Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes are adopted in many applications due to their Shannon-limit approaching error-correcting performance. Nevertheless, belief-propagation (BP) based decoding of these codes suffers from the error-floor problem, i.e., an abrupt change in the slope of the error-rate curve that occurs at very low error rates. Recently, a new type of decoders termed finite alphabet iterative decoders (FAIDs) were introduced. The FAIDs use simple Boolean maps for variable node processing, and can surpass the BP-based decoders in the error floor region with very short word length. We restrict the scope of this paper to regular dv=3 LDPC codes on the BSC channel. This paper develops a low-complexity implementation architecture for the FAIDs by making use of their properties. Particularly, an innovative bit-serial check node unit is designed for the FAIDs, and a small-area variable node unit is proposed by exploiting the symmetry in the Boolean maps. Moreover, an optimized data scheduling scheme is proposed to increase the hardware utilization efficiency. From synthesis results, the proposed FAID implementation needs only 52% area to reach the same throughput as one of the most efficient standard Min-Sum decoders for an example (7807, 7177) LDPC code, while achieving better error-correcting performance in the error-floor region. Compared to an offset Min-Sum decoder with longer word length, the proposed design can achieve higher throughput with 45% area, and still leads to possible performance improvement in the error-floor region.


Over the years, the debate on whether or not there is a nexus between religion and politics has been a matter of considerable dispute among religious people, particularly among Christians. In response to such dispute, this paper argues that politics and religion are not only strongly connected, they are mutually compatible, both practically and theoretically. A working model to prove the workability of the compatibility of religion and politics in this paper will be Gandhism or better put – Gandhian philosophy. Some Indian-Hindu principles employed by Gandhi as roots of his philosophy (Gandhism) will be outlined and explained with reference to the Nigerian situation. Also, the employment of Gandhism as a working model will reveal that politics pervades all religions, and consequently, Gandhism embraces Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and other religious faiths and creeds provided that such a believer's love for mankind is unshakable. The conclusion will be that religion and politics are inseparable. But Religion and politics if not well managed and coordinated could be a curse and a source of worry for the society. Gandhi's linkage of religion and politics is also in tune with the present day enlightened securalism. Keywords : Gandhi; Religion; Philosophy; Politics


The mouse metallothionein-I (mMT-I) promoter is activated by the metal response element-binding transcription factor (MTF), which binds metal response elements (MREs) when stimulated with heavy metals. We analyzed eight K562 erythroleukemia cell clones, each carrying a single integrated copy of an mMT-I/beta-geo construct, using a system that can independently assess the level of beta-geo expression and the rate at which it is silenced. In these clones, basal expression and rate of silencing vary widely and independently with integration site. This implies that the rates of transcription and of silencing are separate properties determined by interaction of the regulatory elements of the transgene with the site of integration. Induction of the mMT-I promoter with zinc both increases expression level and strongly retards silencing of beta-geo expression. At a given integration site, expression level and silencing are affected coordinately by induction. Taken together with earlier studies of distant metal-responsive elements, these results suggest that distance from the promoter may determine whether a factor can increase transcription rate. Stimulation of an MRE can both increase transcription and overcome repressive effects of chromatin; we suggest that these functions are linked.


In recent years, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) has been successfully used in terrestrial digital video broadcasting and showed it is a strong candidate for the modulation technique of future wireless systems. This paper is concerned with how well OFDM performs in digital broadcasting when transmitted over an Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) channel only. The main objective of this work is to design an OFDM system for digital broadcasting standard. In this, it uses 2k mode and 8k mode system. OFDM is based on FFT based subcarriers. The main problem in OFDM is PAPR value. So, in this work, it also improves the value of PAPR under different modulation formats. The Digital Video Broadcasting Project (DVB) is a multinational initiative to standardize digital broadcasting worldwide. The purpose of this paper is to provide a simulation of the process involved in the generation and reception of an OFDM signal in a physical channel and to provide a description of each of the steps involved.


The visual appearance of the artificial world is largely governed by films or composites containing particles with at least one dimension smaller than a micron. Over the past century and a half, the optical properties of such materials have been scrutinized and a broad range of colorant products, based mostly on empirical microstructural improvements, developed. With the advent of advanced synthetic approaches capable of tailoring particle shape, size and composition on the nanoscale, the question of what is the optimum particle for a certain optical property can no longer be answered solely by experimentation. Instead, new and improved computational approaches are required to invert the structure‐function relationship. This progress report reviews the development in our understanding of this relationship and indicates recent examples of how theoretical design is taking an ever increasingly important role in the search for enhanced or multifunctional colorants.


In college level chemistry courses, reasoning using molecular and particulate descriptions of matter becomes central to understanding physical and chemical properties. In this study, we used a qualitative approach to analyzing classroom discourse derived from Toulmin's model of argumentation in order to describe the ways in which students develop particulate-level justifications for claims about thermodynamic properties. Our analysis extends the construct of sociomathematical norms to a chemistry context in order to describe disciplinary criteria for reasoning and justification, which we refer to as sociochemical norms. By examining how whole class and small group discussions shape norms related to reasoning, we provide suggestions for teaching practices in inquiry-oriented settings.


Three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations have gained substantial popularity in recent years for stream flow modelling. The complex terrain in streams is usually represented by a 3D mesh conforming to the terrain geometry. Such terrain-conforming meshes are time-consuming to generate. In this work, an immersed boundary method is developed in an existing terrain-conforming CFD model named U2RANS as an alternative, in which terrains are represented implicitly in the Cartesian background mesh. An improved two-layer wall function is proposed in the framework of the k-ε turbulence model, with the aim of producing accurate and smooth wall shear stress distribution and paving the way for future model development on sediment transport and scour modeling. The improvement overcomes the inherent discontinuity and nonlinearity of the two-layer velocity profile, which causes error in the estimation of shear velocity. The new algorithm utilizes a distance control on the image point in immersed boundary method and a modification of velocity prediction in the laminar layer. The improved immersed boundary method is tested with 1D, 2D, and 3D cases, and comparisons with flume experiments show promising results.


The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas uses a flagellum not only for locomotion, but also for presentation of flagellar adhesion molecules that promote interaction between gamete cells and initiate signaling events important to fertilization. The flagella lack the apparatus to make new proteins, so the cells use an intraflagellar transport system to transport particles containing proteins made in the cell body to the flagella. Such transport occurs constitutively, but regulated transport has also been described. For example, the Chlamydomonas aurora protein kinase (CALK) is transported to the flagellum only in response to signals generated when receptors on flagella of cells of opposite mating types interact. (Interestingly, aurora protein kinases are implicated in cell division in other systems.) Pan and Snell used mutants of the motor protein kinesin II to show that kinesin II is required for such activated transport of CALK to the flagellum. Kinesin II is also the motor responsible for the constitutive transport of proteins to flagella. However, effects of the kinesin II mutation in cells maintained at different temperatures could distinguish between the two roles of kinesin II, and the regulated transport of CALK appeared to result in association with the flagellar membrane whereas unregulated transport delivers proteins to a soluble cytoplasmic location. Schnapp reviews other evidence for active transport of signaling molecules, which in some cases involves interaction of motor proteins with scaffold proteins, allowing whole signaling complexes to be delivered to the appropriate site of action. J. Pan, W. J. Snell, Kinesin II and regulated intraflagellar transport of Chlamydomonas aurora protein kinase. J. Cell Sci. 116, 2179-2186 (2003). [Abstract] [Full Text] B. J. Schnapp, Trafficking of signaling modules by kinesin motors. J. Cell Sci. 116, 2125-2135 (2003). [Abstract] [Full Text]


A quasi-longitudinal case study was used to determine the effects on secondary students of participation in a program of enrichment and extracurricular science activities in terms of their interest and enjoyment in being involved in science activities, their motivation to continue to participate in science, and their perceptions about scientists and about the role of science in society. Two groups of students in an Australian school were followed simultaneously, a junior cohort through Years 8 to 10 and a senior cohort through Years 10 to 12. Data were collected from 20 students; 5 girls and 5 boys from each cohort. A strong positive relationship was found between changes in students' interest and enjoyment and changes in their motivation, and both these variables increased, in an overall sense for the combined student population, during the study period. All students generally held a high perception of both the normality of scientists and the importance of science in society throughout the study period. Participation in science activities impacted overall positively, but to varying extents for different activities, on all four dependent variables. Suggestions for the structure and/or conduct of competitions, excursions, and practical work, including the design of museum exhibits, and implications for further research are presented. The paper is based on the first author's doctoral dissertation.


Ice shelf break-up and disintegration events over the past several decades have led to speed-up, thinning, and retreat of upstream tributary glaciers and increases to rates of global sea-level rise. The southward progression of these episodes indicates a climatic cause, and in turn suggests that the larger Larsen C and George VI ice shelves may undergo similar collapse in future. However, the extent to which removal of Larsen C and George VI ice shelves will affect upstream tributary glaciers and add to global sea levels is unknown. Here we apply numerical ice-sheet models of varying complexity to show that the centennial sea-level commitment of Larsen C embayment glaciers following immediate shelf collapse is low (< 2.5 mm to 2100, < 4.3 mm to 2300). Despite its large size, Larsen C does not provide strong buttressing forces to upstream basins and its collapse does not result in large additional discharge from its tributary glaciers in any of our model scenarios. In contrast, the response of inland glaciers to collapse of George VI Ice Shelf may add up to 8 mm to global sea levels by 2100 and 22 mm by 2300 due in part to the mechanism of marine ice sheet instability. Our results demonstrate the varying and relative importance to sea level of the large Antarctic Peninsula ice shelves considered to present a risk of collapse.


Computing the inverse covariance matrix (or precision matrix) of large data vectors is crucial in weak lensing (and multiprobe) analyses of the large-scale structure of the Universe. Analytically computed covariances are noise-free and hence straightforward to invert; however, the model approximations might be insufficient for the statistical precision of future cosmological data. Estimating covariances from numerical simulations improves on these approximations, but the sample covariance estimator is inherently noisy, which introduces uncertainties in the error bars on cosmological parameters and also additional scatter in their best-fitting values. For future surveys, reducing both effects to an acceptable level requires an unfeasibly large number of simulations. In this paper we describe a way to expand the precision matrix around a covariance model and show how to estimate the leading order terms of this expansion from simulations. This is especially powerful if the covariance matrix is the sum of two contributions, C = A + B, where A is well understood analytically and can be turned off in simulations (e.g. shape noise for cosmic shear) to yield a direct estimate of B. We test our method in mock experiments resembling tomographic weak lensing data vectors from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). For DES we find that 400 N-body simulations are sufficient to achieve negligible statistical uncertainties on parameter constraints. For LSST this is achieved with 2400 simulations. The standard covariance estimator would require >10^5 simulations to reach a similar precision. We extend our analysis to a DES multiprobe case finding a similar performance.


Federated multi-armed bandits (FMAB) is a new bandit paradigm that parallels the federated learning (FL) framework in supervised learning. It is inspired by practical applications in cognitive radio and recommender systems, and enjoys features that are analogous to FL. This paper proposes a general framework of FMAB and then studies two specific federated bandit models. We first study the approximate model where the heterogeneous local models are random realizations of the global model from an unknown distribution. This model introduces a new uncertainty of client sampling, as the global model may not be reliably learned even if the finite local models are perfectly known. Furthermore, this uncertainty cannot be quantified a priori without knowledge of the suboptimality gap. We solve the approximate model by proposing Federated Double UCB (Fed2-UCB), which constructs a novel "double UCB" principle accounting for uncertainties from both arm and client sampling. We show that gradually admitting new clients is critical in achieving an O(log(T)) regret while explicitly considering the communication loss. The exact model, where the global bandit model is the exact average of heterogeneous local models, is then studied as a special case. We show that, somewhat surprisingly, the order-optimal regret can be achieved independent of the number of clients with a careful choice of the update periodicity. Experiments using both synthetic and real-world datasets corroborate the theoretical analysis and demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithms.


This paper proposes a new predictor-corrector interior-point method for a class of semidefinite programs, which numerically traces the central trajectory in a space of Lagrange multipliers. The distinguishing features of the method are full use of the BFGS quasi-Newton method in the corrector procedure and an application of the conjugate gradient method with an effective preconditioning matrix induced from the BFGS quasi-Newton method in the predictor procedure. Some preliminary numerical results are reported.


The waterborne polyurethane coatings modified by linseed oil were prepared in a method of ammonolysis. The influence of reaction time and temperature of the linseed oil ammonolysis on structure and properties of the waterborne polyurethane coatings was investigated and discussed. It has been shown in this work that the preferred ammonolysis temperature would be 102~118°C, the reaction time could be about 80 min, and structure of the modified waterborne polyurethane was analysed by FTIR. The touch-dry time of the modified waterborne polyurethane with drier would be shorter than that of non-modified waterborne polyurethane, normally in a week, and the stability of the modified waterborne polyurethane coating in water could stand for 3 months under room temperature. The TGA results of the coatings showed that the weight loss started at about 294°C.


The fabrication of complex-shaped parts out of Co-Cr-Mo alloy and 316L stainless steel by three-dimensional printing (3DP) is studied using two grades of each alloy with average particle size of 20 and 75 )m, respectively. To produce sound specimens, the proper 3DP processing parameters were determined. The sintering behavior of the powders is characterized by dilatometric analysis and by batch sintering in argon atmosphere at 1280°C for 2h. The 3DP process has successfully produced complex-shaped biomedical parts with total porosity of 12-25% and homogenous pore structure, which is suitable for tissue growth into the pores.


 Abstract — Specific learning disability (SLD) in higher education has been partially explored in Greece so far. Moreover, opinions on professional perspectives for university students with SLD, is scarcely encountered in Greek research. The perceptions of the hidden character of SLD along with the university policy towards it and professional perspectives that result from this policy have been examined in the present research. This study has applied the paradigm of a Greek Tertiary Pedagogical Education Department (Early Childhood Education). Via mixed methods, data have been collected from different groups of people in the Pedagogical Department: students with SLD and without SLD, academic staff and administration staff, all of which offer the opportunity for triangulation of the findings. Qualitative methods include ten interviews with students with SLD and 15 interviews with academic staff and 60 hours of observation of the students with SLD. Quantitative methods include 165 questionnaires completed by third and fourth-year students and five questionnaires completed by the administration staff. Thematic analyses of the interviews' data and descriptive statistics on the questionnaires' data have been applied for the processing of the results. The use of medical terms to define and understand SLD was common in the student cohort, regardless of them having an SLD diagnosis. However, this medical model approach is far more dominant in the group of students without SLD who, by majority, hold misconceptions on a definitional level. The academic staff group seems to be leaning towards a social approach concerning SLD. According to them, diagnoses may lead to social exclusion. The Pedagogical Department generally endorses the principles of inclusion and complies with the provision of oral exams for students with SLD. Nevertheless, in practice, there seems to be a lack of regular academic support for these students. When such support does exist, it is only through individual initiatives. With regards to their prospective profession, students with SLD can utilize their personal experience, as well as their empathy; these appear to be unique weapons in their hands –in comparison with other educators− when it comes to teaching students in the future. In the Department of Pedagogy, provision towards SLD results sporadic, however the vision of an inclusive department does exist. Based on their studies and their pedagogy students with SLD claim that they have an experiential internalized advantage for their future career as educators.


With the success of crowdsourced portals, such as Wikipedia, Stack Overflow, Quora, and GitHub, a class of researchers is driven towards understanding the dynamics of knowledge building on these portals. Even though collaborative knowledge building portals are known to be better than expert-driven knowledge repositories, limited research has been performed to understand the knowledge building dynamics in the former. This is mainly due to two reasons; first, unavailability of the standard data representation format, second, lack of proper tools and libraries to analyze the knowledge building dynamics. We describe Knowledge Data Analysis and Processing Platform (KDAP), a programming toolkit that is easy to use and provides high-level operations for analysis of knowledge data. We propose Knowledge Markup Language (Knol-ML), a generic representation format for the data of collaborative knowledge building portals. KDAP can process the massive data of crowdsourced portals like Wikipedia and Stack Overflow efficiently. As a part of this toolkit, a data-dump of various collaborative knowledge building portals is published in Knol-ML format. The combination of Knol-ML and the proposed open-source library will help the knowledge building community to perform benchmark analysis.


In this study, for an 8 co-channel beamforming structure in S-band, the phase and amplitude adjustment block and, first and final stage true time delay (TTD) blocks are defined as sub-blocks by AWR (Applied Wave Research) simulation program were examined separately. The simulation results of the performance of the phase shifter for the phase and amplitude adjustment block, the performance of the digital attenuator, the phase change as per the attenuating steps, the TTD block gain, true time delay and return losses were interpreted. Input and output return loss values for all TTD steps were obtained at levels better than -10 dB.


Planning in real-time strategy (RTS) games is challenging due to their very large state and action spaces. Action abstractions have shown to be a promising approach for dealing with this challenge. Previous approaches induce action abstractions from a small set of hand-crafted strategies, which are used by algorithms to search only on the actions returned by the strategies. Previous works use a set of expert-designed strategies for inducing action abstractions. The main drawback of this approach is that it limits the agent behaviour to the knowledge encoded in the strategies. In this research, we focus on learning novel and effective strategies for RTS games, to induce action abstractions. In addition to being effective, we are interested in learning strategies that can be easily interpreted by humans, allowing a better understanding of the workings of the resulting agent.


Face hallucination can be a useful tool for visualizing a low quality face into a visually better quality, making it an attractive technology for many applications. While faces in surveillance videos are usually at very low resolution, in this paper, we propose to use face hallucination technology to visualize faces from visual surveillance systems, and develop a weighted scheme to enhance the quality of face visualization from surveillance videos. Our experiment validated that in comparison with the classic eigenspace based face hallucination, our proposed weighted face hallucination strategy can help improve the overall quality of a facial image extracted from surveillance footage.


Conceding that a great progress of cancer researches is opening up a new phase in the treatment of cancers and realizing an early operation is at the present a sole approach to the gastric-cancer therapy, an early diagnosis seems to be the most important, daily clinical problem we have to face. In view of this we have attempted to grasp the true nature of gastric-cancer patients by a series of epidemiologic and symptomatologic observations statistically on the hospitalized patients during the past 12 years, and outpatients for the past 2 years of our clinic. From our observations we find that the most likely ages of the onset of cancers range from 50 to 60, and that the gastric cancer developing at an early age is found more predominantlyin female. Moreover, in the farm districts, the proportion of female patients far surpasses that of any other occupation. Of all the cancer cases treated during the 12-year periods, the gastric cancer occupied 45 per cent. Of all the outpatients during the two-year periods, 27.8 per cent proved to be suffering from digestive organs; and the gastric cancer cases occupied 5.7 per cent of the latter. Now, it is impossible, simply by its symptoms, to differentiate the gastric cancer from such diseases as the gastric and the duodenal ulcers, and gastritis; as the symptom and chief complaint of the patients at its onset are epigastric pain, the foremost, followed by feeling of full and tension in the epigastrium, and eructation and heart burn, and since all of these have practically no distinguishable difference from those of the latter. Of the total patients, the cases impossible of operation reached as high as 39 per cent while those being operated on but ending only in laparotomy proved to be 15 per cent, and the ones on whom the gastric resection had proved a success were merely 8.8 per cent. It is, moreover, interesting to note that despite as high as 75.8 per cent of the cases having palpable abdominal tumors at the time of admission, the ones whose Virchow's gland and other lymphatic glands had been palpable were extremely little: no more than 0.6 per cent. The occult blood reaction of stool was positive in 71 per cent, and 18 per cent of gastric cancer patients were of either normal or hyper acidity; and 61 per cent of the total had abnormal defecation (constipation, diarrhea, etc.). As for complications, helminthiasis is predominant (30%). This fact is worthy of an attention, for symptoms resulting from helminth's attacks often obscure those of gastric cancer. Reviewing the statistical data so far mentioned, we realize keenly how little early diagnosis of gastric cancer is being carried out and how difficult it is to carry this out; at the same time we have learned, on the other hand, how essential and beneficial it is to grasp epidemiologic and symptomatologic problems for its diagnosis.


Robust Design Using Sequential Computer Experiments. (May 2004) Abhishek Gupta, B.Tech. , Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Yu Ding Modern engineering design tends to use computer simulations such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to replace physical experiments when evaluating a quality response, e.g., the stress level in a phone packaging process. The use of computer models has certain advantages over running physical experiments, such as being cost effective, easy to try out different design alternatives, and having greater impact on product design. However, due to the complexity of FEA codes, it could be computationally expensive to calculate the quality response function over a large number of combinations of design and environmental factors. Traditional experimental design and response surface methodology, which were developed for physical experiments with the presence of random errors, are not very effective in dealing with deterministic FEA simulation outputs. In this thesis, we will utilize a spatial statistical method (i.e., Kriging model) for analyzing deterministic computer simulation-based experiments. Subsequently, we will devise a sequential strategy, which allows us to explore the whole response surface in an efficient way. The overall number of computer experiments will be remarkably reduced compared with the traditional response surface methodology. The proposed methodology is illustrated using an electronic packaging example.


Traditional techniques for detecting malware, such as viruses, worms and rootkits, rely on identifying virus-specific signature definitions within network traffic, applications or memory. Because a sample of malware is required to define an attack signature, signature detection has drawbacks when accounting for malware code mutation, has limited use in zero-day protection and is a post-infection technique requiring malware to be present on a device in order to be detected.
A malicious bot is a malware variant that interconnects with other bots to form a botnet. Amongst their multiple malicious uses, botnets are ideal for launching mass Distributed Denial of Services attacks against the ever increasing number of networked devices that are starting to form the Internet of Things and Smart Cities. Regardless of topology; centralised Command & Control or distributed Peer-to-Peer, bots must communicate with their commanding botmaster. This communication traffic can be used to detect malware activity in the cloud before it can evade network perimeter defences and to trace a route back to source to takedown the threat.
This paper identifies the inefficiencies exhibited by signature-based detection when dealing with botnets. Total botnet eradication relies on traffic-based detection methods such as DNS record analysis, against which malware authors have multiple evasion techniques. Signature-based detection displays further inefficiencies when located within virtual environments which form the backbone of data centre infrastructures, providing malware with a new attack vector. This paper highlights a lack of techniques for detecting malicious bot activity within such environments, proposing an architecture based upon flow sampling protocols to detect botnets within virtualised environments.


The immediate results of blood reinfusion in 357 patients with wounds and closed injuries of thoracic and abdominal organs are analysed. The data obtained evidence the rationality of reinfusion in urgent surgery for injuries. Reinfusion enables adequate replenishment of blood losses to be terminated more rapidly and physiologically.


Civil Engineering and fluid mechanics are two fields that are not usually put into the same category. In reality however, many of the problems faced in Civil Engineering are caused by fluids. For example: the mixing of pollutants; the scouring of riverbanks; and the undesired oscillations of bridges and buildings caused by wind. Whilst it is possible to simulate the interactions of fluids and structures, it is computationally expensive and as a consequence experiments are needed to validate simplified models. Undertaking these experiments is not trivial, and unavoidably, the data collected can contain outlier / anomalous data points. There have been many attempts to create algorithms to automatically remove and or replace these outliers, the most effective or which are based on modal decomposition techniques. In fluid mechanics there are two prominent modal decomposition techniques. These are Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD), which can be use to determine modes that are spatially independent, and Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) which can be used to determine modes that are temporally independent.
The majority of the previous POD and DMD applications have been have been applied to mechanical and aerospace engineering problems. However, the focus of this thesis is the application of modal decomposition techniques solely in Civil Engineering. First, the modal decomposition technique POD, is used to create a novel computationally efficient method for filtering spurious points from experi- mental data. Second a method of combining POD and DMD to attain regions of spatial and temporal independence is proposed. Third, these methods are applied to a river groyne problem to explain the spatio-temporal mechanisms leading to the sudden expansion of a mixing layer. Finally, these methods are applied to a
group of multi-scale square cylinders, resembling the layout of a city, to describe the spatio-temporal behaviour of the wake.
This thesis creates a suite of tools which can be applied by Civil Engineers to understand complex mechanisms, for instance, in environmental fluid mechanics.


This study examines the role owners and managers play in affecting the strategic choices and performance of agribusiness firms, specifically user-owned agribusiness cooperatives. The results of a nationwide survey indicate that firm ownership plays a key role in determining strategies employed by agribusiness firms. Competitive strategies of cooperatives and investor-owned firms are identified. The evidence indicates that firm performance is affected by the influence owners have over the strategies available to the firm. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


With the rapid increase in the use of smart phones (and other mobile devices), students in Irish and international higher education institutions are increasingly accessing virtual learning environments (VLEs) using their phones via an app or their browser. This brings both welcome flexibility for the students' digital learning experiences and wider opportunities to support both asynchronous and synchronous learning in innovative ways. However challenges exist, initially regarding the functionality, user interface, reliability and speed of mobile use of the VLE (specifically via a VLE app as well as a phone browser) but also how best to empower students and lecturers to harness the potential benefits. This article explores the 2017 results of the #VLEIreland student survey in one higher education institution, expanded to include questions about student experiences of using a VLE app. Almost all students have smart phones, with the VLE app used by 7 in 10 students surveyed and, despite the many limitations of the VLE app, two-thirds found it useful. Student comments highlighted the benefits of notifications on the student's phone and the convenience of easy, flexible access to the VLE. Barriers to the use of the VLE app included poor design and working of the app, and limitations of the student's own phone. A major implication of increasing mobile access is that the VLE design needs to be more responsive for users, that the VLE itself be fully functional and user-friendly on smart phones and the challenges to design, develop and deliver a rich functional VLE app are met. There is potential for flexible mobile access to the VLE outside of class to be complemented by increased in-class use to enrich innovative approaches to engage learners. Increased mobile VLE usage has consequences for how lecturers use the VLE; they need to be conscious of this mobile use when designing, creating and using their VLE course as well as utilising appropriate digital pedagogies.


On the 27th of February 1933 the Reichstag fire was set on fire. Within the burning building a Dutchman going by the name of Marinus van der Lubbe was arrested for the arson. The Nazi-party, at that time the biggest party in the German Parliament, claimed that the communists were behind the fire and were trying to topple the government. At the same time the Communist Party claimed that the Nazi''s had staged the fire in order to create a pretext for them to crack down hard on their (political) enemies. Marinus van der Lubbe was executed after stating in court that he worked alone. The consensus in Europe was that the Nazi''s had staged the fire for their own political gain. After the Second World War a lively debate sprung up on whether or not Marinus van der Lubbe had received help from the Nazi''s or had he worked alone. Up to the present day this debate is ongoing. Paul Kuijpers links the different predominant views on the Reichstag fire to the specific circumstances of the time in which they were predominant in an attempt to deconstruct the myths surrounding the Reichstag fire.


In this article, isolated palsies of cranial nerves III, IV, and VI are addressed. After discussion of the pertinent clinical anatomy of cranial nerves III, IV, and VI, the isolated involvement of each of these oculomotor nerves is defined. Based on a review of the literature, methods of evaluation and follow-up of patients presenting with diplopia from lesions of these cranial nerves are presented.


The research purpose is to determine the study of the employee welfare important of employees. Employees play a key role in the existence and growth of any organisation, therefore their welfare is essential. During the past few years, both public sector and private sector organisation have been contributing towards the employee's benefits and also increase their efficiency. Employees' welfare facilities include housing facilities, free medical facilities, retirement benefits, children and adult educational benefits, welfare measures for the employee's families, loan facilities, etc. If the organisation do not bother about the employees benefit, but expect efficient and high performance from them, it is a mere waste. So there is utmost need for the employee's welfare in any type of organisation. Organizations have to provide welfare facilities to their employees to keep their motivation levels high. A comparative study was undertaken to know the satisfaction level of the employees on the enforceability of various welfare measures in both the public and private sector organizations. The study also throws light on impact of welfare measures on the employees' performance. review of various literature that relates to the major variables involved in the research work especially employees productivity. The purpose of employee benefits is to increase the economic security of staff members, and in doing so, improve worker retention across the organization. As such, it is one component of reward management.


Background: The provision of human milk and breastfeeding is essential in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) population. However, recent national research has demonstrated very low percentages of NICU nurses providing lactation-based support and care to patients and families, and less than half of all NICUs have an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) on staff. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe how NICU bedside nurses are providing lactation-based support and care during their shifts and the frequency of that support. The secondary aim was to gain an understanding of the NICU nurses' attitudes toward human milk and breastfeeding. Methods: Through a prospective descriptive cohort design, the authors of this study created and disseminated a web-based survey (SurveyMonkey) of 21 questions including the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) to a Northeastern urban hospital staff of bedside nurses. Results: A total of 140 of the 389 eligible NICU bedside nurses responded to the survey. Between 50.7% and 72.9% of nurses reported to providing lactation-based support and care during the previous shift worked and during the previous week worked, respectively. The participants' responses to the IIFAS resulted in an overall score of 69.1, indicating an attitude of "positive to breastfeeding." Implications for Practice: The study demonstrates that the majority provide lactation-based support and care on every shift and hold very positive attitudes toward the provision of human milk and breastfeeding. Hospitals should be encouraged to promote educational and training programs in their respective institutions. Implications for Research: Researchers should examine NICU nurses' attitudes and beliefs about human milk and breastfeeding on a national scale.


Ovulation induced in the immature rat by pregnant mare's serum can be prevented by chlorpromazine. Coitus induces ovulation in such animals, and ovulation so induced may result in pregnancy. Both implantation and pregnancy appear to be normal although the duration of gestation may be prolonged. Decidual response also is produced in the immature rat after coitus-induced ovulation. We suggest that the reflex release of luteinizing hormone may occur in Primates after coitus.


Consider a Gaussian multiple-access channel shared by K users who transmit asynchronously independent data streams by modulating a set of assigned signal waveforms. The uncoded probability of error achievable by optimum multiuser detectors is investigated. It is shown that the K -user maximum-likelihood sequence detector consists of a bank of single-user matched filters followed by a Viterbi algorithm whose complexity per binary decision is O(2^{K}) . The upper bound analysis of this detector follows an approach based on the decomposition of error sequences. The issues of convergence and tightness of the bounds are examined, and it is shown that the minimum multiuser error probability is equivalent in the Iow-noise region to that of a single-user system with reduced power. These results show that the proposed multiuser detectors afford important performance gains over conventional single-user systems, in which the signal constellation carries the entire burden of complexity required to achieve a given performance level.


UNSTRUCTURED
 Excess weight is a major risk factor for chronic diseases. In Australia, over 60% of adults are overweight or obese. The overconsumption of energy-dense nutrient-poor (EDNP) foods and low physical activity (PA) levels are key factors contributing to population obesity. New cost-effective approaches to improve population diet and PA behaviors are needed. This 1-year randomized controlled trial (6-month intervention and 6-month follow-up) aims to investigate whether a tailored intervention using mobile technology can improve diet and PA behaviors leading to weight loss in adults (aged 18-65 years) who are overweight or obese and recruited through a social marketing campaign (LiveLighter). All eligible participants will provide data on demographics and lifestyle behaviors online at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Using two-stage randomization, participants will be allocated into one of three conditions (n=200 per group): tailored feedback delivered via email at seven time points, informed by objective dietary (mobile food record app) and activity (wearable activity monitor) assessment; active control receiving no tailored feedback, but undergoing the same objective assessments as tailored feedback; and online control receiving no tailored feedback or objective assessments. Primary outcome measures at 6 and 12 months are changes in body mass, EDNP food and beverage consumption, and daily moderate-to-vigorous PA (measured via accelerometry). Secondary outcomes include change in fruit and vegetable consumption, daily sedentary behaviors, and cost effectiveness. Enrolment commenced in August 2017. Primary outcomes at 12 months will be available for analysis from September 2019. Tailored email feedback provided to individuals may deliver a cost-effective strategy to overcome existing barriers to improving diet and PA. If found to be successful and cost effective, upscaling this intervention for inclusion in larger-scale interventions is highly feasible. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12617000554369; https://www.anzctr.org.au /Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=371325&isReview=true.


Background Low birth weight is a preventable public health problem. It is an important determinant of child survival and development, as well as long-term consequences like the onset of non-communicable disease in the life course. A large number of mortality and morbidity can be prevented by addressing the factors associated with low birth weight. The main objective of this study was to identify associated risk factors of low birth weight. Methodology A health facility-based unmatched case-control study was carried out from July 2018 to March 2019 among the mothers who delivered in health facilities of Dang district of Nepal from 17th August to 16th November 2018. The total sample size for the study was 369; 123 cases and 246 controls. Cases and controls were randomly selected independent of the exposure status in the ratio of 1:2. Information regarding exposure status was assessed through interviews and medical records. Mothers who delivered outside Dang districts were excluded from the study. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee (IRC) of the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University and written consent was taken from each participant after explaining the objectives of the study. Results Multivariate logistic regression found that having the kitchen in the same living house (AOR 2.7, CI: 1.5–4.8), iron intake less than 180 tablets (AOR 3.2, CI: 1.7–5.7), maternal weight gain during second and third trimester less than 6.53 kg (AOR 2.6, CI: 1.5–4.7), co-morbidity during pregnancy (AOR 2.4, CI: 1.3–4.5), preterm birth (AOR 2.9, CI: 1.4–6.1) were the risk factors associated with low birth weight. Conclusion Having the kitchen in the same living house, iron intake less than 180 tablets during pregnancy, maternal weight gain less than 6.53 kg during the second and third trimester, co-morbidity during pregnancy and preterm birth were the risk factors associated with low birth weight.


In this article, we investigate risk return characteristics and diversification benefits when private equity is used as a portfolio component. We use a unique dataset describing 642 US-American portfolio companies with 3620 private equity investments. Information about precisely dated cash flows at the company level enables for the first time a cash flow equivalent and simultaneous investment simulation in stocks, as well as the construction of stock portfolios for benchmarking purposes. With respect to the methodology involved, we construct private equity, stock-benchmark and mixed-asset portfolios using bootstrap simulations. For the late 1990s we find a dramatic increase in the extent to which private equity outperforms stock investment. In earlier years private equity was underperforming its stock benchmarks. Within the overall class of private equity, returns on earlier private equity investment categories, like venture capital, show on average higher variations and even higher rates of failure. It is in this category in particular that high average portfolio returns are generated solely by the ability to select a few extremely well performing companies, thus compensating for lost investments. There is a high marginal diversifiable risk reduction of about 80% when the portfolio size is increased to include 15 investments. When the portfolio size is increased from 15 to 200 there are few marginal risk diversification effects on the one hand, but a large increase in managing expenditure on the other, so that an actual average portfolio size between 20 and 28 investments seems to be well balanced. We provide empirical evidence that the non-diversifiable risk that a constrained investor, who is exclusively investing in private equity, has to hold exceeds that of constrained stock investors and also the market risk. From the viewpoint of unconstrained investors with complete investment freedom, risk can be optimally reduced by constructing mixed asset portfolios. According to the various private equity subcategories analyzed, there are big differences in optimal allocations to this asset class for minimizing mixed-asset portfolio variance or maximizing performance ratios. We observe optimal portfolio weightings to be between 3% and 65%.


Dental anomalies are major features of several human syndromes. For example, supernumerary teeth are found in cleidocranial dysplasia, and hypodontia is seen in hypohydrotic ectodermal dysplasia. Additionally, supernumerary teeth and hypodontia are found as isolated anomalies in a sizable part of the population. Studies in mice have provided important insights into mammalian tooth development. This process occurs through a series of reciprocal signaling interactions between oral epithelium and neural crest-derived ectomesenchymal cells. A central theme in this process is the role of signaling pathways, such as that initiated by Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) gene family products. Members of the Sprouty family, which was first identified in Drosophila melanogaster, are inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, and in particular FGF function. There are four mammalian orthologs, Spry1-4. We have generated mice null for Spry1, 2 and 4, the three Sprouty genes known to be widely expressed in the embryo. Spry2 and Spry4 null mice have abnormal molar cusp morphology, whereas Spry1 null mouse cusps appear grossly normal. Preliminary three-dimensional scanning analyses of Spry2 knockout teeth using geometric morphometric and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) techniques have shown bucco-lingual compression of cusp tips and extra lobes in the anteroconid (front part of the first molar). Ongoing studies of gene expression in the wild-type and mutant teeth should provide molecular explanations for the cusp abnormalities. Both Spry2 and Spry4 null mice have supernumerary teeth in the lower jaws, whereas Spry1 null animals appear to have the normal number of teeth. In mice, a toothless gap known as a diastema is present between the incisor and molar regions. The diastemal region contains vestigial tooth primordia that cease developing and undergo apoptosis during late gestation. The extra tooth in Sprouty knockout mice likely reflects an abnormal continuation of development of this tooth germ, and experiments are in progress to determine how loss of Sprouty gene function causes this effect. Interestingly, the supernumerary teeth in Spry4 null mice are always on the right side, suggesting a previously unknown lateral asymmetry in responsiveness to signals for tooth development. The results of our analysis will provide insights into mechanisms that control normal tooth development and that may lead to disease when perturbed. The supernumerary teeth in the Spry2 and Spry4 mouse diastema may correspond to human premolars, and study of these extra teeth may yield clues about the differences between mouse and human dentition.


BACKGROUND
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a newly emerging virus that gives rise to SARS patients with high rates of infectivity and fatality. To study the humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV, the authors evaluated IgG and IgM specific antibodies in patients' sera.

METHODS
Two methods, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA), were used to detect specific serum IgG and IgM against SARS-CoV in 98 SARS patients and 250 controls consisting of patients with pneumonia, health-care professionals and healthy subjects. The serum antibody profiles were investigated at different times over one and a half years in 18 of the SARS patients.

RESULTS
The sensitivity and specificity of ELISA for detecting IgG against SARS-CoV were 100.0% and 97.2% and for IgM 89.8% and 97.6% respectively; the figures using IFA for IgG were 100.0% and 100.0% and for IgM 81.8% and 100.0% respectively. During the first seven days of the antibodies trace test, no IgG and IgM were detected, but on day 15, IgG response increased dramatically, reaching a peak on day 60, remaining high up to day 180 and decreasing gradually until day 540. On day 15, IgM was detected, rapidly reached a peak, then declined gradually until day 180 when IgM was undetectable.

CONCLUSION
The detection of antibodies against SARS virus is helpful in the clinical diagnosis of SARS.


Introduction Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations of GLA gene leading to reduced α-galactosidase activity and resulting in a progressive accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) and its deacylated derivative, globotriaosyl-sphingosine (Lyso-Gb3). Plasma Lyso-Gb3 levels serve as a disease severity and treatment monitoring marker during enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). Methods Adult patients with AFD who had yearly pulmonary function tests between 1999 and 2015 were eligible for this observational study. Primary outcome measures were the change in z-score of forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and FEV1/FVC over time. Plasma Lyso-Gb3 levels and the age of ERT initiation were investigated for their association with lung function decline. Results Fifty-three patients (42% male, median (range) age at diagnosis of AFD 34 (6–61) years in men, 34 (13–67) in women) were included. The greatest decrease of FEV1/FVC z-scores was observed in Classic men (−0.048 per year, 95% CI −0.081 to –0.014), compared with the Later-Onset men (+0.013,95% CI −0.055 to 0.082), Classic women (−0.008, 95% CI −0.035 to +0.020) and Later-Onset women (−0.013, 95% CI −0.084 to +0.058). Cigarette smoking (P=0.022) and late ERT initiation (P=0.041) were independently associated with faster FEV1 decline. FEV1/FVC z-score decrease was significantly reduced after initiation of ERT initiation (−0.045 compared with −0.015, P=0.014). Furthermore, there was a trend towards a relevant influence of Lyso-Gb3 (P=0.098) on airflow limitation with age. Conclusion Early ERT initiation seems to preserve pulmonary function. Plasma Lyso-Gb3 is maybe a useful predictor for airflow limitation. Classic men need a closer monitoring of the lung function.


Heterogeneity in neural activations and structural anomalies associated with stuttering have led researchers to postulate that stuttering is due to a network default. Widespread differences in white matter integrity surrounding areas involved in sensorimotor integration have been reported in people who stutter, but the connectivity between these regions has not been examined. This preliminary study examined white matter connectivity differences between sensorimotor areas involved in speech production in people who stutter when compared to those who do not stutter. White matter connectivity was assessed using Fractional Anisotropy (FA), Quantitative Anisotropy (QA), and white matter volume. Non-parametric analyses revealed significantly decreased white matter volume in tracts connecting the left Sylvian parietal temporal region (Spt) to both rolandic operculum (RO) and supramarginal gyrus (SMG) in people who stutter when compared to those who do not. Reduced FA in tracts connecting the left RO and premotor region (PM) was also associated with stuttering. Right hemisphere analysis revealed reduced white matter volume in the tract connecting the right Spt and Hechl's Gyrus (HG) in people who stutter when compared with those who do not. Correlational analyses showed a significant negative relationship between stuttering severity and QA of tracts connecting the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) to HG, and the IFG to SMG. QA of tracts connecting the right IFG to both the Spt and PM were also negatively correlated to stuttering severity scores. Scores assessing impact of stuttering on a person's life had a negative correlation to QA of the left Spt -RO, and the right RO to both IFG and PM. Results of the study indicate that people who stutter showed reduced white matter volume and FA in tracts connecting sensorimotor areas and that the white matter integrity of some of the tracts were negatively correlated to stuttering severity.


Abstract. The temperature at the Antarctic Ice Sheet bed and the
temperature gradient in subglacial rocks have been directly measured only a
few times, although extensive thermodynamic modeling has been used to
estimate the geothermal heat flux (GHF) under the ice sheet. During the last
5 decades, deep ice-core drilling projects at six sites – Byrd, WAIS
Divide, Dome C, Kohnen, Dome F, and Vostok – have succeeded in reaching or nearly reaching the bed at inland locations in Antarctica. When temperature
profiles in these boreholes and steady-state heat flow modeling are combined
with estimates of vertical velocity, the heat flow at the ice-sheet base is
translated to a geothermal heat flux of 57.9  ±  6.4 mW m −2 at Dome
C, 78.9  ±  5.0 mW m −2 at Dome F, and 86.9  ±  16.6 mW m −2
at Kohnen, all higher than the predicted values at these sites. This warm
base under the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) could be caused by radiogenic
heat effects or hydrothermal circulation not accounted for by the models.
The GHF at the base of the ice sheet at Vostok has a negative value of
 − 3.6  ±  5.3 mW m −2 , indicating that water from Lake Vostok is
freezing onto the ice-sheet base. Correlation analyses between modeled and
measured depth–age scales at the EAIS sites indicate that all of them can be
adequately approximated by a steady-state model. Horizontal velocities and
their variation over ice-age cycles are much greater for the West Antarctic
Ice Sheet than for the interior EAIS sites; a steady-state model cannot
precisely describe the temperature distribution here. Even if the
correlation factors for the best fitting age–depth curve are only moderate
for the West Antarctic sites, the GHF values estimated here of 88.4  ±  7.6 mW m −2 at Byrd and 113.3  ±  16.9 mW m −2 at WAIS Divide can be
used as references before more precise estimates are made on the subject.


The rheological behavior of clay and kaolin suspensions has been investigated in order to find possible effects of dispersed phase characteristics. Those effects were described using property functions. Clay particles were dispersed in water at four different solid volume fractions (6.4 %, 8.8 %, 11.4 %, and 14.2 %). At each solid volume fraction, six clay samples were used having different particle size distribution. Particle size distribution was described using LN distribution function where the measure of particle size range varied from 5.07 to 8.48 m, and the measure of spread from 0.448 to 0.513. The same solid volume fractions were used for dispersing kaolin particles in the water. LN distribution function was also used for defining particle size distribution of six different kaolin samples. Measure of particle size range varied from 4.24 to 4.94 m, while the measure of spread was ranging from 0.446 to 0.512. Rheological measurements using rotational rheometer showed that all used kaolin suspensions can be described using Herschel-Bulkley model while all clay suspensions showed Bingham behavior at any concentration. The obtained rheological parameters were correlated with solid volume fraction and external specific surface what resulted with two parameter models. Those models were joined into one equation that describes suspension plastic viscosity and enables viscosity estimations when solid volume fraction and external specific surface are known particle characteristics. Very good results were obtained for highly concentrated suspensions mostly used in process industry.


In light of possible future restrictions on the use of fossil fuel, due to climate change obligations and continuous depletion of global fossil fuel reserves, the search for alternative renewable energy sources is expected to be an issue of great concern for policy stakeholders. This study assessed the feasibility of bioenergy production under relatively low-intensity conservative, eco-agricultural settings (as opposed to those produced under high-intensity, fossil fuel based industrialized agriculture). Estimates of the net energy gain (NEG) and the energy return on energy invested (EROEI) obtained from a life cycle inventory of the energy inputs and outputs involved reveal that the energy efficiency of bioenergy produced in low-intensity eco-agricultural systems could be as much as much as 448.5–488.3 GJ·ha−1 of NEG and an EROEI of 5.4–5.9 for maize ethanol production systems, and as much as 155.0–283.9 GJ·ha−1 of NEG and an EROEI of 14.7–22.4 for maize biogas production systems. This is substantially higher than for industrialized agriculture with a NEG of 2.8–52.5 GJ·ha−1 and an EROEI of 1.2–1.7 for maize ethanol production systems, as well as a NEG of 59.3–188.7 GJ·ha−1 and an EROEI of 2.2–10.2 for maize biogas production systems. Bioenergy produced in low-intensity eco-agricultural systems could therefore be an important source of energy with immense net benefits for local and regional end-users, provided a more efficient use of the co-products is ensured.


Atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) sheets were synthesized and isolated via solventassisted
chemical exfoliation. The charge-dependent electrochemical activities of these MoS2
sheets were studied using positively charged hexamine ruthenium (III) chloride and negatively
charged ferricyanide/ferrocyanide redox probes. Ultrathin MoS2 sheet-based electrodes were
employed for the electrochemical detection of an important neurotransmitter, namely dopamine
(DA), in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA). MoS2 electrodes were identified as being capable of
distinguishing the coexistence of the DA and the AA with an excellent stability. Moreover, the
enzymatic detection of the glucose was studied by immobilizing glucose oxidase on the MoS2.
This study opens enzymatic and non-enzymatic electrochemical biosensing applications of
atomic MoS2 sheets, which will supplement their established electronic applications


Plasticity of the lung vasculature is intrinsically more complex than other organs due to the presence of two blood supply systems under different arterial pressures, the pulmonary and bronchial arterial systems. The bronchial and pulmonary circulations may both contribute to vascular remodelling in lungs after injury or inflammation. Vascular remodelling in the airway is a long recognized component in asthma. Growing numbers of reports suggest that a pro-angiogenic milieu is not a consequence of, but rather dictates the chronic inflammation of asthma. The fairly recent discovery of EPCs (endothelial progenitor cells) has enabled us to study the bone-marrow-derived cells that regulate lung vascular plasticity in asthma. This mini review provides a concise synopsis of our present knowledge about vascular plasticity in adult lungs, summarizes our current view of angioplasticity in asthma and highlights yet unresolved areas of potential interest.


We propose two double-well magnetic traps for cold neutral atoms that use current-carrying wires. These traps can be used to trap two different atomic species. The spatial distributions of the magnetic fields, gradients, and curvatures from these two wire configurations were calculated and analyzed. Our study shows that the double-well traps proposed here can be continuously changed into single-well traps by reduction of the current in a wire (or a coil) and vice versa and that a maximum field gradient greater than 5×104 G/cm and a maximum field curvature (at each trap center) greater than 2.5×107 G/cm2 can be generated in our double-well traps and used to achieve two-species Bose–Einstein condensations and study the properties of double-well Bose–Einstein condensations or to achieve sympathetic cooling between two atomic samples or even to achieve two-species magneto-optical traps and study cold collisions between two atomic samples.


Childhood Studies has significantly shifted the narrative about children and childhoods away from narrow conceptualisations of the child as an adult in the making, further rejecting the parochial and essentialist theorizing of social constructivism, to include a fluid and broader concern for the centrality of voice and how children develop, understand and regulate their own lives. In this context the politics of representation are an important concern and childhood researchers are keenly aware of the need to critically evaluate both how children's lives are organized and mediated, and how they critically analyse how they come to represent children's lived experience in their research work.
This presentation reports on the findings of an institutional ethnography of a primary school in the north of England during a period of regulatory scrutiny when the school was judged by Ofsted inspectors as 'performing less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform'. Consideration is given to use of a narrative method, the Listening Guide including 'I' poems, and how these were utilised in revealing and analysing the co-ordination of social relations. Findings reveal complex, relational, ethical and political context in which the teachers' work is organized by powerful texts and intertextual processes. Specifically teachers are scrutinized by inspectors as needing to care about targets and desired outcomes and silenced as care receivers. The dilemmas this creates for research with children and young people in educational settings is discussed.


Diabetes is a growing health concern worldwide and now emerging as an epidemic world over. The management of diabetes is still a major challenge. Diabetes is characterized by excessive blood sugar due to body's failure to produce insulin or the consequence of insulin resistance. The present study was designed to investigate the anti-hyperglycemic effect of different extract (Ethyl Acetate, Methanol and Aqueous) of Gracilaria corticata seaweed on normal and streptozotocin (STZ) induced in diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced into male albino Wistar rats by intraperitonial administration of STZ. The Gracilaria corticata different extract was administered orally at three different doses to normal and STZ-diabetic rats for 0hrs-2hrs and 0-15 days. Effect of G. corticata (15 day) on blood glucose and body weight in normal and STZ-diabetic rats was evaluated. Significant increase in blood glucose level and decrease in body weight was observed in diabetic rats when compared to normal. Treatment with G. corticata extracts lowered plasma glucose and elevated body weight significantly as compared to STZ-diabetic rats. The results suggested that methanolic extract of G. corticata at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight exhibited a considerable hypoglycemic effect and could be developed as a potential hypoglycemic agent for the management of diabetes.


A method for mapping the spatial dependence of the restoring force of an optical trap in multiple dimensions using triangular wave flow is considered. A theoretical description of the transient motion of an optically trapped massless microsphere in triangular wave flow is introduced and verified experimentally. Guided by theory, the method is first demonstrated using one-dimensional (1D) triangular wave flow to measure the transverse and axial dependence of the restoring force of an optical trap for polystyrene microspheres with diameters from 360 to 3000 nm and is compared to more conventional measurements. While the experimental results are self-consistent, the expected size dependence predicted by theory Nieminensps2007 is not observed for the optical traps examined here. Two-dimensional (2D) triangular-wave flow is then used to the measure the spatial dependence of the restoring force in the transverse–axial plane. The resulting map shows that a spatial asymmetry, not predicted by theory, is present in the optical force field.


This paper provides a detailed overview of the current situation of the coffee sector in the Rwandan economy and identifies the possible challenges that the sector is currently facing. The study has identified the economic and the livelihood indicators for farmers who are engaged in coffee production and also gives the Rwandan coffee sector' situation and its position in the global coffee market. Also, the research has found out that in Rwanda, nearly 500,000 farmers produce coffee along with other crops, notably beans, savory banana and corn and found out that in 2012, coffee accounted for almost 30 percent of Rwanda's total export revenue. On the other hand, the study revealed that the sector throughout all the coffee production process, has undergone different challenges especially climate change as it is reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal resources. A low yield was reported in 2007 and climate variability was quoted among the causes. Insufficient rainfall in the last three months of 2006 (the period of coffee flowering) proceeding the short dry season in the first two months of 2007 was recorded. The reduced rainfall was also poorly distributed across coffee growing regions in Rwanda. In addition, the research revealed that even though the area under coffee production is increasing, the coffee production is decreasing due to unexpected climate change and variability in current years and also the improper use of chemical fertilizers by coffee farmers is very critical. The study concluded that adding value to the coffee supply chain of Rwanda is adding direct economic benefits and important indirect social benefits to the lives of individuals and to the health of communities in Rwanda. Moreover, more effort should continue to raise the profile of the Rwandan coffee sector suggesting that proper use of chemical fertilizers, solid marketing channels and climate change adaptations measures would be the fair ways of making the sector more profitable and considering national targets to increase coffee export revenues, a few simple measures to improve the performance of the sector could have substantial effects on the country's economic growth.


Fullerenes are not automatic candidates for luminescence analyses due to their highly absorptive nature. Consequently, very few luminescence experiments have been performed on fullerenes. This paper focuses on the luminescence properties of commercially available C60 when bombarded by electrons (cathodoluminescence) and, to a lesser extent, x-rays (radio-thermoluminescence) between 20 and 270 K. Wavelength resolved luminescence signals have been recorded as a function of temperature. CL experiments reveal pronounced anomalies that truncate the emission spectrum between 155 and 170 K. Other less pronounced anomalous features are detected at 70 and 245 K. These dramatic changes in the luminescence spectra are cautiously interpreted to be manifestations of phase transitions and support the view that cathodoluminescence (CL) can be used to monitor for phase transitions in fullerenes. The luminescence signals offer information on the mechanisms of the relaxation processes, including changes in charge trapping energies and emission spectra.


Micro-thermoelectric generator device (MTGD) is used to supply lasting electrical energy for Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). As an important part of MTGD, micro-combustor with high energy density has direct influence on the total electrical generating efficiency for MTG. D In this paper, Considering some parameters such as material, dimension, flux of fuel and shape of thermal conductive tunnel for micro-combustor, some simulation models such as thermal transfer, combustion for micro-combustor were built up, and some simulation results were got. Based upon, optimized micro flat combustors were designed and tested. The experiment results illustrated that the conduct efficiency of micro-combustor was well controlled by adjusting heat flux, and the combustor with shape of zigzag combustion tunnel has high thermal exchange efficiency in experiment models. By adjusting flux of fuel and the structure of micro premixed combustor, the heat loss of MTGD was reduced and output power was improved in a degree.


Glioblastoma remains the most aggressive malignancies of the brain with dismal prognosis. Typically, it is pathologically characterized by nuclear polymorphism, cellular atypia, necrosis and aggravated angiogenesis. Recently, the 2016 WHO classification, has however given impact on profiling of molecular markers as IDH, EGFR for better prognostic assessment. Animal model are needed to recapitulate the pathology of naturally growing tumors to develop and update the therapeutic regime. Present review provides a glimpse of molecular pathology of glial tumors and the existing animal models being used for glioma research.


This essay in counterstory suggests a method by which to incorporate critical race theory (CRT) in rhetoric and composition, as a contribution of other(ed) perspectives toward an ongoing conversation in the field about narrative, dominant ideology, and their intersecting influence on programmatic and curricular standards and practices. As a narrative form, counterstory functions as a method for marginalized people to intervene in research methods that would form "master narratives" based on ignorance and on assumptions about minoritized peoples like firstname.lastname@example.com Through the formation of counterstories or those stories that document the persistence of racism and other forms of subordination, voices from the margins become the voices of authority in the researching and relating of our own experiences. Counterstory serves as a natural extension of inquiry for theorists whose research recognizes and incorporates, as data, lived and embodied experiences of people of color. This essay argues it is thus crucial to use a narrative methodology that counters other methods that seek to dismiss or decenter racism and those whose lives are daily affected by it.


There is mounting evidence that many plants and animals may be unable to adjust the timing of their various life cycle events rapidly enough to adjust to predicted rates of climate change. For example, the close synchronisation between bud-burst and herbivore emergence may be disrupted by increased temperatures. However, many experimental studies demonstrating these effects have only used short term temperature manipulations, despite the possibility that strong selection pressure could lead to rapid adaptation to a changing climate over several years. This study therefore investigated whether phenological synchrony between plants and their herbivores was disrupted after five years of simulated climate change. A series of warming chambers was set up across the forest-tundra ecotone in Arctic Sweden. The chambers increased temperatures relative to control plots in line with average predictions from climate change models. The warming chambers did not affect the timing of snow melt, suggesting that hydrological conditions were broadly similar in warming chambers and control plots. Plants growing in areas with a late-melting snow pack showed accelerated development and growth in comparison with plants in early-melting areas, so that plants in all areas completed development at about the same time. However, invertebrate herbivores were more closely synchronised to their host plants in areas where immature foliage was only available for a short period of time. Experimental warming advanced the onset of leaf development and also increased the area of leaf tissue available to herbivores. However, phenological synchrony between invertebrate herbivores and their host plants was not affected by warming, as the lag between leaf emergence and the onset of herbivory was similar in warming chambers and control plots. This suggests that herbivores may be able to respond relatively rapidly to changes in host plant phenology. However, elevated temperatures were associated with an increase in defoliation, with potentially severe consequences for the birch forests of northern Fennoscandia.


The terror attacks in Norway in July 2011 led to massive popular mobilisation as particularly expressed in thousands of memory messages displayed at spontaneous memorial sites. This article is based on a review and analysis of all messages, collected in Oslo and in the area around Utøya Island, using the concepts 'critical event', 'national identity dynamic', 'depoliticisation' and 'domestic alien'. Results show that the predominant theme in the messages of peace and compassion is partly made possible by subordinate themes of depoliticisation and of alienating the perpetrator from majority, national community, thus contributing to the ongoing construction of a Norwegian, national identity.


Blending of conventional polymers can be a convenient way of developing materials with novel or selectively enhanced properties which are possibly superior to those of the component [1]. This technique is far less costly and time consuming than the development of new polymers. Nevertheless, blends offer the possibility of tailor-making products to meet specific end needs. Therefore, blends are economically attractive and are experiencing significant growth [2]. Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) is a widely used thermoplastics. Within the compositions of ABS, acrylonitrile (A) causes an improvement in chemical resistance and weatherability, butadiene (B) has the character of rubber toughness, and styrene (S) offers glossiness and processability. The relationships of the various components can be controlled to meet the requirements of a variety of applications. However, the overall mechanical properties of ABS are lower than those of most engineering plastics, and the heat distortion temperature of general grades of ABS is lower than 100°C [3,4]. In order to upgrade the use of ABS, one simple way is to blend ABS resin with other high performance engineering plastics such as polycarbonate (PC). Blends of PC and ABS have been commercially available for a number of years. PC can offer variation improvements in some properties, such as strength, dimensional stability, heat distortion temperature and impact resistance. In a typical ABS/PC blend, PC contributes toughness, matrix ductility and high temperature strength. At the mean time, ABS provides processing advantages and increased impact resistance particularly at low temperature rigorous engineering applications besides providing cost reduction with respect to PC. The objective of this research is to determine the mechanical properties (flexural, tensile, impact and creep) of super high impact ABS/PC blend at various blend compositions.


Functional mimetics of the sialyl LewisX tetrasaccharide were prepared by the enzymatic sialylation of a 1,3-diglycosylated indole and a glycosyl azide, which was subsequently transformed into a 1,4-diglycosylated 1,2,3-triazole, by using the trans-sialidase of Trypanosoma cruzi. These compounds inhibited the binding of E-, L-, and P-selectin-coated nanoparticles to polyacrylamide-bound sialyl-LewisX-containing neighboring sulfated tyrosine residues (sTyr/sLeX-PAA) at low or sub-millimolar concentrations. Except for E-selectin, the mimetics showed higher activities than the natural tetrasaccharide.


This study explores how access to the mobile phone affects the lives of female live-out (as opposed to live-in) domestic workers in Delhi. Through interviews with 102 workers, we find that the mobile phone helps to enhance their agency in determining their daily schedule, the amount of work they take on, and the public spaces they can safely occupy. It also engenders certain communication obligations at home and work, reinforcing the inequalities they face due to their marginalized position at the intersection of gender and social class. We draw upon contextually sensitive conceptualizations of agency to explain this phenomenon. In doing so, we argue that the device enhances the women's capacity to act within the context of the social, cultural, and economic forces within which they are embedded. Further, we discuss the relationship between different types of access to technology and such conceptualizations of agency, highlighting its dynamic and complex nature. Thus, we move beyond dichotomies such as empowerment/disempowerment and access/no access to make a nuanced contribution to the literature on gender, mobile communication, and development.


Vaccine adjuvants are compounds that enhance host immune responses to co-administered antigens in vaccines. Vaxjo is a web-based central database and analysis system that curates, stores, and analyzes vaccine adjuvants and their usages in vaccine development. Basic information of a vaccine adjuvant stored in Vaxjo includes adjuvant name, components, structure, appearance, storage, preparation, function, safety, and vaccines that use this adjuvant. Reliable references are curated and cited. Bioinformatics scripts are developed and used to link vaccine adjuvants to different adjuvanted vaccines stored in the general VIOLIN vaccine database. Presently, 103 vaccine adjuvants have been curated in Vaxjo. Among these adjuvants, 98 have been used in 384 vaccines stored in VIOLIN against over 81 pathogens, cancers, or allergies. All these vaccine adjuvants are categorized and analyzed based on adjuvant types, pathogens used, and vaccine types. As a use case study of vaccine adjuvants in infectious disease vaccines, the adjuvants used in Brucella vaccines are specifically analyzed. A user-friendly web query and visualization interface is developed for interactive vaccine adjuvant search. To support data exchange, the information of vaccine adjuvants is stored in the Vaccine Ontology (VO) in the Web Ontology Language (OWL) format.


Though the test level has improved highly, the original grading curve of coarse materials should be reduced in some scale in dynamic triaxial test. This method must affect the difference between the test results and the real results, which is called scale effect. In this paper, the scale effect was studied by using particle flow code (PFC) based on dynamic triaxial tests. The relationship between microscopic shear modulus and the maximum particle diameter can be simulated by hyperbolic function. The results show that the dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio are increased with the sample size increase. The normalized dynamic shear modulus vs. normalized dynamic shear strains of different size samples are located in a narrow space which can be simulated by modified Hardin-Drnevich model formula. The parameters of maximum shear modulus and damping ratio of different sample size can be simulated by power functions.


This paper addresses the problem of designing a small satellite constellation suitable for communications in Antarctica. This study has been motivated by the increasing international interests in having permanent bases in Antarctica to perform experiments in physics, atmospheric sciences, geology, and biology to name a few key areas. The existing and planned scientific expeditions in Antarctica require continuous and reliable communication services, especially during emergencies. Geostationary Earth orbit satellites do not cover this high latitude adequately, and constellations using circular orbits would require too many satellites to provide continuous regional coverage, thus increasing cost prohibitively. A three‐satellite constellation using elliptical orbits is proposed to address this issue. The critical inclination has been selected to predominantly keep the satellites over Antarctica, where the satellites will dwell most of the time. This configuration has been obtained by using the two‐dimensional lattice flower constellation design theory: a minimum parameter design methodology that enforces all three satellites in the same trajectory as seen from the Earth rotating frame. This aspect provides the continuous coverage necessary for reliable communications using only a small number of satellites. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The Internet has rapidly evolved from being a scientific experiment to a commercial network connecting millions of hosts that carries traffic generated by a large amount of applications with diverse requirements. Its architecture was however designed to enable efficient point-to-point delivery of bulk data, and can not provide statistical guarantees on the timely delivery of delay sensitive data such as streaming and real-time multimedia. Thus, applications that require low loss probabilities in today's Internet have to use some end-to-end error recovery mechanism. For delay sensitive applications the introduced latency by the applied schemes has to be low as well. Traffic control functions such as delay limited shaping and forward error correction (FEC), and multiple description coding (MDC) have been proposed for variable bitrate video. Their major drawback is, however, that it is difficult to predict their efficiency, as it depends on many factors like the characteristics of the stream itself, the characteristics of the traffic in the network and the network parameters. Consequently, it is difficult to decide which control mechanisms to employ, how to combine them and to choose the right parameters (e.g. block length, code rate) for optimal performance. In this thesis we present results on the efficiency of traffic control functions and MDC for video transmission based on mathematical models and simulations. We investigate the efficiency of delay limited traffic shaping and the trade-offs in the joint use of traffic shaping and forward error correction. We identify the packet size distribution of the traffic in the network as an additional factor that may influence the efficiency of FEC, and present a thorough analysis of its possible effects. We present an analytical comparison of MDC versus media-dependent FEC and media-independent FEC, and based on the results we conclude that MDC is a promising error control solution for multimedia communications with very strict delay bounds in an environment with bursty losses. We combine the analytical results with traces from measurements performed on the Internet to evaluate how efficient these error control schemes are under real loss patterns. We compare the efficiency of MDC and media-dependent FEC in the presence of channel estimation errors; we propose a new rate allocation method, which is robust to mis-estimations of the channel state and which improves error resilience on non-stationary channels. Finally we present an analytical model of the performance of an end-point-based multimedia streaming architecture based on multiple distribution trees and forward error correction, and analyze the behavior of the architecture for a large number of nodes.


Objective Peritoneal dialysate solutions with conventionally high-calcium (Ca) concentrations (1.75 mmol/L) are now widely replaced by solutions with a lower, more physiological calcium content to prevent hypercalcemia in patients treated with oral calcium-containing phosphate binders and/or calcitriol. While there is still debate on how far the dialysate calcium should be lowered (1.25 mmol/L or less), little information is available concerning the effects of a long-term treatment with low-calcium solutions on secondary hyperparathyroidism and bone mineral metabolism in general. Design A prospective, randomized, controlled multicenter study to compare the effects of low-calcium (LCa, dialysate calcium 1.0 mmol/L) versus standard calcium dialysate solution (SCa, dialysate calcium 1.75 mmol/L)on bone mineral metabolism in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients over 2 years of treatment. Setting Nephrology and dialysis units of primary and tertiary hospitals in Germany and Switzerland. Patients All CAPD patients in the participating centers between 18 and 80 years of age, stable on CAPD for at least 1 month, free of aluminum bone disease or prior parathyroidectomy were invited to enter the study. Sixty-four patients could be randomly allotted to LCa (n = 35) or SCa (n = 29) treatment in a 2-year protocol; 34 finished the study as planned. Interventions Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) was given as oral phosphate binder to maintain serum phosphate <2.0 mmol/L. If hypercalcemia supervened, CaCO3 was exchanged stepwise for aluminium hydroxide (AI(OH)3)' until normocalcemia was obtained. Patients received calcitriol (0.25 μg/day per os) if parathyroid hormone (PTH) exceeded the upper limit of normal by a factor of 2 or more. Main Outcome Measures We assessed total and ionized serum calcium, phosphate, serum aluminum, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, PTH (intact molecule), and phosphate binder intake at regular intervals. Measurements of bone mineral density and hand skeleton x-rays were obtained at the start and after 6 months and 2 years, respectively. Results With LCa, mean total and ionized serum calcium levels were within the normal range (total Ca: 2.0 2.6 mmol/L; ionized Ca: 1.19–1.32 mmol/L), but throughout the treatment period were significantly lower than with SCa. The incidence of hypercalcemia (>2.8 mmol/L) was three times higher in patients on SCa, despite the significantly higher amount of AI(OH)3 and less CaCO3 given in this group. In parallel, serum aluminum increased with SCa throughout the study, whereas it was slowly decreasing with LCa. Median PTH levels remained stable at about two times the upper limit of normal over the 2 years of study with LCa. However, 23% of the patients on LCa developed severe hyperparathyroidism, with PTH levels exceeding ten times the upper limit of normal compared to only 10.3% of the patients on SCa. With SCa, median PTH decreased towards near normal levels. Alkaline phosphatase and serum osteocalcin correlated positively with PTH levels. Bone mineral density was in the lower normal range in both groups a n d remained unchanged at the end of the study. Skeletal x-ray films showed only minor alterations in very few patients in both groups with no correlation to serum PTH or treatment modality. Conclusion In CAPD patients low-calcium dialysate solutions can be used successfully over prolonged periods of time with stable control of serum calcium. The risk of hypercalcemia resulting from calcium-containing phosphate binders and the need to use aluminum-containing phosphate binders is markedly diminished. However, there is a certain risk that severe secondary hyperparathyroidism with long-term LCa therapy will develop, even if normocalcemia is maintained. Thus, LCa dialysis requires closeand continuous monitoring of PTH and bone metabolism.


A small-scale machine for extracting watermelon juice was developed with locally available materials and evaluated to determine its best extracting operating factors. The machine slices a whole watermelon and extracts its juice content. This machine operates on the principle of compressive and shearing force exerted through an auger.  Component parts includes feeding hopper, conveyor shaft, auger conveyor housed in a cylindrical chamber, juice sieve, juice collector, seed - pulp outlet, gear and main frame. It was powered by a 1hp electric motor, coupled to a gear reduction speed to operate at 46.67 rm -1 . In operation, watermelon fruits introduced via the hopper is squeezed and transferred to the auger conveyor. The auger presses and squeezes the watermelon fruit to extract the juice. The juice extracted is filtered through the juice sieve into juice collector while the seeds and pulp are discharged through another outlet.  Performance evaluation was carried out using different sizes of watermelon fruit (2.3 kg, 2.6 kg, 2.8 kg, 3.1 kg and 3.3 kg) to determine juice yield, extraction efficiency and extraction loss. Results revealed maximum juice yield of 86 %, extraction efficiency of 92.6 % and extraction loss of 14 % respectively. The machine has a capacity of 49.04kg / hr. It is simple to operate and maintain; therefore, it is an attempt at enhancing production of watermelon juice by small scale farmers.


Given the increased risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) found with the 1976 swine influenza vaccine, both active surveillance and end-of-season analyses on chart-confirmed cases were performed across multiple US vaccine safety monitoring systems, including the Medicare system, to evaluate the association of GBS after 2009 monovalent H1N1 influenza vaccination. Medically reviewed cases consisted of H1N1-vaccinated Medicare beneficiaries who were hospitalized for GBS. These cases were then classified by using Brighton Collaboration diagnostic criteria. Thirty-one persons had Brighton level 1, 2, or 3 GBS or Fisher Syndrome, with symptom onset 1-119 days after vaccination. Self-controlled risk interval analyses estimated GBS risk within the 6-week period immediately following H1N1 vaccination compared with a later control period, with additional adjustment for seasonality. Our results showed an elevated risk of GBS with 2009 monovalent H1N1 vaccination (incidence rate ratio = 2.41, 95% confidence interval: 1.14, 5.11; attributable risk = 2.84 per million doses administered, 95% confidence interval: 0.21, 5.48). This observed risk was slightly higher than that seen with previous seasonal influenza vaccines; however, additional results that used a stricter case definition (Brighton level 1 or 2) were not statistically significant, and our ability to account for preceding respiratory/gastrointestinal illness was limited. Furthermore, the observed risk was substantially lower than that seen with the 1976 swine influenza vaccine.


Expansion of the meat inspection process to incorporate animal-based welfare measurements could contribute towards significant improvements in pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) welfare and farm profitability. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of different welfare-related lesions on the carcase and their relationship with carcase condemnations (CC) and carcase weight (CW). The financial implications of losses associated with CC and CW reductions related to the welfare lesions were also estimated. Data on tail lesions, loin bruising and bursitis, CW and condemnation/trimming outcome (and associated weights) were collected for 3,537 slaughter pigs (mean [± SEM] carcase weight: 79.2 [± 8.82] kg). Overall, 72.5% of pigs had detectable tail lesions, whilst 16.0 and 44.0% were affected by severe loin bruising and hind limb bursitis, respectively. There were 2.5% of study carcases condemned and a further 3.3% were trimmed. The primary cause of CC was abscessation. While tail lesion severity did not increase the risk of abscessation, it was significantly associated with CC. Male pigs had a higher risk of tail lesions and of CC. The financial loss to producers associated with CC and trimmings was estimated at €1.10 per study pig. CW was reduced by up to 12 kg in cases of severe tail lesions. However, even mild lesions were associated with a significant reduction in CW of 1.2 kg. The value of the loss in potential CW associated with tail lesions was €0.59 per study pig. Combined with losses attributable to CC and trimmings this represented a loss of 43% of the profit margin per pig, at the time of the study, attributable to tail biting. These findings illustrate the magnitude of the impact of tail biting on pig welfare and on profitability of the pig industry. They also emphasise the potential contribution that the inclusion of welfare parameters at meat inspection could make to pig producers in informing herd health and welfare management plans.


A case of a 60-year-old man with recurrent rectal villous adenoma is described. Preoperative staging with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed very discordant results. EUS showed a tumour present in the mucosa with no submucosal invasion, while MRI revealed invasion of the muscularis propria consistent with an invasive stage T2 carcinoma. Based on the MRI findings, the patient underwent a low anterior resection of the tumour. The surgical pathology specimen revealed a villous adenoma with lowgrade dysplasia but no carcinoma and no extension into the muscularis propria. The present case highlights the uncertainty that currently exists as to which imaging modality provides the greatest accuracy in the staging of rectal cancer and in guiding the type of surgical procedure performed. Two recent meta-analyses and a systematic review of the literature point to EUS as the imaging modality of choice for determining muscularis propria and perirectal tissue invasion, as well as nodal involvement.


When Eleanor Gray of Pelham, Massachusetts submitted a petition for divorce to the governor in May 1746, her husband, Samuel Gray, does not appear to have been overly concerned. He made no attempt to deny the fact that he had had an extramarital relationship with a certain Isabel Crawford which had resulted in the birth of a child, even though adultery constituted grounds for divorce. Perhaps, as a recent immigrant from Northern Ireland, he was not familiar with the intricacies of colonial procedure, which required an act of the legislative assembly for a marriage to be annulled and a divorce granted, but even when a summons to appear before the Governor's Council the following January was delivered to him in person by a deputy sheriff of Hampshire County, he simply ignored it. In fact, it was not until the following April, after the divorce had been officially pronounced and the Council began to address the question of how much financial support he would have to provide, that Samuel began to mount a serious defense. By that time, however, Eleanor had been taken under the wing of the powerful Edwards-Stoddard clan of neighboring Northampton, members of which had secured the assistance of an array of public officials determined to defend her interests. Samuel's last-minute, desperate attempt at trying to get out of supporting his ex-wife gives the distinct impression of a man who had severely miscalculated the ease with which he could benefit from a legal system that had now unexpectedly turned against him. But had it really?


No-tillage seeding applications that conserve natural resources such as soil and water and decrease the cost of inputs for agricultural production have become an increasingly applied method to conventional tillage systems including ploughing. Traditional tillage systems in the subtropics and tropic regions and with intensive tillage applications will lead to soil degradation and a decrease in crop production efficiency. This will also lead to poverty and emigration of farmers from rural areas. If we want to give the farmers a chance to continue farming and if sustainable agricultural production is to be ensured, then land use and management methods should be revised and improved, and new or modern cultivation systems should be applied. No tillage is the practice of never soil tilling before seeding operation. The essence of no-tillage is providing the soil surface covered with stubble residue. No-tillage systems have remarkable impacts on crop production and environment: _ they reduce erosion (wind and water), thereby reducing environmental pollution and, most importantly, protecting water resources; _ they reduce carbon emissions; _ they contribute to increasing biodiversity in the soil; _ they provide agricultural production using less energy than conventional tillage, and essentially the conservation tillage or conservation agriculture practices contribute to sustainable development. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.75.1.20861