasequence, three sequences developed in response to climatic and rift-related structural controls on sedimentation. Where best exposed along the northern margin of the Unegt subbasin, each of the synrift sequences is bounded by unconformities and generally fines upward from basal alluvial and fluvial conglomerate to fluvial and lacustrine sandstone and mudstone. Resedimented ashes and basalt flows punctuate the synrift megasequence. Rifting began in the Unegt subbasin prior to 155 Ma with coarse alluvial filling of local fault depressions. Subsidence generally outstripped sediment supply, and fresh to saline lacustrine environments, expanding southward with time, dominated the Unegt- Zuunbayan landscape for much of latest Jurassic–Early Cretaceous time. Episodic faulting and volcanism characterized the basin system for the balance of the Early Cretaceous. A brief period of compressional and/or transpressional basin inversion occurred at the end of the Early Cretaceous, prior to deposition of a widespread Upper Cretaceous overlap sequence. The driver(s) of Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous extension remain uncertain because southeast Mongolia occupied an intraplate position by the beginning of the Cretaceous. Extension in the East Gobi basin was coeval with collapse and extension of early Mesozoic contractional orogenic belts along the northern and southern borders of Mongolia and probably was a linked phenomenon. Strike-slip faulting associated with collisions on the southern Asian and Mongol- Okhotsk margins likely also played a role in late Mesozoic deformation of the East Gobi region, perhaps partitioning the Gobi from apparently coeval large-magnitude contractional deformation in the Yinshan- Yanshan orogenic belt south of the study area in Inner Mongolia.


Abstract. Ice mass loss rates from glaciers in the Gulf of Alaska and the Canadian Archipelago are expected to increase through the end of century in response to increasing temperatures. Here, we develop a new glacier model constrained by GRACE gravimetry observations for the period between 2002 and 2017. The high temporal and regional spatial resolution of GRACE mass balance estimates allows us to estimate regional glacier sensitivities to atmospheric changes, and account for higher order of glacier dynamics. We use our regionally constrained models to extrapolate future mass loss under different climate emission scenarios. Generally our 21st century sea level estimates are at the high end compared to other studies. We find that the Gulf of Alaska exhibits the highest mass loss rates between −79 to −112 Gt yr−1 between 2006 and 2100 under different scenarios, and displays the highest sensitivity to the specific scenario (RCP 2.6/4.5/8.5). Our estimates for Baffin Island are significantly higher than prior work (−57 to −85 Gt yr−1) and are comparable to projected mass loss rates from the Ellesmere region (−63 to −101 Gt yr−1).


Ice, compression and elevation are the basic principles of acute soft tissue injury. Few clinicians, however, can give specific evidence based guidance on the appropriate duration of each individual treatment session, the frequency of application, or the length of the treatment program. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify the original literature on cryotherapy in acute soft tissue injury and produce evidence based guidance on treatment. A systematic literature search was performed using Medline, Embase, SportDiscus and the database of the National Sports Medicine Institute (UK) using the key words ice, injury, sport, exercise. Temperature change within the muscle depends on the method of application, duration of application, initial temperature, and depth of subcutaneous fat. The evidence from this systematic review suggests that melting iced water applied through a wet towel for repeated periods of 10 minutes is most effective. The target temperature is reduction of 10-15 degrees C. Using repeated, rather than continuous, ice applications helps sustain reduced muscle temperature without compromising the skin and allows the superficial skin temperature to return to normal while deeper muscle temperature remains low. Reflex activity and motor function are impaired following ice treatment so patients may be more susceptible to injury for up to 30 minutes following treatment. It is concluded that ice is effective, but should be applied in repeated application of 10 minutes to be most effective, avoid side effects, and prevent possible further injury.


We propose to use edge-modified phosphorene nanoflakes (PNFs) as donor and acceptor materials for heterojunction solar cells. By using density functional theory based calculations, we show that heterojunctions consisting of hydrogenand fluorine-passivated PNFs have a number of desired optoelectronic properties that are suitable for use in a solar cell. We explain why these properties hold for these types of heterojunctions. Our calculations also predict that the maximum energy conversion efficiency of these type of heterojunctions, which can be easily fabricated, can be as high as 20%, making them extremely competitive with other types of two-dimensional heterojunctions.


The paper deals with the effect of cooling rate on solidification behavior of IN 738LC nickel based superalloy and on resulting structural and chemical microheterogeneity of this alloy. Samples taken from as-received state were heated with controlled ramp rates (1, 5, 10 and 20 °C min-1). Immediately after melting they were cooled with the same controlled ramp rate with the help of the laboratory experimental system SETARAM SETSYS 18TM TG/DTA/TMA. Then the microanalysis of minority phases was conducted with use of X-ray spectroscopy and microstructure of the individual samples was documented by scanning electron microscopy. Chemical microheterogeneity was determined on the basis of measured concentration data of selected elements (Al, Ti, Cr, Co, Ni, Nb, Mo, Ta and W) in representative areas of the individual samples structure.


Glucocorticoids have been used for decades as immune suppressants to treat allergic reactions, reduce inflammation, and prevent rejection of transplanted organs. But how they work has been something of a mystery. Now, two teams of researchers report in Science that they appear to work by stimulating cells to produce a protein, which in turn binds and inactivates a second protein normally involved in turning on genes that orchestrate an immune response.


This paper reports on research being undertaken as part of the 3 year Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project which seeks to examine ways in which more people might be encouraged to walk and cycle in the future, what steps are needed to support this potential increase in walking and cycling and how to improve the experience for those who already use these modes. Walking and cycling can make a considerable contribution to sustainable transport goals, building healthier and more sociable communities and contributing to traffic reduction and lower carbon emissions. The amount of walking and cycling in Britain has declined over the long term and research suggests that there are major obstacles to prevent people from using these modes. There have been many national and local initiatives to promote walking and cycling but without a long term vision and consistent strategy it is difficult to see how a significant change may be achieved. The time is now right to examine the means by which such a fundamental change both in the quantity of walking and cycling, and in the quality of the experience can be achieved, which goes well beyond continuation of existing trends. The research uses innovative methodologies supported by visualisation software to help users understand how futures might appear, uses modelling techniques which examine narrative and storylines to understand how different futures might evolve, and utilizes a range of social research methods to explore how different futures might affect individual lifestyles and to evaluate impacts on society. The paper will describe the approach adopted in the project and outline the initial visions developed.


The purpose of this paper is to report the result of a study aimed at the factors effect on innovation in Indonesia. Indonesia has many resources occupied by more than 300 etnics dispersed in 17,508 islands. It consists of a mixed population of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist, Christians, and animists, which has created many kinds of cultural. These may have effect to their innovation. Data were collected from electronical and automotive industries situated in Jabotabek. These cities is a centre of activities of manufacturing industries that may reflect the industries throughout Indonesia. These industries is also deemed as full of innovation which might be effected by indonesian cultural. Factor analysis were used to determine the factors effect to the innovation. 150 quesionnaires were dispersed to managers of the firms and 127 of them were returned. The result of the study reveals that religion's values, cultural values, and education effect to the innovation. But, these factors indicate weak effect to Indonesian innovation. This is because of relaxed working, by pass, lack of leader figure, less national identity, perfunctorily, poor competitive power, and education manner are the factors efect to the innovation weaknesses. The study based on the data collected within automotive and electronical industries might be less representative to reveal the factors of Indonesian innovation. Additionally, the data collected might be small in number to make a general conclussion, while heteroginity of Indonesian cultural may also be handicap to the research conducted. This study has contributed to the efforts of revealing the ability of Indonesian innovation and its developement. Keywords : Innovation, Religion, Cultural, Education, Factor analysis


The prostate is the most common site of disease in the human male. An understanding of its normal growth and development is required in order to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of prostatic diseases, namely benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate carcinoma. The prostate epithelium consists of three distinct cells types: basal, luminal and neuroendocrine cells. Several authors have postulated that there is a putative stem cell population in the prostate epithelium that gives rise to all three of these cell types. The stem cells are thought to reside in the basal cell layer and upon cell division give rise to an intermediate, transit amplifying (TA) cell. TA cells undergo rapid proliferation before undergoing terminal differentiation into a luminal or neuroendocrine cell. Despite accumulating evidence for the existence of prostatic stem cells, the regulation of cell growth and differentiation in the normal and diseased prostate is poorly understood. The aims of this research project are to identify genes that are involved in the regulation of growth and differentiation in the normal human prostate. As a model for investigating epithelial cell differentiation, a conditionally immortalised prostate epithelial cell line was employed. BPH cells were conditionally immortalised using a SV40 construct containing the large T antigen to give rise to the prostate epithelial cell line PrE2.8 (Daly-Burns et al., in preparation). These cells exhibit a basal phenotype at the permissive temperature of 33 C and are highly proliferative. When switched to 39 C, growth of the PrE2.8 cells is inhibited and they begin to differentiate. Using the differential display technique and microarray analysis, changes in gene expression between a proliferative and a non-proliferative phenotype were investigated. The protein expression of genes of interest were then confirmed in prostate tissue using immunohistochemistry. These genes may represent early markers of prostate epithelial cell differentiation and may also play a role in the progression of BPH and prostate cancer.


Wave field splitting, invariant imbedding, and phase space methods reformulate the Helmholtz wave propagation problem in terms of an operator scattering matrix characteristic of the modeled environment. The subsequent equations for the reflection and transmission operators are of first-order (one-way) in range, nonlinear (Riccati-like), and, in general, nonlocal. The reflection and transmission operator equations provide the framework for constructing inverse algorithms based on, in principle, exact solution methods.


Mill engineers aiming to improve the geometry of rolled strip require knowledge of the temperature distribution in the roll. Theoretical evidence shows that the core temperature evolves more slowly than surface temperatures and governs the thermal expansion of the work roll. For practical purposes then, a model that predicts core temperature will allow online prediction and tracking of roll cambers. The present paper builds on previous work in developing rapid models of roll core temperature. A previous model derived using Laplace transforms is improved using a matrix formulation and conversion from an explicit to an implicit time discretisation. The implicit solution is more stable and allows for larger time steps than the explicit formulation or iterative methods used previously. The model has been tested and found to make good qualitative predictions but to underestimate the camber in comparison with actual plant data and a two-dimensional finite difference model.


Two groups of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) from England and Poland were examined for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) associated with the disease. No preferential association was found between the 9.2 kb PvuII fragment in HLA-B27 positive patients with AS compared with HLA-B27 healthy subjects as had been previously reported. In the English group, however, a 14 kb PvuII fragment was more common in HLA-B27 positive subjects with AS than in normal controls. Also 4.6 and 3.7 kb PvuII fragments were more prevalent in subjects without AS than in the group with AS, but these results were confined to the English group. Furthermore, the sequence of an HLA-B*2705 gene isolated from a patient with AS was examined, and no significant differences were found compared with the sequence isolated from a healthy subject. There do not seem to be significant genetic differences in the coding or in the regulatory region in HLA-B27 alleles, in subjects with or without AS.


This study aims to measure and evaluate convenience of access by residents to the nearest railway station in housing development areas in the suburbs. Mode choice model for access to the nearest railway station is built employing random utility theory in order to measure accessibility to the station. The results show that accessibility decreases as travel distance to the nearest railway station increases; however, even if the distance to the station is the same, the level of accessibility could be different because of differences in the slopes of routes to the station, or the number of buses in neighborhood districts within each development area. Travel modes needed to maintain accessibility to the nearest railway station, therefore, differ among the districts. It is necessary to increase the level not only of accessibility but also of railway service of the nearest railway station so that residents could utilize railway more frequently.


Pipe and slippers and a swift half down at the local. Late middle age for my parents and their peers was a sedate affair - a resigned decline into old age.


There is increasing interest in the use of multimodal data in various web applications, such as digital advertising and e-commerce. Typical methods for extracting important information from multimodal data rely on a mid-fusion architecture that combines the feature representations from multiple encoders. However, as the number of modalities increases, several potential problems with the mid-fusion model structure arise, such as an increase in the dimensionality of the concatenated multimodal features and missing modalities. To address these problems, we propose a new concept that considers multimodal inputs as a set of sequences, namely, deep multimodal sequence sets (DM2S2). Our set-aware concept consists of three components that capture the relationships among multiple modalities: (a) a BERT-based encoder to handle the inter- and intra-order of elements in the sequences, (b) intra-modality residual attention (IntraMRA) to capture the importance of the elements in a modality, and (c) inter-modality residual attention (InterMRA) to enhance the importance of elements with modality-level granularity further. Our concept exhibits performance that is comparable to or better than the previous set-aware models. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the visualization of the learned InterMRA and IntraMRA weights can provide an interpretation of the prediction results.


Under physiological ionic strength and pH, temperature has long been appreciated as the only stimulus that can be applied to induce in vitro self-assembly of tropocollagen. Here, we report a second, mechanistically new control strategy that uses non-covalent and selective binding of cucurbit[7]uril, a macrocyclic cavitand, with midchain aromatic residues on the tropocollagen surface. This strategy directly demonstrates the decisive role hydrophobic interactions play in collagen fibrillogenesis. It also points the way to the temporally-controllable formation of collagen fibrils in vivo that is highly desirable, yet challenging, in some biomedical scenarios.


Wormhole attack is one of the serious routing attacks amongst all the network layer attacks launched on MANET. Wormhole attack is launched by creation of tunnels and it leads to total disruption of the routing paths on MANET. In this paper, MLDWa multilayered Intrusion Detection Prevention System approach is proposed to detect and isolate wormhole attack on MANET. The routing protocol used is Adhoc On Demand Distance Vector (AODV). MLDW has a layered framework consisting of link latency estimator, intermediate neighbor node discovery mechanism, packet drop calculator, node energy degrade estimator followed by isolation technique. MLDW effectiveness is evaluated using ns2 network simulator.


As the title indicates, my thesis is a case study of the religious radical Lawrence Clarkson (1615-1667). Chapter One, 'Lawrence Clarkson (1615-1667): Journeys of a Religious Radical' places Clarkson's biography in its socio-historical context. With his autobiography The Lost Sheep Found (1660) as a guide book, it follows him on his spiritual and geographical journeys through seven "churches" or religious groups from 1630 to 1660 - notably Antinomians, Baptists, Seekers and Ranters. It takes a close look at the fellow-radicals he met on the way and the controversies he got involved in, and thus integrates him in the religious landscape of mid-l7th-century England. In this chapter will also be found discussions of his early religious tracts. The focus of Chapter Two, 'The Captain of the Rant and the Learned Dr. Crisp: A Single Eye and Tobias Crisp's Sermons', is theological. Based on a close textual comparison, and scriptural "dissection", of Tobias Crisp's sermons and Clarkson's Ranter tract A Single Eye, it explores Crisp's influence on Clarkson with regard to Clarkson's conceptions of sin and the elect, his celebration of practical antinomianism, and his mysticism, ft also places A Single Eye in the context of other Ranter writings. The in-depth examination of the theological relationship between Clarkson and Crisp constitutes a major contribution to the study of radical religion in the mid-17th century. My thesis reveals Clarkson as a much more theologically sophisticated and significant figure than has hitherto been acknowledged. His importance does not only he in his identity as a particularly flamboyant Ranter prophet, but extends to the Antinomian movement as a whole. Furthermore, as a religious "traveller", he offers us some unique insights into the sectarian milieux of mid-17lh-century England.


In this paper, we introduce a novel method to detect a carried object seen from a stationary camera using human body silhouette feature information. We use star skeletonization technique with the adaptive centroid point to extract human feature. The carried object is classified using time series of motions of the extracted skeleton limbs. The boundary of the carried object is figured from carried object's track points and adjacent sink curves of contour. The method is able to detect and track carried object such as a luggage and a backpack. Moreover, we also achieve the detection of leaving luggage event. We perform experiments using some data from TRECVID dataset and manually captured data.


Although the utility of autonomous agents and multiagent systems in healthcare applications is now well established, agent technologies themselves remain somewhat immature and, from a theoretical point of view, often ad hoc. We've developed a standard, or canonical, agent model that's intended to be both theoretically well motivated and technically well defined while permitting alternative instantiations. A general autonomous agent system architecture has emerged from the healthcare application domain. Twelve invariant input-output patterns, or signatures, summarize its component properties, and shared data structures define the component interactions


With the S5 multi-agent epistemic logic we consider the canonical maps from Krpke structures to knowledge structures. We define a cell to be a minimal subset of knowledge structures known in common semantically by the agents. A cell has finite fanout if at every point every agent considers only a finite number of other points to be possible. We define a cell to be surjective if every Kripke structure that maps to it does so surjectively. All cells with finite fanout are surjective, but the converse does not hold. To construct a counter-example we need topological insights concerning the relationship between the logic and its semantic models. The difference between syntactic and semantic common knowledge is central to this construction.


The efficiency of solar panels declines from its rated (standard testing conditions) value under low irradiance which typically occurs in the mornings, evenings and on cloudy days. In this work, the authors evaluate cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin film panels due to their increasing market share and assess their low irradiance performance in comparison with conventional crystalline-Silicon (c-Si) panels. The performance of both material systems is analysed for a 4-year period to evaluate their performance in terms of their relative change in efficiency and energy yield. Further analysis on a high-resolution 8-day measured data for winters and summers shows that CdTe panels provide ∼1.09% higher specific energy yield compared to c-Si panels. This primarily occurs due to higher CdTe bandgap and better spectral response at lower insolation levels resulting in an enhanced relative efficiency with respect to c-Si panels.


Objective: The study aimed at assessing the knowledge and socio-demographic determinants on occupational hazard prevention among automobile mechanics in Akure South Local Government (AKSLG), Ondo State, Nigeria. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional design was utilized with automobile mechanic serving as the study population. Respondents were selected by stratified random sampling technique. The study population included 231 respondents from 13 units within the AKSLG. Self-developed questionnaire was administered for data collection. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and Regression model at p < 0.05 Results: Participants' age ranged between 20-50 years and majority had above 15 years of experience with monthly income above ₦ 58,000 ($161). The findings revealed that most (62.0%) of the respondents had fair knowledge of occupational hazard. Also, 38.0% of the respondents had poor knowledge on the prevention of occupational hazard. Significant relationship was found between years of experience; knowledge about occupational hazard prevention and occupational hazard prevention among respondents with p-values of 0.005 and 0.007 respectively. Conclusion: Socio-demographic variable of years of experience and knowledge of automobile mechanics about occupational hazards prevention had significant relationship on prevention of occupational hazards, therefore measures to enhance knowledge about occupational hazards should be implemented to improve occupational hazard prevention among automobile mechanics. Keywords: Automobile mechanics, Knowledge, Occupational hazard Prevention, Akure


Eleven graptolite zones are recognized in New Zealand and are considered to represent most of the Ordovician Period. The most complete fossiliferous section, at Aorangi Mine in Northwest Nelson, is described in detail. New fossiliferous Ordovician sections at Wangapeka Valley and Hailes Knob, in Northwest Nelson, are described and the previously Known sections at Cobb Valley (Northwest Nelson) and the Cape Providence - Preservation Inlet region (Southwest Otago) are discussed The New Zealand zones are correlated with those of Victoria, Australia, and the Victorian stage nomenclature is adopted for New Zealand. In upward sequence the stages and zones are: Lancefieldian (zones 1, Adelograptus, and 2, T.approximatus), Bendigonian (zone 3, T.fruticosus), Chewtonian (zone 4, D.protobifidus), Castlemainian (zones 5, I.c.lunata, and 6, I.c.maximodivergens), Yapeenian (zone 7,Oncograptus), Darriwilian (zones 8, P.etheridgei, and 9, D.decoratus), Gisbornian (zone 10, N.gracilis), Eastonian (zone 11, Orthograptus - lower part) and Bolindian (zone 11, Orthograptus - upper part?). Fossils of lowermost Lancefieldian and uppermost Bolindian age are not yet known in New Zealand. Diagnostic Silurian fossils are also unknown and the next youngest New Zealand fossils are Lower Devonian (Gedinnian?). Previous Work in the Aorangi Mine area is outlined, the geology illustrated by a map, and the stratigraphic column shown to include both older, and younger beds than were previously known. About 8500ft thick, the column comprises, in upward sequence, Webb Formation, Aorangi Mine Formation (with four informal members), Formation A (new and informal, with three members), and Formation B (new and informal). Graptolites are confined to the three younger formations and represent zones 1 to 10, ranging in age from Lancefieldian to Gisbornian. The structure is outlined and illustrated by cross-sections. In Wangapeka Valley, argillites of the Wangapeka Formation contain zone 11 graptolites of Eastonian and lower Bolindian age, and are overlain by 1500ft of quartzite of the Ellis Formation, which has yielded no diagnostic fossils but which is inferred to represent at least part of the Silurian Period. Lower Devonian brachiopods, bivalves, corals and trilobites are known from the uppermost beds of the Ellis Formation, about 1550ft above its base. At Hailes knob, Mount Arthur Marble with fossils of uppermost Ordovician age is overlain by Hailes Knob Quartzite of probable Silurian age. From the Aorangi Mine and Wangapeka areas, one hundred and thirteen graptolite species and subspecies, representing 35 geners, are described. They include one named new species and 49 new records for New Zealand. Stratigraphic and geographic distribution elsewhere in the world is noted. The geners Isograptus Moberg and Paraglossograptus Mu are reviewed, and their New Zealand members described and discussed in detail. The important zonal species and subspecies are also described in detail; the remainder are briefly discussed. One hundred and six taxa are figured. Fossil localities in the areas described are listed with their fossils in appendix I, and details of measured sections are given in appendix II. A summary of Lower Paleozoic fossil localities of Northwest Nelson is given in a supporting paper.


This paper uses the popular social networking site Twitter to test recent theories on the importance of communication through networks. I create a unique data set that precisely measures the network size and credibility of each contributor to the site. I test the theory of DeMarzo et al (2003) that an agent's influence is a function of his credibility and the size of his network, as well as the Colla and Mele (2010) theory of correlated trading among social groups. I show that influence is a function of network credibility and network size. I also find that there is positively correlated trading among agents in a social network and negatively correlated trading with agents outside of the network. Finally, using portfolios sorted on level of attention, I find support for the Merton (1987) theory of investor recognition which predicts that low attention stocks should exhibit positive risk adjusted returns.


© 2011 Jon Davison, Caroline Daly and John Moss for selection and editorial material. All rights reserved. What are the key debates in English teaching today? Debates in English Teaching explores the major issues all English teachers encounter in their daily professional lives. It engages with established and contemporary debates, promotes and supports critical reflection and aims to stimulate both novice and experienced teachers to reach informed judgements and argue their point of view with deeper theoretical knowledge and understanding. Key issues debated include: the professional identity of English teachers. attitudes to correctness in grammar and standard English. the importance of the media and new technologies. social class and literacy. the nature of the dialogic classroom. the role of wider reading. the politics of early literacy. With its combination of expert opinion and fresh insight, Debates in English Teaching is the ideal companion for all student and practising teachers engaged in initial training, continuing professional development and master's level study.


This thesis examines theologies of social ministry among Taiwan's Chinese Protestant communities between 1945 and 2000. This covers the period the nationalist Kuomingtang Party governed Taiwan and includes the rise of the democratization movement. The Eden Social Welfare Foundation and its founder, Liu Hsia, are featured as representatives of an innovative contextual theology of social ministry generated on the margins of the Protestant churches. The main argument of the thesis is that Eden and Liu represent an approach to social ministry that draws from local cultural resources in developing a holistic theology that combines spiritual and social dimensions of social ministry, and thus offers an alternative to the emphasis on either individual evangelism or social action that characterizes the Protestant churches. This argument is based on the hypothesis that the ecclesiastical and political context of Taiwan has affected the theologies of social ministry of the Protestant churches with the result that these theologies have been divided into two distinct factions: those of the churches with origins in China and those of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. This thesis will subject the theologies of social ministry prevalent in each of these entities to critical analysis, assessing their differences and evaluating their respective strengths and weaknesses. It will be demonstrated that the divisiveness inherent in differing contexts has limited the perspectives of the churches and made it difficult for one group to appreciate the contributions of the other. In this context it will be argued that the shuangfu or "double-blessing" theology of the Eden Social Welfare Foundation and Liu Hsia offers a creative synthesis in a culturally dynamic social ministry. This thesis has been built on primary sources that include interviews with leaders from the Chinese Protestant Community and published and unpublished materials in the Chinese language. The research has therefore followed qualitative, archival, and literary methods with special attention to the previously unresearched miscellaneous writings of Liu Hsia in the Chinese genre sanwen (essays). The thesis belongs to the fields of practical theology, cultural anthropology, and history of missions. It is presented in six chapters. An introduction to the contexts relevant to the development of Protestant theologies of social ministry in Taiwan will be followed by discussion of the respective views of mainland-originating churches and the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. The heart of the thesis, however, are the two chapters dealing with the Eden Social Welfare Foundation and Liu Hsia. This leads to a concluding discussion that appraises the different approaches to social ministry and argues that the mission statement of the Eden Social Welfare Foundation as elaborated in the theological writings of Liu Hsia lays the foundations for a more thoroughly contextual approach to the continuing development of theologies of social ministry in Taiwan.


Airborne transmission of infectious microorganisms poses a critical threat to human health, particularly in the clinical setting where it is estimated that 10-33% of nosocomial infections are spread via the air. Within the clinical environment, microorganisms originating from the human respiratory tract or skin can become airborne by coughing and sneezing, and periods of increased activity such as bed and dressing changes, movement, staff rounds and visiting hours. Current knowledge of the clinical airborne microflora is limited and there is uncertainty surrounding the contribution of airborne microorganisms to the transmission of nosocomial infection. This study aims to establish an improved understanding of the variability in the dynamics and levels of airborne microbial contamination within an operational intensive care unit (ICU). Methods Environmental monitoring of airborne contamination levels was conducted in Glasgow Royal Infirmary ICU, in the open ward and in both occupied and unoccupied patient isolation rooms. Monitoring was performed using a sieve impactor air sampler, with 500 L air samples collected every 15 minutes over 10 hour (08:00-18:00 h) and 24 hour (08:00-08:00 h) periods. Samples were collected on tryptone soya agar (TSA) plates, and the bacterial contamination levels were recorded as CFU/m3 of air. An activity log was also collated over the 10 hour and 24 hour sampling periods in order to record any activity occurring in the ward/room that might contribute to spikes in airborne contamination levels. Results Results highlight the degree of variability in levels of airborne contamination over the course of both a working day and a 24 hour period in a hospital ICU. A high degree of variability was observed across the 24 hour period, with counts ranging from 12-510 CFU/m3 in one study in an occupied patient room. Peaks in airborne contamination showed a direct relation to an increase in room activity. Monitoring found contamination levels to be lower overall during the night, and in unoccupied isolation rooms, with an average value of 20 CFU/m3. The highest counts were observed in an isolation room occupied for 10 days by a patient with C. difficile infection which generated an average microbial load of 104 CFU/m3 and a peak value of 510 CFU/m3. Discussion This study has demonstrated the degree of airborne contamination that can occur in the ICU environment over a 24 hour period. Numerous factors were found to contribute to the microbial air contamination levels, including patient status, length of room occupation, time of day and room activity, and further work is required to establish the extent to which this airborne bioburden contributes to cross-infection of patients.


Factors controlling bacterial growth and degradation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON) in the productive surface layer were investigated during the main summer stages of phytoplankton growth in the Gulf of Finland. The effects of different combinations of ammo- nium, phosphate, glucose, flagellates, and sunlight pre-exposure treatments were followed for 2 to 3 wk in natural bacterial (<0.7 µm pre-filtered) samples. Bacteria degraded the indigenous labile DOC and DON pools within 1 wk. The labile shares of total DOC and DON were <1 to 5 and 13 to 21%, respectively, and their depletion showed no important treatment effects. Nevertheless, photo- chemical transformations of DOC and DON (sunlight pre-treatment over 1 d) resulted in increased bacterial production. The phytoplankton system was N-limited in early summer, but showed a shift towards combined P and N deficiency during the late summer bloom of filamentous, N2-fixing cyanobacteria. Ambient labile DOC:DON ratios were low, increasing from <1-3 (mol mol -1 ) in early summer to 3-7 in late summer, and addition of glucose led to a significant bacterial production response. Thus, it appears that bacteria were consistently limited by the low availability of labile DOC, while phytoplankton exhausted the available free mineral nutrient pools, thereby creating a situation combining C-limited bacterial growth with mineral nutrient-limited phytoplankton growth.


High dispersion spectra (R > 40 000) for a quite large number of stars at the main sequence turn-o and at the base of the giant branch in NGC 6397 and NGC 6752 were obtained with the UVES on Kueyen (VLT UT2). The (Fe/H) values we found are 2:03 0:02 0:04 and 1:42 0:02 0:04 for NGC 6397 and NGC 6752 respectively, where the rst error bars refer to internal and the second ones to systematic errors (within the abundance scale dened by our analysis of 25 subdwarfs with good Hipparcos parallaxes). In both clusters the (Fe/H)'s obtained for TO-stars agree perfectly (within a few percent) with that obtained for stars at the base of the RGB. The (O=Fe) = 0:21 0:05 value we obtain for NGC 6397 is quite low, but it agrees with previous results obtained for giants in this cluster. Moreover, the star-to-star scatter in both O and Fe is very small, indicating that this small mass cluster is chemically very homogenous. On the other hand, our results show clearly and for the rst time that the O-Na anticorrelation (up to now seen only for stars on the red giant branches of globular clusters) is present among unevolved stars in the globular cluster NGC 6752, a more massive cluster than NGC 6397. A similar anticorrelation is present also for Mg and Al, and C and N. It is very dicult to explain the observed Na-O, and Mg-Al anticorrelation in NGC 6752 stars by a deep mixing scenario; we think it requires some non internal mechanism.


This working paper discusses the dependence of Indian agriculture on uncertain rains. In addition the farmers experience other production risks as well as marketing risks related to different crop enterprises and for different agro-climatic regions and areas. It then argues on the need for crop insurance as an alternative to manage production risk. It then takes up the historical overview of crop insurance products and their performance. It is followed by the discussion on the currently available crop insurance products for specific crops and regions. It discusses at length the two important products, namely, National Agricultural Insurance Scheme and Weather Based Insurance Scheme. It also reflects on some deficiencies in these products. [W.P. No. 2010-06-01


Model utilization of whale sharks that benefit the economy as well as providing protection against a whale shark can be done through tourism with the concept of ecotourism. Akudiomi village is one of the villages in the region of Teluk Cenderawasih National Park that has the object and attraction-based whale sharks. Increased tourist arrivals to the region has given economic benefits for all parties. The purpose of this research is to know the economic benefit gained by the stakeholders and in particular to know the welfare of the local travel business operators of whale shark ecotourism activities. The study was conducted from March to May 2014 in Kampung Akudiomi Nabire district of Papua province. The results of the study informs that activity-based ecotourism whale sharks in the waters Akudiomi had a positive impact that is bringing economic benefits to all stakeholders, including local communities. The economic benefits obtained by each party is different, depending on the policies in the tariff, as well as the type of activity and the number of tourist visits. Although it has provided economic benefits, the welfare of the local travel trade is still relatively low (33%) and moderate (67%), the general ability of a per capita income lower than the level of consumption.


Introduction: The lung microbiota has distinct constituents depending on local inflammatory status. As yet, the direct implications of the lung microbiota in disease development is unknown. We hypothesized that the lung microbiota directly influences macrophage functionality and consequently long-term graft survival. Methods: DNA and total RNA were isolated from bronchoalveolar lavages from 58 patients at 0.5-4 (short-term) or 6-24 (long-term) months post-transplantation. Expression of a set of genes involved in prototypic macrophage functions was quantified using RT-qPCR. Microbiota composition at phylum level was determined using 16S rDNA amplification. Results: A subset of samples displayed macrophage polarization, either with inflammation and immunoregulation (Polar1, 20.7%) or remodeling (Polar2, 10.3%) predominance. Compared to Polar2, Polar1 were most often enriched in either Firmicutes, Proteobacteria or Actinobacteria, were more frequently associated with infection (83.3% vs. 20.0%) and had higher neutrophil counts as an indication of inflammation (62.5% vs. 8.7%). In contrast, Polar2 displayed a 42.3-111.6-fold increase in expression of pro-remodeling genes (TIMP1, PDGF, fibronectin) and higher Bacteroidetes percentage (median 53.4% vs. 2.1%). While Polar1 originated from similar numbers of short- and long-term transplant recipients, Polar2 were almost exclusively from the latter group (94.1%). Conclusions: Alveolar macrophage polarization in conjunction with microbiota composition reflects dynamic changes in lung transplant recipients. Longitudinal follow-up of patients with polarized samples will elucidate whether these conditions may predict a negative outcome for graft survival.