Recent work by Chang has shown that even at the very earliest stages of second language (L2) acquisition, the phonetic implementation of speakers' native English phoneme categories is slightly modified by contact with L2 Korean, which is referred to as "phonetic drift." This study investigates whether rapid phonetic drift generalizes to another pairing of languages. We examined naïve American English learners of French, who were recorded producing both American English and French vowels after one and six weeks of a study abroad program in Paris. In addition, the Study Abroad group is compared with proficient American English L1 speakers of French who have been residents of Paris for at least five years, to investigate the impact of long-term use of an L2 on the vowel categories of L1. Whereas the Study Abroad group showed no evidence of phonetic drift after six weeks, the Paris Residents' American English vowel space shifted along F1 and several English vowels demonstrated clear movement toward French monolingual norms. A closer look at the high vowels provides insight into how phonetic categories are influenced both by drift and by a pressure to keep vowel categories distinct between the languages. The results are also discussed with respect to potential effects of the size of the vowel inventory and the amount of input required to cause phonetic drift.


This honors thesis focuses on Cryptography, Data Compression, and the link between the two in modern applications. Beginning with the notion that a link could exist due to the similar structure of the general methods, chapters individually explore the processes. An analysis of classical cryptography starts in the classical age and describes methods used until World War II. Shifting to modern computer implementations, the call for National standards introduced a new generation of consumer computer based cryptographic methods that needed to be strong enough for world-wide use. Switching focus to data compression, compression methods from the 1950s through current day are explored and demonstrated. Ultimately, the original question is answered by accepting that a link does exist, but not in the form of a combination it was originally thought to be. Rather, when used in series: compression then encryption, the compression adds to the overall security of the data and yields a smaller encrypted file. Carroll College 2012 Mathematics, Computer Science, & Engineering


The study has investigated the annual variation of the dry and wet depositions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) among different kinds of areas. A commercial suburban area, an industrial urban area, a coastal rural area and an agricultural rural area were chosen to measure the PCDD/F depositions in each season. The mean TEQ concentration, dry deposition flux and wet deposition in the industrial urban area all had the highest values, at 0.0958 pg ITEQ/Nm 3 , 29.1 pg I-TEQ/m 2 -d and 47.8 pg/L, respectively. Additionally, the annual total deposition flux of PCDD/Fs in the commercial, industrial, coastal and agricultural areas was 168, 310, 135 and 115 ng/m 2 -year, respectively. The seasonal change of PCDD/Fs in air could be affected by heating and temperature inversion in winter or photodegradation and OH radical reaction in summer. The various homologue profiles of PCDD/Fs probably affect the distribution in environmental sinks, such as sediments or the living organisms in rivers or seas. Additionally, the results of statistical analysis indicated that PCDD I-TEQ dry deposition flux (ng I-TEQ/m 2 -month) was negatively correlated with the ambient temperature (r = – 0.843) for the agricultural rural area, possibly due to vapor pressure (temperature-dependent) effect on the gas/particle PCDD/F partitioning. Furthermore, the PCDD/F concentration of wet deposition flux (ng I-TEQ/m 2 -month) was positively correlated with the monthly rainfall (r = 0.826–0.988) at the four sampling areas.


We introduce a Liability Threshold Mixed Linear Model (LTMLM) association statistic for ascertained case-control studies that increases power vs. existing mixed model methods, with a well-controlled false-positive rate. Recent work has shown that existing mixed model methods suffer a loss in power under case-control ascertainment, but no solution has been proposed. Here, we solve this problem using a chi-square score statistic computed from posterior mean liabilities (PML) under the liability threshold model. Each individual's PML is conditional not only on that individual's case-control status, but also on every individual's case-control status and on the genetic relationship matrix obtained from the data. The PML are estimated using a multivariate Gibbs sampler, with the liability-scale phenotypic covariance matrix based on the genetic relationship matrix (GRM) and a heritability parameter estimated via Haseman-Elston regression on case-control phenotypes followed by transformation to liability scale. In simulations of unrelated individuals, the LTMLM statistic was correctly calibrated and achieved higher power than existing mixed model methods in all scenarios tested, with the magnitude of the improvement depending on sample size and severity of case-control ascertainment. In a WTCCC2 multiple sclerosis data set with >10,000 samples, LTMLM was correctly calibrated and attained a 4.1% improvement (P = 0.007) in chi-square statistics (vs. existing mixed model methods) at 75 known associated SNPs, consistent with simulations. Larger increases in power are expected at larger sample sizes. In conclusion, an increase in power over existing mixed model methods is available for ascertained case-control studies of diseases with low prevalence.


Infrasound monitoring is important for atmospheric study and disaster prevention for destructive geophysical events such as volcanic eruptions, thunderstorms, landslides, tsunamis, etc. We have been developed a kind of infrasound sensor in our laboratory since 2007, then most recently, a combined type infrasound sensor was successfully developed, collaborating with a company of RESONA ALES in 2015. At a time of infrasound sensor construction, precise calibration with simulated infrasonic waves is significant for evaluation. Here we introduce a method of calibrating infrasonic waves with precise pressure amplitude and frequency with using a space chamber in laboratory. The space chamber is usually used at a scene of testing rocket-borne instruments and satellites in extremely severe rarefied environment before the launch with using multiple vacuum pumps to create space environment in laboratory. However, we use the chamber as an extremely rigid volume without having any surrounded surface change during the calibrating experiments. The infrasound is understood as pressure waves in the atmosphere, thus the same kind of waves can be simulated if we inject a fixed small volume into the fixed amount of atmospheric volume enveloped by the rigid chamber. The simulated pressure level can easily be calculated by using a ration between the injected small volumes per the large amount of enveloped space. A small space chamber in Kochi University of technology (KUT) with 240 litter volume was used for this kind of calibration with a small syringe with giving 1/10 of the 240 litter per a fixed time constant. The syringe can be accurately controlled by a motor-driven push-pull motion mechanics with a long time period up to 1000 s. Therefore, sinusoidal pressure waves with a pressure level of 0.001 Pa as well as extremely slow frequency of 0.001 Hz was realized for calibration. By using such facilities in KUT, precise calibration with the developed infrasound sensor as well as any other infrasound sensors, microphones, and barometers can be realized. In this paper, calibrating datasets for various types of sensors will be shown.


abstract: The high-grade mineral ores of the Phnom Dek region in central Cambodia have long been suspected of playing a major role in the rise of Angkor, the largest medieval polity in mainland Southeast Asia. This article presents the first comprehensive study by the Industries of Angkor Project (INDAP) to document the extent of industrial activity in this region and test this important relationship. Using a combination of intensive field survey, surface collection, and archaeometallurgical analysis, we evaluate the temporal and spatial patterning of iron production and the heterogeneity of smelting systems. The identification of at least three different smelting traditions has a significant impact on the current view that twentieth-century Kuay smelting practices extend deep into Cambodia's history, and their relationship with Angkor in particular. More broadly, the survey demonstrates the importance of Phnom Dek as a major production zone on par with more well-known examples in Roman Europe and Africa.


Several current particle-antiparticle collider designs require the beams to collide at a small angle. In order to make the luminosity comparable to that of beams colliding head-on, transverse deflecting cavities known as crab cavities will be used. Additional modes, other than the required "crabbing" mode are excited by the beam and if these are excited resonantly then an appreciable dilution of the beam emittance will occur. We provide a single- mode analysis of the damping requirements on the dipole modes which will minimize the resulting angular kicks to the beams, by deriving an explicit solution for the frequency offset of the mode from a bunch harmonic for maximum deflection of bunches, using a novel analytical technique.


advances in bronchoscopy, bronchial brush biopsy, and cytological examination of sputum may provide a positive diagnosis of tumour in a small proportion of these cases, negative findings do not exclude that diagnosis and should not be allowed to influence the decision on whether or not to advise resection of the lesion. Some patients may be unfit for surgical treatment because of poor respiratory function, but there is no consensus of view on how they should be managed. Radiotherapists are often reluctant to irradiate a pulmonary lesion when there are no substantial grounds for a diagnosis of bronchial carcinoma, but will usually be prepared to do so if the opacity definitely increases in size after a period of observation. Since tuberculosis is the most likely alternative diagnosis in these cases many physicians advise antituberculosis chemotherapy during this period if the patient is a positive tuberculin reactor, on the assumption that there is nothing to be lost by "treating the treatable." Reduction in the size of the lesion after three or four months of treatment gives indirect confirmation of the diagnosis. Sputum or laryngeal swabs should have been examined for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in every case as part of the primary investigation. Another approach sometimes advocated is to give a test dose of x-ray therapy to the lesion. If it diminishes rapidly in size a diagnosis of bronchial carcinoma may be assumed, and a full course of treatment should then be given. In younger patients solitary pulmonary nodules are more likely to be benign than malignant; and this might be expected to alter the approach to their management, but in practice many of these lesions are still being resected unless they are calcified. In a recent study by Trunk et al.1 of 137 patients who had solitary pulmonary nodules resected, there were 44 patients under the age of 35, and in none of these cases was the lesion a bronchial carcinoma. In a review of the literature Trunk et al. found that less than 1% of all resected solitary nodules in this age group were malignant, and they concluded that operation was unnecessary in such cases. On the other hand, thoracotomy is not a hazardous procedure in this age group, and resection of the lesion can provide, at little risk to the patient, the welcome security of a definite diagnosis, which in most cases will eliminate the need for a long period of regular observation. Many of these patients will also be spared unnecessary antituberculosis chemotherapy-often advised if the tuberculin test is positive. No rational policy can be formed on the management of individual patients in the face of these confficting philosophies, and until better methods of diagnosis are available there will always be a difference of opinion on whether or not to resect solitary pulmonary nodules. Virtually all lesions in which deposits of calcium can be demonstrated are benign and should not be resected. Calcification may be difficult to detect on conventional x-ray films, and the investigation of solitary pulmonary opacities should always include tomography. The differential diagnosis of a calcified opacity is mainly between tuberculosis and hamartoma, and the only problem in these cases is to decide whether or not to advise antituberculosis chemotherapy. In general, this should be given if the patient is a positive tuberculin reactor and if a substantial portion ofthe opacity is uncalcified, but even in these cases it may be justifiable, particularly if the lesion has a sharply defined margin and is thus more likely to be a hamartoma, to withhold treatment provided the patient can be kept under observation. Many patients who present with solitary pulmonary opacities have been x-rayed before, and re-examination of the earlier films, if they are available, may confirm that the lesion has been present for long enough to exclude a diagnosis of bronchial carcinoma. It that way a useful number of unnecessary thoracotomies can be avoided.


The intellectual breakthrough contributed by the new growth theory was the recognition that investments in knowledge and human capital endogenously generate economic growth through the spillover of knowledge. Endogenous growth theory does not explain how or why spillovers occur. The missing link is the mechanism converting knowledge into economically relevant knowledge. This Paper develops a model that introduces a filter between knowledge and economic knowledge and identifies entrepreneurship as a mechanism that reduces the knowledge filter. A cross-country regression analysis over the period 1981-2001 provides empirical support for the model. We conclude that public policies facilitating knowledge spillovers through entrepreneurship may be an important new approach to promoting economic growth.


Interferometric microscope observations of flowing blood indicate that the absolute number of red cells maintaining sliding contact with a wall is of the order 104 per square centi meter at low flow rates. Contacting cell oscillation and orientation results are given. The near wall local hematocrit is found to be relatively low.


Resume The article presents results of verification of the kinematic measurements usefulness for precise real-time positioning RTK in the local reference system. These measurements allow for continuous RTK measurements in the event of temporary interruptions in radio or internet connections, which are the main reason for interruptions in RTK kinematic measurements and cause a decrease in the reliability and efficiency of this positioning method. Short interruptions communication are allowed during the loss of the key correction stream from the local RTK support network, so the global corrections obtained from the geostationary satellite are used. The aim of the article was to analyze the accuracy of measuring the position of moving objects. Practical conclusions were formulated according to the research subject, the presented mathematical models, the experiment and the analysis of the obtained results. Article info Received 8 October 2020 Accepted 4 November 2020 Online 26 May 2021


The paper presents a Euclidean distance maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) receiver, based on the Viterbi algorithm (VA), suitable for fading and noisy communications channels, as that specified by the Group Special Mobiles (GSM). In a mobile cellular system, the fast varying channel characteristics, due to the fading and Doppler effects, require adaptive methods to update the channel coefficients to the MLSE receiver. The proposed technique continuously estimates the channel characteristics directly within the metric calculation of the VA. At each step of the VA, the sequence associated to the path with the best metric value (minimum-survivor method) among the survivor paths is used to update the channel estimate (employing conventional adaptive algorithms) throughout the entire informative sequence. However, the detection of the transmitted data sequence is performed by the VA only at the end of each burst. The proposed technique allows simpler receiver implementation and the simulation results show a good performance of this adaptive MLSE receiver in typical GSM environments.


In this paper, we utilized the relationship between two blocks to generate the robust feature. Such a feature is very stable under various image processing operations. The XOR operation is applied to the feature and the watermark to create the secret key. Moreover, a mechanism is developed to resist the cropping attacks. The experimental results demonstrate our technique is highly robust against image processing operations.


We present the theory and the implementation of analytical free energy second derivatives with respect to nuclear displacements for a molecular solute described within the framework of the polarizable continuum model. The formulation applies to a cavity with an accurately modeled molecular shape and it permits a complete consideration of all aspects of the solvation model. In particular, the implementation uses the recently proposed method known as the integral equation formalism (IEF), and it can be applied to Hartree–Fock and to density functional calculations. The analysis of both formal and technical features is reported as well as some numerical applications to solvatochromic shifts in IR vibrational frequencies and to transition state searches for reactions in solutions.


The multi-scale, mutli-physics nature of fusion plasmas makes predicting plasma events challenging. Recent advances in deep convolutional neural network architectures (CNN) utilizing dilated convolutions enable accurate predictions on sequences which have long-range, multi-scale characteristics, such as the time-series generated by diagnostic instruments observing fusion plasmas. Here we apply this neural network architecture to the popular problem of disruption prediction in fusion tokamaks, utilizing raw data from a single diagnostic, the Electron Cyclotron Emission imaging (ECEi) diagnostic from the DIII-D tokamak. ECEi measures a fundamental plasma quantity (electron temperature) with high temporal resolution over the entire plasma discharge, making it sensitive to a number of potential pre-disruptions markers with different temporal and spatial scales. Promising, initial disruption prediction results are obtained training a deep CNN with large receptive field (~30k), achieving an $F_1$-score of ~91% on individual time-slices using only the ECEi data.


This paper is part of ongoing structural health monitoring in the National Physical Laboratory. The work is aimed at improving reliability of sensors and increasing the uptake of monitoring systems by improving the understanding of the fundamental interactions between the sensors and their environments. It is important to optimize and validate the selection of the sensors for each application in order to ensure that the results are meaningful. An example of unexpected aspects of a sensor performance exposed to temperature and solar radiation is demonstrated and the importance of temperature compensation is highlighted. More work is required fully to explain this phenomenon.


Using tariffs as a measure of openness, this paper finds consistent evidence that the conditional effects of trade liberalization on inequality are correlated with relative factor endowments. Trade liberalization, measured by changes in tariff revenues, is associated with increases in inequality in countries well-endowed with highly skilled workers and capital or with workers that have very low education levels. Similar, although less robust, results are also obtained when decile data are used instead of the usual Gini coefficients. Taken together, the results are strongly supportive of the factor-proportions theory of trade and suggest that trade liberalization in poor countries where the share of the labor force with little education is high raises inequality. Simulation results also suggest that relatively small changes in inequality as measured by aggregate measures of inequality, like the Gini coefficient, are magnified when estimates are carried out using decile data.


The change in immunohistochemical localization of the two basement membrane molecules, laminin and type IV collagen, was studied in relation to tumor growth and lymphatic invasion in the transplanted hamster squamous cell carcinoma, O-1N, that has a high potential of lymph node metastasis. At 1 week after transplantation, the tumors consisted of large round-shaped nests of approximately 200 mm in diameter, 80% of which were encircled by continuous laminin and type IV collagen positive lines representing the basement membrane. At 5 weeks, however, the tumor cell nests became half in diameter with invasion in small islands or cords at the periphery and only 40% of them had continuous basement membrane. At 10 weeks, the basement membranes were disrupted in varying degrees in approximately 90% of the tumor cell nests. The disruption was most conspicuous on the outer and invading side of the nests. Lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis were observed in animals after 5 weeks of transplantation and the immunoreactivity was absent around tumor cell clusters growing in lymphatic spaces. The findings indicate that the disappearance of basement membrane and reduction in size of tumor cell nests are essential signs for local invasion of tumor cells leading to lymphatic invasion and metastasis to regional lymph nodes.


The modelling and reformulation of constraint networks are recognised as important problems. The task of automatically acquiring a constraint network formulation of a problem from a subset of its solutions and non-solutions has been presented in the literature. However, the choice of such a subset was assumed to be made independently of the acquisition process. We present an approach in which an interactive acquisition system actively selects a good set of examples. We show that the number of examples required to acquire a constraint network is significantly reduced using our approach.


Volume measurements are useful in crop quality management because they offer three-dimensional estimates of commodity size, which is often closely related to commodity weight and density. The objective of this study was to compare volume estimates calculated with the sphere and spherical ellipsoid volume formulae with direct measures of volume via water displacement across a population of cabbage (Brassica oleracea Capitata Group) heads varying widely in shape. A total of 157 heads with polar (P) : equatorial (E) diameter ratios ranging between 0.5 (fl at) to 2.1 (tall) were harvested at horticultural maturity from plants grown in 2002 and 2003 at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster, Ohio. The sphere formula underestimated volume in heads with P:E ratios 1. Use of the spherical ellipsoid formula reduced the shapedependency of volume estimates and was determined to be a valuable tool for the accurate, precise, and rapid measurement of head volume.


AIM
The index F and relative index Fr of chromatographic fingerprints were firstly proposed to indicate how bountiful was the information in traditional Chinese medicines chromatographic fingerprints, how better was the separation effect, how high was the peak signal and how equal were the peak areas.

METHODS
The index F and relative index Fr of chromatographic fingerprints were firstly applied to evaluate the chromatographic fingerprints results of traditional Chinese medicines determined by the reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic method and high performance capillary electrophoresis.

RESULTS
The Shegan Kangbingdu injection and all its traditional Chinese medicines ingredients had been evaluated by F and Fr, so did for the HPLC fingerprints of Radix salviae miltiorrhizae reported in literature. As the same time, the F and Fr of the capillary electrophoresis fingerprints of Folium isatidis, Rhizoma belamcandae and compound liquorice tablets were successfully determined. As far as F was concerned, there was no evident difference between HPLC and capillary electrophoresis (CE), but the Fr values came from CE was usually a thousand times more than that from HPLC.

CONCLUSION
The F and Fr can be applied to evaluate objectively, simply and thoroughly the chromatographic fingerprints.


Many animals benefit from aggregating due to the anti-predator effects associated with living in groups. Hermit crabs are known to form groups, or 'clusters', which may occur at sites of high shell availability. Clustering may also have anti-predator benefits, if individuals in larger clusters able to spend less time engaging in defensive behaviours such as hiding in their shells. Here, we test the hypothesis that crabs in larger clusters will emerge faster from their shells after an elicited startle response in the European hermit crab (Pagurus bernhardus). We found that individuals were generally consistent in their emergence times across group sizes (displaying 'personality' in relation to emergence time), but that group size influenced emergence time in P. bernhardus. In contrast to the hypothesis, crabs in larger clusters had longer emergence times relative to their own emergence times in smaller clusters. Suggested explanations for this effect include intra-specific competition for the gastropod shells that hermit crabs inhabit, as well as the possible release of chemical cues by crabs in larger clusters.


Due to the continual downscaling of technology, System on Chip (SoC) is becoming denser and denser with multiple IP cores within. As the number of cores within a SoC increase, so does the number of faults within the chip. Along with the designing aspect of a chip, design for testability too is a major area of concern. Testing methods like Built-In-Self-Test (BIST) allow the chip to test itself without the need for external testing equipment. Test patterns for BIST are generated using Linear Feedback Shift Register (LFSR) which produces test vectors in a pseudo random manner. This paper concentrates on improving the hardware in terms of area and number of logical gates in the 2-D LFSR used for testing an SoC with multiple IP cores so that vectors in various patterns can be generated using a single reconfigurable 2 Dimensional LFSR. The proposed technique is much more useful for testing System on a Chip with large number of cores as the same configuration network is used to test different SoC cores.


Five new metal coordination polymers of the general formula {[M(DPP)(H2O)mX].xH2O}n, (M=Mn(II),Co(II),Cu(II),Cd(II) and Pb(II),m = 0 or 2, X = Cl- or NO- 3, x = 2 or 5, DPP = 1,3-di(4-pyridyl) propane have been prepared by the thin film surface layer-by-layer chemical deposition reaction. The coordination polymers have been characterized based on elemental analysis, FT-IR and electronic spectral studies, thermal analysis, X-ray powder diffraction and biological activity. Thermogravimetry(TG), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) have been used to study the thermal decomposition steps. The kinetic parameters have been calculated making use of the Coats-Redfern and Horowitz-Metzger equations. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurements and the calculations on the powder XRD data indicate the nano-sized nature of the prepared supramolecular coordination polymers. The oxides CuO and PbO nano-particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), (SEM) and (TEM) (average particle size 19-36 nm).


Heat-treatment was emphasized for its important role to qualify the products of heavy rail, and induction quenching was one of the widely used heating process methods. The temperature field of U71Mn heavy rail during the quenching process and various kinds of factors that may influence temperature field to be distributed were simulated by the FEM software. The result shows that the main factors that influence the way that temperature field was distributed were how long the heating and keeping warm time were, and the value of the pressure of wind when cooing the steel, the difference of which would directly influence the results of the heat treatment of heavy rail. It is significantly valuable for the choice of relevant parameters for the heat treatment of U71Mn heavy rail.


The quality of images captured by wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is key for doctors to diagnose diseases of gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, there exist many low-quality endoscopic images due to the limited illumination and complex environment in GI tract. After an enhancement process, the severe noise become an unacceptable problem. The noise varies with different cameras, GI tract environments and image enhancement. And the noise model is hard to be obtained. This paper proposes a convolutional blind denoising network for endoscopic images. We apply Deep Image Prior (DIP) method to reconstruct a clean image iteratively using a noisy image without a specific noise model and ground truth. Then we design a blind image quality assessment network based on MobileNet to estimate the quality of the reconstructed images. The estimated quality is used to stop the iterative operation in DIP method. The number of iterations is reduced about 36% by using transfer learning in our DIP process. Experimental results on endoscopic images and real-world noisy images demonstrate the superiority of our proposed method over the state-of-the-art methods in terms of visual quality and quantitative metrics.


Abstract The frequency and intensity of early winter (November) coldwaves were investigated for the north central United States. Twenty-two such storms occurred from 1901 to 1985, and were most frequent in the 1950s and early 1960s, and again from the mid 1970s to the present. November coldwaves are most often the result of Colorado cyclones moving to the cast northeast. On average, temperature declines of 22°C or more within 24 hours, falling to at least 0°C, impacted about 40 percent of the 12-state region. The storms were most often accompanied by strong winds, wind chill, heavy snow to the west, and thunderstorms to the cast, i.e., the trappings of a severe winter storm. Many of these storms inflicted severe damage on land and on the Great Lakes, sometimes taking lives of those not anticipating such a severe "winter" storm in November.


This paper examines the stock market reaction to 402 company investment announcements made by UK companies during the 1991-1996 period. The market-adjusted abnormal returns are generally positive but small. Investment announcements are classified according to functional categories, and we find the level of abnormal returns to vary according to the type of capital investment being announced. In particular, we find the market to react more favourably to investments that 'create' future investment opportunities, than to investments which can be categorized as 'exercising' investment opportunities. The market reaction also varies with firm size, with large companies tending to experience smaller responses to announcements than do smaller firms. Chung et al. (1998) reported that the quality of a company's investment opportunities is the primary determinant of market reactions to capital expenditure decisions. The findings presented here lend some support to a role for investment opportunities in market valuations. Project size is also found to have a significant positive impact on the level of abnormal returns.


Culture matters in social theory construction because the metaphysical component of the theoretical hard core is primarily shaped by the background knowledge of a cultural community. Individual rationality, a key concept abstracted from Western culture, constitutes the nucleus for much of mainstream Western International Relations Theory. This article proposes a relational theory of world politics with relationality as the metaphysical component of its theoretical hard core. It conceives the International Relations (IR) world as one composed of ongoing relations, assumes international actors as actors-in-relations, and takes processes defined in terms of relations in motion as ontologically significant. It puts forward the logic of relationality, arguing that actors base their actions on relations in the first place. It uses the Chinese zhongyong dialectics as its epistemological schema for understanding relationships in an increasingly complex world. This theoretical framework may enable us to see the IR world from a different perspective, reconceptualize key elements such as power and governance, and make a broader comparison of international systems for the enrichment of the Global IR project.


A proposal for a pilot project to save money for a health plan was developed collaboratively with a clinic manager and the medical director of a local clinic. The goal was to encourage and support physicians in changing the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medication prescribed for patients from a brand-name PPI to omeprazole, a more cost-effective generic option. The health plan identified members who had filled a prescription for a brand-name PPI and asked their physicians to consider switching the patients' therapy to omeprazole. If the physician agreed to the change, the clinic would then send a letter to the patient, in which the physician recommended the change along with a new prescription for omeprazole. Following successful implementation in the initial pilot clinic, the program was extended to 4 more clinics. After achieving significant cost savings at all 5 clinics, the health plan is now expanding the program to more clinics as well as considering launching similar programs targeting other medication classes. (Drug Benefit Trends. 2009;21:158-163)


[Excerpt] According to Merriam Webster's dictionary, "culture" was the most popular word of 2014. Corporate boardrooms have been facing a bit of a culture shock, not in the traditional sense of the term, but because of the emphasis currently being placed on initiatives to enhance company values and norms. Deloitte developed new research which explains that culture, engagement, and employee retention are not only the top "talent" issues confronting executives todays, but rather they are widely known to be some of the top overall strategic issues in present-day business. The standard 20th century career path of a college graduate starting his or her career at the same compnay he or she would retire from is simply no more and the companies that are able to engage and retain their workforces are seen as innovators and industry leaders. While much of the talk about culture ties to workplace processes and initiatives to enhance corporate identity, strategic workspace design is of paramount importance. It is essential for office design to reflect the culture of the business in order to keep employees happy and engaged, which in turn motivates and increases productivity. In order to align and office with culture, there are three important factors a company must consider: integration with the company ethos, environment, and evidence-based design. This overview will discuss how these three factors are used, citing industry leaders as examples.


Abstract The UK Medical Cannabis Registry is the largest real world data platform for medical cannabis outcomes in the UK, providing insight into clinical outcomes and monitoring safety of this novel therapy. This study aims to assess the functionality and accessibility of the online data collection platform and patient priorities for future research. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data. For open-ended questions an inductive thematic analysis was performed. 600 responses were recorded. 554 (92.3%) patients had used the platform. 272 (90.4%) patients believed it was easy to input medications. 52 (8.67%) patients recorded an adverse event with 38 (73.1%) finding it easy to record. 535 (96.6%) patients had completed health questionnaires with 490 (91.6%) patients finding this easy to do. 553 (92.2%) patients agreed that contributing to the registry would impact the medical care of future patients. "Assessing the impact of medical cannabis on quality of life generally" was the top research priority for 357 (59.3%) patients. This study demonstrates that most enrolled patients found the platform easy to use and believed they were positively impacting future medical cannabis patient care. Future patient research priorities included assessment of quality of life and condition-specific outcomes.


Polypseudopeptides with well-defined stereochemistries have been synthesized from readily available amino-acid-based building blocks by connecting (L,L)- or (L,D)-dipeptide AB-monomers carrying azide and alkyne termini via triazole amide-isosteres efficiently formed in the course of the "click" reaction. Deprotection of the thus-prepared lysine-based polypseudopeptides of both all-(L)- and (D)-alt-(L)-stereo- chemistries afforded water-soluble polymers with ionizable amino side chains, which could be fully labeled with pyrene chromophores via quantitative amide bond formation. The conformational behavior of the deprotected as well as the pyrene-labeled polymers was investigated using UV/vis, CD, and fluorescence spectroscopies. On one hand, the free polyamines display pH-dependent conformations in water. On the otherhand,thepyrene-labeledpolypseudopeptideschangetheirconformationinresponsetovaryingorganic solvent composition. Whereas the strictly alternating polypseudopeptides structurally resemble channel- forming peptides, such as the Gramicidin family, the incorporation of (D)-configured amino acids as well as triazole amide-isosteres should lead to interesting new materials for bioapplications.


Techniques for extracting small, single channel ion currents from background noise are described and tested. It is assumed that single channel currents are generated by a first-order, finite-state, discrete-time, Markov process to which is added 'white' background noise from the recording apparatus (electrode, amplifiers, etc). Given the observations and the statistics of the background noise, the techniques described here yield a posteriori estimates of the most likely signal statistics, including the Markov model state transition probabilities, duration (open- and closed-time) probabilities, histograms, signal levels, and the most likely state sequence. Using variations of several algorithms previously developed for solving digital estimation problems, we have demonstrated that: (1) artificial, small, first-order, finite-state, Markov model signals embedded in simulated noise can be extracted with a high degree of accuracy, (2) processing can detect signals that do not conform to a first-order Markov model but the method is less accurate when the background noise is not white, and (3) the techniques can be used to extract from the baseline noise single channel currents in neuronal membranes. Some studies have been included to test the validity of assuming a first-order Markov model for biological signals. This method can be used to obtain directly from digitized data, channel characteristics such as amplitude distributions, transition matrices and open- and closed-time durations.


Abstract Background Asthma guidelines recommend assessment of asthma control and treatment with an ICS when appropriate. Children seen for asthma in the ED often have poorly controlled asthma. Validated questionnaires are rarely used in the ED and ICS are prescribed at less than 5% of ED asthma encounters, leaving many children at risk for continued poor outcomes. Objective To determine if use of a validated asthma questionnaire can increase the proportion of children who receive an ICS prescription during an ED asthma visit. Methods We administered a validated asthma questionnaire (Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument-ED version [PACCI-ED]) to parents of children 2 − 17 years old presenting for asthma care at a large, urban, academic pediatric ED. Based on national asthma guidelines, the PACCI-ED results were used to determine ICS dose recommendations. ED physicians reviewed the PACCI-ED results and ICS dose recommendations and chose whether to prescribe an ICS upon discharge. ICS prescribing rates during the intervention period were assessed via medical record review and compared to historical controls. We also surveyed parents to examine the association of sociodemographic factors with receipt of an ICS prescription, and surveyed physicians regarding their prescribing decisions. Results Thirteen physicians and seventy-nine children participated. Historically, the ICS prescribing rate for asthma exacerbations discharged from the ED was 13%. The intervention increased ICS prescribing to 56% (p < 0.001). Children with ≥2 asthma exacerbations in the prior year (p < 0.02) and those with moderate-severe persistent asthma (p < 0.02) were more likely to receive an ICS prescription. There were no statistically significant differences in ICS prescribing by sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusion A validated asthma questionnaire increased ICS prescribing for children presenting for to the ED for asthma care. Additional strategies are needed to promote prescribing in this setting and ensure that all eligible children receive guideline-based asthma care.


Purpose To investigate the association between preoperative dry eye symptoms on postoperative pain and discomfort after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Methods A retrospective case series of 151 consecutive patients, who underwent myopic PRK in both eyes between 5/2016 and 5/2017. Patients with positive dry eye disease (DED) signs on clinical examination or with known DED were excluded. Patients underwent a subjective evaluation for dry eye symptoms using ocular surface disease index (OSDI) and modified standard patient evaluation of eye dryness (SPEED) questionnaires. One day postoperatively, the patients were evaluated again by a questionnaire of pain, discomfort, photophobia, foreign body sensation, satisfaction with vision, and frequency of usage of anesthetic drops. Results Fifty-two patients had any preoperative dry eye symptoms (OSDI score > 0) compared to 99 nonsymptomatic patients (OSDI score of 0). Postoperatively, the symptomatic dry eye patients suffered significantly more pain than the nondry eye patients (p=0.02). Thirteen patients had a cumulated modified SPEED score >4 (moderate to severe) in comparison to 138 patients with score of 0–4 (non to mild). Patients with moderate to severe preoperative symptoms suffered more pain (p=0.006), photophobia (p=0.005), and epiphora (p=0.03). No statistically significant difference was seen in postoperative subjective visual quality (p=0.82) between the two groups. Conclusion Preoperative dry eye symptoms may be associated with postoperative pain, epiphora, and photophobia and thus influence negatively on patient satisfaction with this procedure.


When early canonical Wnt is experimentally inhibited, sea urchin embryos embody the concept of a Default Model in vivo because most of the ectodermal cell fates are specified as anterior neuroectoderm. Using this model, we describe here how the combination of orthogonally functioning anteroposterior Wnt and dorsoventral Nodal signals and their targeting transcription factors, FoxQ2 and Homeobrain, regulates the precise patterning of normal neuroectoderm, of which serotonergic neurons are differentiated only at the dorsal/lateral edge. Loss-of-function experiments revealed that ventral Nodal is required for suppressing the serotonergic neural fate in the ventral side of the neuroectoderm through the maintenance of foxQ2 and the repression of homeobrain expression. In addition, non-canonical Wnt suppressed homeobrain in the anterior end of the neuroectoderm, where serotonergic neurons are not differentiated. Canonical Wnt, however, suppresses foxQ2 to promote neural differentiation. Therefore, the three-dimensionally complex patterning of the neuroectoderm is created by cooperative signals, which are essential for the formation of primary and secondary body axes during embryogenesis.


This report describes the Environment for Formal Systems, EFS, that allows a user to interactively define the syntax and inference rules of a formal system and to construct proofs in the defined system. The EFS supports two AUTOMATH-like formalisms for encoding logics: the Edinburgh Logical Framework and the Calculus of Constructions. Facilities are provided for the definition of notational abbreviations and the construction of goal-directed proofs. New goal-directed rules can be interactively defined and checked for validity. The EFS was implemented with the Cornell Synthesizer Generator.


Insulin secretion has been studied in isolated rat pancreatic islets under stringent Ca(2+)-depleted, Ca(2+)-free conditions. Under these conditions, the effect of 16.7 mM glucose to stimulate insulin release was abolished. Forskolin, which activates adenylyl cyclase, also failed to stimulate release in the presence of either low or high glucose concentrations. A phorbol ester (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate; PMA) increased the release rate slightly and this was further increased by 16.7 mM glucose. Remarkably, in the presence of both forskolin and PMA, 16.7 mM glucose strongly augmented insulin release. The augmentation was concentration dependent and monophasic and had a temporal profile similar to the "second phase" of glucose-stimulated insulin release, which is seen under normal conditions when Ca2+ is present. Metabolism is required for the effect because mannoheptulose abolished the glucose response. Other nutrient secretagogues, alpha-ketoisocaproate, and the combination of leucine and glutamine augmented release under the same conditions. Norepinephrine, a physiological inhibitor of insulin secretion, totally blocked the stimulation of release by forskolin and PMA and the augmentation of release by glucose. Thus, under the stringent Ca(2+)-free conditions imposed, the stimulation of insulin release by forskolin and PMA, as well as the augmentation of release by glucose, is under normal physiological control. As no increase in intracellular [Ca2+] was observed, the results demonstrate that glucose can increase the rate of exocytosis and insulin release by pancreatic islets in a Ca(2+)-independent manner. This interesting pathway of stimulus-secretion coupling for glucose appears to exert its effect at a site beyond the usual elevation of intracellular [Ca2+] and is not due to an activation by glucose of protein kinase A or C.


This study evaluated the proximate composition, total energy values and mineral profiles of Pupuru flour blends produced from fermented cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz) roots enriched with African yam bean  ( Sphenostylis stenocarpa ) seeds (AYBS) and sensory qualities of stiff dough meals prepared from them. African yam bean seeds were cleaned, washed with and soaked in clean water for 24 h, manually dehulled, rinsed, cooked for about 45 min, rinsed, dried in an oven at 60 o C for 5 h, cooled to about 30 ± 2 o C, milled, sieved and added to cassava which was previously spontaneously-fermented for 96 h, toasted, cooled, milled, sieved and packaged to form Pupuru flour blends of various proportions (0:100 (P100), 5:95 (EP5), 10:90 (EP10) 15:85 (EP15) of AYB seed : cassava) and a commercial sample (CP) was used as a control. The proximate compositions indicated significant (p<0.05) reductions in moisture, fibre and carbohydrate but increased the protein, fat and ash contents and energy values of all the blends as enrichment levels with AYBS increased. Moisture (dry basis), protein, fat, fibre, ash, carbohydrate and total energy contents of the blends ranged from 6.78 - 9.26%, 3.18 - 21.74%, 2.18 – 4.98%, 2.79 - 3.57%,  2.91 – 3.93%, 59.78 - 80.26% and  364.02 - 387.20 Kcal, respectively. Mineral compositions were significantly (P<0.05) different: Sodium (143.00-187.00 mg/100g), Potassium (537.00-675.00 mg/100g), Calcium (129.30-201.50 mg/100g), Phosphorus (63.50-124.00 mg/100g), Magnesium (49.10-71.00 mg/100g), Copper (2.3-3.4 mg/100g), Manganese (1.20-21.20 mg/100g), Zinc (4.50-11.00 mg/100g), Iron (5.20-12.50 mg/100g) while lead was below detection level. All samples had good sensory scores and overall acceptability. Enrichment of Pupuru with AYBS, significantly (p<0.05) improved proximate and energy compositions, mineral profile, and sensory properties, hence, could be used to enhance food security and combat malnutrition in Africa. Keywords: Pupuru , Cassava, African yam bean ( Sphenostylis stenocarpa ) seed, Malnutrition, Food security DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/96-07 Publication date: April 30 th 2020


Experience is often regarded as a prerequisite of high performance. In the field of psychotherapy, research has yielded inconsistent results regarding the association between experience and therapy outcome. However, this research was mostly conducted cross-sectionally. A longitudinal study from the U.S. recently indicated that psychotherapists' experience was not associated with therapy outcomes. The present study aimed at replicating Goldberg, Rousmaniere, et al. (2016) study in the German healthcare system. Using routine evaluation data of a large German university psychotherapy outpatient clinic, the effect of N = 241 therapists' experience on the outcomes of their patients (N = 3,432) was assessed longitudinally using linear and logistic multilevel modeling. Experience was operationalized using the number of days since the first patient of a therapist as well as using the number of patients treated beforehand. Outcome criteria were defined as change in general psychopathology as well as response, remission, and early termination. Several covariates (number of sessions per case, licensure, and main diagnosis) were also examined. Across all operationalizations of experience (time since first patient and number of cases treated) and therapy outcome (change in psychopathology, response, remission, and early termination), results largely suggest no association between therapists' experience and therapy outcome. Preliminary evidence suggests that therapists need fewer sessions to achieve the same outcomes when they gain more experience. Therapeutic experience seems to be unrelated to patients' change in psychopathology. This lack of findings is of importance for improving postgraduate training and the quality of psychotherapy in general. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).


Surgical treatment of extreme obesity can reliably achieve a significant weight loss. With interdisciplinary management, long-term therapeutic success is possible. Of particular importance, however, is the comprehensive education of the patient prior to surgery, and postoperative long-term care provided by the patient's own doctor.


It appears that the long-accepted paradigm that cytostatic and radiation therapy cause only immunosuppression, is not so clearly true. With regard to new knowledge in cancer immunology field, it seems that not only cytostatic and radiation therapy plays an important role in the alteration of immune system. There are many other factors influencing immunity like tumour environment itself, the use of immunomodulatory drugs or even the mental condition of cancer patients. The aim of review is to familiarize physicians with possible alterations of the immune system in cancer patients.


ABSTRACT This article discusses urban residents' familiarisation and conceptualisation of the Australian ex-urban migration trend "tree-change". Urban residents from Sydney, Australia were surveyed and asked whether they were familiar with the term tree-change and to nominate imagery and locations considered to reflect a tree-change move. Many survey respondents were not familiar with the term tree-change, but had little difficulty understanding the concept after brief prompting. Tree-change was linked with the visuality of the rural idyll through selecting imagery such as green vistas and heritage facades. Places nominated by survey respondents as tree-change locations were mostly proximal to Sydney, or large regional centres . These findings suggest that representations of tree-change are being received by urban residents, but urban residents' familiarity with rural and regional Australia is low. This article highlights the place-specific nature of ex-urban and lifestyle migration, suggesting a "one size fits all" theoretical approach is ineffective.


The Gardar Province in southern Greenland is believed to have experienced three episodes of rifting, all associated with the extrusion of large volumes of alkalic magma. A nepheline-syenite of the Motzfeldt Center yields a U-Pb apatite age of 1.35 ± 0.01 Ga. An augite-syenite from the Ilimaussaq Complex yields a Sm-Nd pyroxene, alkali feldspar, magnetite age of 1.13 ± 0.05 Ga. On the basis of field relationships, the Eriksfjord Formation lavas have been interpreted as the oldest manifestation of Gardar magmatism. Sm-Nd plagioclase, pyroxene, wholerock ages of 1.17 ± 0.03 Ga and 1.20 ± 0.03 Ga for the middle member of the Eriksfjord Formation, however, indicate that these lavas may be part of the youngest magmatic activity. The available chronological data indicate that the Gardar Province was active for at least 200 m.y., from 1.35 to 1.12 Ga. It is difficult to reconcile this protracted history with plume models for the genesis of such alkaline flood-basalt provinces.


Importance Switching between generic antiepileptic drugs is a highly debated issue that affects both clinical care and overall health care costs. Objective To evaluate the single-dose pharmacokinetic bioequivalence of 3 (1 branded and 2 generic drugs) on-market, immediate-release lamotrigine drug products. Design, Setting, and Participants The Equivalence Among Antiepileptic Drug Generic and Brand Products in People With Epilepsy (EQUIGEN) single-dose study is a crossover, prospective, sequence-randomized, replicate pharmacokinetic study conducted at 5 US academic epilepsy centers. Fifty adults (≥18 years) with epilepsy who were taking concomitant antiepileptic drugs and not currently receiving lamotrigine were enrolled between July 18, 2013, and January 19, 2015. Every participant was randomly assigned to 1 of 3 equivalent sequences, each comprising 6 study periods, during which they had blood draws before and after medication administration. Forty-nine participants were included in intention-to-treat analyses. Interventions Participants received a single 25-mg dose of immediate-release lamotrigine at the start of each period, with the branded and the 2 most disparate generic products each studied twice. Lamotrigine was selected as the antiepileptic drug of interest because of its wide use, publications indicating problems with generic switches, and complaints to the US Food and Drug Administration regarding generic products. Both participants and study personnel were blinded to the specific generic products selected. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was bioequivalence between products. Maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) were compared, and average bioequivalence (ABE) was established if the 90% CIs of the ratios of the 2 products were within equivalence limits (80%-125%). Results Of the 50 randomized participants, 49 (98%) received all 3 lamotrigine products and completed at least 3 pharmacokinetic assessments and 46 (92%) completed all 6 pharmacokinetic assessments. Among the 49 participants, 28 (57%) were men and 21 (43%) were women, 42 (86%) self-identified as white, and 46 (16) years was the mean (SD) age. The 3 drug products were considered bioequivalent because the 90% CIs were within equivalence limits (lowest and highest CI limits for Cmax, 92.6% and 110.4%; for AUC0-96, 96.9% and 101.9%). Replicate testing demonstrated no significant differences in within-subject variability across the 3 products (likelihood ratios, &khgr;22 for log-transformed variables: AUC0-96, 2.58; Cmax, 0.64; and AUC0-∞, 4.05; P ≥ .13) and that the 3 products were also bioequivalent according to scaled ABE and individual bioequivalence criteria with no subject × formulation interaction (Cmax, 0.00; AUC0-96, 0.54; and AUC0-∞, 0.36; P ≥ .76). Conclusions and Relevance This study provides evidence that the disparate lamotrigine products studied are bioequivalent when tested in people with epilepsy taking concomitant antiepileptic drugs. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01733394


This paper describes a case study of the McCafe and McDonald's co-branding arrangement. Co-branding is becoming increasingly popular in franchising as a means of stimulating growth in a mature sector. This case study provides an organisational perspective of co-branding, thus extending the existing literature which has focused on product specific co-branding. The study reveals that incentives for introducing the McCafe brand into existing McDonald's restaurants include attracting new and old customer segments, increasing internal and external competitiveness, assisting in cultural change, reinvigorating the brand, and stimulating sales growth. This preliminary investigation provides a starting point for further research into co-branded franchising arrangements.


Background—Although severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an independent predictor of mortality among patients with coronary artery disease, the impact of mild CKD on morbidity and mortality has not been fully defined. Methods and Results—Morbidity and mortality for the 3608 patients with multivessel coronary artery disease enrolled in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation randomized trial and registry were compared on the basis of the presence and absence of CKD, defined as a preprocedure serum creatinine level of >1.5 mg/dL. Seventy-six patients had CKD. Patients with renal insufficiency were older and more likely to have a history of diabetes, hypertension, and other comorbidities. Among patients undergoing PTCA, patients with CKD had a greater frequency of in-hospital death and cardiogenic shock (P <0.05 and 0.01, respectively). There was a trend toward a larger proportion of patients with CKD experiencing angina at 5 years (P =0.079). Patients with CKD had more cardiac admissions (P =0.003 and <0.0001 for patients undergoing PTCA and CABG, respectively) and a shorter time to subsequent CABG after initial revascularization than patients without CKD (P =0.01). CKD was associated with a higher risk of death at 7 years, both of all causes (relative risk 2.2, P <0.001) and of cardiac causes (relative risk 2.8, P <0.001). Conclusions—CKD is associated with an increased risk of recurrent hospitalization, subsequent CABG, and mortality. This increased risk of death is independent of and additive to the risk associated with diabetes.


The structure and function of the photoreceptor cell depends on the renewal of its outer segment. Phagocytosis of the rod outer segments by RPE is an essential part of the renewal process. Several methods have been reported in order to isolate RPE cells; however, the isolated cells are heavily contaminated by other cell types, mainly erythrocytes and rod outer segments. The primary aim of this study was the isolation of pure and viable frog RPE cells. Cells were dissociated in a calcium-free Krebs bicarbonate medium and purified by centrifugation in a ficoll density gradient. Viability of the purified cells assessed by trypan blue dye exclusion was 95%. The metabolic activity of the cells was tested by several parameters: RPE cells consume oxygen at a rate of 11.5 ngatoms/min/mg protein, transport and metabolize 14C-glucose by a sodium dependent mechanism, and are able as well to accumulate 14C-leucine and incorporate it into proteins. Results obtained in this study indicate that our isolation procedure yields a more intact preparation of RPE than those described previously; hence, it may be helpful in elucidating the biochemical and metabolic parameters involved in pigment epithelium physiology.


Since its emergence in the last decade, social media has rapidly moved from a purely socializing tool to a key professional application (Cummings et al., 2009). Social media and social networks use in commerce has become ubiquitous and is changing the way we communicate, market, sell, and trade (Boyd and Ellison, 2007). The popularity of social networking sites (SNSs) and the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies have brought new developments in e-commerce, which enable individuals to interact with their peers in online communities via social platforms (Liang & Turban, 2011). The social connections and interactions of individuals on the Internet, especially in SNSs, have enabled the expansion of e-commerce to include social commerce (Zeng et al., 2009).


This article explores the possibilities of distinctly queer and Muslim futures rooted not only in Muslim diaspora communities but in the Muslim world itself. The Palestinian intifadas of 1987 and 2000 are the author's primary inspiration, whereas the future becomes a blank canvas onto which one can imagine the next global intifada, a giant popular uprising fought on many fronts. The author examines the work of artists Jassem Hindi, Layla tul Qadr, Saba Taj, and Hushidar Mortezaie, who look at the future in terms of parallel imaginative possibilities rather than in temporal terms. In addition to these artists, the writings of scholars and artists Jose Estaban Muñoz, Ronak Kapadia, Etel Adnan, and Hamed Sinno further emphasize the future-facing nature of both queerness and Islam, as well as the radical possibilities of telling queer Muslim stories in the future.


Reliability of the road system illustrated on topographic maps with 1:10000 scale is questionable due to their age, but surveying a territory with area over 100 hectares is expensive with classical geodetic tools, although there is no need of geodetic accuracy in most cases. GPS-based mapping method described in this paper is suitable in these situations. The main concept is to keep the costs of the survey as low as possible, therefore free GIS applications and databases were used with navigation purpose GPS receivers. The accuracy provided by these devices is good enough for those purposes where the accuracy of topographic map with 1:10000 scale is adequate. GPS-based mapping can be done to update the road system of existing map or create own detailed road databases. The result of the work is not just a database but a navigation capable digital map, which can aid further activities on the field, like geographic researches, environment protection, tourism, fire service etc.


Trust plays a vital role in e-commerce to encourage desired transaction attitudes and behaviors from consumers. Research on trust in e-commerce has employed many different theoretical frameworks and tested a variety of variables, resulting in fragmented findings. This study attempts to synthesize previous empirical findings regarding antecedents and consequents of trust in e-commerce. A meta-analysis is conducted. 52 empirical studies have been identified, and 207 effect sizes are collected and meta-analyzed. Implications for future research are also discussed.


This dissertation is focused on the development of generative audio systems - a term used describe generative music systems that generate both formal structure and synthesized audio content from the same audio-rate computational process. In other words, a system wherein the synthesis and organizational processes are inseparable and operate at the sample level.First, a series of generative software systems are described. These systems each employ a different method to create generativity and, though they are not strictly generative audio systems, they lay important groundwork for the rest of the discussion as ideas from and contributions to the fields of generative algorithmic composition, computational aesthetics, music information dynamics, and digital signal processing are introduced.Second, the dissertation investigates the use of a novel signal processing technique in which time-varying allpass filters are placed into feedback networks, producing synthesis structures capable of yielding interesting emergent sonic behaviors. Ideas from the field of computational aesthetics are employed to allow a large system built from these synthesis structures to become "aesthetically aware." Many theories about computational aesthetics center around a favorable balance between order and complexity in a stimulus - a successful artistic work is neither too orderly nor too complex. Using a model of human perception based on the "mere exposure" effect, which describes how listener appreciation and boredom change as they experience repeated exposure to a stimulus, the AAS-4 system autonomously determines when and how to modify its own parameters to avoid repetitions that may lead to boredom in listeners.The dissertation concludes with objective analysis of the generative system by considering the complexity of its output from an information-theoretic perspective. It was found that the generative audio system described here is capable of producing output with equivalent complexity to that of real-world musical examples. It is also shown that the level of complexity in the generated audio and real-world examples falls in-between the low complexity of silence and sinusoids and the maximal complexity of white noise, corresponding with the theories from computational aesthetics. Future directions of this work are also described. Two appendices describing related topics that would disrupt the flow of the dissertation are included.


We propose a perturbed gradient algorithm with stochastic noises to solve a general class of optimization problems. We provide a convergence proof for this algorithm, under classical assumptions on the descent direction, and new assumptions on the stochastic noises. Instead of requiring the stochastic noises to correspond to martingale increments, we only require these noises to be asymptotically so. Furthermore, the variance of these noises is allowed to grow infinitely under the control of a decreasing sequence linked with the gradient stepsizes. We then compare this new approach and assumptions with classical ones in the stochastic approximation literature. As an application of this general setting, we show how the algorithm to solve infinite dimensional stochastic optimization problems recently developped by the authors in another paper is a special case of the following perturbed gradient with stochastic noises.


The human fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene contains a (CGG)n trinucleotide repeat in its 5′ untranslated region (5′UTR). Expansions of this repeat result in a number of clinical disorders with distinct molecular pathologies, including fragile X syndrome (FXS; full mutation range, greater than 200 CGG repeats) and fragile X–associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS; premutation range, 55–200 repeats). Study of these diseases has been limited by an inability to sequence expanded CGG repeats, particularly in the full mutation range, with existing DNA sequencing technologies. Single-molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing provides an approach to sequencing that is fundamentally different from other "next-generation" sequencing platforms, and is well suited for long, repetitive DNA sequences. We report the first sequence data for expanded CGG-repeat FMR1 alleles in the full mutation range that reveal the confounding effects of CGG-repeat tracts on both cloning and PCR. A unique feature of SMRT sequencing is its ability to yield real-time information on the rates of nucleoside addition by the tethered DNA polymerase; for the CGG-repeat alleles, we find a strand-specific effect of CGG-repeat DNA on the interpulse distance. This kinetic signature reveals a novel aspect of the repeat element; namely, that the particular G bias within the CGG/CCG-repeat element influences polymerase activity in a manner that extends beyond simple nearest-neighbor effects. These observations provide a baseline for future kinetic studies of repeat elements, as well as for studies of epigenetic and other chemical modifications thereof.


New neuron formation in the adult brain was an interesting finding that extended the knowledge about brain plasticity. In 1966 Joseph Altman reported the incorporation of tritiated thymidine to neural cell DNA. This finding indicated the proliferation event in the adult brain. After twenty years of this finding, new information was generated that confirmed the new neuron formation in the adulthood. In this review, we will mention different aspects of the new
neuron formation process called neurogenesis, as well as some of the factors that modulate such process, citing the information already known about the neuronal development stages that take place for the new neuron formation in the hippocampus. Finally, we will review some evidence about the neurogenic process in depression and in neurodegenerative diseases, as well as the possible role of the new neurons when they are integrated into the neuronal network. In the adult brain there are two regions where new neuron formation process takes place: the olfactory bulb and the hippocampus. New neurons are derived from neural stem cells, which reside in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles and in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus. Neural stem cells may proliferate and generate the rapid amplifying progenitor and neuroblast
populations. These populations will migrate and differentiate in neurons to finally be integrated into the neuronal network. In the adult brain, neural stem cells have radial glial features expressing specific markers as the glial fibrilar acidic protein (GFAP), as well as the un-differentiated cell marker nestin. This characteristic
makes suitable neural stem cells identification. Thus, the new neurons can be identified by both the specific marker expression and by electrophysiological properties. The different cell development stages during the neurogenic process have been characterized in the subventricular zone as well as in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus. In addition to the radial-glia features, neural stem cells show
a slowly dividing ratio and once the neural stem cells divide by asymmetric division a rapid amplifying progenitor population is generated. In the hippocampus, phenotype analysis had allowed cell classification in three different types according to the kind of protein marker expression. These progenitors are generated during the expansion phase by symmetric cell division. Type 2a and 2b present short neuritic processes parallel to the granular cell layer and the Type 3 present longer processes integrated into the granular cell layer. During this step, where the migration and cell fate decision take place, the cells express different markers as the microtubule associated protein doublecortin, the homeobox gene related to the drosophila gene prospero Prox-1 and the neuron-specific nuclear
protein Neu-N. Once the cells exit the cell cycle, immature neurons are generated showing longer dendritic processes crossing the granular cell layer. These immature neurons will fully differentiate to be integrated into the neuronal network. At this final stage the cells are fully differentiated and the new neurons express specific markers as the calcium binding protein calbindin and their electrophysiological properties are similar to the old neurons. Neurogenesis is a complex process that is modulated and regulated by different factors. One of these is the niche which is formed by the neural stem cells, astrocytes and endothelial cells. Adult neural stem cells proliferate and differentiate depending on the cellular and molecular composition of the niche. The three components work in synchrony in both neurogenic areas with active proliferation. The role of the niche is the maintenance of
the stem cells pool. The astrocytes modulate the proliferation of the neural stem cell and of the rapid amplifying cell population, as well as the migration of these cells by the action of the secreting factors. The niche also plays a key role in maintaining the astrocytic and the endothelial cell populations. Besides the niche, other factors are involved in the neurogenic process, such as the neurotransmitters (GABA, glutamate, serotonin,
dopamine), hormones (prolactin, growth hormone), growth
factors (FGF, EGF) and neurotrophins (BDNF, NT3). All of them modulate different steps of the process. Some other factors that influence the new neuron formation include the physical activity, enrichment environment and social interaction. It has been shown that physical activity increases the number of surviving newborn cells when rodents have free access to the running wheel. Another
positive regulator of the neurogenic process is the enrichment environment. The influence of this factor on the new neuron formation was demonstrated when the animals were maintained in a cage with tunnels and toys. In addition, when the rodents were forced to learn a particular task, more new neurons were found in the dentate gyrus. Additionally, the social interaction has a positive influence on the new neuron formation. Even when neurogenesis is positively regulated by the afore mentioned factors, different conditions and factors have a negative influence on this process. It is known that psychological stress affects in a negative manner the neurogenic process. The stress decreases the proliferation of progenitor cells in the dentate gyrus. This negative effect involves glucocorticoids whose increased levels inhibit the new neuron formation. Also, an exogenous administered corticosterone suppresses the new neuron formation. Another negative factor on neurogenesis related to glucocorticoids,
is the sleep deprivation, which impairs the neurogenic
process by increasing corticosterone levels causing a reduction in cell proliferation. Also, the abuse drugs cause a negative effect in the new neuron formation. It is known that chronic alcoholism negatively impact eurogenesis as well as cocaine, drug that impairs the proliferation dynamics in the dentate gyrus. Psychiatric disorders, such as depression, have been associated with an impaired neurogenesis, which is reverted by antidepressant drugs. In contrast to the effects of stress, an antidepressant
pharmacologic treatment increases the new neuron formation. The antidepressant effect is dependent on chronic treatment, consistent with the time course of the therapeutic action of these compounds. Recently, it has been shown that fluoxetine increases symmetric divisions of early progenitor cells and that these cells called or named
neuronal progenitors targeted by fluoxetine in the adult brain. This report describes one mechanism for antidepressant; however, the mechanisms by which antidepressant drugs act is not known at all and can be complex. Nevertheless, it has been reported that antidepressants induce an increase in serotonin or norephinephrine levels which activate the corresponding receptors and their downstream signaling pathways. One of these signaling pathways is the cAMP-CREB cascade. This second messenger is upregulated in the hippocampus together with the activity of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. On the same pathway, the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) shows an increase in function and expression. In patients with neurodegeneration, a defect in the neurogenesis process has been described. In Alzheimer's disease, cell proliferation and the potential regenerative factors levels are diminished. However, several studies have revealed an increase in the expression of the neurogenic marker doublecortin. Recently, it has been reported the presence of proliferative cells in presenile
Alzheimer hippocampus without indications for altered dentate gyrus. In addition to this finding, the influence of the enrichment environment on the new neuron formation has been explored. In these studies, it was shown that rodents housed under enrichment conditions had an increased neurotrophin 3 (NT-3) and brain derived neurotrophic factor, as well as an increased hippocampal neurogenesis accomplished with the improvement in the water maze performance. In another study, described by Lazarov in 2005,
the enrichment environment leads a reduction in the levels of cerebral beta-amyloid and an increase in the genes associated with learning-memory, neurogenesis and cell survival pathways. In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that is characterized by motor neuron degeneration the new neuron formation is impaired. By using mutant mice for the superoxide dismutase-1 enzyme, an enzyme that is altered in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and with the precursor cells isolated from the subventricular zone of the this mutants there is a reduction in the incorporation of the DNA
synthesis marker bromodeoxyuridine(BrdU), and in the response to mitogen stimulation, in presymptomatic and symptomatic mice, respectively. Evidence obtained so far strongly suggest that neural stem cells manipulation can be a good possibility to induce the neuron replacement in the treatment of neurodegenerative and psychiatric illnesses. However it is necessary to go deeply in the mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in the neurogenesis processes.


Crises come on strong, and history tells us that few middle market companies are prepared for stormy seas. So, before the onslaught of a crisis, how can investors and advisors help management with battle planning and advance staging for either a turnaround or restructuring? Successful hands-on execution, especially in a crisis, is both an art and a science. Establishing command and control in a crisis requires much more than unlocking and preserving cash; it requires a unique battle-hardened skill set not typically developed during the course of a regular management career. Most general managers do not operate in venues depleted of capital, talent, reputation, and morale and are incongruous with the grit and grind of running a distressed company. The authors review common blunders in corporate crises and present indispensable lessons gleaned from corporate trench combat.


Basal and luminal subtypes of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) have distinct molecular profiles and heterogeneous clinical behaviors. The interactions between mRNAs and lncRNAs, which might be regulated by miRNAs, have crucial roles in many cancers. However, the miRNA-dependent crosstalk between lncRNA and mRNA in specific MIBC subtypes still remains unclear. In this study, we first classified MIBC into two conservative subtypes using miRNA, mRNA and lncRNA expression data derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Then we investigated subtype-related biological pathways and evaluated the subtype classification performance using Decision Trees, Random Forest and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). At last, we explored potential miRNA-mediated lncRNA-mRNA crosstalks based on co-expression analysis. Our results show that: (1) the luminal subtype is primarily characterized by upregulation of metabolism-related pathways while the basal subtype is predominantly characterized by upregulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, metastasis, and immune system process-related pathways; (2) the XGBoost prediction model is consistently robust for classification of the molecular subtypes of MIBC across four datasets (The area under the ROC curve > 0.9); (3) the expression levels of the molecules in the miR-200c and miR141-mediated lncRNA-mRNA crosstalks differ considerably between the two subtypes and have close relationships with the prognosis of MIBC. The miR-200c and miR-141-dependent mRNA-lncRNA crosstalks might be of great significance in tumorigenesis and tumor progression and may serve as the novel prognostic predictors and classification markers of MIBC subtypes.


Chapter 0 details the notation and terminology used. Chapter 1 introduces the usual linear algebra over GF2 of edge space E and its orthogonal subspaces Z (cycle space) and Z* (cut space). "Reduced vectors" are defined as elements of the quotient space E/Z*. Reduced vectors of edges give a simple way of characterising edges that are bridges (their reduced vector is null) or 2-edge cuts (their vectors are equal), and also of spanning trees (the edges outside the tree are a basis) and form to the best of my knowledge a new approach. They are also useful in later chapters to describe Tait colorings, as well as cycle double covers. Perhaps the most important property of E/Z* is the Unique graph theorem: unlike in E, a list of which reduced vectors are edges uniquely determines graph structure (if edge connectivity is high enough; that covers certain "solid" components every trivalent graph can be decomposed into). Chapter 2 gives a brief intoduction to graph embeddings and planar graphs. Chapter 3 deals specifically with trivalent graphs, listing some of the ways in which they are different from graphs in general. Results here include two versions of Bipolar growth theorem which can be used for constructive proofs, and (after defining "halftrees" and a "flipping" operation between them) a theorem enumerating the set C\(_n\) of halftrees of a given size, the "Caterpillar theorem" showing C\(_n\) is connected by flipping, and the "Butterfly theorem" derived from it. Graphs referred to here as "solid" are shown to play an important structural role. Chapter 4 deals with the 4-coloring theorem. The first half shows the older results in a unified light using edge spaces over GF4. The second half applies methods from coding theory to this. The 4-color theorem is shown to be equivalent to a variety of statements about cycle-shaped words in codes over GF4 or GF3, many of them tantalisingly simple to state (but not, as yet, to prove). Chapter 5 deals with what has been variously called polyhedral decompositions and (specifically for those using cycles) cycle double covers, as in the cycle double cover conjecture. The more general concept is referred to as a "map" in this paper, and identified with what is termed here "cisness structures", which is a new approach. There is also a simpler proof of a theorem by Szekeres. Links with the subject of the previous chapter are identified, and some approaches towards proving the conjecture suggested. Several planned appendices were left out of the version submitted for examination because they would make the thesis too big, and/or were not finished. Of the ones that remain, appendix H (on embedding infinite 4- and 3-valent trees X and Y in the hyperbolic plane) now seems disjointed from the body of the text (a planned appendix dealt with colorings of finite graphs as the images of homomorphisms from embeddings of Y). Appendix B enumerates cycle maps (cycle double covers) on a number of small graphs while appendix D investigates the dimension of the instersection of Z and Z*.


A rapid, simple, specific and precise high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method was developed for the simultaneous estimation of sitagliptin (STG) and metformin (MET) content in a fixed dose pharmaceutical formulation and also in bulk drug. In the developed method, aluminium backed silica gel 60 F 254 HPTLC plates were employed as stationary phase with BuOH, CHCl 3 , MeOH, (CH 3 CH 2 ) 2 NH 2 and HCOOH in a ratio of 4:0.5:2.5:1.5:0.06 (v/v) as a mobile phase, and chromatograms were scanned densitometrically at 206 nm. For STG and MET, Rf values were found to be 0.76 and 0.27, respectively. The linearity curve for the drugs was obtained in the concentration range of 2 - 7 μg per band and 20 - 70 μg per band, respectively. Correlation coefficients for STG and MET were 0.999 and 0.997, respectively. The developed method was confirmed by validating it as per the ICH guidelines. The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) for STG and MET were found to be 0.014 & 0.042, and 0.013 & 0.040 μg per band, respectively. The developed method was found to be precise, accurate (mean recovery was within the range of 98 - 102%), specific and robust. Therefore, the method can be used for the simultaneous quality control analysis of the STG and MET in bulk drugs and pharmaceutical formulations. Keywords: Simultaneous Estimation, Sitagliptin, Metformin, Fixed Dose Pharmaceutical Formulation, HPTLC


The increasing scarcity of water resources (in terms of quantity and quality) is one of the most pervasive natural resource allocation issues facing development planners throughout the world.This problem is especially prevalent in less developed countries where the management of this valuable resource has become a critical policy concern.This authoritative new volume outlines the fundamental principles and difficulties that characterise this challenging task. The authors begin by detailing the significant problems of water management which are specific to developing countries. In particular, they highlight the political economy of water management in the context of both pricing and institutional reform. Five case studies from a variety of developing countries extend these themes and examine other important issues such as water markets, irrigation and the measurement of groundwater scarcity. Finally, using Cyprus as an example, the authors demonstrate the manner in which improved water management policies can be implemented in a developing country.This final part serves to illustrate the policy solutions to the problems laid out in earlier chapters.


In writing 'Tuohy guided dural puncture might be less successful than a separate puncture which actively seeks CSF', we chose the words simply to convey the difference between a spinal needle restricted by the confines of a Tuohy needle, and one manipulated freely. An interpretation that implies that different clinical philosophies were applied to the two groups is unwarranted. When the Tuohy guided spinal needle failed to find the dura we found that siting the spinal in another space significantly easier than resiting the Tuohy. Recourse to the epidural was used as an index of failure in order to assist evaluation in the performance of spinal anaesthesia, as we had done in the earlier study. It represents merely a feature of the design of the study, and not a clinical philosophy. We find it gratifying that the criticisms made by Westbrook and Carrie are semantic rather than clinical in nature. Our study was performed with honest integrity in the robust clinical laboratory of our maternity unit, and since adopting its recommendation we have performed well over 1000 anaesthetics in the manner described with results that justify our conclusion.


attention, with no other treatment, for three hours, whereupon he proceeded to make an uninterrupted recovery. Even a boy with a Paco2 of 80+ who rapidly became comatose with acute asthma recovered without assisted ventilation. His survival would have been a great triumph for a complicated method of treatment. It must be appreciated that these instances (among other possible ones) are drawn from an experience of over 400 asthmatics requiring admission annually to a specialized thoracic unit. Only four have been given assisted ventilation, probably unnecessarily in two, in the past three years. Cases with blood gas tensions described by Drs. Diament and Palmer would be at the mild end of our spectrum. I do not underestimate the importance of measuring arterial gas tensions in asthma, which we have done for more than five years, nor the gravity of the situation when these are seriously disturbed or worsening in spite of treatment. I do not know the indications for assisted ventilation in status asthmaticus, unless they be very recent death (all cases) or coma (almost all cases). I do know that the ritualistic adoption of an isolated biochemical abnormality at one point in time as the indication is an abrogation of intelligent appraisal of the whole situation, or, as Campbell' puts it, a perverted application of physiology to practice. Worse, it substitutes for this appraisal an empirical act of faith. As in other circumstances, an act of faith brings great consolation to those who perform it, perhaps partly because by definition they can be neither wrong nor proved wrong in any instance. Right or wrong, it is frightening to consider the implications of dogma of this kind.-I am, etc.,


We consider uniform random permutations in proper substitution-closed classes and study their limiting behavior in the sense of permutons.
The limit depends on the generating series of the simple permutations in the class. Under a mild sufficient condition, the limit is an elementary one-parameter deformation of the limit of uniform separable permutations, previously identified as the Brownian separable permuton. This limiting object is therefore in some sense universal. We identify two other regimes with different limiting objects. The first one is degenerate; the second one is nontrivial and related to stable trees.
These results are obtained thanks to a characterization of the convergence of random permutons through the convergence of their expected pattern densities. The limit of expected pattern densities is then computed by using the substitution tree encoding of permutations and performing singularity analysis on the tree series.


This study analyzes the effect of child care costs on the labor supply of mothers with preschool children in Germany using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (2002). Child care costs are estimated on the basis of a sample selection model. A structural household utility model, which is embedded in a detailed tax-benefit model, is used for labor supply estimation. In contrast to a previous German study, I find significant effects of child care costs on mother's labor supply. Compared to other countries such as the US, Canada or the UK, the effects are rather small, which can be explained by the fact that child care costs are already heavily subsidized in Germany.


Traditional polemical histories of Bohemia and Moravia identify the period from the early seventeenth to the mid-eighteenth century as a "period of darkness" - particularly in terms of Czech-language culture. This book challenges that interpretation from the perspective of musical culture and demonstrates that this was actually a vibrant, productive and innovative period, both for music in the Czech language and instrumental music. By focussing on the distinctive nature of Czech-language education and devotional traditions (rehabilitated along Catholic lines after the Thirty Years War), the book reveals a new understanding of Czech musical practices and repertoires as a beguiling blend of the older, non-conformist, vernacular traditions with the new, theatrical, Italian styles and genres. Drawing on a broad range of genres including sonatas, concertos, oratorios, Passion music, masses, motets, litanies and operas, Bohemian Baroque reveals a fascinating culture and repertoire that have long been overlooked. In the Czech lands, seventeenth-century courtly life emerged in a much different way from many other European countries. Bohemian Baroque underscores the prominent role of rural life in shaping musical culture more broadly in Bohemia and Moravia and consequently draws attention to the works and environments of composers whose careers were primarily in the Czech lands (in contrast to the traditional focus on more famous emigre composers). The book also considers the influence of Germanic traditions on Czech musical culture; several areas of overlap reveal newly identified examples of shared repertoires-in some cases, German and Czech even appear within a single work. Taken as a whole, Bohemian Baroque posits a new paradigm in which received notions of "Czechness" in the musical culture of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries might be reconsidered. Bohemian Baroque will be required reading for anyone interested in the music of the Habsburg Empire and Central Europe, cultural history, or baroque music more generally. Students and scholars of musical style and music and identity will equally find much of interest here. Robert G. Rawson is Reader in Musicology and Performance at Canterbury Christ Church University.


We report on the first demonstration of the CMOS-compatible integration of high-quality InGaAs on insulator (InGaAs-OI) on Si substrates by a novel concept named Confined Epitaxial Lateral Overgrowth (CELO). This method, based on selective epitaxy, only requires the use of standard large-area silicon substrates and typical CMOS processes. It enables the fabrication of InGaAs-OI starting from both bulk and SOI Si wafers. The InGaAs epitaxial structures are characterized by a very low defectivity, and can fulfill the requirements of both ultra-thin-body and fins-based advanced CMOS nodes. Gate-first self-aligned FinFETs (100-nm-long gate, 50-nm-wide fins and 250-nm-wide plug-contacts) with excellent electrical characteristics comparable to start-of-the-art InGaAs MOSFETs on Si are demonstrated, highlighting that this new concept has significant potential to enable introduction of high-mobility channel materials in high-volume manufacturing of advanced CMOS nodes.


This paper proposes a method of adaptively generating a gait pattern of biped robot. The gait synthesis is based on human`s gait pattern analysis. The proposed method can easily be applied to generate the natural and stable gait pattern of any biped robot. To analyze the human`s gait pattern, sequential images of the human`s gait on the sagittal plane are acquired from which the gait control values are extracted. The gait pattern of biped robot on the sagittal plane is adaptively generated by a genetic algorithm using the human`s gait control values. However, galt trajectories of the biped robot on the sagittal Plane are not enough to construct the complete gait pattern because the bided robot moves on 3-dimension space. Therefore, the gait pattern on the frontal plane, generated from Zero Moment Point (ZMP), is added to the gait one acquired on the sagittal plane. Consequently, the natural and stable walking pattern for the biped robot is obtained.


This article proposes some theoretical and methodological advancements in the study of critical consumption within the framework of the theory of practices. It does so by applying an innovative analytic technique based on network analysis: using data from a survey of a representative sample of the Italian population, we analyze the structure of connections between variables at different levels of correlations, and then we focus on some interesting local neighborhoods that suggest elements for interpretative frameworks. The aim of this article is to explore whether it is possible to consider critical consumption as a practice, and if so what are the elements that characterize it as an entity. We also aim to observe whether these elements are connected to other (not necessarily sustainable) practices. Results do not show robust and coherent connections of elements that allow speaking of critical consumption as a practice, but they identify interesting anchor points where ethnographic approaches can be directed. These crossroads, where bundles of elements encounter, suggest the existence of loose knits of activities where competences and meanings of different practices encounter and contaminate.


Concrete possesses an intrinsic chloride binding capacity. Chloride ions from the environment bind with the hydrated cementitious phases in the form of bound chlorides. The contribution of chemically bound chlorides toward increasing the service life of concrete structures is vital as they help in slowing down the chloride diffusion in the concrete thereby delaying reinforcement depassivation. The authors attempt to increase the chloride binding capacity of concrete by adding a small amount of Mg–Al–NO2 layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with the objective to delay reinforcement corrosion and by this to considerably extend the service life of concrete structures situated in harsh environments. This study presents numerical and experimental analysis of the action of LDH in concrete. Formation factor is used to determine the effective chloride diffusion coefficient. In addition, the chloride binding isotherms together with Poisson–Nernst–Planck equations are used to model the chloride ingress. A comparable chloride binding is observed for concrete with and without Mg–Al–NO2, depicting only a slight chloride uptake by Mg–Al–NO2. Further investigations are conducted to understand this behavior by studying the stability and chloride entrapping capacity Mg–Al–NO2 in concrete.


In this study, the dead biomass of Neurospora crassa along with wheat bran was used as a dual adsorbent for the removal of congo red from aqueous solutions. Decolorization experiments were conducted in batch mode by varying experimental factors such as initial pH, adsorbate concentration, wheat bran dosage, and dead biomass dosage. The experiments were designed to attain the most
optimized system. The zero-point charge of the dual adsorbent was 9. The experimental equilibrium
data for the decolorization of congo red were evaluated by various isotherm models. Kinetic rate constants were found using different kinetic models. The adsorption mechanisms were described by pore diffusion and Boyd plots. The dye adsorption rate followed pseudo-second-order kinetic
model, and the equilibrium data were appropriately fitted to Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The overall rate of adsorption is controlled by both film diffusion and pore diffusion of dye molecules. Thermodynamic studies were performed to determine the change in Gibbs free energy (ΔG), change in enthalpy (ΔH), and change in entropy (ΔS) of the adsorption process. The adsorption was found to
be endothermic in nature, and the process was spontaneous and favorable. Desorption studies were conducted using various desorbing agents. The maximum percentage of dye was desorbed using the solvent methanol