Polymer gel is a kind of radiation dosimetry system that has been applied widely in radiotherapy treatment. In this study, the samples of NIPAM-based polymer gel which posses a good potential as 3D radiation dosimetry are synthesized. The samples of polymer gel were irradiated up to 20 Gy by using gamma cell instrument with 60Co sources at a constant dose rate. Upon irradiation, then the chemical changes in polymer gel were characterized by using Raman spectroscopy. The polymerization was referred to an increment in Raman intensity at 815 cm-1, assigned for C-C stretching mode of NIPAM polymer gel, as the dose increased. The consumptions of the co-monomers were referred to a decrement in Raman intensities at 1025 cm-1 and 2353 cm-1 assigned for C=C stretching modes of NIPAM and BIS respectively, as the dose increased. Result shows that the amount of carbon single bonds increases while the amount of carbon covalent bonds decreases following irradiation.


White muscle disease (WMD) is a world-wide nutritional disease of all animal species characterised by degeneration of skeletal and cardiac muscles. In the present study we determined the cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in hearts of the lambs with WMD (n = 15). Eight clinically healthy lambs served as control. Creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities were analysed for both groups. cTnI levels were measured by a commercially available ELISA kit. Mean cTnI (10.49 ± 0.25 ng/ml), CK (261.16 ± 38.61 U/l), CK-MB (214.16 ± 12.71 U/l), AST (125.83 ± 1.05), and LDH (228.77 ± 14.86 U/l) concentrations were higher in WMD cases. Immunohistochemistry revealed definitive loss of cTnI expression in all cases. None of the 8 controls showed loss of the cTnI expression. However, iNOS immunoreactivity was augmented in degenerated cardiac myocytes and macrophages infiltrating to the interstitium compared to controls. The results of the study suggested that cTnI antibody might successfully be used as a sensitive test in the diagnosis of myocardial injury. iNOS expression augments in cardiac myocytes in lambs with WMD, most likely through influencing the signalling pathways to iNOS induction.


International staff now form a substantial part of our academic populations (26% UK
HESA, 2008) and are making an important contribution to our academic environments, to
student learning and to research cultures, yet we pay little attention to them and the
changes they may be bringing to our higher education sector. A research project, at a post
1992 university in the UK, sought to bring together international and local staff to create
a space to discuss curriculum and pedagogy and to learn from each other. Participants
were invited to three 'dialogue' meetings followed by individual interviews and a final
full-day workshop. The data from the dialogue meetings and interviews contributed little
to new ideas of pedagogy and curricula but exemplified how international members of
staff came to understand the complexities of their new, foreign educational context and to
develop their sense of themselves as academics in their new environment. Many of the
international staff identified themselves as 'local staff with international experience'.
They appeared to actively manage a new fluid academic identity, adjusting their
responses to 'fit in' with their new institutional and disciplinary environment.


Abstract Finland is among the countries with the highest amount of English-taught programs in higher education in Europe (Wächter and Maiworm 2008). This article analyzes how the higher education language situation of a small country with a marginal majority language (Finnish) and an official bilingual status (Finnish and Swedish) has historically developed from the setting of "drawing the line" between Finland and Sweden or Finland and Russia (Harle and Moisio 2000) in the 19th century and the early 20th century (nationalism), towards drawing the line between Finnish/Swedish and English in the late 20th century (globalization). It then continues to present a case of foreign language (in practice English) programs in higher education as an example of the globalization development in Finnish higher education. The data for the article consists of the internationalization strategies for Finnish higher education, The Finnish International Study Programme Database, and introductory texts from four universities' and four polytechnics' International BA and MA programs.


Ecologists are increasingly finding that complex combinations of competitive and facilitative interactions influence the distribution and abundance of plants. I conducted a two-year field experiment to explore these processes in a streamside community lining the South Fork Eel River in northern California. Specifically, I tested the hypothesis that the sedge Carex nudata provides critical stable substrate for other plants during winter floods and protection from herbivores over the growing season. In addition to these facil- itative effects, Carex is also hypothesized to compete with the associated species, and thus limit their size and reproduction. To evaluate these hypotheses, I followed the performance of transplanted individuals of Mimulus guttatus, M. cardinalis, Juncus covillei, Conocephalum conicum, and Brach- ythecium frigidum and naturally occurring individuals of Epipactis gigantea on Carex tussocks with dense, thinned, pinned back, or completely clipped Carex stems. The five transplanted species were also planted directly onto the emergent streambed. Though stream- bed transplants grew as well as those on tussocks over the summer, they experienced significantly greater winter mortality, up to 100%, supporting the hypothesis that tussocks provide a critical stable substrate. In contrast, growing season competition by Carex reduced biomass by over 50% for five of the six species and reduced reproductive performance by over 60%. Also, over the growing season, Carex protected M. guttatus and Epipactis from insect larvae and deer, respectively, reducing herbivory by >75%. Additional results from a deer exclosure treatment showed that the positive effects of this "associational defense" were equal in magnitude to the negative effects of Carex competition on Epipactis biomass. The mechanisms underlying these associational defenses and the implications of my results for the relationship between disturbance and facilitation are discussed. I suggest that re- garding plant interactions as combinations of facilitative and competitive components may enhance our understanding of natural communities.


Along with the tension of global energy and the improvement of environmental awareness, more and more Research institute begin examining how to change low-concentration gas into treasure. So we design the intelligent controller with ARM920T as its main control chip, set up an intelligent controller with two inputs, which will dilute the concentration from 4%-8% to 3.8% and the transmission can be carried out under constant pressure. We have made simulation toward the system by using Simulink in MATLAB and Fuzzy toolbox. The results show that the control effect turns out to be fine and has reached the performance indicators of power supply control system of low-concentration gas. This program will be proved to be an ideal intelligent control plan.


Background: Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a crop of great importance in social, economic and industrial terms due to its forage aptitude, high yield potential and quality of storage roots, necessary as human food and also as raw material for bioethanol production a promising substitute for fossil fuels or to boost alcohol production. Objective: To compare improved sweetpotato clones under different growing seasons and to select a promising new cultivar with high yield potential and bioethanol production from storage roots in Peru. Methodology: The combined analysis of variance was used during two seasons (summer and spring) in Lambayeque, Peru. The yield of storage roots was evaluated, with respect to the quality, the percentage of dry matter and the production of bioethanol were evaluated, which was analyzed by the enzymatic hydrolysis of the starch of four clones and a control variety. Results: The combined analysis of variance shows that the clones presented a significant effect on the variables under study. Likewise, the clone CIP 199071.8 with the highest yield of storage roots was identified during season 1 (summer) with an average of 67.4 ± 1.2 t ha-1 and in season 2 (spring) with 73.4 ± 0, 8 t ha-1 regarding the combined analysis obtained 70.4 ± 1.1 t ha-1. In addition, the present clone with an average of 28.9 ± 1.4% of dry matter stands out statistically, in fact the same clone 199071.8 reported the highest bioethanol production in season 1 (summer) with an average of 7089.6 ± 2, 2 L ha-1 of bioethanol and in season 2 (spring) it reached the highest bioethanol production with an average of 7875.1 ± 1.9 L ha-1. Regarding the combined analysis, it obtained 7553.2 ± 1.7 L ha-1 of bioethanol. Implications: The sweet potato clones had a significant effect on the yield and quality of the storage roots, a necessary source for human food or industrial input. Conclusion: The clone CIP 199071.8 reached the highest yield of storage roots, dry matter and bioethanol production during the two growing seasons (summer 2019 and spring 2019), therefore, it will be released as a new cultivar.


The behavior of glaciers terminating in deep water is determined by the interaction of buoyancy, iceberg production, and the sensitivity of ice flow to subtle changes in resistance at the glacier bed. Modeling efforts assume rapid evacuation of icebergs, but some glaciers terminate in closed basins where icebergs may accumulate. Multibeam bathymetric survey of a glacial lake in Iceland that received outlet glaciers during the Little Ice Age document near parallel flow of narrow, ice fingers that extended up to 1 km beyond the grounding line. These previously unseen features apparently occurred when iceberg production exceeded iceberg melt, resulting in iceberg buttressing of the ice margin. Similar stabilization of ice flow may resolve long‐standing debates about past continental ice‐sheet behavior, including the rapid readvance of the Laurentide Ice Sheet into Lake Superior ca. 11 ka and the genesis of glacial flutes observed in the central Arctic Ocean basin.


A platform-basin couplet persisted in north-central Nevada during Silurian and Early Devonian time. A western dolomite suite accumulated on the shallow-subtidal and peritidal carbonate platform, while a time-equivalent lime-stone-clastic suite accumulated in the subtidal, below wave base, basin, and basin-slope regime. At Copenhagen Canyon, the Roberts Mountains Formation, Windmill Limestone, and Rabbit Hill Limestone were deposited in the limestone-clastic suite basin. The Roberts Mountains and Windmill Formations are time correlative with the Lone Mountain Dolomite platform-margin facies. The Rabbit Hill Limestone is time correlative with the basal Nevada Group (lower Kobeh Member of the McColley Canyon Formation) platform facies.

Extracted from GSA Special Paper 159, Silurian and Lower Devonian Basin and Basin-Slope Limestones, Copenhagen Canyon, Nevada, by Jonathan C. Matti, Michael A. Murphy, and Stanley C. Finney.


Unmixing provides a summary of hyperspectral data and is useful for many image processing tasks. Recently, spec- tral unmixing has also been introduced to hyperspectral image denoising literature. However, so far, only the spectral informa- tion has been utilized for unmixing-based denoising. While most of the endmember extraction methods in the literature rely solely on spectral information, it has been shown that spatial-spectral preprocessing (SSPP) methods can enhance endmember extrac- tion performance by utilizing the assumption that endmembers are more likely to be located in homogenous regions. This letter proposes the use of SSPP prior to spectral unmixing, to guide the endmember extraction process to spatially homogenous regions. The enhanced endmember extraction performance in turn leads to enhanced denoising performance. In addition, the proposed approach also goes one step further and retains the anomalous/ scarce endmembers, which may include important endmembers, such as rare minerals, stressed crops, or military targets, and which may be lost due to the included spatial preprocessing (SPP) steps. Discarding such anomalous endmembers in a summary or compression of big data may result in undesired consequences. In short, the proposed approach provides enhanced unmixing- based denoising performance, while also retaining the anomalous endmembers.


Background Drug-induced increase of intracranial pres-sure (ICP) is a rare but serious adverse effect. Antibiotic and retinoid acne treatments are among the most frequent causes with a typical latency time of 2 weeks to 2 months.1 Pseudotumor cerebri can cause irreversible visual and/or neurologic sequelae. Case report A 17-year-old non-obese female patient presented to the paediatric emergency department for left hemianopia, weakness, paresthesia of the left extremities, headache and vertigo. Clinical examination showed resid-ual left-sided hemi-syndrome with possible involvement of ipsilateral cranial nerves VII, VIII and XI. A stroke was suspected, but MRI, blood tests and ECG were normal, a urine drug screen was negative. Upon ophthalmologic diagnosis of massive bilateral papilledema, and considering her chronic medication with minocycline for acne, a pseudotumor cerebri was suspected. Positive modified Dandy's criteria were: transient visual disturbance, head-ache, papilledema, abducens palsy, no focal deficits, alert and fully oriented patient, normal MRI, ICP of 50 cm H20 with normal liquor composition, and no other causes for increased ICP. ICP normalised after withdrawal of 20 mL of liquor. Minocycline was stopped and acetazolamide was initiated. Symptoms and papilledema subsided partially over the following weeks. Conclusion Using standard causality criteria, minocy-cline was the probable cause for this patient's pseudo-tumour cerebri. The stroke-like symptoms remain unex-plained. This case highlights the need for stringent indi-cation for minocycline as well as continuous risk/benefit assessment and monitoring both in the individual patient as well as in public health.


The paper analyzes the rules used by the Bank of Israel (BoI) to set the interest rate from mid-1993 till the end of 2001, after relative price stability had been achieved. Our approach follows the analytical framework developed since the influential contribution of Taylor (1993). We compare three policy type rules: the classic Taylor type, the interest rate parity type and the domestic real interest rate type. We give a positive answer to the question; can the path of the interest rate in Israel be explained by a well-defined policy rule? And conclude that the BoI followed a strict, forward-looking rule with smoothing based on interest rate parity considerations, including strong reaction to exchange-rate shocks. The success of reducing inflation by applying extremely tight monetary policy is exemplified in the Israeli case although our analysis shows that the disinflation process was not fully completed in the sample period, in the sense that the rate of interest did not return to a steady state level consistent with low inflation and low real rates of interest.


Conor Husbands' defense and expansion of Elena Esposito's temporality of finance is a muchneeded intervention. However, in this response essay, I will show a few of the fundamental weaknesses of Esposito's project, and by extension will highlight some shortcomings of Husbands' defense-expansion. The point is not to dismiss either project; the goal is rather to bring attention to certain philosophical presuppositions that ground both, and that enclose each in what Markus Gabriel would call an ontotheological orientation. In short, Esposito and Husbands operate via an orientation that attempts to think 'the world' as an all-encompassing domain, despite claims to the contrary. How this occurs will be explained below, paying particular attention to the stakes of thinking from such an ontotheological orientation in and to the world. After first presenting Husbands' argument, I develop some critiques of Esposito and Husbands via the work of Suhail Malik, Ray Brassier, Elie Ayache, Jon Roffe, and Quentin Meillassoux. I then open the aperture towards emerging trends in philosophy that contest the foundations upon which Esposito's project is built, in order to suggest more robust readings of finance and society. The work of Sergei Prozorov and Markus Gabriel will be the focus here, but these thinkers merely serve as stand-ins for larger trends in speculativeand neo-realism.


In the framework of National Research and Development program No. 4/015/2004 "Land quality, land value and sustainable land use in conditions of European Union" has been developed the methodology of a complex land evaluation using modern technical means. Complex evaluation means an organic systematization of ecological and economical factors. The ecological assessment of land is executed in the D-e-Meter point system. The economical evaluation systematizes the effects of economical factors in conformity with structure of the D-e-Meter system.


OBJECTIVE
To assess disease progression in baboons (Papio cynocephalus) that were infected with two human immunodeficiency virus-2 (HIV-2) isolates.

METHODS
Eight baboons were inoculated intravenously with either HIV-2UC2 or HIV-2UC14 and were followed for a 2- to 7-year period of observation.

RESULTS
Six of 8 baboons showed lymphadenopathy and other signs of HIV-related disease, 3 of 8 baboons had an acute phase CD4+ T-cell decline, and 2 of 5 baboons infected with the HIV-2UC2 isolate progressed to an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-like disease. Human immunodeficiency virus-2-specific pathology in lymphatic tissues included follicular lysis, vascular proliferation, and lymphoid depletion. Both neutralizing antibodies and a CD8+ T-cell antiviral response were associated with resistance to disease.

CONCLUSIONS
Disease progression and the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in HIV-2-infected baboons have similarities to human HIV infections.


Rat brain capillary endothelial (B10) cells express an unidentified nucleotide receptor linked to adenylyl cyclase inhibition. We show that this receptor in B10 cells is identical in sequence to the P2Y12 ADP receptor ("P2Y T ") of platelets. When expressed heterologously, 2-methylthio-ADP (2-MeSADP; EC50, 2 nm), ADP, and adenosine 5′-O-(2-thio)diphosphate were agonists of cAMP decrease, and 2-propylthio-d-β,γ-difluoromethylene-ATP was a competitive antagonist (K B , 28 nm), as in platelets. However, 2-methylthio-ATP (2-MeSATP) (EC50, 0.4 nm), ATP (1.9 μm), and 2-chloro-ATP (190 nm), antagonists in the platelet, were also agonists. 2-MeSADP activated (EC50, 0.1 nm) GIRK1/GIRK2 inward rectifier K+ channels when co-expressed with P2Y12 receptors in sympathetic neurons. Surprisingly, P2Y1 receptors expressed likewise gave that response; however, a full inactivation followed, absent with P2Y12 receptors. A new P2Y12-mediated transduction was found, the closing of native N-type Ca2+channels; again both 2-MeSATP and 2-MeSADP are agonists (EC50, 0.04 and 0.1 nm, respectively). That action, like their cAMP response, was pertussis toxin-sensitive. The Ca2+ channel inhibition and K+ channel activation are mediated by βγ subunit release from a heterotrimeric G-protein. Gα subunit types in B10 cells were also identified. The presence in the brain capillary endothelial cell of the P2Y12 receptor is a significant extension of its functional range.


Advancement of personal computers and the Internet has presented exciting opportunities for development of new educational tools. This paper presents evaluation of an interactive educational website: Active Learning Centre (ALC). To assess efficacy of learning using ALC we compared students using the website with a control group using a lecture handout in a randomized single-blinded (investigators) trial. Improvement in subject performance from pre- to post-study session examination served as the primary end-point, while students' subjective evaluation of their experience was a secondary end-point. While both groups improved their performance significantly from a baseline, the control group achieved higher test scores than ALC users. In their subjective evaluation of their learning experience, however, subjects favored ALC. While it appears that ALC may not be optimal as the only instrument for independent learning, it could still be a valuable educational tool, especially when used in conjunction with other teaching techniques. Other potential uses of the website are discussed based on the latest advancements in fundamental cognitive research.


Supply Chain Management has become a strategic issue in firm's success where Knowledge Asset and inter-organizational system can play a substantial role. Given that Australian beef industry is production pushed and lags behind in productivity improvement, this research was carried out to study if knowledge Asset Management (KAM) and inter-organizational relationship structure in supply chain (SC) have any impact on the performance of Australian beef industry leading into improving the competitiveness of the industry. We utilize concepts from organizational theories and marketing literature in agribusiness to develop the formative/reflective constructs, their measurement scales, and then use partial least squares (PLS) based structural equation modeling (SEM) to test our hypotheses. Data were collected through a telephone survey of a total of 315 firms including input suppliers, producers, processors, and retailers in the beef industry of Western Australia and Queensland. The PLS analysis reveals that 'KAM, is the strongest predictor of SC performance, followed by 'transaction climate' and vertical coordination among the chain members. Result also shows that SC performance strongly influences the 'competitiveness' of the industry as a whole. Thus this study identifies significant strategic supply chain factors, which will enable the stakeholders to do appropriate planning and benchmarking to improve performance of Australian beef industry.


Oxycephaly is described in the majority of textbooks as a deformity of the skull with certain morphologic characteristics. An unusually high head and steeply rising forehead constitute the outstanding features of an oxycephalic head. In such a domelike head a relative widening of transverse, and shortening of anteroposterior, dimensions are frequent characteristics. Therefore, the cephalic index of an oxycephalic head ranges usually near 80; in other words, oxycephalic heads tend to fall into the brachycephalic group. The supra-orbital ridges, glabella, frontal eminences and entire relief of the forehead are smoothed out. A shallow furrow running across the forehead may be present which emphasizes still more the domelike mound of the head. The eyes are more or less protruded. Strabismus (divergent) and nystagmus complete the typical appearance of oxycephaly. Most of the reports on oxycephaly were made by ophthalmologists, on patients who sought relief from visual impairment. Naturally, atrophic changes of


This study had three purposes and four hypotheses were tested. Three purposes: (1) To use hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to investigate whether students' perceptions of their engineering career intentions changed over time; (2) To use HLM to test the effects of gender, engineering identification (the degree to which an individual values a domain as an important part of the self), and engineering program expectancy (one's belief in the possibility of his or her success in engineering) on the growth trajectory of students' engineering career intentions; and (3) To introduce the uses of longitudinal design and growth curve analysis in engineering education research. Survey data was collected at four time points using measures that produce scores with known validity. Sample sizes at each time point were 470, 239, 129, and 115, respectively. We used SPSS 22.0 to perform descriptive statistics and reliability analyses, and HLM version 7.0 to analyze growth. Between their first and third years, undergraduate students' perceived engineering career intentions neither grew nor declined significantly, with no significant difference between male and female students. Engineering identification significantly predicted individual differences when controlling for engineering program expectancy, whereas engineering program expectancy did not predict career intentions when controlling for engineering identification. These findings are possibly signs of overall stabilization of the declining trends in career intentions and reversal of women's perceptions of commitment to engineering careers. The contributions and limitations of this study are also discussed.


This article reports on the Electronic Network Frequency Criterion as a means of assessing the integrity of digital audio evidence. A brief description is given of phenomena that determine ENF varaiations. In most situations,to reach a non-authenticity option, the visual inspection of spectrograms and comparison with an ENF database are enough. A more detailed investigation, in the time domaine, requires short time windows measurements and analyses. The stability of the ENF over geographical distances has been established by comparison of synchronized recordings made at different locations on the same network. A real case is presented, in which the ENF Criterios was used to investigate an audio file created with a secret surveillance system. By applying the ENF Criterion in forensic audio analysis, one can determine whether and where a digital recording has been edited, establish whether it was made at the time claimed, and identify the time and date of the registering operation.


The slow but steady accretion of the case for an empirical view of all human phenomena calls for a revision of much thinking in philosophy that still retains unfortunate remnants needing the kind of critique that Kant gave earlier, but now applied to a wider circle of philosophical ideas. The purpose of this lecture is not to make a systematic analysis of principles of a completely general kind, but rather to give four extended examples of problems that have often been thought of in philosophy or in mathematics as not being really empirical in nature. They will be presented as naturally empirical from a psychological and a neural standpoint. The first example tries to bring out the empirical character of the ordinary use of the concept of truth, and the psychological methods by which the truth of ordinary empirical statements is assessed. The second example deals with beliefs, especially that of Bayesian priors. I find unsatisfactory the thinness of the psychological foundations that are provided, for example by the forefathers of the modern Bayesian viewpoint, Frank Ramsey, Bruno de Finetti, and Jimmy Savage. The third example deals with problems of rational choice and rational thinking in general. The deeper psychological account of how choices are actually made is a matter of extended psychological development of concepts not usually brought to bear on the theory of rational choice. Finally, in the fourth example, I set forth a psychological thesis about an important aspect of modern mathematics that is troublesome for many people. The purpose of this example is to stress the psychological nature of verifying—mind you, not discovering, but verifying—the correctness of informal mathematical proofs, which still dominates the practice of mathematicians. The topic of neural phenomena, in particular neural computations, comes last, and I will say no more at this point.


Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) transmitting from the indigenous habitat, and also from the utilization of modern and regular apparatuses, continually impacts the human body. The impact of this sort of vitality on living tissues may apply different consequences for their working, despite the fact that the instrument moulding this wonder has not been completely clarified. It might be normal that the communications between electromagnetic radiation and the living being would rely upon the sum and parameters of the transmitted vitality and kind of tissue uncovered. The most well-known watched organic protestations detailed are rest interruption, cerebral pain, absence of fixation, absent minded memory, wretchedness, exhaustion, wooziness, palpitation of heart, visual disarranges, and cardiovascular issue, humming in the head and adjusted reflexes. The behavioral challenges notwithstanding bio-electromagnetic sufferings have been seen at bigger scale in kids. The general population living inside 50-300 meter sweep are in the high radiation zone and are more inclined to sick impacts of Electromagnetic radiation. Being a designer's our obligation is to prescribe methodologies against dangers to maintain a strategic distance from wellbeing perils. To tolerate wellbeing principles there is have to make mindfulness among the clients, specialist co-ops and create wellbeing based prudent rules to control the harm and acknowledge idea of wellbeing is riches.


It is well known that a multistage banyan network, which is a single-path blocking structure, becomes rearrangeable non-blocking in a circuit switching environment if the number of its stages is increased so as to obtain a Benes network. Banyan networks, provided with a shared queue in each switching element, have often been proposed as the core of an interconnection network for an ATM packet switching environment. In this scenario, if the classical interstage back-pressure protocols are used, adding stages to a banyan network can even degrade the banyan network performance, in spite of the multipath capability given by the additional stages. A class of new simple interstage protocols is defined to operate in the added stages of the banyan network so that a sort of sharing of the queueing capability in each added stage is accomplished. Large improvements in the traffic performance of these extended banyan networks are obtained, especially in the region of offered loads providing a low packet loss probability.<<ETX>>


The kinetic modelling of the batch synthesis of acetic acid from acetic anhydride was investigated. The kinetic data of the reaction was obtained by conducting the hydrolysis reaction in a batch reactor. A dynamic model was formulated for this process and simulation was carried out using gPROMS ® an advanced process modelling and simulation software. The developed model was validated against experimental data by estimating the kinetic parameter (reaction rate constant k=0.11302 min -1 ) and comparing simulation results with experimental data. Results obtained show that the formulated model was able to predict the experimental data to a high level of confidence. The dynamic behaviour of the reaction process was assessed by simulating the validated model at the initial state to obtain time trajectories of all the variables of interest. The model developed in this work will provide insight as to how the process responds under dynamic conditions and its amenability to control.


Background:
 Patients undergoing placement of an external ventricular drain (EVD) are at increased risk of developing venous thromboembolisms (VTEs). Early chemical prophylaxis has shown to decrease VTE rates. However, the risks of bleeding and time of initiation have not been clearly defined in patient populations requiring EVDs.

 Purpose:
 To evaluate the safety and bleeding risks of starting chemical prophylaxis for VTEs within 24 hours of EVD placement compared to the hemorrhage rates in patients who did not receive prophylaxis within 24 hours.

 Methods:
 An IRB approved retrospective review was for performed patients who had an EVD placed with post-procedural imaging at Bellevue Hospital from January 2009 to April 2012. Demographics, diagnosis, coagulation profile, time to VTE prophylaxis and imaging, and occurrences of VTEs were collected. EVD-associated hemorrhages were graded as: Grade 0, no hemorrhage; Grade 1, petechial hyperdensity in proximity to the catheter; Grade 2, 1ml to 15ml volume of hematoma; Grade 3, greater than 15ml or epidural or subdural hematoma; or Grade 4, interventricular hemorrhage or hematoma requiring surgical intervention. Differences between groups were assessed by the Mann-Whitney U test, and a p value of ≤ 0.05 was used to identify significant differences.

 Results:
 One hundred and eleven EVDs were placed in 99 patients. Fifty-six patients received low dose unfractionated heparin (LDUH) within 24 hours of admission (early prophylaxis). Fifty-five patients received LDUH > 24 hours after admission (delayed prophylaxis). There were no statistical differences across all Grades (0 to 4) amongst the early prophylaxis (n= 45, 5, 5, 1, and 0 respectively) versus delayed prophylaxis (n= 46, 4, 1, 1, and 3 respectively) groups (p=0.658). In the early prophylaxis group, 3 VTEs were discovered in 32 of 56 patients who underwent screening for suspected VTEs. In the delayed prophylaxis group, 6 VTEs were discovered in 33 of 55 patients screened for clinically suspected VTEs (p= 0.488).

 Conclusion:
 There were no increases in hemorrhagic complications with starting chemical prophylaxis within 24 hours of EVD placement. Larger randomized controlled trials are needed to assess a possible decrease in VTEs with earlier prophylaxis.


Several bioactive compounds originate from natural sources and their uses are generally related with traditional or folk medicine. Synthetic drugs can have adverse side effects and, for this reason, the investigation of novel, safe, and natural-occurring products can account for the development of new drugs. The genus Centaurea L. is one of the most important genera of the Asteraceae family, containing more than 200 species in the Turkish i¬'ora, about 140 of which are endemic. The aim of the present work was to determine enzyme inhibitory potentials of two extracts (chloroform and ethyl acetate) from eight Centaurea species against cholinesterase, tyrosinase, amylase, and glucosidase. The total phenolics, flavonoids and condensed tannin contents were also reported for each extract. These components in the extracts varied according to species and extraction solvents as well as enzyme inhibitory effects. The highest level of phenolics was found to be in the chloroform extract of C. pulchella (119.23 mg GAEs/g extract). Generally, chloroform extracts exhibited stronger enzyme inhibitory effects as compared to ethyl acetate. Additionally, possible correlations with total phenolics, flavonoids, and condensed tannins content were also highlighted. This paper is the first report of the inhibitory capacities of the eight Centaurea species on the selected enzymes. The present results may be a valuable starting point in the development of new bioactive formulations.


Asynchronous design is progressively becoming more attractive alternative to synchronous design because of its potential for high-speed and low-power. The pipelining technique is very effective for synchronous digital designs. This paper proposes the design of pipelined Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter using asynchronous quasi-delay-insensitive (QDI) template based on Reduced Slack Pre-Charged Half Buffer (RSPCHB). Both synchronous and asynchronous pipelined FIR filter have been designed using TSMC 0.18-μm CMOS technology. HSPICE simulation shows that the speed of the asynchronous system has been improved 12 times with 2 times increased area over synchronous design.


ICD-10 is a standardized diagnostic tool of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the documentation of findings to facilitate statistical comparability. It enhances fast diagnosis documentation using a globally readable coding.  Physicians can therefore rely on a predefined, although not very complex  diagnostic formulation even if it cannot replace a detailed diagnosis. However, in cases of bodily harm, unambiguous diagnoses and highly detailed descriptions of injuries are essential to allow forensic experts to assess injuries in criminal procedures within the continental legal system. A previous study (Fogarasi, 2012) showed that forensic assessment is impaired in Germany, Hungary, and Austria when terms in the diagnoses of injuries are not explicit enough from a forensic perspective. The methodology of diagnosing injuries is not  standardised in the analysed countries. As diagnoses are primarily written for medical purposes, occasional subsequent forensic assessments of injuries may rely exclusively on the documentation, and are therefore hindered by the lack of forensic aspects. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of ICD  categories in diagnoses, and the extent to which ICD-10 categories are terminologically suitable for diagnosing injuries for subsequent forensic  assessment in Germany and Hungary. The terminology of ICD categories was examined and analysed from forensic and criminal legal perspectives. An inability of forensic assessment to determine the nature and severity of injuries with certainty may have consequences on the criminal legal procedure. LSP instructors should therefore make their students aware of the importance of acquiring and using exact terminology that would enable them to prepare  accurate documentation in their practice.


A superconductive demultiplexer was designed, simulated, and tested as an interface between ultra-fast superconductive circuits and slower room-temperature electronics. The modular RSFQ shift-and-dump circuit was designed as a register of Non-Destructive Read-Out (NDRO) cells, which are timed by pulses from the system clock. Data is read out from a 1:N demultiplexer every N clock periods by applying a read-out pulse to the register's NDRO input. Circuit simulations and results for the successful experimental test of a 2-stage demultiplexer will be discussed.<<ETX>>


This study explores the professional identity development of five non-native English-speaking teacher learners from different backgrounds who were studying for a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics/TESOL at an Australian university, following the three-dimensional space narrative inquiry framework (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). The study aims to address how identity work could be utilized in teacher education to enrich teacher learners' learning experience and prepare them for better developing their teacher selves. Participants attended two one-hour story-telling sessions aimed to elicit various aspects of their experience within the teacher education program such as native/non-native issues, transition in time and space and changes in expectations, and the learning environment. Their stories, structured and analyzed following the three-dimensional space narrative inquiry framework (Interaction, Continuity, and Situation) revealed their growth, satisfaction, and tensions resulting from becoming part of the community of practice in the Australian teacher education program. This research highlights the role of conducting identity exploration interventions within the context of teacher education in assisting TESOL teachers to construct and reconstruct their professional identity. It also suggests classroom activities designed based on the three-dimensional space narrative inquiry framework to make identity work a crucial part of teacher development within teacher education courses.


Recent data of the legal profession have raised red flags about the lack of diversity in the field as compared to other career choices. Due to the fact that 4 of 5 lawyers are white, this leaves very little room for black lawyers to fill jobs in their desired positions. This paper first establishes the literary origins of the black lawyer and succinctly follows the progression made to the emergence of corporate law as an attractive legal sector for black lawyers and further analyzes the connection of the two. Using the survey data, the paper gathers and explains lived experiences of black law students and graduates and calls upon their struggles in their path as a black person in their respective institutions.


An in vitro assay was designed to analyze the effect of either Bioflavex® (BF) or each of its pure flavonoid components [Neoeriocitrine (NE), Naringine (NG), Isonaringine (IN), Hesperidine (HS), Neohesperidine (NH), Poncirine (PC)] added at 200 μ,g/g dry matter (DM) incubated substrate on rumen fermentation, methane production (CH4 ) and microbial population. A treatment without flavonoids was also included as a control (CTR). Rumen liquor harvested from four steers fed with high concentrate diets was used as inoculum in four 72 h incubation series. Two samples were taken at the onset of each incubation series (Time 0), and two bottles per treatment were also opened after 12 h and sampled for pH, NH3 -N, volatile fatty acids (VFA) and microbiology analyses [total bacteria, Streptococcus bovis, Selenomonas ruminantium, Megasphaera elsdenii, total archaea (TA), hydrogenotrophic methanogenic archaea (HMA) and Methanosarcina spp. (as acetoclastic methanogen)] using quantitative PCR. The addition of BF or its flavonoid components mitigated the cumulative gas production (P<0.01), except for NE and PC, but no differences (P>0.10) were recorded in the gas production rate (mL/h). At 12 h post incubation methane production (mL/g DM) was reduced (P<0.01) by flavonoid addition, except for NE and NG, that did not differ from CTR. No changes were detected in total VFA concentration, but flavonoids increased propionate to the detriment of acetate proportion (P<0.01). The abundance of HMA population was reduced (P<0.01) by BF and its main components (NG and NH). Relative quantification of the lactate producing bacteria S. bovis was not affected by the addition of flavonoids except for a significant increase recorded with NE (P<0.01), whereas the concentration of the lactate consuming M. elsdenii was increased by BF, NG, NH and PC (P<0.01). Relative quantification of HMA was clearly inhibited (P<0.01) by the addition of flavonoids, this effect being more pronounced with BF, NH and NG. Concentration of Methanosarcina spp. was also inhibited by PC, NH, NG and BF (P<0.01). Addition of flavonoid substances enhances fermentation efficiency by improving propionate in detriment of acetate production and clearly depressed HMA communities.


This paper will try to answer the question of whether animals can suffer.My aim is, firstly, to discuss whether or not an irreflexive animal consciousness could experience suffering. I do this because there are authors who assume such a consciousness in animals. The second part of this contribution concerns the question of the cognitive and neural prerequisites which have to be present in order to give consciousness, or the suffering experience, a positive fitness value. Further, I analyse for which animals these brain structures and cognitive capacities have been described, since consciousness and suffering can only be expected in these animals.In order to answer the questions, several assumptions had to be made. If the assumptions are correct than the results of the various analyses demonstrate that: i) an irreflexive consciousness is unable to experience suffering; and ii) animal suffering may, for the time being, only be expected in the anthropoid apes. However, there is an important difference between the registration of pain as a stimulus, which does not induce feelings of suffering, and the experience of pain as an emotion, which does induce suffering. According to the arguments presented in this contribution, the experience of pain as a stimulus could be expected in far more species than anthropoid apes alone.


No man has been better known throughout the world than Winston Churchill; no man has had a life more faithfully documented; and no man's memory less needs a re-statement of his words and deeds. The fullness of his life has many facets; so many, indeed, that some may be missed in the brilliance of those for which he is most admired—leadership, language, courage, humour. While in biography proper these must command the highest place, there are some special facets—science, technology, education, philosophy—which are natural to the context of this Memoir, and which I therefore hope to trace through the wide, unfolding pattern of his thoughts and actions. The character of the Memoir changes as it approaches 1940. Up to that time, drawing in the main on his own comments and writings, it deals with episodes that illustrate his character or which helped to form the experience that matched him so uniquely to 1940. After that time, drawing in addition on personal knowledge, it deals at closer range with the fewer facets of special relevance. Personal knowledge can easily be overdrawn, for the difference in our ages was nearly forty years and the difference in our backgrounds no less marked. But his qualities transcended the gaps of age, society and education, and it was easy to talk to him for what he was. Even so, I am reminded of his own regrets that he had not had more chance to know his father—there are so many things that in retrospect the younger man would like to have asked the older but which he has barely realized before the older man is borne away beyond questioning. So it is with this Memoir.


INTRODUCTION
Contradiction is a relevant data quality indicator to evaluate the plausibility of interdependent health data items. However, while contradiction assessment is achieved using domain-established contradictory dependencies, recent studies have shown the necessity for additional requirements to reach conclusive contradiction findings. For example, the oral or rectal methods used in measuring the body temperature will influence the thresholds of fever definition. The availability of this required information as explicit data items must be guaranteed during study design. In this work, we investigate the impact of activities related to study database implementation on contradiction assessment from two perspectives including: 1) additionally required metadata and 2) implementation of checks within electronic case report forms to prevent contradictory data entries.

METHODS
Relevant information (timestamps, measurement methods, units, and interdependency rules) required for contradiction checks are identified. Scores are assigned to these parameters and two different studies are evaluated based on the fulfillment of the requirements by two selected interdependent data item sets.

RESULTS
None of the studies have fulfilled all requirements. While timestamps and measurement units are found, missing information about measurement methods may impede conclusive contradiction assessment. Implemented checks are only found if data are directly entered.

DISCUSSION
Conclusive contradiction assessment typically requires metadata in the context of captured data items. Consideration during study design and implementation of data capture systems may support better data quality in studies and could be further adopted in primary health information systems to enhance clinical anamnestic documentation.


We address the problem of computing semantic differences between a program and a patched version of the program. Our goal is to obtain a precise characterization of the difference between program versions, or establish their equivalence. We focus on infinite-state numerical programs, and use abstract interpretation to compute an over-approximation of program differences. Computing differences and establishing equivalence under abstraction requires abstracting relationships between variables in the two programs. Towards that end, we use a correlating abstract domain to compute a sound approximation of these relationships which captures semantic difference. This approximation can be computed over any interleaving of the two programs. However, the choice of interleaving can significantly affect precision. We present a speculative search algorithm that aims to find an interleaving of the two programs with minimal abstract semantic difference. This method is unique as it allows the analysis to dynamically alternate between several interleavings. We have implemented our approach and applied it to real-world examples including patches from Git, GNU Coreutils, as well as a few handpicked patches from the Linux kernel and the Mozilla Firefox web browser. Our evaluation shows that we compute precise approximations of semantic differences, and report few false differences.


Summary Th e aim of this work was to determine, through several-years stationary investigations, the water regime of soils in the Biđ-fi eld district. Investigations were carried out during a three-year period (2001-2003) on 8,700 ha of agricultural areas. Detailed hydropedological investigations were done in 2000 and a soil map of the district (scale 1:10,000) was produced. Five pedosystematic units were detected: semigley, pseudogleyed, eugley hypogley, eugley amphigley, humogley, and drained soils. Based on three-year continuing monitoring of surface and ground waters the following main types of moistening of the soils were identifi ed: eugley-pseudogley, hypogley, amphigley and drained. Stochastic relation between the Sava and Biđ water levels and groundwater in the agrological profi le of studied soils was determined by crosscorrelation with one decade shift s (c = 1). It was found that the ground waters in the profi les of studied soils communicate more intensively with the River Biđ water (r = 0.65-0.69) compared to the River Sava water (r = 0.23-0.69). Th is especially applies to ground water of hypogley soils, which cover 57% of the studied area. Marked vertical communication of ground water in the deep aquifer with water of the shallow soil aquifer was detected, indicating that the surface layer, mainly made up of silty clayey loams, is not impervious.


In sarcoidosis, pleomorphic chromogens (PCs) occur as multivariate pigmented elements within sinusoids of lymph nodes (sinusoidal phase) and as tiny «round bodiesm detectable in granulomas (generalized phase). The sinusoidal phase occurs in other conditions as well and characteristically contains yeastlike bodies also known as H-W bodies. To elucidate the antigenic profile of al1 variant forms, 28 cases of sarcoidosis (series A) and 14 cases of malignancy associated sinus histiocytosis (series B) were studied immunohistochemically with panels of various antibodies, including antimycobacterial MAbs specific for M. tuberculosis complex (TB68, TB71), for M. leprae (MMP-1-3C3) and for cross-reactive mycobacterial antigens (F24-2-3 and F116-5, the latter recognizing superoxide dismutase). Results for series A indicate that: 1) PCs are cell-walldeficient (CWD) mycobacterial forms belonging to M. tuberculosis complex (over 95%); 2) both phases are antigenically identical parts of the L-cycle; 3) «round bodies» of the «infective» phase have an endolysosomal evolution; 4) uncommon vacuolated forms represent a labile spheroplast stage; 5) the yeastlike bodies are specialized sinusoidal large bodies of unknown function. Results for series B show that in roughly two thirds of cases the pigmented forms are also CWD mycobacteria, have the same immunophenotype as sarcoid PCs in 35.7% of cases, have a much higher incidence of labile vacuolated forms and, finally, that malignancy associated «pseudosarcoid» granulomas do not differ antigenically from genuine sarcoid granulomas. Unlike conventional mycobacteria, PCs do not express cytoskeletal proteins consistently. Their general reactivity for HBcAg raises the possibility of phage interactions being responsible for the L-cycle since it may reflect shared epitopes between unrelated virus entities.


Venture management, which appeared to hold great promise as a means of generating innovative products and businesses internally, has been eagerly embraced and subsequently abandoned by a number of large companies. Executives at these firms often expressed the opinion that venture management was just another blind alley which failed to produce the new sources of revenue and profits its advocates anticipated. A study of twenty-one venture failures in twelve large companies revealed that venture management is in no sense a blind alley but is beset by all the errors that plague the untried and the unfamiliar. Analysis of these obstacles to success identifies the misconceptions responsible for them and suggests ways of steering the fledgling venture around them.


Background and Purpose We tested the hypothesis that administration of the antioxidant tirilazad mesylate improves electrophysiological recovery and decreases infarct volume after transient focal cerebral ischemia in cats. Methods Halothane-anesthetized cats underwent 90 minutes of left middle cerebral artery and bilateral common carotid artery occlusion followed by 180 minutes of reperfusion. Cats were assigned to receive tirilazad (1.5 mg/kg plus 0.2 mg/kg per hour IV infusion) either at the beginning (n=9) or conclusion (n=9) of ischemia. Control cats received an equal volume of diluent (citrate buffer, pH 3.0; n=7) at the beginning and conclusion of ischemia in a blinded fashion. Infarct volume was measured by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Results Blood flow to the left temporoparietal cortex decreased to less than 10 mL/min per 100 g with ischemia but was minimally affected on the right side. Blood flow distribution during ischemia or reperfusion was not different in the tirilazad-treated groups. No group demonstrated postischemic hyperemia or delayed hypoperfusion. Somatosensory evoked potential recorded over the left cortex was ablated during ischemia and recovered to less than 15% of baseline amplitude at 180 minutes of reperfusion in all groups. There were no differences among groups in infarct volume of left hemisphere (pretreatment, 25±6% [mean±SE]; posttreatment, 33±5%; control, 28±8% of hemisphere) or caudate nucleus (pretreatment, 46±7%; posttreatment, 41±10%; control, 55±13% of hemisphere). Conclusions In an experimental model of focal ischemia involving severe reductions of blood flow followed by reperfusion in cats, administration of tirilazad at the onset of either ischemia or reperfusion does not ameliorate infarct volume assessed during early reperfusion. Our study does not address potential efficacy of tirilazad in the setting of a different dosing strategy or duration of reperfusion.


The purpose of this paper is to present geotechnical parameters of the variegated soils from the São Paulo Formation, aiming in particular to establish correlations between stress history parameters, earth pressure coefficients at rest, deformability modules and resistance obtained through piezocone and dilatometer tests. The performance of in situ tests has, as the major advantage over laboratory tests for obtaining soil parameters of the project site, minimization of sample disturbance effects. Using data from geotechnical investigation carried out during the basic design of the Green Line expansion for the Metrô – SP it was possible to obtain preconsolidation pressure (σ'p), over consolidation ratio (OCR), earth pressure coefficients at rest (K0), Young's module (Ei), initial shear module (G0), constrained module (M) and undrained shear strength (su) for the variegated soils of the São Paulo Formation. These soils are characterized by interlayered levels of clays and sands, constituting a characteristic with different geotechnical parameters and perched water tables. These characteristics explain some of the knowledge gaps on these soils. Nevertheless, it was possible to validate the correlations between earth pressure coefficients at rest (K0), over consolidation ratio (OCR), Young's module (Ei), undrained shear strength (su) and preconsolidation pressure (σ'p) through field tests and the results of laboratory testing conducted by other authors.


Boston medical students trained in Paris in the 1830s repudiated "heroic" practice (bleeding, drugging, purging) in therapeutics. When James Jackson Jr. encountered a supposed miracle treatment—saline injections bringing cholera patients back from the brink of death—he dismissed it as another heroic remedy. Viewed in historical context, that conclusion seems justified.


Dramatic advances in automatic digital image analysis have opened up new applications and made photogrammetry applicable for a broader field of users that lack specific knowledge of photogrammetry. Megatrends such as Industry 4.0, building information modelling (BIM) and the digital transformation are driving the advancement of 3D measurement technologies, both in terms of high-end systems and lowcost sensors. New technical challenges such as autonomous driving or unmanned aerial vehicles are demanding innovative sensor systems, but also extended maps and models of the environment. Modern approaches such as structure from motion (SfM), simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) or visual odometry are now being combined with classical photogrammetric methods. This article addresses these and other recent developments in close-range photogrammetry.


Background HIV testing uptake remains low among men in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV self-testing (HIVST) at the workplace is a novel approach to increase the availability of, and access to, testing among men. However, both access and linkage to posttest services remain a challenge. Objective The aim of this protocol is to describe a cluster randomized trial (CRT)—Workplace-Based HIV Self-testing Among Men (WISe-Men)—to evaluate the effect of HIVST in workplace settings on the uptake of HIV testing services (HTS) and linkage to treatment and prevention services among men employed in private security services in Uganda. Methods This is a two-arm CRT involving men employed in private security services in two Ugandan districts. The participants in the intervention clusters will undergo workplace-based HIVST using OraQuick test kits. Those in the control clusters will receive routine HTS at their work premises. In addition to HTS, participants in both the intervention and control arms will undergo other tests and assessments, which include blood pressure assessment, blood glucose and BMI measurement, and rapid diagnostic testing for syphilis. The primary outcome is the uptake of HIV testing. The secondary outcomes include HIV status reporting, linkage into HIV care and confirmatory testing following HIVST, initiation of antiretroviral therapy following a confirmatory HIV test, the uptake of voluntary medical male circumcision, consistent condom use, and the uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis by the most at-risk populations. Results Participant enrollment commenced in February 2020, and the trial is still recruiting study participants. Follow-up for currently enrolled participants is ongoing. Data collection and analysis is expected to be completed in December 2021. Conclusions The WISe-Men trial will provide information regarding whether self-testing at worksites increases the uptake of HIV testing as well as the linkage to care and prevention services at male-dominated workplaces in Uganda. Additionally, the findings will help us propose strategies for improving men's engagement in HTS and ways to improve linkage to further care following a reactive or nonreactive HIVST result. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04164433; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04164433 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/25099


A BSTRACT : Thirty years on from the peaceful revolution in the former communist German Democratic Republic ( GDR ) Germany remains profoundly divided between the perspectives of Germans living in the eastern and the western parts of the country, which is becoming ever more obvious by the polarization of domestic politics. Hence, Germany today resembles a nation which is formally unified but deeply divided internally in cultural and political terms. This article examines the background to the growing cleavages between eastern and western regions, which have their roots in the mistakes that were made as part of the management of the domestic aspects of German reunification. From a historic-institutionalist perspective the merger of the pathways of the two German states has not taken place. Instead, unified Germany is characterized by the dominance of the institutional pathway of the former West German Federal Republic, which has substantially contributed to the self-perception of East Germans as dislocated, second-class citizens.


This study investigated the effect of oxygen plasma treatment on the glass transition temperature of enzymatic hydrolysis lignin (EHL) derived from the production of bio-ethanol. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to obtain the glass transition temperature (Tg) of EHL. The results showed that the Tg value of EHL under different heating rates ranged from 160 to 200 °C, and there was a strong linear correlation between heating rate and Tg. The Tg value of oxygen plasma treated EHL decreased when compared with the untreated samples. The apparent Tg of the untreated sample was 168.2 °C, while the value of the treated sample was 161.5 °C. Distinct chain scission and introduction of oxygen-based functional groups on the surface of EHL were detected by XPS analysis. These changes may occur mainly on the bulky side chain and thus enhance molecular mobility of EHL. This indicates that oxygen plasma treatment can modify the structure and improve the reactivity of EHL efficiently.


ABSTRACT During recent years, many schools have started to implement information and communication technologies (ICTs)-based learning devices (such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and active boards) in the classroom settings in order to increase learning outcomes. The aim of this study is to find which activities and outcomes are evident in the usages of computing devices and how those devices aid elementary-level students in their learning activities. The study includes five overt participant observations at some schools in a Swedish municipality including unstructured interviews and explains the findings through activity theory and the Alberta Education Framework for Student Learning . The major activities found were dealing with the (1) educational application assignments, (2) storytelling, (3) report writing and (4) practical interaction assignments. We concluded that ICTs aid students in becoming more concentrated, focus driven, engaged and amused, thus learning becomes more interesting.


The flow pattern and sediment character of laboratory density currents partly blocked by bed topography is used to demonstrate how changes in paleocurrent direction through a turbidite at a single site can be explained. These experiments confirm that a relatively small obstacle may affect bed thickness and paleocurrent patterns at considerable distances away from obstacles. Density currents generated by a lock-exchange mechanism spread radially across the tank floor and were partially blocked by a wedge-shaped obstacle with steep face (scarp) facing upstream. When the body of the current impinged on the obstacle, a thickened region of the flow developed upstream of the scarp, with increased entrainment of ambient fluid above it. The upflow edge of the thickened region was at a small angle to the obstacle front and propagated rapidly upflow and to the sides of the obstacle. Internal flow vectors observed with thread flags were radial from the lock before the head reached the obstacle. After the head passed the obstacle, flow vectors in the region of thickened flow upstream and to the sides of the obstacle were reoriented nearly parallel to the obstacle scarp. Thus flow vector at a point rotated by as much as 45° during passage of the current. The deposits of sediment-laden density currents thickened in the region of observed flow thickening because of an increased particle flux to the bed caused by velocity reduction. The upflow limit of the influence of the obstacle on deposition is marked by an abrupt increase in the thickness of the deposits. This area of thickening occurs in an area where the flow is accumulative.


OBJECTIVE
We aimed to determine Axis-I psychiatric disorders in patients with chronic pain (CP) and compare control subjects determined by a structured clinical interview. Another objective of the study was to examine whether there is an association between psychiatric disorders and quality of sleep, quality of life, and demographic and clinical characteristics in patients with CP.

DESIGN
The study sample was comprised of 108 patients with CP and 54 control subjects without pain. Psychiatric interviews were conducted with the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV (SCID). Also used were the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Hamilton Depression Inventory, Short Form-36, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

RESULTS
The rate of any Axis-I psychiatric disorder stood at 66.7% (any mood disorder, 50%; any anxiety disorder, 33.3%; any somatoform disorder, 20.4%; any substance use disorder, 16.6%), significantly more common in the patients' group compared with the control group. The most common psychiatric disorder was major depression (49.1%) in subjects with CP. Female gender, numbers of localization, and neck and back localizations were significantly higher in the SCID (+) group than the SCID (-) group. A statistically significant difference was observed between the SCID (+) and SCID (-) groups regarding visual analogue scale, depression and anxiety scores, mental component summary score, and global PSQI scores.

CONCLUSION
Results of this study suggest that psychiatric morbidity in patients with CP is frequently seen and may adversely affect quality of sleep and quality of life of the patients. Therefore, the patients with CP should be examined with respect to their mental status.


This thesis aims to provide an examination of texts produced by and about the New Woman of the late-nineteenth century, with specific reference to the trope of self-harm. It aims to explore the connections between the fictional bodies of text in which the New Woman was represented, and the damaged bodies of women who committed self-destructive acts. It examines both the religious frameworks within which Victorian women's fiction operated, and three specific forms of self-harm which feature across a range of textual artefacts. To this end, the thesis discusses New Woman novels, poems, and short stories as well as newspaper and magazine articles, archival materials, and popular works of art, all of which discuss or display the damaged female body. The scope of this project is limited to New Woman writing produced between 1880 and 1900, although it does consider the ways in which the New Woman built on, or challenged, discourses about self-harm which appear in materials produced during the earlier half of the nineteenth century.

This research demonstrates that New Woman writers drew on forms of self-harm such as anorexia, alcoholism, and self-mutilation, to express their frustrations at the contradictory requirements of women endorsed by conventional religion, at a time during which attitudes towards the body were changing. It shows how the female form embodied various Victorian political and social debates, and how it was deployed as a strategic symbol, in writing which sought to disrupt women's subordinate position within the patriarchal system. Consequently, this research contributes to the fields of psychiatric history, New Woman studies, and more generally the study of Victorian women's writing, by examining both canonical and critically neglected texts by women alongside non-fictional materials from the period. It explores both fictional acts of self-harm, and textual strategies, which have yet to be examined in New Woman writing, and which are key to understanding her complicated place in the male-oriented publishing environment of the Fin de Siecle.


Automatically computing the time complexity of a recursive program relies on not only extracting recurrence relations from source code, but also proving that the costs obtained by the recurrences are upper bounds on the running time of the code. We do this by proving a bounding theorem, which states that the costs produced by the translation of source programs represent upper bounds on the costs specified by the source language operational semantics. This approach is inspired by the work of Danner, Paykin, and Royer [2]. We formalize our work in Agda, a dependently-typed functional programming language and proof assistant, to ensure that we develop a reliable and mathematically correct system with which to extract recurrences.


The leaching tests of heavy metals in industrial sewage sludge were carried out under different pH of extractant by the solid waste extraction procedure for leaching toxicity (GB5086.2-1997) of China on the base of the contents and fractions of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Mn and Ni elements. The results showed that the sludge was with higher levels of Mn and Zn, followed by Cu and Ni, while the higher toxicity of Pb and Cr was lower. The fractions of different elements in the sewage sludge had very different forms. The potential migration and biological toxicity were a concern for the active forms of Zn, Mn, Ni, Cr because their active proportions were more than 50%. The pH of extraction solutions had an important impact on the leaching of heavy metals in sewage sludge. The largest concentrations of Zn, Mn, Ni, Cu were appeared when the pH of extractant was about 7, but that of Fe had a greater fluctuation at the same pH. The concentrations of heavy metals had very different at different pH values, which may be related with the process of adsorption/desorption, complexation/dissociation, the dissolution/precipitation/co-precipitation and other chemical reactions in the extractant process.


There are considerably fewer randomized controlled trials investigating hemodialysis (HD) than other fields of internal medicine, and no significant improvements have been observed over time. Only the National Cooperative Dialysis Study and the HEMO trial were based on hard endpoints such as morbidity and mortality, but neither considered on-line hemodiafiltration or super-flux membranes, which are thought to provide a number of advantages in terms of the cardiovascular condition of uremic patients. However, results of well-designed clinical trials showing that increasing convection may improve the clinical outcome of HD patients are still lacking. The need for maximizing removal of uremic toxins calls for more frequent HD sessions, but this may be affected by many organizational problems. Therefore, well-designed, long-term clinical trials are urgently needed to investigate which currently available therapeutic instruments can improve the clinical outcome of uremic patients.


This paper presents an experimental study on moisture-induced expansion of selected plasters. Contactless measurement is introduced and a coefficient of moisture expansion for different building plasters is established. It is found that stresses which might develop in building materials due to moisture variations are equal to or higher than stresses which might be caused by temperature variations.


Single-sided deafness (SSD) represents one of the most difficult audiological conditions to rehabilitate. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the audiological benefits and quality of life of patients affected by SSD who had previously been users of the Alpha 1® when upgrading them to the Sophono Alpha 2® external processor (Boulder, Colo., USA). Nine patients were included in the study. They underwent physical examination, free-field speech audiometry at 40 and 60 dB, a hearing-in-noise test (Hirsch's test and the squelch test), the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) questionnaire, and a specific questionnaire on patient satisfaction with Alpha 1. Afterwards, the Alpha 2 external processor was delivered to all patients, and the above-mentioned protocol was repeated after 1 month with the Alpha 2. A statistically significant improvement was found in the speech discrimination score at 40 dB and in the squelch test when using the Alpha 2 external processor compared to the Alpha 1. Alpha 2 had a good clinical tolerance and gave similar results in the specific questionnaire and the GBI to Alpha 1. In conclusion, the new Alpha 2 external processor represents a safe and effective device for the rehabilitation of SSD, and there is an audiological benefit to upgrading to the Alpha 2 external processor for patients who had previously been users of the Alpha 1. The improvement in quality of life is similar to that with other bone-anchored hearing devices.


The use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in various neuropsychiatric disorders has been well accepted. ECT has been proven to be safe and effective in adolescents and in old age. However, only a handful of literature is available on its effectiveness in first episode psychosis (FEP). In this case series, individuals with FEP who received ECT in their 1st month of treatment for various indications were described. During follow-up, subjects showed considerable improvement in their psychopathology and functional outcomes. None of them had any adverse events during or after ECT sessions. Thus, the present case series highlights the usefulness and safety of early use of ECT in individuals with first episode psychosis and its effectiveness in reducing the acute symptoms leading to remission and better outcomes.


We present the design of a citizen science system that uses machine learning to guide the presentation of image classification tasks to newcomers to help them more quickly learn how to do the task while still contributing to the work of the project. A Bayesian model for tracking volunteer learning for training with tasks with uncertain outcomes is presented and fit to data from 12,986 volunteer contributors. The model can be used both to estimate the ability of volunteers and to decide the classification of an image. A simulation of the model applied to volunteer promotion and image retirement suggests that the model requires fewer classifications than the current system.


ABSTRACT Previously published PCR-based diagnostic tests for melioidosis were evaluated for clinical usefulness. A Burkholderia pseudomallei 16S rRNA-derived primer set had a sensitivity approaching 100% for clinical samples from 22 culture-confirmed cases of melioidosis and enabled diagnosis of 3 culture-negative cases. However, samples from 10 of 30 inpatients from Royal Darwin Hospital with other diagnoses were positive by PCR, giving a specificity of 67% and a positive predictive value of only 70%. Although there are a number of intriguing possible explanations for our results, concerns of inappropriate therapy resulting from a positive result by PCR have led us to forgo the advantage of rapid PCR diagnosis for melioidosis until a better system is validated.


Many neural tube defects can be prevented if women take folic acid around the time of conception. However, the majority of women do not take folic acid at the critical time, so the US government required that food be fortified with folic acid effective January 1, 1998. Whether the amount being added was sufficient to prevent all folate-related neural tube defects has been hotly debated. Mosley et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2008;169(1):9-17) found no evidence that folic acid supplement use or dietary folate intake was related to neural tube defects, indicating that fortified food is probably providing sufficient folic acid to prevent folate-related defects. Because data on the effectiveness of fortification in the United States are scarce, this is an important contribution. There is great interest in the other effects of fortification. Folic acid reduces homocysteine levels, and homocysteine has been linked to cardiovascular disease and cancer. On the basis of current evidence, however, it seems unlikely that fortification will reduce cardiovascular disease rates. Its effect on cancer remains unclear. Folic acid may be useful in primary prevention but may also stimulate the growth of existing malignancies or premalignant lesions. Although these issues remain unresolved, Mosley et al. have provided important data to address the primary question: Does fortification prevent folate-related neural tube defects?


Two species of the genus Neisseria, namely Neisseria weaveri Andersen et al. 1993 and Neisseria weaveri Holmes et al. 1993, were simultaneously proposed and described in the same volume of International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, and have been maintained as heterotypic homonyms. However, the identical 16S rRNA gene sequence and high (99.1 %) average nucleotide identity (ANI) between the genome sequences of the two type strains implied that these two taxa should be united as a single genomic species. To clarify their taxonomic status, phenotypic properties including enzymic activities and substrate-utilization profiles were investigated. The results demonstrated that the two taxa have no pronounced differences and should constitute a single species. Therefore, the reclassification of N. weaveri Andersen et al. 1993 as a later heterotypic synonym of N. weaveri Holmes et al. 1993 is proposed.


Rethinking risk assessment as a method for helping to solve environmental problems, rather than (merely) understanding environmental hazards, may provide three major classes of benefits over the status quo. First, it can help break the endless cycle of analysis: when the goal is to know enough to decide, rather than to know everything, natural stopping points emerge. Secondly, it can lead to more true decisions about how to achieve risk reduction, rather than mere pronouncements about how much risk reduction would be optimal. As much as agencies rightly value performance-oriented interventions, setting a permissible exposure limit or a national ambient air quality standard is often more a conclusion about what level of risk would be acceptable than any kind of guarantee that such a level will be achieved, let alone a decision about which actual behaviors will change and how. Third, it can promote expansive thought about optimal decisions, ones that resolve multiple risks simultaneously, avoid needless and tragic risk-risk tradeoffs, and involve affected stakeholders in debating what should be done. Arguably, the longer the disembodied analysis of risk information is allowed to proceed before solutions are proposed and evaluated, the more likely it is that the "problem" will be defined in a way that constrains the free-wheeling discussion of solutions, to the detriment of human health, the environment, and the economy. Therefore, I propose a new "solution-focused risk assessment" paradigm, in which the tentative arraying of control decisions would precede and guide the assessment of exposures, potencies, and risks.


The effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of aged hardening 2Cr16Ni2MoN stainless steel was examined. The steel contained undissolved (CrFeMo)23C6 carbides in a martensite at lower solution treated temperature. Solution treating at 1100°C resulted in coarsening of the packet and block structure of the lath martensite. The optimum solution treated temperature is 1040°C.Aging at 500°C resulted in peak strength due to the precipitation of extremely fine coherent (CrFeMo)2C carbides. The optimum combination of tensile strength and impact toughness was attained at the aging temperature of 560°C,was attributed to both the formation of fine M2C in the lath and a mixture of lath martensite with high density dislocations.


In this dissertation I have three essays. In Essay 1 I focus on two main groups of stakeholders, the investor community and the customers of a firm. I view their interaction through the lens of a third group of stakeholders, managers. Managers, like other humans, have a limited amount of attention that can be applied to firm projects. When attention is spread thin for firms operating in many business segments then managers are unable to adequately address the needs of the investor community and customer stakeholder groups. A tradeoff between these two groups is necessary in this situation. However, when a firm is narrowly focused, doing business in only a few segments, then there is enough managerial attention and the firm should follow a dual emphasis. A firm that has achieved a dual emphasis in this scenario should be able to achieve higher long-term financial results compared to only pursuing customer or investor related projects.Essay 2 continues with the theme of researching multiple stakeholder groups. This essay investigates the interactions of society, the investor community, and the employees of a firm. A firm can address the needs of these groups through corporate social responsibility (CSR) acts, but how does CSR benefit or disadvantage investors? This essay uses signaling theory (Kirmani and Rao 2000) in four common situations to discern the extent that firms are advantaged or disadvantaged by CSR strengths and concerns. CSR signals are divided into external (e.g., environmental issues such as pollution) and internal (e.g., employee issues such as hiring practices) as well as strengths (exceeding legal standards) and concerns (running afoul of the law). These four types of CSR signals, in addition to information from annual reports, customer satisfaction, short-term financial measures, and industry concentration, only sometimes combine to provide strong signals to investors regarding a firm's future prospects. Results from this essay show that the best results, from the investment community point of view, can be summarized in three points. First, externally focused CSR activities are assisted by managerial advertising to investors, do not compensate for low short-term financial outcomes, assist firms in concentrated industries, but are detrimental for firms in less concentrated industries. Second, internally focused CSR activities are worse for firms with high (vs. low) levels of customer satisfaction, low (vs. high) levels of industry concentration, and low (vs. high) levels of short-term financial outcomes. Third, internal CSR issues have little importance from an investor point of view.The third essay in my dissertation, once again centers on customers, but also investigates the role that managers and employees have on value creation for a firm. In order to investigate the interactions of these groups, two data sets were used. One was from the German retailing industry and the other from a US banking firm. This allows the results to be generalized to more industries and countries. Results show that 1) The effect of managerial (franchisee) satisfaction on customer satisfaction is fully mediated via employee satisfaction; 2) The effect of customer satisfaction on repurchase intention is strongly moderated by front-line employee satisfaction; and 3) Customer repurchase intentions affect firm revenues. These results suggest that firms seeking to enhance customer satisfaction, repurchase intentions, and profits should not only make direct investments in customer satisfaction, but also indirect investments in human resources, especially in improving satisfaction among front-line employees.


Kinetic limitations associated with heterogeneous phase reaction for micron size catalyst formulations so far have been addressed by bottom-up approach, which while successful through a number of methods tends to involve laborious procedures, high production costs and is restricted to a limited number of proteins. This study presents the top-down approach, based on physical downsizing of conveniently fabricated crosslinked protein aggregates (CLPA) or herein developed crosslinked protein lyophilizates (CLPL). This method, while retaining both process convenience/generality and stability advantages associated with crosslinking of CLPA leads to nano-particle formulations of adjustable size, applicable on a wide range of proteins, independent of their purity grade. Crosslinked protein micron-sized aggregates were prepared by crash precipitation of soluble proteins, alternatively lyophilizates were prepared. The solid proteins were chemically or dehydrothermally crosslinked, forming insoluble powders. The crosslinked precursors were then nanonized, realized through application of mechanical or hydrodynamic shear, facilitated by an optimal medium. Herein, conventional CLPA synthesis was optimized as to facilitate subsequent downsizing. Alternative CLPA/CLPL formulations were also developed, addressing challenges posed by particular protein types, addressing suboptimal overall synthesis yields and/or catalytic activity. Various parameters, such as precursor crosslinked material properties, shear rate and time and downsizing medium composition were employed in nanonization procedure optimization. Catalytically active nano-particles on the range of 100-900 nm were generated. The nanonized aggregates described herein serve to highlight a number of potential advantages in industrial, analytical and biomedical fields. A preliminary in vitro study showed succesful internalization of nanosized CLPAs in different mammalian cell cultures in the formulation dependant manner, raising hopes for novel systemic and local proteinbased therapeutics.


Background Tumor-stroma reaction is associated with activation of fibroblasts. Nemosis is a novel type of fibroblast activation. It leads to an increased production of growth factors and proinflammatory and proteolytic proteins, while at the same time cytoskeletal proteins are degraded. Here we used paired normal skin fibroblasts and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) and primary and recurrent oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells to study the nemosis response. Principal Findings Fibroblast nemosis was analyzed by protein and gene expression and the paracrine regulation with colony formation assay. One of the normal fibroblast strains, FB-43, upregulated COX-2 in nemosis, but FB-74 cells did not. In contrast, CAF-74 spheroids expressed COX-2 but CAF-43 cells did not. Alpha-SMA protein was expressed in both CAF strains and in FB-74 cells, but not in FB-43 fibroblasts. Its mRNA levels were downregulated in nemosis, but the CAFs started to regain the expression. FSP1 mRNA was downregulated in normal fibroblasts and CAF-74 cells, but not in CAF-43 fibroblasts. Serine protease FAP was upregulated in all fibroblasts, more so in nemotic CAFs. VEGF, HGF/SF and FGF7 mRNA levels were upregulated to variable degree in nemosis. CAFs increased the colony formation of primary tumor cell lines UT-SCC-43A and UT-SCC-74A, but normal fibroblasts inhibited the anchorage-independent growth of recurrent UT-SCC-43B and UT-SCC-74B cells. Conclusions Nemosis response, as observed by COX-2 and growth factor induction, and expression of CAF markers α-SMA, FSP1 and FAP, varies between fibroblast populations. The expression of CAF markers differs between normal fibroblasts and CAFs in nemosis. These results emphasize the heterogeneity of fibroblasts and the evolving tumor-promoting properties of CAFs.


According to empirical evidence, expansionary government spending policies increase consumption and the number of active firms in an economy and have large positive international spillover effects. Using a two-country sticky-price model with a variable number of producers, we analyze movements in output, consumption, extensive-margin investment and foreign output in response to government spending expansions. Our baseline results show that, first, there is divergence between consumption and firm entry; and second, spillovers are generally small. A large share of imports in government spending or a high trade elasticity can generate large spillovers in the model, but do not induce consumption-investment comovement. We propose useful government spending as a device to induce both large spillovers and positive consumption-investment comovement.


Type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases are two of the most serious health problems produce wide negative impacts in Indonesia. Both diseases shares similar risks factors and may affect individual's health status and quality of work (QoWL). Unfortunately, there is no evidence reported the chronic diseases risk level and their correlation with QoWL among university staffs in Indonesia. This correlational study aimed to identify the risk level of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases and it correlation with the QoWL among university staffs. As many as 125 university staffs from one of public university in West Java – Indonesia were recruited randomly and asked to complete Finnish Diabetes Risk-Assessment form, The Jakarta Cardiovascular Scale, and quality of work life (QoWL) Evaluation Scale. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and Pearson Correlation test. Results showed that nearly half of respondents had chronic diseases risk elevation; T2DM (40.39) and cardiovascular diseases (49%). Additionally, more than half of them (52.40%) perceived that their QoWL was less satisfied. It was found there was a significant relationship between T2DM risk level and cardiovascular diseases risk (r = 0.513; p=0.00); however, there was no significant correlation, neither between T2DM risk level (p=0.54) nore cardiovascular disease risk level (p = 0.19) with QoWL. To summarize, the university staffs are vulnerable for developing chronic diseases and have less satisfied QoWL. Therefore, it is important for the university to develop policy or program that enhances the employees' opportunity in managing the risk and improving their health status and QoWL.


This study employs the ordinary least square regression analysis to examine the impact of
human capital development on economic growth of Nigeria, using annual time series date
from 1981 to 2015. The empirical results show that human capital development has
significant impact on economic growth, as proxy by the gross domestic product. In line with
theory, the human capital development indicators namely secondary school enrolment,
tertiary school enrolment, total government expenditure on health and total government
expenditure on education exhibit positive and statistically significant impact on economic
growth of Nigeria which implies that these indicators are indispensable in the achievement of
growth in the Nigerian economy. However, life expectancy and primary school enrolment
exhibit a negative and statistically insignificant impact on economic growth of Nigeria. The
study concluded that the Nigerian government should ensure to allocate adequate resources
for the development of human capital in order to enhance economic growth in Nigeria. The
study also recommended that going forward the government and policy makers should
increase its total expenditure on education, ensure sufficient budgetary allocation on health
expenditure, and ensure a standard is set across all secondary and tertiary institutions in the
country so that proper human capital required for any individual to become productive and
economic growth is enhanced


ECG signal shows the electrical activity of the hearts. These signals are non-stationary; they display a fractal like self-similarity. It is one of the most important physiological parameter, which is being extensively used for knowing the state of cardiac patients. They may contain indicators of heart disease, or even warnings about impending diseases. The indicators may be present at all times or may occur at random. Soft-Computing approach is an important tool in which two or more successive ECG recordings are compared in order to find disorders in cardiac. This project presents the method to analyze ECG signal extract features and classification according to different arrhythmias.


Abstract. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the potential of using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as a platform to collect geospatial data for rapid response applications, especially in hard-to-access and hazardous areas. The UAVs are low-cost mapping vehicles, and they are easy to handle and deploy in-field. These characteristics make UAVs ideal candidates for rapid-response and disaster mitigation scenarios. The majority of the available UAV systems are not capable of real-time/near real-time data processing. This paper introduces a low-cost UAV-based multi-sensor mapping payload which supports real-time processing and can be effectively used in rapid-response applications. The paper introduces the main components of the system, and provides an overview of the proposed payload architecture. Then, it introduces the implementation details of the major building blocks of the system. Finally, the paper presents our conclusions and the future work, in order to achieve real-time/near real-time data processing and product delivery capabilities.


Training nonhuman animals in captivity for participation in routine husbandry procedures is believed to produce a lower stress environment compared with undergoing a general anesthetic event for the same procedure. This hypothesis rests largely on anecdotal evidence that the captive subjects appear more relaxed with the trained event. Blood markers of physiological stress responses were evaluated in 4 captive grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) who were clicker-trained for blood collection versus 4 bears who were chemically immobilized for blood collection. Serum cortisol and immunoglobulin A (IgA) and plasma β-endorphin were measured as indicators of responses to stress. Plasma β-endorphin was not different between the groups. Serum IgA was undetectable in all bears. Serum cortisol was undetectable in all trained bears, whereas chemically immobilized bears had marked cortisol elevations (p < .05). The highest cortisol elevations were found in 2 bears with extensive recent immobilization experience. These findings support the use of positive reinforcement training for routine health procedures to minimize anxiety.


Two new species in the genus Catellatospora are proposed. These organisms differ in carbon utilization profiles, vitamin requirements for growth, and levels of deoxyribonucleic acid relatedness to previously described species. The new species Catellatospora matsumotoense (type strain 6393-C [= IFO 14550]) contains menaquinones with 10 isoprene units (MK-10) as its major respiratory quinones, contains 3-0-methylrhamnose in its cell walls, is resistant to novobiocin, does not require thiamine for growth, and uses fructose and raffinose but not mannitol, α-methyl-D-glucoside, or rhamnose as a sole carbon source. The new species Catellatospora tsunoense (type strain 6420-P [= IFO 14552]) contains menaquines with nine isoprene units (MK-9) as its major menaquinones, does not contain 3-0-methylrhamnose, is susceptible to novobiocin, requires thiamine for growth, and uses fructose, raffinose, and rhamnose but not mannitol or α-methyl-D-glucoside as a sole carbon source.


Haptic technology is maturing, with expectations and evidence that it will contribute to user experience (UX). However, we have very little understanding about how haptic technology can influence people's experience. Researchers and designers need a way to understand, communicate, and evaluate haptic technology's effect on UX. From a literature review and two studies - one with haptics novices, the other with expert hapticians - we developed a theoretical model of the factors that constitute a good haptic experience (HX). We define HX and propose its constituent factors: design parameters of Timeliness, Density, Intensity, and Timbre; the cross-cutting concern of Personalization; usability requirements of Utility, Causality, Consistency, and Saliency; and experiential factors of Harmony, Expressivity, Autotelics, Immersion, and Realism as guiding constructs important for haptic experience. This model will help guide design and research of haptic systems, inform language around haptics, and provide the basis for evaluative instruments, such as checklists, heuristics, or questionnaires.


Background Evidence suggests that in affective, non-psychotic disorders: (i) environmental exposures increase risk of subthreshold psychotic experiences (PEs) and strengthen connectivity between domains of affective and subthreshold psychotic psychopathology; and (ii) PEs are a marker of illness severity. Method In 3021 adolescents from the Early Developmental Stages of Psychopathology cohort, we tested whether the association between PEs and presence of DSM-IV mood disorder (MD)/obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) would be moderated by risk factors for psychosis (cannabis use, childhood trauma and urbanicity), using the interaction contrast ratio (ICR) method. Furthermore, we analysed whether the interaction between environment and PEs was mediated by non-psychotic psychopathology. Results The association between PEs and MD/OCD was moderated by urbanicity (ICR = 2.46, p = 0.005), cannabis use (ICR = 3.76, p = 0.010) and, suggestively, trauma (ICR = 1.91, p = 0.063). Exposure to more than one environmental risk factor increased the likelihood of co-expression of PEs in a dose–response fashion. Moderating effects of environmental exposures were largely mediated by the severity of general non-psychotic psychopathology (percentage explained 56–68%, all p < 0.001). Within individuals with MD/OCD, the association between PEs and help-seeking behaviour, as an index of severity, was moderated by trauma (ICR = 1.87, p = 0.009) and urbanicity (ICR = 1.48, p = 0.005), but not by cannabis use. Conclusions In non-psychotic disorder, environmental factors increase the likelihood of psychosis admixture and help-seeking behaviour through an increase in general psychopathology. The findings are compatible with a relational model of psychopathology in which more severe clinical states are the result of environment-induced disturbances spreading through a psychopathology network.