Politics is often thought of as a pie cut in half and split between republicans and democrats. A
more accurate representation would be a pie cut into several uneven slices; most of the small pieces
would go to the democrats and the few large slices would go to republicans. The existing literature on
political parties indicates that parties are not mirror opposites of one another. Issue density is not uniform
among the parties. Since the New Deal, democrats have pushed extensive policy from Social Security to
new roads and dams. The trend to expand the scope of government policy continues today in the form of
universal healthcare, combating global warming, and gay rights. The tendency of democrats to expand
their policy agenda stems from the makeup of the party. Unlike republicans, the Democratic party is
composed of a coalition of interest groups. Republicans, in contrast, can be described as ideological and
have held consistent over time. Republicans are more easily thought of in terms of big ideological
principles that include low taxes, defense, and family values. Republicans, being more ideological, have a
few core tenants. Democrats, being a coalition of interest groups, have a wide and diverse set of principles
but less support behind each issue area.
Given two political parties, one with a smaller but deeper set of beliefs and a second with a wider
and shallower set of beliefs, the group with a smaller number of principles will find it relatively more
difficult to compromise. Since politicians are single-minded seekers of reelection, they try to capture a
comfortable number of votes to become reelected; however, if the party with the smaller number of
principles were to compromise on a single principle, they would risk losing a proportionally greater
number of voters. For instance, let us assume two political parties 'R' and 'D'. R holds two principles '1'
and '2', while D holds principles '3', '4', '5', '6', and '7'. If R compromises on principle 2 to gain access
to voters from principle area 3, they risk losing half of their voter base, assuming 1 and 2 contain equal
numbers of voters who care deeply about that principle. Whereas if D compromises on principle 3 to gain
access to voters from principle area 2 they risk only losing one-fifth of their voter base, assuming 3, 4, 5,
6, and 7 all contain equal numbers of voters who care deeply about that issue. Therefore, republicans are
disincentivized from compromising while democrats have an incentive to work with republicans.
Democrats compromise because they are likely to gain more votes from sacrificing small areas for a
bigger traditionally republican area.


Summary: The risk of major malformations in the offspring of mothers with epilepsy receiving antiepileptic drugs is 4–8% compared to 2–4% in the general population. Risk factors include daily dose and polytherapy. Selected drugs have been found to be associated with a higher risk of specific malformations (congenital heart defects and cleft palate with phenytoin and barbiturates; neural tube defects with valproate and carbamazepine). Although some of these findings are unquestionable, several questions are still unsolved, depending the characteristics of the target populations, the small samples of patients, and the design and limiting factors of the published reports. In the last decade, pregnancy registries have been activated by collaborative groups of physicians in Europe (EURAP), North America (NAREP), Australia and India (the latter two recently merged into EURAP), to enroll a large number of exposed women to be monitored prospectively with standardized methods, and by three pharmaceutical companies marketing lamotrigine, gabapentin and vigabatrin, as part of their post‐marketing surveillance. Even though the structure of these registries and the target populations should theoretically result in the identification of a sufficient number of women exposed to different drugs and examined for the occurrence of malformations of any type and severity, the implementation of a common database with information from the existing registries may provide valuable information in a shorter time period. Although differences between some of the registries limit the possibility to pool data, a gradual development of a collaboration is highly desirable to discuss a list of design issues and assess to what extent and how data could be compared and organized.


This article presents the results of a field experiment on the production of heart of coconut (HOC) in Santo Island, Vanuatu. It demonstrated that the production of HOC is possible under the conditions of northern Vanuatu without irrigation and with low inputs. Only sodium chloride was applied as a fertiliser and the use of scrap copra sacks as a mulch was proved particularly efficient to reduce the weeds invasion and to preserve moisture. In this experiments, 3 densities of planting in an equilateral pattern with a spacing of 0.8 m, 1A m and 2.0 m were tested, and the growth parameters of the seedlings and the yield of the final product over a period of 2 years were recorded. It appeared that the higher the density of planting, the lower the weight of each HOC and the higher the yield by area unit. Two years after planting, the yield of HOC was 11.8 MT/hectare (0.8 m spacing), 7.7 MT/hectare (1.4 m) and 6.4 MT/hectare (2.0 m) with an average weight of HOC of 688 g, 1372 g and 2330 g respectively. The market requirement for HOC individual weight must be taken into account to choose the appropriate spacing and duration of cultivation. A strong relation between the stem girth and the HOC weight that can be described in the form of an allometric equation makes easy to estimate at any time the potential yield of HOC by measuring the stem girth of the whole palm. (Resume d'auteur)


OBJECTIVE
Catecholamine-secreting tumors (pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas) presenting during pregnancy are extremely rare, but they can be fatal to both mother and fetus. Recent discoveries in the genetic background of these tumors are expected to address an increasing number of at-risk women to prenatal diagnosis.

METHODS
The literature was reviewed in order to provide clinicians with a practical and updated guide on how to manage this life-threatening condition.

RESULTS
The clinical presentation of catecholamine-secreting tumors can be deceptive and mimic common disorders of pregnancy. Silent catecholamine-secreting tumors can become evident during pregnancy, and hypertension cannot be considered a hallmark for this condition: some women may be normotensive or develop orthostatic hypotension. Biochemical screening includes measurement of plasma free metanephrines or urinary fractioned metanephrines. Measurement of catecholamines, dopamine, and methoxytyramine can provide further information on tumor biology, location, and prognosis. Diagnostic imaging is limited, and medical treatment requires a cautious balance between hemodynamic control and effects on the fetoplacental unit. Several genes have been associated with syndromes including catecholamine-secreting tumors, and positive genetic testing can correlate with tumor behavior. Timing and modalities for tumor removal and delivery, including anesthetic management, depend on gestational age, maternal and fetal wellbeing, control of catecholamine excess, suspicion of multiple or malignant disease, and surgical accessibility to the tumor.

CONCLUSION
A timely diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach are the keys to improve pregnancy outcomes in patients with a catecholamine-secreting tumor; each case should be managed in a tertiary referral center.


Recent interest in the development of a unifying framework among direct numerical simulations, large-eddy simulations, and statistically averaged formulations of the Navier–Stokes equations, provides the motivation for the present paper. Toward that goal, the properties of the residual (subgrid-scale) stress of the temporally filtered Navier–Stokes equations are carefully examined. This includes the frame-invariance properties of the filtered equations and the resulting residual stress. Causal time-domain filters, parametrized by a temporal filter width 0<Δ<∞, are considered. For several reasons, the differential forms of such filters are preferred to their corresponding integral forms; among these, storage requirements for differential forms are typically much less than for integral forms and, for some filters, are independent of Δ. The behavior of the residual stress in the limits of both vanishing and infinite filter widths is examined. It is shown analytically that, in the limit Δ→0, the residual stress vanishes, in which case the Navier–Stokes equations are recovered from the temporally filtered equations. Alternately, in the limit Δ→∞, the residual stress is equivalent to the long-time averaged stress, and the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations are recovered from the temporally filtered equations. The predicted behavior at the asymptotic limits of filter width is further validated by numerical simulations of the temporally filtered forced, viscous Burger's equation. Finally, finite filter widths are also considered, and both a priori and a posteriori analyses of temporal similarity and temporal approximate deconvolution models of the residual stress are conducted for the model problem.


An argument sometimes used against having experts teach or write on their subject is that they are unable to summarize and yet retain a balanced account of the topic in question. We are firmly opposed to this view, and in fact a lack of balance is one of the chief faults of this book. For example, ulcerative colitis is sketchily and poorly discussed, receiving less space than visceroptosis; and syphilis of the cesophagus receives more attention than eesophageal ulceration.


This short note presents a 1-D analytic generalized inverse for VSP transmission + reflection tomography. Its validity is restricted to evenly layered media and negligible ray bending. The significance of the result is that the reliability estimate of slowness for 1-D VSP tomography can be analyzed analytically, rather than by empirical guesswork. This can lead to the design of optimal tomography algorithms and field experiments. For example, Salo and Schuster (1989) observed empirically that reflection + transmission VSP data provided a better velocity reconstruction than do transmission VSP data alone. However, the underlying reason for this improvement was not clearly identified. This short note gives an unambiguous explanation.


This protocol describes a method for detection of bacterial proteins involved in efflux mediated antibiotic resistance (ARE) and their sub-families as described in the research paper entitled "BacEffluxPred: A two-tier system to predict and categorize bacterial efflux mediated antibiotic resistance proteins" published in Scientific Reports. BacEffluxPred is a support vector machine based two-tier prediction method, that can be used for the detection of efflux proteins responsible for antibiotic resistance in bacteria and to identify the families to which it belongs. The overall prediction cycle includes three important steps: 1) The query protein is presented to the prediction algorithm. 2) If the query protein would be predicted to be a non-ARE protein, the prediction would stop at tier-I.3) If the query protein would be predicted as an ARE protein at the tier-I, the query protein would be forwarded to tier-II for ARE family prediction. By using these steps it is possible to generate the models that can be used on proteomic data to predict whether the given data have potential ARE proteins or not if yes it will further classified into their following families. This is the first in-silico tool for predicting bacterial ARE proteins and their families and it is freely available as both web-server and standalone versions at http://proteininformatics.org/mkumar/baceffluxpred/


Multicultural, feminist, and social justice counseling theories are often viewed as disparate helping models. This article examines the complementary nature of these models and discusses the need to promote a clearer understanding of the ways in which these common threads can be used in counseling practice.


This study explored important aspect of the basis for the highly complex population of kawakawa (Euthynnus affinis) within the coastal waters of Tanzania; by investigating length frequency distribution, mortality rate and reproductive characteristics. This information is essential for the sustainable management of the regionally-important recreational and economic E. affinis fishery. Fish were sampled on a monthly basis for two monsoon seasons using a ring net and artisanal fishermen boat. Maximum and minimum total length was 85 and 31 cm, respectively. Nonlinear least square fitting provided a complete set of von Bertalanffy growth estimates: L8 = 89.25 cm total length and K = 0.78. The estimated value of total mortality based on length converted catch curve using these growth parameters is Z = 1.78 year(-1). Natural mortality based on growth parameters and mean environmental temperature (T = 26.9 degrees C) is M = 1.09 year(-1). The estimated annual instantaneous fishing mortality (F = 0.69 year(-1)) was considerably grater than the target (Fopt = 0.43 year(-1)) and limit (Flimit = 0.58 year(-1)) biological reference point indicating that E. affinis is heavily overexploited. Reproductive aspects were assessed whereby female E. affinis was reported to reach maturity earlier than males which is an indication of phenotypic response toward a decline in population. Two peaks was revealed by the use of Gonad-Somatic Index (GSI), however an extended spawning period was noticed in a period between November to February following an increased water temperature. Although, these findings presents a snapshot concerning population structure and reproduction of E. affinis, further studies covering the entire coastal waters of Tanzania are recommended to aid the management and conservation strategies.


Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that trigger the activation of caspases-1 and subsequently the maturation of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β and interleukin-18. These cytokines play a critical role in mediating inflammation and innate immunity response. Among various inflammasome complexes, the NLRP3 inflammasome is the best characterized, which has been demonstrated as a crucial role in various diseases. Here, we review recently described mechanisms that are involved in the activation and regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome. In addition, we summarize the recent researches on the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in central nervous system (CNS) diseases, including traumatic brain injury, ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke, brain tumor, neurodegenerative diseases, and other CNS diseases. In conclusion, the NLRP3 inflammasome may be a promising therapeutic target for these CNS diseases.


Background: Small solid fuel power plants are gaining popularity in the energy industry. This trend is connected to the problem of obtaining an independent and reliable power supply source and also with the development of thermochemical treatment of solid fuels. At the same time, there are several limitation factors in this process. The complex power technological processing has several problems associated with exhaust gas cleaning. Calcium-based sorbents are widely used to remove sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide and other gaseous pollutants. Dolomite seems to be the most appropriate choice among calcium-based sorbents. That is why the development of a simple but informative model for describing the technological process of thermal decomposition of dolomitic materials now requires special attention. Materials and methods: The Markov chain approach is used to model the complex technological processes involving thermal decomposition of dolomite particles in fluidized stage. The proposed model is complemented by the following semi-empirical sub-models: solid suspension in gas upstream, gas-solid heat transfer, solid thermal decomposition. Dolomite conversion to oxides is considered as a special one-stage process. Results: A cell model of complex technological processes involving thermal decomposition of dolomite particles in fluidized bed is proposed. The transition matrices are associated with the current physical properties of the substances involved, which makes the proposed model nonlinear. The comparison of experimental results from the literature sources with the obtained model predictions shows a good agreement for the constant-temperature process. The obtained calculation results show the effect of decomposition enthalpy on the thermodynamic stage of fluidized bed. 1 Исследование выполнено при финансовой поддержке РФФИ в рамках научного проекта No15-08-01684.  «Вестник ИГЭУ» Вып. 4 2017 г. ФГБОУВО «Ивановский государственный энергетический университет имени В.И. Ленина» 57 Conclusions: The Markov chains model has been modified by adding independent semi-empirical sub-models of processes in fluidized bed and has been successfully used to simulate dolomite thermal decomposition. The calculations have made it clear that in order to properly describe the industrial process we should take into account the enthalpy of dolomite decomposition. The obtained mathematical model can be considered as the scientific basis for operating control and design of fluidized bed reactors.


In this paper we extend the work of (Louw and Nicolls, 2007) which proposed a novel Markov Random Field formulation for resolving sparse features correspondences in image pairs. The MRF terms can include cliques of variable sizes, and the energies are minimized using Loopy Belief Propagation. In this paper, an improved MRF topology is developed which uses a variant of the previously developed KN-means algorithm (where each mean has a specified number of neighbours). The message passing schedule is an accelerated one which converges faster than the usual parallel message update schedule, and surprisingly, often gives better correspondence results. The method is compared to other state of the art sparse feature correspondence algorithms and shown to compare well. Outliers are handled naturally within this paradigm.


Purpose To asses the functional results and complications of Mersilene mesh as an alternative to autogenous fascia lata in the management of low function ptosis. Methods In a randomized clinical trial, 31 eyelids with poor levator function were operated on. In 16 eyelids Mersilene mesh (Group A) and in 15 eyelids autogenous fascia lata were used for frontalis suspension procedure (Group B). Results Nine patients with congenital unilateral and 11 patients with bilateral ptosis underwent sling procedure. There were no differences between the two groups with regards to functional (lid fissure height stability) and cosmetic (lid margin contour) results. Eyelid fissure increase was 4.00±1.46 mm in Group A and 3.13±1.72 mm in Group B. Change in eyelid fissure in both groups was significant (p=0.00, paired t-test), but intergroup difference was not significant (p=0.141, independent sample t-test). Follow-up for Group A was 14.2 (range 6–26) months and for Group B was 15.1 (range 9–29) months. Dermatochalasis was seen more in Group B (B/A = 10/2) and extrusion of Mersilene mesh was seen in two cases of Group A and none of Group B. Early complications such as corneal epithelial defects and entropion and late complications such as undercorrection were comparable in the two groups. Conclusions Mersilene mesh with long-term functional results and low rate of complications is a suitable alternative to autogenous fascia lata as a suspensory material in ptosis surgery.


Although graphite is not effective as an adsorbent in water treatment, it provides a homogenous, non-porous, carbonaceous structure that is ideal for studying fundamental adsorption mechanisms. High-purity graphite powder (C content 99.5%) was oxidized in an ozone stream, producing a near-surface oxygen content of 5.9 at.%, and was used together with the virgin material to establish adsorption isotherms for organic compounds in aqueous solutions. We examined how the aromaticity and substituents of the adsorptives affect adsorption on the model-activated carbon surface. For both virgin and oxidized graphite, the adsorption capacity for the aromatic compounds decreased in the order 1-naphthol > 2-methoxynaphthalene > naphthalene > anisole > phenol, with significant differences in the adsorption capacities of the two graphite species observed only for anisole, naphthalene, and 1-naphthol. The Freundlich constants (KF) for the five compounds on virgin graphite were 23.9, 10.3, 5.5, 1.4, and 0.8 (nmol mg−1 )/(µmol L−1) n , respectively. Naphthalene and 1-naphthol were slightly more adsorbed on the virgin material, whereas oxidized graphite had marginally better adsorption properties for anisole. The results underline the importance of dispersive and π–π interactions in the adsorption of organic compounds on carbonaceous adsorbents; a second aromatic ring in 1-naphthol and 2-methoxynaphthalene greatly increased the adsorption capacity for these compounds compared with their one-ring counterparts phenol and anisole. Differences were also observed in the adsorption of compounds containing hydroxyl or methoxy substituents, which have electron-donating properties (a resonance effect) but different electron-withdrawal characteristics (caused by induction). Two amino acids occurring as zwitterions, l-tryptophan and l-tyrosine, were also tested as adsorptives. l-Tryptophan, which has a larger aromatic system, achieved higher loading on graphite, suggesting an adsorption mechanism primarily governed by dispersive and π–π interactions for these two ionic compounds as well.


Climate change is one of the most important global challenges in the twenty-first century, given that a changing climate is likely to have negative and potentially irreversible consequences for the environment and human beings. Drawing upon Social Representations Theory (SRT) and Identity Process Theory (IPT) from social psychology, we argue that research should focus upon, and successfully integrate, three levels of analysis, namely (1) how climate change knowledge is constructed and circulates (social representation); (2) the role of identity in relation to these representations (identity); and (3) how people might respond to them (action). It is suggested that identity processes may determine how people process social representations of climate change, and that they mediate the link between representations and environmental behavior. Understanding human responses to climate change necessitates an integrative social sciences perspective, in terms of disciplinary, theoretical, and methodological approaches.


Household chemicals such as bleach, table salt, laundry detergent, toilet bowl cleaner, vinegar, lemon juice, and eyedrops are used for adulterating urine specimens. Most of these adulterants except eyedrops can be detected by routine specimen integrity tests (creatinine, pH, temperature, and specific gravity); however, certain adulterants such as Klear, Whizzies, Urine Luck, and Stealth cannot. These adulterants can successfully mask drug testing if the concentrations of certain abused drugs are moderate. Several spot tests have been described to detect the presence of such adulterants in urine. Urine dipsticks are commercially available for detecting the presence of such adulterants, along with performance of tests for creatinine, pH, and specific gravity. Certain hair shampoo and saliva-cleaning mouthwashes are available to escape detection in hair or saliva samples, but the effectiveness of such products in masking drugs-of-abuse testing has not been demonstrated. Ingestion of poppy seed cake may result in positive screening test results for opiates, and hemp oil exposure can cause positive results for marijuana. These would be identified as true-positive results in drugs-of-abuse testing even though they do not represent the actual drug of abuse.


In this brief, we propose a new neuro-fuzzy reinforcement learning-based control (NFRLC) structure that allows autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to follow a desired trajectory in large-scale complex environments precisely. The accurate tracking control problem is solved by a unique online NFRLC method designed based on actor-critic (AC) structure. Integrating the NFRLC framework including an adaptive multilayer neural network (MNN) and interval type-2 fuzzy neural network (IT2FNN) with a high-gain observer (HGO), a robust smart observer-based system is set up to estimate the velocities of the AUVs, unknown dynamic parameters containing unmodeled dynamics, nonlinearities, uncertainties and external disturbances. By employing a saturation function in the design procedure and transforming the input limitations into input saturation nonlinearities, the risk of the actuator saturation is effectively reduced together with nonlinear input saturation compensation by the NFRLC strategy. A predefined funnel-shaped performance function is designed to attain certain prescribed output performance. Finally, stability study reveals that the entire closed-loop system signals are semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded (SGUUB) and can provide prescribed convergence rate for the tracking errors so that the tracking errors approach to the origin evolving inside the funnel-shaped performance bound at the prescribed time.


CONTEXT
The mechanisms underlying Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery-induced weight loss and the immediate postoperative beneficial metabolic effects associated with the operation remain uncertain. Enteroendocrine cell (EEC) secretory function has been proposed as a key factor in the marked metabolic benefits from RYGB surgery.

OBJECTIVE
To identify novel gut-derived peptides with therapeutic potential in obesity and/or diabetes by profiling of EEC-specific molecular changes in obese patients following RYGB-induced weight loss.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Genome-wide expression analysis was performed in isolated human small intestinal EECs obtained from 20 gut-biopsied obese subjects before and after RYGB. Targets of interest were profiled for preclinical and clinical metabolic effects.

RESULTS
RYGB consistently increased expression levels of the inverse ghrelin receptor agonist, liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2). A secreted endogenous LEAP2 fragment (LEAP238-47) demonstrated robust insulinotropic properties, stimulating insulin release in human pancreatic islets comparable to the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1. LEAP238-47 showed reciprocal effects on growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) activity, suggesting that insulinotropic action of the peptide may be directly linked to attenuation of tonic GHSR activity. The fragment was infused in healthy human individuals (n=10), but no glucoregulatory effect was observed in the chosen dose as compared to placebo.

CONCLUSIONS
Small intestinal LEAP2 expression was upregulated after RYGB. The corresponding circulating LEAP238-47 fragment demonstrated strong insulinotropic action in vitro, but failed to elicit glucoregulatory effects in healthy human subjects.


The paper was dedicated to surface grinding, in which axisymmetric surface and non-axisymmetric surface are presented. Machined traces deviate from the vibration waveform because of the geometrical interference between the wheel and the workpiece. Simulation and experimental results indicate that the spectrum of the machined trace is competent for the detection of the vibration source. The deviation of the machined trace from the vibration waveform is greatly influenced by operating parameters, and reasonable choice of them is beneficial to surface smoothness.


For the COVID-19 Contact Confirming Application (COCOA) to be fully effective, it is important that many people install COCOA on their smartphones. However, because the current COCOA implements only a minimum number of functions, it is difficult to motivate people to install it. Therefore, we focus on an extrinsic approach that motivates the installation of COCOA by adding fun functions through interaction with a ubiquitous system on the environment side. In this paper, we introduce an interactive system that nudges users to install COCOA by reframing the act of installing COCOA as getting a ticket to participate in fun experiences.


Although methods of analysis based on Bayes' theorem have had rich applications in Law and in Medicine they have not been much used in Economics. We use Bayes' theorem to construct two concepts of the "risk" associated with belonging to a particular group in terms of a favourable labour market outcome; this, in the Indian context, is taken as being in "regular employment". The first concept, the Employment Risk Ratio, measures the odds of a person being in regular employment to being in non-regular employment, given that he belongs to a particular group. The second, the Group Risk Ratio, measures the odds of a person being in regular employment, given that he belongs to one group against belonging to another group. We then apply these concepts of risk to data for four subgroups in India: forward-caste Hindus; Hindus from the Other Backward Classes; Dalits (collectively the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes); and Muslims. We show that, on both measures of risk, forward caste Hindus do best in the Indian labour market. This is partly due to their superior labour market attributes and partly due to their better access to good jobs. When inter-group differences in attributes are neutralised, the favourable labour market performance of forward caste Hindus is considerably reduced. We conclude that it is the lack of attributes necessary for, rather than lack of access to, regular employment that holds back India's deprived groups.


The paper deals with crack formation of thermal stresses in an isotropic multi-particle-matrix system of homogeneously distributed spherical particles in an infinite matrix divided to cubic cells containing a central particle. Originating during a cooling process as a consequence of the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between a matrix and a particle, the thermal stresses are thus investigated within the cubic cell and extreme at the critical particle volume fraction. Resulting from the derived crack formation condition related to an ideal-brittle particle, the critical particle radius considering the critical particle volume fraction is presented along with an application to the thermalstress- strengthened SiC-Si3N4 ceramics.


Nonlocal gravity (NLG) is a classical nonlocal generalization of Einstein's theory of gravitation that has been constructed in close analogy with the nonlocal electrodynamics of media. According to NLG, what appears as dark matter in astrophysics and cosmology is in reality the nonlocal aspect of the universal gravitational interaction. We focus here on two main features of the effective dark matter in NLG, namely, (a) the density of effective dark matter in NLG is always finite and therefore cusp-free, and (b) there is less effective dark matter in dwarf galaxies than is generally assumed in the standard particle dark matter paradigm. The corresponding astrophysical implications of NLG in connection with three ultra-diffuse galaxies AGC 114905, 242019, and 219533 are discussed.


This thesis examined the intra-individual relationship between state affect and task performance, with an emphasis on a) the moderating effects of trait affect and task difficulty; and b) the mediating effects of cognitive and affective regulation. Theory and empirical research from the emotion, motivation, and personality literatures was integrated to develop a multilevel model of states, traits, and situational factors as predictors of task performance. Data from five studies were analysed using single- and multi-level techniques to test the hypothesised model of relationships. The findings are reported within three manuscripts, which comprise the body of this thesis. Manuscript 1 presents validation evidence for the psychometric instruments used to measure the self-regulatory components of the model. Three studies (N = 758) were conducted to examine the nomological network of cognitive and affective regulation. In parallel, two new self-report scales were developed to operationalise these constructs within a repeated measures paradigm. The three studies demonstrated that the new cognitive and affective regulation scales were uniquely associated with other self-regulatory, personality, affective and achievement variables at the intra-individual and inter-individual levels. Study 1 provided evidence for the unidimensionality, internal consistency, and construct validity of each scale. Study 2 replicated and extended construct validity evidence using a different sample and performance domain. Study 3 established the utility of each scale for assessing intra-individual variability in cognitive and affective regulation, and their ability to predict performance within individuals. In sum, the three studies suggested that the new measures of cognitive and affective regulation were psychometrically adequate for use in model testing. Manuscripts 2 and 3 tested the intra-individual relationship between state affect and task performance, with a focus on the moderating effects of trait affect and task difficulty (Manuscript 2), and the mediating effects of cognitive and affective regulation (Manuscript 3). Each manuscript analysed different portions of data from two laboratory experiments (N = 182). In each experiment, participants performed multiple trials of an air-traffic control simulation that varied in task difficulty at the inter-individual (Study 4) or intra-individual (Study 5) level. Trait positive and negative affect were measured before the task, whereas state positive and negative affect, cognitive and affective regulation, and task performance were measured at repeated intervals over practice. In Manuscript 2, hierarchical linear modelling demonstrated that state positive affect was positively related, whereas state negative affect was negatively related, to task performance at the intra-individual level of analysis. As hypothesised, the strength of these affect-performance relationships was significantly moderated by trait affect and task difficulty. In both studies, the positive intra-individual relationship between state positive affect and performance was stronger for individuals with high (versus low) trait positive affect, particularly when task difficulty was high (versus low). In contrast, the negative intra-individual relationship between state negative affect and performance only emerged for individuals with low (versus high) trait negative affect, regardless of the level of task difficulty. In Study 4, the intra-individual relationship between state negative affect and task performance was also more pronounced when task difficulty was high (versus low). In Manuscript 3, multilevel multiple-mediation modelling demonstrated that cognitive regulation significantly mediated the intra-individual relationship between state positive affect and performance in both studies, alongside the intra-individual relationship between state negative affect and performance in Study 4. Unexpectedly, affective regulation failed to mediate either of these affect-performance relationships. However, state positive affect was positively related to affective regulation in both studies, whereas state negative affect was positively related to affective regulation in Study 5. Overall, this thesis makes theoretical, empirical and methodological contributions to understanding how affect relates to performance at the intra-individual level of analysis; and for whom, when, and why these relationships emerge. Within a multilevel framework, it integrates interdisciplinary perspectives to identify the affective determinants of performance from two levels of analysis. The results demonstrate that state positive and negative affect can differentially predict intra-individual variability in task performance, and that these effects may a) depend on trait affect and task difficulty; and b) be partially explained by cognitive regulation. These findings emphasise the importance of adopting a multilevel, repeated measures paradigm to examine how affective states, traits, and task demands interactively predict task performance. There is scope for extending this research further by investigating a broader range of moderating and mediating constructs. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.


Medical Prophylaxis Faculty of I. M. Setchenov Moscow Medical Academy, which is now 70 years old, has made a significant contribution to development of sanitary epidemiological service in the country and training of specialists and research and training staff. The main forms of activities are training, research, and improvement of training and methodological work on the basis of research results, as well as upbringing of students. Despite the difficulties arising in the course of science and economy reforms, the departments of the Faculty continue fundamental and applied research. This paper sums up the activities of Medical Prophylaxis Faculty and outlines the main trends of research carried out at its departments.


The early diagnosis of active tuberculosis still depends on the presence of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in stained sputum smears. In this study, our aim was to investigate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of two different fluorochrome stains. Materials and methods: A total of 1013 sputum specimens were collected from 642 patients. Three smears and cultures were prepared from each specimen. Double-blind and prospective laboratory procedures were performed. Slides were stained with a commercial auramine/acridine orange kit (Stain 1), an in-house preparation of auramine- rhodamine/KMnO4 (Stain 2) and a Ziehl-Neelsen stain (EZN). Results: Of the 1013 specimens, 101 were culture positive. Among these, AFB was detected in 60 specimens by EZN, in 53 by Stain 1, in 81 by Stain 2. By cultures, the sensitivities and specificities of Stain 2 were 80.1% and 83.8%, respectively, and for Stain 1, 52.4% and 94.6% respectively. There is no significant difference between the costs of these methods. Conclusion: Stain 1 was easy to apply and inexpensive but the sensitivity of Stain 1 was lower than that of Stain 2. However, Stain 2 required longer preparation time, more work, and had a higher risk of exposure to carcinogens. In order to increase the sensitivity of Stain 1, it is suggested that the contents of the prepared Stain 1 kit could be rearranged. In tuberculosis diagnosis, this revised kit may provide practicality in use.


Autocatalytic chemical reactions may lead to spatio-temporal patterns if processed under non-equilibrium conditions. The patterns disappear when the conditions change and information stored in these non-equilibrium structures is lost since precise reconstructions are impossible. Replication of molecules, in particular of polynucleotides RNA or DNA, is an autocatalytic process too. The storage of information in polynucleotide sequences, however, allows for reconstruction of the molecules under suitable conditions. Conservation of information in polymer sequences constitutes the basic difference between chemical and biological self-organization. Evolution of RNA molecules is considered as pattern formation in sequence space, which manifests itself as another pattern in the space of minimum-free-energy structures. In addition, optimization of RNA structures and properties is visualized as an evolutionary trial-and-error process. This process can be interpreted as a simple form of learning at the level of ensembles or populations of molecules. Evolutionary optimization of RNA molecules occurs in steps: Short adaptive periods are interrupted by long epochs of quasi-stationarity during which the mean replication rate of the populations is essentially constant. Understanding of evolution is largely facilitated through consideration of sequence-structure relation as a many-to-one or non-invertible mapping from sequence space into structure space. Neutrality of sequences with respect to structure formation is highly relevant for evolutionary optimization on rugged fitness landscapes.


Two siblings of normal intelligence, belonging to a nonconsanguineous marriage, had their conditions diagnosed as mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type IV—the so-called Morquio syndrome. Despite corneal cloudiness, no other ophthalmological abnormalities or complaints emerged, the visual acuity, fields, and color vision being normal. The electroretinogram, recorded during dark adaptation, pointed to slight photopic impairment, and its amplitudes were normal in the one and supernormal in the other case. The psychophysical dark adaptation also indicates some scotopic impairment. In view of the normal electrooculogram, the scotopic deficiency should be located in the inner retina. Conduction in the optic pathways and the information processing in the striate cortex examined by the visual evoked potential were normal. No ophthalmological and electrophysiological deficiencies have been found in other members of the family, including the carrier.


This paper examines the impact of illusory control beliefs on the performance of traders in financial instruments. The authors argue that the task and environment faced by traders are conducive to the development of illusions of control and that individual propensity to illusion of control will be (inversely) related to trader performance. Using an innovative computer task, designed to assess illusion of control in the field, data from 107 traders in four organizations showed individual differences in this bias to have a significant, inverse, association with performance, as measured by managers' ratings of trader performance and by total remuneration. The authors conclude that, at least in this context, illusion of control is maladaptive and that it is productive to take an individual difference approach to the study of such illusions. Implications for debates about the costs and benefits of positive illusions are discussed.


Membrane tethering is a fundamental process essential for the compartmental specificity of intracellular membrane trafficking in eukaryotic cells. Rab-family small GTPases and specific sets of Rab-interacting effector proteins, including coiled-coil tethering proteins and multisubunit tethering complexes, are reported to be responsible for membrane tethering. However, whether and how these key components directly and specifically tether subcellular membranes remains enigmatic. Using chemically defined proteoliposomal systems reconstituted with purified human Rab proteins and synthetic liposomal membranes to study the molecular basis of membrane tethering, we established here that Rab-family GTPases have a highly conserved function to directly mediate membrane tethering, even in the absence of any types of Rab effectors such as the so-called tethering proteins. Moreover, we demonstrate that membrane tethering mediated by endosomal Rab11a is drastically and selectively stimulated by its cognate Rab effectors, class V myosins (Myo5A and Myo5B), in a GTP-dependent manner. Of note, Myo5A and Myo5B exclusively recognized and cooperated with the membrane-anchored form of their cognate Rab11a to support membrane tethering mediated by trans-Rab assemblies on opposing membranes. Our findings support the novel concept that Rab-family proteins provide a bona fide membrane tether to physically and specifically link two distinct lipid bilayers of subcellular membranes. They further indicate that Rab-interacting effector proteins, including class V myosins, can regulate these Rab-mediated membrane-tethering reactions.


When strong emotions are triggered by a risk, people show a remarkable tendency to neglect a small probability that the risk will actually come to fruition. Experimental evidence, involving electric shocks and arsenic, supports this claim, as does real-world evidence, involving responses to abandoned hazardous waste dumps, the pesticide Alar, and anthrax. The resulting "probability neglect" has many implications for law and policy. It suggests the need for institutional constraints on policies based on ungrounded fears; it also shows how government might effectively draw attention to risks that warrant special concern. Probability neglect helps to explain the enactment of certain legislation, in which government, no less than ordinary people, suffers from that form of neglect. When people are neglecting the fact that the probability of harm is small, government should generally attempt to inform people, rather than cater to their excessive fear. But when information will not help, government should respond, at least if analysis suggest that the benefits outweigh the costs. The reason is that fear, even if it is excessive, is itself a significant problem, and can create additional significant problems.


The hybrid polishing kinematics machine tool (HPKMT) which is made up of "3 axes parallel + 2 axes series" is developed with the specially designed elastic polishing tool system for the polishing operation on the free-form surfaces by using the characteristic of the elastic polishing adequately by the authors. In order to control the HPKMT effectively, its characteristic of the kinematics and dynamics need be known deeply. Moreover, the problem of inverse dynamics is the theory foundation to apply dynamic control of the HPKMT. The analysis of the inverse of mechanism is the important part in the research of dynamics. On the basis of the differential equations of flexible multi-body dynamics, this paper discusses on the condition of knowing the trace, posture and velocity for the end of bodies how to solve the constraint force and constraint moment of each joint on the 3- PTT parallel mechanism and two-joint series mechanism.


X-ray images aid medical professionals in the diagnosis and detection of pathologies. They are critical, for example, in the diagnosis of pneumonia, the detection of masses, and, more recently, the detection of COVID-19-related conditions. The chest X-ray is one of the first imaging tests performed when pathology is suspected because it is one of the most accessible radiological examinations. Deep learning-based neural networks, particularly convolutional neural networks, have exploded in popularity in recent years and have become indispensable tools for image classification. Transfer learning approaches, in particular, have enabled the use of previously trained networks' knowledge, eliminating the need for large data sets and lowering the high computational costs associated with this type of network. This research focuses on using deep learning-based neural networks to detect anomalies in chest X-rays. Different convolutional network-based approaches are investigated using the ChestX-ray14 database, which contains over 100,000 X-ray images with labels relating to 14 different pathologies, and different classification objectives are evaluated. Starting with the pretrained networks VGG19, ResNet50, and Inceptionv3, networks based on transfer learning are implemented, with different schemes for the classification stage and data augmentation. Similarly, an ad hoc architecture is proposed and evaluated without transfer learning for the classification objective with more examples. The results show that transfer learning produces acceptable results in most of the tested cases, indicating that it is a viable first step for using deep networks when there are not enough labeled images, which is a common problem when working with medical images. The ad hoc network, on the other hand, demonstrated good generalization with data augmentation and an acceptable accuracy value. The findings suggest that using convolutional neural networks with and without transfer learning to design classifiers for detecting pathologies in chest X-rays is a good idea.


In a recent article, Michael Laver has explained 'Why Vote-Seeking Parties May Make Voters Miserable'. His model shows that, while ideological convergence may boost congruence between governments and the median voter, it can reduce congruence between the party system and the electorate as a whole. Specifically, convergence can increase the mean distance between voters and their nearest party. In this article we show that this captures the reality of today's British party system. Policy scale placements in British Election Studies from 1987 to 2010 confirm that the pronounced convergence during the past decade has left the Conservatives and Labour closer together than would be optimal in terms of minimising the policy distance between the average voter and the nearest major party. We go on to demonstrate that this comes at a cost. Respondents who perceive themselves as further away from one of the major parties in the system tend to score lower on satisfaction with democracy. In short, vote-seeking parties have left the British party system less representative of the ideological diversity in the electorate, and thus made at least some British voters miserable.


Beyond established roles in the assessment of skeletal metastatic disease, in muscle diseases and in myeloma, WBMRI has the potential to offer many further valuable clinical applications. This article presents an overview of emerging clinical applications of WBMRI emphasizing its role in the assessment of musculoskeletal ailments, ranging from the assessment of arthropathy through to body composition research.


This paper is ongoing work by the Centre of Policy Studies and the Impact Project that integrates the ideas of micro simulation with Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modelling. In micro simulation the behaviour of individuals or households is modelled directly, typically using unit record data, whereas CGE models place an emphasis on market interactions and can take account of the indirect effect on households of changes in market conditions. For many policy issues (such as taxation reform), a combination of the two approaches is desirable so that both the direct and the indirect effects of such reform can be addressed. What is needed is for unit record data to be used in combination with a CGE model; that is, for the modelling of households to be combined with the modelling of markets. This can be achieved by embedding a detailed household sector in an CGE model. The solution of the model then provides distributional results for the representative households directly. In this paper a detailed household sector comprising 100 types of households — differentiated by income and demographic grouping — is developed and embedded in the MONASH Model. Simulations are conducted that measure the economy wide effects of redistributing income across these households.


AIM: To detect correlations between changes in interferon (INF) system and a course of chronic pyelonephritis (CP), to ascertain a corrective effect of cyclopheron in combined treatment with antibacterial drugs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 30 CP patients in different periods of the disease: group 1 had latent CP without laboratory evidence for exacerbation, group 2 had CP exacerbation treated with antibiotics, group 3 had exacerbation given basic treatment and cyclopheron by a standard scheme. All the patients were examined for interferon status, patients of groups 2 and 3 were examined once more after therapy. RESULTS: Patients of all the groups showed diminished ability of blood leukocytes to produce IFN, especially IFN-gamma. Cyclopheron addition to antibacterial therapy significantly stimulated production of IFN alpha and gamma by blood cells compared to basic therapy. Examination of 5 patients after 1-year follow-up detected preserved ability of blood cells to produce IFN and reduce the number of exacerbations after combined treatment with cyclopheron. CONCLUSION: Administration of cyclopheron in combination with standard antibacterial treatment results in persistent correction of IFN status.


Background
Program directors (PDs) are integral to the education of the next generation of physicians. Yet, administrative burdens, substantial patient care responsibilities, and lack of protected time for teaching may contribute to work-life imbalance and physician burnout, leading to high rates of attrition. Data on international residency program leadership turnover are lacking.

Objective
This study aimed to quantify PD turnover in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-International (ACGME-I) accredited programs in Singapore, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar, and to compare to US PD attrition rates.

Methods
Data on PD turnover in international programs was extracted from the ACGME-I Accreditation Data System for academic years 2010-2011 through 2018-2019 for Singapore and 2013-2014 through 2018-2019 for UAE and Qatar. Rates of PD turnover were calculated by country and by ACGME-I medical-, surgical-, and hospital-based specialty groupings and compared using χ2 test. Annual US PD turnover data was extracted from the ACGME's Data Resource Book.

Results
Seventy programs met inclusion criteria. International PD attrition was high, with 56 programs (80%) changing PDs since program inception, and 16 programs (29%) having 2 or more PD turnovers. There was no significant difference between PD turnover rates in hospital (83%), medical (79%), or surgical (78%) specialties. International PD attrition rates varied from 7% to 20% annually and were comparable to PD turnover in US programs (range 12%-15%).

Conclusions
High PD turnover rates in newly accredited international residency programs were noted, although annual attrition rates were comparable to US residency programs.


Rationale: FK506 binding protein (FKBP)12 is a known cis-trans peptidyl prolyl isomerase and highly expressed in the heart. Its role in regulating postnatal cardiac function remains largely unknown. Methods and Results: We generated FKBP12 overexpressing transgenic (&agr;MyHC-FKBP12) mice and cardiomyocyte-restricted FKBP12 conditional knockout (FKBP12f/f/&agr;MyHC-Cre) mice and analyzed their cardiac electrophysiology in vivo and in vitro. A high incidence (38%) of sudden death was found in &agr;MyHC-FKBP12 mice. Surface and ambulatory ECGs documented cardiac conduction defects, which were further confirmed by electric measurements and optical mapping in Langendorff-perfused hearts. &agr;MyHC-FKBP12 hearts had slower action potential upstrokes and longer action potential durations. Whole-cell patch-clamp analyses demonstrated an ≈80% reduction in peak density of the tetrodotoxin-resistant, voltage-gated sodium current INa in &agr;MyHC-FKBP12 ventricular cardiomyocytes, a slower recovery of INa from inactivation, shifts of steady-state activation and inactivation curves of INa to more depolarized potentials, and augmentation of late INa, suggesting that the arrhythmogenic phenotype of &agr;MyHC-FKBP12 mice is attributable to abnormal INa. Ventricular cardiomyocytes isolated from FKBP12f/f/&agr;MyHC-Cre hearts showed faster action potential upstrokes and a more than 2-fold increase in peak INa density. Dialysis of exogenous recombinant FKBP12 protein into FKBP12-deficient cardiomyocytes promptly recapitulated alterations in INa seen in &agr;MyHC-FKBP12 myocytes. Conclusions: FKBP12 is a critical regulator of INa and is important for cardiac arrhythmogenic physiology. FKPB12-mediated dysregulation of INa may underlie clinical arrhythmias associated with FK506 administration.


BackgroundEffects of local infusions of the endothelium-dependent vasodilators acetylcholine and substance P on the coronary circulation were studied in 14 patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries MethodsPatients were allocated at random to receive either acetylcholine (1, 3, 10, and 30 μg/min; n- 7) or substance P (14, 40, and 140 ng/min; n = 7) subselectively into the left coronary artery. The coronary artery diameter was measured by quantitative angiography, and coronary blood flow (CBF) was assessed as the product of the arterial cross-sectional area and the mean CBF velocity measured by a Doppler catheter ResultsAcetylcholine at a dose of 3 μg/min increased coronary artery diameter, whereas 10 and 30 μg/min decreased diameter; substance P consistently increased coronary artery diameter. The increase in coronary artery diameter evoked by isosorbide dinitrate (2 mg) was comparable in the two groups. Both acetylcholine and substance P increased CBF in a dose-dependent manner. The percent increase in CBF induced by 30 μg/min acetylcholine (300%±44%, mean ± SD) was significantly (P < 0.01) greater than that induced by 140 ng/min substance P (144%±45%). The percent increase in CBF induced by intracoronary papaverine (10 mg) was comparable in the acetylcholine-treated and the substance P-treated groups (322%±43% and 301% ± 39%, respectively). These findings suggest that substance P induces greater dilation of large epicardial coronary arteries than does acetylcholine, while acetylcholine produces greater dilation of resistance coronary arteries in the human coronary circulation. ConclusionsThe results suggest differences in the endothelial control of the coronary circulation by endothelium-dependent substances in humans.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the ratio of non-red blood cell to red blood cell components required to avoid coagulopathy when transfusing large amounts of salvaged blood using laboratory test-guided therapy.

DESIGN
Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING
Single-center, academic hospital.

PARTICIPANTS
Thoracoabdominal and abdominal open aortic surgery patients.

MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS
Thirty-eight patients in whom at least 1,000 mL of salvaged red blood cells were transfused were identified and divided into the following 2 cohorts: 1,000-to-2,000 mL of salvaged red blood cells (high dose) (n = 20) and >2,000 mL of salvaged red blood cells (ultra-high dose) (n = 18). Compared with the high-dose cohort, the ultra high-dose cohort received ∼4 times more salvaged red blood cells (1,240 ± 279 mL v 5,550 ± 3,801 mL). With transfusion therapy guided by intraoperative coagulation tests and thromboelastography, the adjusted ratio of non-red blood cell to red blood cell components (plasma + platelets + cryoprecipitate:allogeneic + salvaged red blood cells) was 0.59 ± 0.66 in the high-dose and 0.93 ± 0.27 in the ultra high-dose cohorts. Multiple coagulation parameters were normal and similar between cohorts at the end of surgery, as determined by the mean, median, and 95% confidence intervals.

CONCLUSIONS
When transfusing large volumes of salvaged blood, it is important to balance the ratio between non-red blood cell and red blood cell components. Through a laboratory test-guided approach, coagulopathy was not detected when transfusing blood in ratios of approximately 1:2 for patients receiving 1,000-to-2,000 mL of salvaged blood and 1:1 for patients receiving >2,000 mL of salvaged blood.


This paper reports the salient details of a study carried out with the objectives of identifying what makes an organisation agile, identifying various enablers of agility by field study, developing a modelling framework for assessing agility and assessing agility in Indian manufacturing industries. For this purpose, data were collected from Indian manufacturing industries with the help of a questionnaire. The method of analytic hierarchy process was used to analyse and identify which among these factors are likely to have greater impact on realising an agile organisation. This study revealed a number of interesting observations, which are reported in this paper.


IgG4-related lymphadenopathy (IgG4-LAD) is newly described entity, which may occur before, during or after diagnosis of extranodal IgG4-related disease. It is important to recognize IgG4-LAD, especially in cases with lymphadenopathy as the initial presentation, so that the patients can receive prompt treatment. However, it can be challenging to formulate a final diagnosis since IgG4-LAD displays a broad morphologic spectrum. Moreover, morphologic changes alone are not sufficient for diagnosis of IgG4-LAD, and an accurate diagnosis has to take into account of the overall clinical presentations and laboratory studies. Currently, it is not very clear when pathologists should consider workup for potential IgG4-LAD based on the histologic features. Particularly, for some pathologists, it is not certain how to render the diagnosis in reactive lymph nodes with markedly increased IgG4 + cells. In this review, we will attempt to summarize the major clinicopathologic features of IgG4-LAD and its variants, differential diagnoses, and algorithms to establish an accurate diagnosis.


Developments in Information Technology (IT) have implications for both the business processes of firms and also their degree of competitiveness. The independent music industry in Sweden is no exception and has experienced both the potential for success and the threats that come with these developments.The purpose of this thesis was to explore the effects IT has had on both internal and external connecting business processes for Swedish independent music industry firms. The thesis will examine to what extent this has affected competitiveness of these firms.To address the research problem for the thesis, an exploratory study was conducted using a focal firm (Border Music AB) for a case study. Interviews were undertaken with a retrospective approach at the firm, with three departmental layers, in order to gain a wider perspective of the business processes and how IT has affected them. Interviews were also conducted electronically with connecting firms, to gather a wider understanding about the business activities that link with the focal firm, and to identify any effects IT has made.The result of the thesis indicated that the basic structure of the focal firm's core business processes are largely unchanged from when the firm was founded in 1982. The use of IT has supported these processes to work in a more efficient way and enhance the coordination with their partners. The time savings in terms of quicker and more effective completion of tasks, has made it possible for the focal firm to focus more on building and nurturing relationships with their partners. In terms of competitiveness, the results confirm that IT is an important business tool that has become a competitive necessity for these particular firms.


Order Chiroptera is the second largest mammal group after rodents. An understanding of the development of the bats, which is a very special mammal group in terms of their lifestyles, morphology and their ability to fly, is very important because most of the adult anatomical differences characterizing species occur during organogenesis. In this study, developmental stages were determined for Myotis myotis species based on external morphological characteristics from embryos obtained from wild‐caught pregnant females. The developmental stages of M. myotis were comparable with those of other bat species.


Real GDP growth rebounded strongly to 6.1 percent in FY17/18, from 3.9 percent the previous year. The rebound was largely driven by a pick-up in investments and exports, and on the back of strengthened credit to the private sector and good weather. Consequently, services, particularly information and communications, sustained strong growth, and food crop production recovered. Inper capita terms, however, this rebound translates into a 3.1 percent growth rate, because of the rapidly growing population. Moreover, the heavy reliance on rain-fed and subsistence agriculture drives the volatility in economic growth at the margin, with spillover effects on exportearnings, and a considerable impact on the poor's income. Despite the rebound in economic growth in FY17/18, fiscal revenues stagnated, while the expenditure mix deteriorated further, with excessive current spending and under-execution in capital spending. Current spending exceeded last year's outcome by a striking 1.4 percent of GDP and was above the budgeted amount by 32 percent. At the same time, the larger current spending was not used to finance investments in human capital.Therefore, one of the government's priorities should be to rein in current spending and thereby keep public debt under control. Meanwhile, capital spending was 0.6 percent of GDP lower compared to the year before and fell short of the budgeted amount by 60 percent. Compared to peers, capital spending in Uganda stood at 4.4 percent of GDP in FY17/18, which is less than half the size ofRwanda's capital outlays at 10.3 percent of GDP, and only 60 percent of Kenya's at 7 percent of GDP. Combined with deficiencies in the 'quality at entry' of projects, cost escalations, and poor quality of some completed projects, this under-spending is constraining Uganda's ambitions for rapid growth and socio-economic transformation. Therefore, concerted efforts are required to improve public investment management.


ABSTRACT Based on interviews with a global sample of ITE leaders, this paper explores whether the changes forced on institutions and individuals as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic can be classed as innovation. The paper goes beyond collating the various practical and organisational changes the ITE leaders made and instead focuses on the kind of changes enacted around the world and whether and how these changes can be seen as adding new value to historical ITE practices. Given the consistency of responses evident across the sample of teacher education leaders around the world, the paper concludes with a discussion of potentially global implications of the shifts in ITE practices reported and suggests that COVID-19 has indeed stimulated an innovative stance often perceived to be lacking in the sector.


Characteristic ultrasonsographic patterns of retinal detachment in a variety of clinical circumstances are demonstrated and discussed. Uncomplicated retinal detachment consists of ultrasonically detected retinal detachment without associated pathology in the vitreous, subretinal space, or choroid. The simultaneous detection of lesions in one or more of these areas may be a source of diagnostic confusion. Acoustic diagnostic criteria for differentiation of associated conditions in complicated retinal detachments are demonstrated and discussed. High resolution A-scan and B-scan ultrasonography provides a method for detection and diagnosis of retinal detachment, associated ocular pathology, and simulating conditions.


A theory for constructing quantum error correcting codes from Toric surfaces by the Calderbank-Shor-Steane method is presented. In particular, we study the method on toric Hirzebruch surfaces. The results are obtained by constructing a dualizing differential form for the toric surface and by using the cohomology and the intersection theory of toric varieties.


Present-day climate-change-related ice-melting induces elastic glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) effects, while paleo-GIA effects describe the ongoing viscous response to the melting of late-Pleistocene ice sheets. The unloading initiated an uplift of the crust close to the centers of former ice sheets. Today, vertical land motion (VLM) rates in Fennoscandia reach values up to around 10 mm/year and are dominated by GIA. Uplift signals from GIA can be computed by solving the sea-level equation (SLE),

 S
 ˙

 =

 N
 ˙

 −

 U
 ˙

 . All three quantities can also be determined from geodetic observations: relative sea-level variations (

 S
 ˙

 ) are observed by means of tide gauges, while rates of absolute sea-level change (

 N
 ˙

 ) can be observed by satellite altimetry; rates of VLM (

 U
 ˙

 ) can be determined by GPS (Global Positioning System). Based on the SLE,

 U
 ˙

 can be derived by combining sea-surface measurements from satellite altimetry and relative sea-level records from tide gauges. In the present study, we have combined 7.5 years of CryoSat-2 satellite altimetry and tide-gauge data to estimate linear VLM rates at 20 tide gauges along the Norwegian coast. Thereby, we made use of monthly averaged tide-gauge data from PSMSL (Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level) and a high-frequency tide-gauge data set with 10-min sampling rate from NMA (Norwegian Mapping Authority). To validate our VLM estimates, we have compared them with the independent semi-empirical land-uplift model NKG2016LU_abs for the Nordic-Baltic region, which is based on GPS, levelling, and geodynamical modeling. Estimated VLM rates from 1 Hz CryoSat-2 and high-frequency tide-gauge data reflect well the amplitude of coastal VLM as provided by NKG2016LU_abs. We find a coastal average of 2.4 mm/year (average over all tide gauges), while NKG2016LU_abs suggests 2.8 mm/year; the spatial correlation is 0.58.


The giant protein titin serves a primary role as a scaffold for sarcomere assembly; however, proteins that mediate this remodeling have not been identified. One potential mediator of this process is the protease calpain 3 (C3), the protein mutated in limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A. To test the hypothesis that C3 mediates remodeling during myofibrillogenesis, C3 knockout (C3KO) mice were generated. The C3KO mice were atrophic containing small foci of muscular necrosis. Myogenic cells fused normally in vitro, but lacked well-organized sarcomeres, as visualized by electron microscopy (EM). Titin distribution was normal in longitudinal sections from the C3KO mice; however, EM of muscle fibers showed misaligned A-bands. In vitro studies revealed that C3 can bind and cleave titin and that some mutations that are pathogenic in human muscular dystrophy result in reduced affinity of C3 for titin. These studies suggest a role for C3 in myofibrillogenesis and sarcomere remodeling.


Shot peening is a surface treatment and improves the performance of engineering components. More recently, a new type of microshot has been developed to enhance peening effect. In the present study, the influence of microshot peening on the surface layer characteristics of cold tool steel was investigated. In the experiment, the microshot peening apparatus with a heating furnace was produced experimentally. The projective method of the microshot was a compressed air type. The peening microshots of 0.1mm diameter were cemented carbide and the workpiece was commercially cold tool steel SKD11. Surface roughness, compressive residual stress, and hardness in the peened workpiece were measured. The effect of microshot peening on the fatigue strength of cold tool steel was also examined. The use of hard microshot such as cemented carbide was found to cause a significantly enhanced peening effect for cold tool steel.


Methylene blue is a vital dye that is used in the treatment of methaemoglobinaemia. It is also used to delineate tissues to facilitate identification during surgery. Discoloration of the urine is known after oral and intravenous administration of the dye. We have used it routinely to detect the presence of defects after colorectal anastomosis. However, there have not been any previous reports of urinary discoloration after brief rectal instillation of the dye. We report a case of self-limiting urinary discoloration after anterior resection with colorectal anastomosis.


In this paper, we develop an endogenous growth model that combines structural change with repeated product improvements. There are two sectors in the present paper, one is traditional sector, and the other is modern sector. The technological progress in the traditional sector takes the form of horizontal innovation based on expanding variety, while the technologies in the modern sector become not only increasingly capital-intensive but also progressively productive over time. The application of the basic model to the less developed economies show that the optimal industrial structure in the less developed countries (LDCs) is endogenously determined by its factor endowments; the firm in the LDCs that enters the capital-intensive, advanced industry in the developed countries (DCs) would be nonviable owing to the relative scarcity of capital in the LDCs factor endowments; whether the industrial structure matches with the factor endowment structure or not is the fundamental cause to explain differences in economic performance among the LDCs.


In this study we draw on varied theoretical perspectives to explore and gain an alternative understanding of consumption at New Consumption Communities (NCCs). Intrinsic to the notion of NCCs is a sense of community between production‐engaged consumers who question market practices deemed inadequate or unfair. Reported findings are part of a three‐year ethnographic research project and suggest that such communities have been overly perceived as presenting radical resistance to prevailing ideologies of consumer society. Collectively, they are more interested in entrepreneurial positive discourses, practices and choices, than in acting against consumer culture or markets. This view is buttressed by their varied production‐engaged practices, which in turn are problematized in relation to (perhaps outdated) notions of consumers, producers and their interrelationships. Finally, this paper attempts a fluid classification of the NCCs (Committed, Engaged Alternatives, Apprentices and Visionaries), and offers a view of alternative consumer behaviour that goes beyond the current "anti" discourses in the extant literature.


In the West, Russia's nuclear deterrence strategy is often described as one of "escalate to deescalate". The thinking goes that Moscow is prepared to use nuclear weapons at an early stage in a conflict in order to "deescalate" and terminate the confrontation quickly in its favour. However, Russia's official military doctrine, nuclear exercises of the Russian military, and debates among political and military elites have so far pointed in a different direction. With the concept of "strategic deterrence", Russia has developed a holistic deterrence strategy in which nuclear weapons remain an important element. Yet, to gain more flexibility below the nuclear threshold in order to manage escalation, the strategy also conceptualises a broad range of non-military and conventional means. Given Russia's dwindling arsenal of conventional precision weapons due to its war against Ukraine as well as the strategic adaptation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Russia's strategy is likely to change: In the coming years, Russia's reliance on its non-strategic nuclear weapons will probably increase. These developments could both undermine crisis stability in Europe and further impede the prospects for nuclear arms control in the future.


We investigated the effect of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) on the thermoelectric properties of free-standing poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) films. The electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of the film containing 0.50 vol% GQDs are 164.60 S/cm and 34.85 μV/K, compared with 22.50 S/cm and 27.72 μV/K, respectively, for the pristine PEDOT:PSS film without GQDs. The power factor (PF) increased up to 22.37 μW/mK2, which is ~13 times higher than that (1.73 μW/mK2) of the pristine film through the selective dedoping of PEDOT by the chemical treatment. Thus, the improved PF is due to the optimized charge carrier concentration and increased Hall mobility by the morphological and structural evolution.


This study will take place in Lincoln Nebraska to investigate population density and urban encroachment onto agricultural lands. With urbanization on the rise we will inevitably face land use issues in the future. This research will investigate one strategy on how to build the city of Lincoln while using agriculture as a focal point. Keeping land sparing techniques in mind as we build will be an important component to saving enough land to grow food, shelter, and clothing for a growing population. One important question that will be looked at in this research is how urban expansion has consumed agricultural lands. This study will view past Landsat images and compare them to current images from the National Agriculture Imagery Program to help visualize urban encroachment. Looking at data from a span of nineteen years, from 1999-2018 will show just how fast Lincoln has expanded in just under two decades. By collecting population density information from the state, it can give a better understanding of how to predict future growth. This research utilizes government websites and professionals in the field of urban development to help reorganize relevant information and imagery to depict urban growth onto agricultural lands. Building up rather than the current practice of building out will be a more expensive, but a more sustainable way to develop urban infrastructure. By doing this, developers and city planners will be able to slow the rate of urban encroachment onto agriculture. Implementing this land sparing technique will allow Lincoln Nebraska to become a model for sustainable growth and development.


Studies on the identity of adolescents based on the perspective of "individual" and "relatedness" are reviewed and discussed. Recent experimental investigations to clarify identity from the above standpoint have focused on the development of identity in women. It has been considered that the concept of "relatedness" in identity is particularity related to the identity of women. However, with the recent recognition that "relatedness" is common to both sexes, conceptual discrimination between "individual" and "relatedness," as well as the relationship between these concepts in development of identity, have become the focus of current discussions. "Relatedness" in adults has been defined from various perspectives. It is considered that "relatedness" in adolescent identity is a factor in promoting the separation of self and others, and in keeping an appropriate distance from others on the basis of trust in the outer world. It is necessary that "individual" and relatedness" in adolescent identity be elaborated and substantiated on the basis of knowledge gained from previous research with adults.


A novel porous tube reactor that combines simultaneous reactions and continuous dilution in a single-stage gas-phase process was designed for nanoparticle synthesis. The design is based on the atmospheric pressure chemical vapor synthesis (APCVS) method. In comparison to the conventional hot wall chemical vapor synthesis reactor, the APCVS method offers an effective process for the synthesis of ultrafine metal particles with controlled oxidation. In this study, magnetic iron and maghemite were synthesized using iron pentacarbonyl as a precursor. Morphology, size, and magnetic properties of the synthesized nanoparticles were determined. The X-ray diffraction results show that the porous tube reactor produced nearly pure iron or maghemite nanoparticles with crystallite sizes of 24 and 29 nm, respectively. According to the scanning mobility particle sizer data, the geometric number mean diameter was 110 nm for iron and 150 nm for the maghemite agglomerates. The saturation magnetization value of iron was 150 emu/g and that of maghemite was 12 emu/g, measured with superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation was used to model the temperature and flow fields and the decomposition of the precursor as well as the mixing of the precursor vapor and the reaction gas in the reactor. An in-house CFD model was used to predict the extent of nucleation, coagulation, sintering, and agglomeration of the iron nanoparticles. CFD simulations predicted a primary particle size of 36 nm and an agglomerate size of 134 nm for the iron nanoparticles, which agreed well with the experimental data. Copyright 2015 American Association for Aerosol Research


The anti-Semitism of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin became, at the beginning of the Cold War, an anti-Semitic paranoia and took on the most radical form during the campaign against Western influence on Soviet society. Soon after the destruction of the Jewish Antifascist Committee, the Doctors' Plot campaign was launched at the end of 1952; it soon became a perfect basis for blaming all Jews as disloyal to the Soviet regime. In the republics of the USSR the local Communist leaders supported the anti-Semitic campaign in Moscow with allegations about Jewish medical crimes at the local level. Despite much circumstantial evidence and many testimonies there still is no strong basis for the conclusion that the anti-Semitic campaign of 1952-1953 would soon turn into a large-scale repression campaign or wholesale genocide of the Jewish population in the USSR, but the clear anti-Jewish policy and the Soviet practice of the mass repression of nations leaves little doubt that the Soviet society was mentally prepared for the deportation of Jews to Siberia. The Soviet regime practiced constant archive purge campaigns, and documents about politically sensitive issues or regime crime were destroyed on a regular basis. Despite all regime efforts, some traces of anti-Semitic campaign preparation, control, and coordination may be found not in the central state institutions of the USSR but in the Communist Party archives of the republics. At the republican level Communist party Central Committees some top secret documents of the anti-Semitic campaign of 1953 were preserved in specific archive units, the so-called Osobaja Papka. In the USSR the reports of local party leaders to Moscow always described never-existing enthusiastic popular support for Soviet policies; thus the true scale of anti-Semitism in society can't be determined on the basis of such sources. But they demonstrate that local Soviet institutions supported the spread of anti-Semitism during the infamous Doctors' Plot campaign of 1953. They also permit the conclusion that any anti-Semitic campaign would not be limited to negative propaganda and at least part of Soviet society was ready to accept some repression of Jews. Joseph Stalin's death in 1953 put an early end to the anti-Semitic campaign. Soon Stalin's political heirs quashed charges against the doctors and even punished a few distinguished instigators of the campaign, but there was no official and public condemnation of that anti-Semitic campaign. Thereupon anti-Semitism became less aggressive but still remained very strong in the USSR.


I show how it can be beneficial to express Metropolis accept/reject decisions in terms of comparison with a uniform [0,1] value, u, and to then update u non-reversibly, as part of the Markov chain state, rather than sampling it independently each iteration. This provides a small improvement for random walk Metropolis and Langevin updates in high dimensions. It produces a larger improvement when using Langevin updates with persistent momentum, giving performance comparable to that of Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) with long trajectories. This is of significance when some variables are updated by other methods, since if HMC is used, these updates can be done only between trajectories, whereas they can be done more often with Langevin updates. I demonstrate that for a problem with some continuous variables, updated by HMC or Langevin updates, and also discrete variables, updated by Gibbs sampling between updates of the continuous variables, Langevin with persistent momentum and non-reversible updates to u samples nearly a factor of two more efficiently than HMC. Benefits are also seen for a Bayesian neural network model in which hyperparameters are updated by Gibbs sampling.


4-Ethyltoluene is a very valuable chemical that is currently produced from fossil feedstocks. Production of 4-ethyltoluene from renewable and cheap lignin is of great significance. Herein, we report a new route to produce 4-ethyltoluene from lignin. It was discovered that RhCl3-LiI-LiBF4 was an efficient catalytic system for the reaction of lignin with CO to form 4-ethyltoluene. In the reaction, ethylbenzene was first formed via demethoxylation and depolymerization of lignin, which was further transformed into 4-ethyltoluene by methylation using methoxy from the lignin. The yield of 4-ethyltoluene could reach 9.5 wt% when GVL-lignin was used as the starting material. Interestingly, 5.2 wt% yield of 4-ethyltoluene was obtained when raw poplar was directly used as the starting material. As far as we know, the transformation of lignin with 4-ethyltoluene as the major product has not been reported. This work provides a new strategy to produce valuable aromatic compounds from renewable resources.


This paper concerns the problem of recording and analyzing biomedical data that characterize the motor activities of the limbs in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease. The aim of this paper is the individuation of suitable parameters that are useful for detecting subjects affected by Parkinson's disease and revealing the state of the patient. Hence, a simple and inexpensive system that measures the force of palmar grip is presented and discussed, and a suitable software protocol that is able to record and manage the acquired data is developed. Finally, some biomedical parameters have been identified, characterizing the motor activities of limbs. The study of these parameters and the analysis of the correlations between the acquired data permit taking out useful information and details about the objective evaluation of Parkinson pathology, taking into account the metrological characteristics of the used measurement system


The inclusion of farm maps of habitat features is becoming an urgent requirement for assessments of farm-scale sustainability and for compliance or benchmarking with national and international sustainability certification and accreditation schemes. Traditional methods of habitat assessment rely strongly on field-based surveys, which are logistically demanding and relatively costly. We describe and investigate a process that relies on information technology to develop a scalable method that can be applied across multiple farms to reduce the significant logistical challenges and financial costs of traditional habitat surveys. A key impediment to the routine development of farm habitat maps is the lack of information on the type of habitats that occur on a land parcel. Within a pilot project comprising 187 farms, we developed and implemented a process for creating farm habitat reports and investigate the accuracy of visual interpretation of satellite imagery by an ecologist aiming to identify habitat types. We generated customised farm reports that included a colour-coded farm habitat map and habitat information (type, area, relative wildlife importance). Visual assessment of satellite imagery achieved an overall accuracy of 96% in its ability to discriminate between land parcels with habitats categorised by this study as being of either high or low nature conservation value. Assessment of satellite imagery achieved an overall accuracy of 90% in its ability to discriminate among Fossitt level II habitat classes, and an overall accuracy of 81% when using individual habitat classes (Fossitt level III). There was, however, considerable variation in the accuracy associated with individual habitat classes. We conclude that this methodology based on satellite imagery is sufficiently accurate to be used for the incorporation of farmland habitats into farm-scale sustainability assurance, but should, at most, use Fossitt level II habitat classes. We discuss future challenges and opportunities for the development of farm habitat maps and plans for their use in sustainability certification schemes.


INTRODUCTION
Good alveolar ridge is a prerequisite for successful conventional/ implant supported partial/complete denture. Extensively resorbed ridges with shallow vestibule and high insertion of muscles in to the ridge crest, leads to failure of prosthesis. Success of prosthesis depends on surgical repositioning of mucosa and muscle insertions, which increases the depth of vestibule and denture flange area for retention. So, the study was planned to provide good attached gingiva with adequate vestibular depth using Modified Kazanjian Vestibuloplasty (MKV).

AIM
To evaluate efficacy of MKV technique for increasing vestibular depth in anterior mandible so that successful prosthesis can be delivered. Efficacy of the technique was evaluated through operating time required, vestibular depth achieved, scarring or relapse and any postoperative complications associated with the healing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Total of 10 patients were included in the study, who had minimum 20mm of bone height and less than 5mm of vestibular depth for MKV procedure. The results were tabulated and statistical analysis was carried out to assess vestibular depth achieved i.e. from crest of the ridge to junction of attached mucosa both pre and postoperatively. The study results were compared with existing literature.

RESULTS
Healing of raw surface was uneventful with satisfactory achievement of vestibular depth. The average gain in vestibular depth was 11 mm. The patients had good satisfaction index for prosthesis.

CONCLUSION
Even in the era of implant prosthesis Modified Kazanjian technique is worth to practice to achieve good results and overcorrection is not required as that of standard Kazanjian technique. It provides adequate attached gingiva for successful prosthesis. Extension of vestibular depth enables fabrication of better denture flange with improved oral hygiene. This technique does not require hospitalization and additional surgery for grafts.


Revocation functionality is crucial for the practicality of the public key cryptosystems, especially for that of identity-based cryptosystems. When some users lose their private keys, the cryptosystems must support an efficient revocation method to revoke such users. On the other hand, strong unforgeability provides stronger security than existential unforgeability and ensures the adversary cannot even produce a new signature for a previously signed message. However, existing revocable identity-based signature schemes can support neither efficient key revocation nor strong unforgeability. In this paper, we propose a strongly unforgeable identity-based signature scheme with efficient revocation. In the proposed scheme, the master key is randomly divided into two parts: one is used to construct the initial secret key, the other is used to generate the key update. Furthermore, they are used to periodically and re-randomly produce signing keys for non-revoked users. Thus, the proposed scheme can efficiently revoke users and resist key exposure attacks. In the standard model, our scheme is proven to be strongly unforgeable under the CDH hardness assumption. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.