Large synoptic (repeated scan) imaging sky surveys are poised to observe enormous numbers of core-collapse supernovae. We quantify the discovery potential of such surveys, and apply our results to upcoming projects, including DES, Pan-STARRS, and LSST. The latter two will harvest core-collapse supernovae in numbers orders of magnitude greater than have ever been observed to date. These surveys will map out the cosmic core-collapse supernova redshift distribution via direct counting, with very small statistical uncertainties out to a redshift depth which is a strong function of the survey limiting magnitude. This supernova redshift history encodes rich information about cosmology, star formation, and supernova astrophysics and phenomenology; the large statistics of the supernova sample will be crucial to disentangle possible degeneracies among these issues. For example, the cosmic supernova rate can be measured to high precision out to z ~ 0.5 for all core-collapse types, and out to redshift z ~ 1 for Type IIn events if their intrinsic properties remain the same as those measured locally. A precision knowledge of the cosmic supernova rate would remove the cosmological uncertainties in the study of the wealth of observable properties of the cosmic supernova populations and their evolution with environment and redshift. Because of the tight link between supernovae and star formation, synoptic sky surveys will also provide precision measurements of the normalization and z 1 history of cosmic star-formation rate in a manner independent of and complementary to than current data based on UV and other proxies for massive star formation. Furthermore, Type II supernovae can serve as distance indicators and would independently cross-check Type Ia distances measured in the same surveys. Arguably the largest and least-controlled uncertainty in all of these efforts comes from the poorly-understood evolution of dust obscuration of supernovae in their host galaxies; we outline a strategy to determine empirically the obscuration properties by leveraging the large supernova samples over a broad range of redshift. We conclude with recommendations on how best to use (and to tailor) these galaxy surveys to fully extract unique new probes on the physics, astrophysics, and cosmology of core-collapse explosions.


This article focuses on the link between the capacity to unleash a programme of extermination between 1 January and 31 December 1994 and the particular development and structure of the post-colonial state in Rwanda. It traces this ability to plan, organise and implement such a programme to the character of the institutional framework of the Rwandan state. This premeditated and organised campaign of extermination is the result of the cumulative radicalisation and intransigence of the existing MRND (Mouvement Révolutionaire National pour le Développement) one-party state apparatus to the process of transition towards democracy, between 1990 and 1994, coupled with its retention of an autonomous source of political power. This intransigence, and the facility with which this state apparatus retained an unhindered capacity to institute this programme, are themselves seen to be the product of longer-term continuities between the development of the Rwandan post-colonial state and Belgian colonialism.


Declining availability of water for landscape irrigation has increased the need for drought-resistant turfgrasses. Though drought-resistance mechanisms are known to include deep rooting in some plants, little is known concerning zoysiagrass rooting characteristics. This study was conducted to determine if differences in rooting parameters exist among zoysiagrasses, and if they are associated with drought resistance. Twenty-five zoysiagrasses cultivars and species [Zoysia japonica Steud., Z. matrella (L.) Merr., and Z. japonica Steud. x Z. tenuifolia Willd. ex Trin.] were studied in polyethylene tubes in a glasshouse. Differences were observed for average maximum root depth (AMRD), total root weight, and root numbers and weights at increasing 100-mm depth increments. Average maximum root depth was positively correlated with total root weight and root number and weight at increasing 100-mm depth increments. Grasses with superior AMRD, total root weight, and root numbers at deeper profile depths (300-500 mm) included QT2047, El Toro, DALZ8512, TC5018, Meyer, DALZ8514, and DALZ8516 In a previously reported field experiment, 11 of the 25 zoysiagrasses were rated for percent of plot area covered by green turfgrass (an indicator of drought resistance) under three levels of irrigation (0, 35, and 100% of turfgrass evapotranspiration [ET]). Average maximum root depth, total root weight, and root numbers at 200-, 300-, and 400-mm depths in polyethylene root tubes were positively correlated with percent green plot cover in the field under deficit irrigation (0 and 35% ET), indicating that rooting depth, weight, and branching at lower depths are important drought-resistance mechanisms in zoysiagrasses.


A test strip is provided for having liquid applied thereto and for determining the presence or quantity of an analyte in such liquid. Specifically, the test strip comprises a reaction zone which varies in reflectance as a function of the quantity of analtye present in the applied liquid. The strip is to be inserted into an optical reading apparatus. A standard zone is positioned on the strip so as to lead the reaction zone as the strip is inserted into the reading apparatus. The apparatus may then be provided with optical means for sequentially determining the reflectance value of the standard zone as the strip is being inserted into its fully inserted position in the apparatus and the reflectance value of the reaction zone after the strip has been inserted. The apparatus is further provided with means for calculating the presence and/or quantity of analyte in question as a function of the standard zone reflectance and the reaction zone reflectance.


A cytogenic study of 16 opiate addicts receiving methadone hydrochloride compared with a control population revealed an unusual number of chromosome aberrations including dicentric chromosomes and an exchange figure at 72 hours in the addicted group, but no significant increase in chromosome anomalies over the controls at 48 hours. To determine whether methadone was the drug responsible for these chromosome abnormalities an in vitro study was initiated to evaluate the effects of methadone, morphine, and quinine on peripheral blood leukocytes from nonaddicts. Chromosome studies at three times normal, normal, and one third, one sixth, and one twelfth the normal therapeutic concentrations of quinine, morphine, and methadone introduced at 24, 48, and 68 hours into 72-hour leukocyte cultures did not reveal an increased frequency of chromosome damage.


Causal discovery algorithms infer causal relations from data based on several assumptions, including notably the absence of measurement error. However, this assumption is most likely violated in practical applications, which may result in erroneous, irreproducible results. In this work we show how to obtain an upper bound for the variance of random measurement error from the covariance matrix of measured variables and how to use this upper bound as a correction for constraint-based causal discovery. We demonstrate a practical application of our approach on both simulated data and real-world protein signaling data.


OBJECTIVE
Clinical, neuroimaging, neuropathological and neuropsychological evidence suggests that, in schizophrenia, there is structural and functional disturbance of the hippocampus. The purpose of this paper is to present published findings concerning the nature, timing and course of these putative disturbances of hippocampal function and the pathophysiological mechanisms involved, and to explore whether schizophrenia is a disorder of neurodevelopment, neurodegeneration or a combination of both processes.

METHOD
The available cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence for hippocampal involvement in schizophrenia is reviewed and a model of hippocampal involvement in this disorder, which derives from our own cross-sectional and longitudinal hippocampal imaging data, is described.

RESULTS
We propose a three-hit model in which an early neurodevelopmental lesion renders the hippocampus vulnerable to further insult later in life during the transition phase to active illness. The available evidence suggests that the left hippocampus is particularly vulnerable during these early stages, while further insult involving the hippocampus bilaterally occurs in those who develop a chronic form of the illness.

CONCLUSIONS
Intervention strategies should target the most vulnerable stages of the illness, in particular the transition phase to psychosis, when novel treatments may prevent the illness or ameliorate its effects.


Summary A Bayesian framework for group testing under dilution effects has been developed, using lattice-based models. This work has particular relevance given the pressing public health need to enhance testing capacity for coronavirus disease 2019 and future pandemics, and the need for wide-scale and repeated testing for surveillance under constantly varying conditions. The proposed Bayesian approach allows for dilution effects in group testing and for general test response distributions beyond just binary outcomes. It is shown that even under strong dilution effects, an intuitive group testing selection rule that relies on the model order structure, referred to as the Bayesian halving algorithm, has attractive optimal convergence properties. Analogous look-ahead rules that can reduce the number of stages in classification by selecting several pooled tests at a time are proposed and evaluated as well. Group testing is demonstrated to provide great savings over individual testing in the number of tests needed, even for moderately high prevalence levels. However, there is a trade-off with higher number of testing stages, and increased variability. A web-based calculator is introduced to assist in weighing these factors and to guide decisions on when and how to pool under various conditions. High-performance distributed computing methods have also been implemented for considering larger pool sizes, when savings from group testing can be even more dramatic.


Natural conditions of certain area imply to the complex influence of various
 elements of the environment (surface, relief, climate, water, vegetation
 type) and man, and knowledge of their recent state represents basis of an
 integrated approach in the land use planning. Analysis of natural conditions
 and processes in the Serbian-Macedonian border area is usually done through
 the valorization of natural potentials, but aspect of their limiting
 influence on the development of this territory - natural hazards assessment
 has remained unresolved. Degree of natural hazards vulnerability of a certain
 territory is an important factor in land use planning, because it represents
 a threat to the undisturbed development of a certain teritory. The basic idea
 of this paper is to provide multi-hazard assessment and the integral map of
 areas vulnerable to various types of natural hazards in Serbian-Macedonian
 border area. In this way seclusion of areas where natural conditions can
 represent the limiting factor for the development of the analyzed territory
 shall be performed.


Summary

1. Plant community succession has been a major area of study over the past century with recent research focusing on the importance of initial colonisers following disturbance. Seed addition can accelerate ecosystem regeneration and is a method commonly used by land managers to restore disturbed lands. However, few studies have examined the effects of seeding treatments on long-term community composition.

2. A study was established in 1984 in the Piceance Basin of northwest Colorado to examine how various revegetation seed mixes affect plant community development following disturbance. The site was surveyed again in 2008 and 2009 to assess long-term community development.

3. Initial seed mix resulted in significant differences in plant community composition after 25 years. Seeding with native and exotic early-seral species resulted in a community with significantly more exotic species and mid-seral shrubs, while seeding with native late-seral species resulted in a community dominated by perennial grasses. Additionally, an unseeded control resulted in a vegetation community dominated by both perennial grasses and mid-seral shrubs, but community composition at the species level was considerably different from that of the seeded treatments. However, the plant community composition of each of the three treatments was significantly different from an adjacent undisturbed reference area, which was dominated by the late-seral shrub, Artemisia tridentata, and perennial grasses.

4. Synthesis and applications. Our results illustrate how initial colonisers (seed mix) can strongly affect subsequent community assemblage after 25 years of development. Restoration ecologists should give considerable thought to the species used in a restoration seed mix to ensure the success of restoration designs and to create the desired community assembly and associated ecosystem services.


Silicon carbide (SiC) based fibers with continuous pore structures were synthesized by the precursor method using a polycarbosilane (PCS) and polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) polymer blends. The pore formation process can be explained by hydrogen gas dissolution in the polymer melt and desaturation process of the dissolved gas during the fiber spinning. We investigated the effect of PMHS additives with different chemical and physical natures on the obtained pore structures, because PMHS decomposition process played a role of hydrogen gas source. The individual polymer melts were characterized by viscosity measurement, gas chromatograph analysis and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis in order to obtain details of pore structure control.


Across nineteenth-century Europe, the emergence of constitutional and democratic nation-states was accompanied by intense conflict between Catholics and anti-clerical forces. At its peak, this conflict touched virtually every sphere of social life: schools, universities, the press, marriage and gender relations, burial rites, associational culture, the control of public space, folk memory and the symbols of nationhood. In short, these conflicts were 'culture wars', in which the values and collective practices of modern life were at stake. These 'culture wars' have generally been seen as a chapter in the history of specific nation-states. Yet it has recently become increasingly clear that the Europe of the mid- and later nineteenth century should be seen as a common politico-cultural space. This book breaks with the conventional approach by setting developments in specific states within a trans-national context, offering a fresh and revealing perspective on one of modernity's formative conflicts.


Abstract Corn kernels colonized by Fusarium graminearum were spread between lines of barley (Hordeum vulgare) in an irrigated Fusarium head blight (FHB) nursery at a 2 : 1 ratio of isolates producing 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15 ADON) to isolates producing 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3 ADON) (in 2008) or 1 : 1 ratio (in 2009, 2010). In 2008, it was the first use in this field of a 3 ADON isolate after 9 years of artificial inoculation with exclusively 15 ADON isolates. Sets of three 2-row and three 6-row cultivars were used as checks throughout the nursery, representing a range of susceptibility to FHB. Composites of these cultivars were prepared and analysed for per cent F. graminearum infection, chemotype frequency and levels of deoxynivalenol (DON), 3 ADON and 15 ADON. Seed infection by F. graminearum ranged from 83.5% (2009) to 98.5% (2010), with little difference across the nursery. In 2008, the chemotype distribution of F. graminearum and DON levels on infected kernels showed a several-fold difference from the eastern side (67% 3 ADON isolates and 46 ppm DON) to the western end of the field (16% 3 ADON isolates and 13 ppm DON), but not in the subsequent 2 years. In both 2009 and 2010, the 3 ADON chemotype was recovered from only 18% and 13% of the seeds, and overall average DON levels were 18 ppm and 24 ppm, respectively. In 2008, the highest DON and 3 ADON levels were associated with the highest frequency of the 3 ADON chemotype. In all years, the recovery of isolates did not reflect the ratio of the initial inoculum, suggesting that other factors influenced the ultimate infection of the seed. However, the relative relationship among the barley cultivars was consistent throughout all 3 years: DON levels were much lower in the most resistant cultivars compared with the most susceptible cultivars in all years and composites. Genotypic response to DON accumulation did not show strong interaction with 3 ADON frequency, suggesting that the underlying genetic resistance of the barley cultivars is cross-applicable between chemotypes.


This dissertation argues that between 1950 and 1985 a diverse collection of residents from the Houston, Texas metropolitan area used debates about the planning, construction, and meaning of transportation structures—primarily highways and mass transit systems—as opportunities to claim political power and to influence the future of their neighborhoods and city. As they contested these systems, Houstonians articulated competing notions of the politics of mobility. In addition to concrete political decisions about transportation, this term also encompasses the daily transportation decisions of Houstonians and the meanings those residents ascribed to the infrastructure that carried them across the city. The politics of mobility uniquely illuminates the intersection of politics, culture, and urban development in Houston. Who wielded the power to make choices about Houston's transportation networks and how the balance of that power changed over time are central questions of this dissertation. Until the late 1950s and early 1960s, a collection of nearly all white and male elected officials, professional planners, and private developers held immense power over the city's decision-making process, but never completely controlled it. The actions of citizens outside that group forced leaders to acknowledge, if rarely embrace, the perspectives that citizens held about transportation and the politics of mobility. By the mid-1970s, aided by changes in federal oversight and citizen participation regulations, as well as by their own assertions of political power, an increasingly diverse set of Houstonians—African American, ethnic Mexican, and white, urban and suburban, rich and poor—possessed more influence over the city's transportation choices. By engaging in these debates, Houstonians challenged the city's racial, economic, and decision-making status quo. The choices made in Houston's struggle over the placement of highways and the creation of a public transit authority sheds light onto the foundations of Houston's unique built environment and offers a model for understanding similar forces at work in other autocentric southern and western, "Sunbelt" cities, such as Los Angeles and Atlanta. Further, these conflicts illuminate why older cities in the Northeast and Midwest and younger ones in the West and the South developed such divergent urbanization patterns and transportation practices.


The cytoskeleton of a cell controls all the aspects of cell shape changes and motility from its physiological functions for survival to reproduction to death. The structure and dynamics of the cytoskeletal components: actin, microtubules, intermediate filaments, and septins - recently regarded as the fourth member of the cytoskeleton family - are conserved during evolution. Such conserved and effective control over the mechanics of the cell makes the cytoskeletal components great candidates for in vitro reconstitution and bottom-up synthetic biology studies. Here, we review the recent efforts in reconstitution of the cytoskeleton in and on membrane-enclosed biomimetic systems and argue that co-reconstitution and synergistic interplay between cytoskeletal filaments might be indispensable for efficient mechanical functionality of active minimal cells. Further, mechanical equilibrium in adherent eukaryotic cells is achieved by the formation of integrin-based focal contacts with extracellular matrix (ECM) and the transmission of stresses generated by actomyosin contraction to ECM. Therefore, a minimal mimic of such balance of forces and quasi-static kinetics of the cell by bottom-up reconstitution requires a careful construction of contractile machineries and their link with adhesive contacts. In this review, in addition to cytoskeletal crosstalk, we provide a perspective on reconstruction of cell mechanical equilibrium by reconstitution of cortical actomyosin networks in lipid membrane vesicles adhered on compliant substrates and also discuss future perspectives of this active research area.


Solid pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) is a very rare tumor accounting for only 1% of all pancreatic exocrine tumors. In this case, patient is a 15-year-old female with history of obesity and oligomenorrhea. She was admitted with a six-day history of severe upper abdominal pain, non-bloody vomiting and occasional diarrhea with no history of fever or sick contact. MRI abdominal examination with contrast showed a cystic 3.4 x 2.2 x 2.0 cm mass in the tail of the pancreas. Patient then underwent the distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy. Grossly, the tumor mass is well-circumscribed and has a tan/yellow cystic cut surface. Microscopically, most of the tumor tissue is necrotic.  Sheets of cells demonstrate pseudopapillary arrangement in the preserved area.  The nuclei are uniform without apparent mitotic figures and cytoplasm is moderate and eosinophilic. Immunohistochemistry study revealed that tumor cells are positive for CD10, progesterone receptor, synaptophysin and nuclear beta-catenin staining. Diagnosis of this case is challenging because extensive necrosis of the tumor tissue, however, the small areas of residual tumor still retain the pseudopapillary architecture and nested pattern. Individual tumor cells have monotonous low grade character. Immunoprofile also supports the diagnosis of solid pseudopapillary tumor. [N A J Med Sci. 2019;12(1):021-023.   DOI: 10.7156/najms.2019.1201021]


It has been shown in vitro that sodium nitroprusside (SN) causes a concentration-dependent suppression of the enzymatic activity of aminopyridine demethylase-APDM(IC50 = 1.86 x 10(-4) M) and ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase-ECOD(IC50 = 1.46 x 10(-4) M) in hepatic microsomes of Wistar rats, which is related to different isoforms of cytochrome P-450. The inhibiting effect of other nitro compounds (nitroglycerin and isosorbide dinitrate) in relation to APDM is less marked than that of SN. These compounds have practically no effect on ECOD activity. It is assumed that the degree of the inhibiting effect of SN, nitroglycerin, and isosorbide dinitrate is connected with the mechanism of NO release.


The objective of this study was to analyze the approach used to teach the nursing process based on the class plans of courses that evidence the concept and method bases of the nursing process in superior education institutions in a state capital of Northeast Brazil. Results showed that the courses are mostly theoretical, with amendments and concept bases emphasizing the theoretical-philosophical support of the nursing process, as well as on the study of the phases comprising it. Furthermore, it was shown there was an expression and prevalence of cognitive and psychomotor objectives and the use of traditional methodology.


The Complete Guides series blends expert information and accessibility. The Complete Guide to Suspended Fitness Training is a comprehensive resource packed with training advice on how suspended fitness equipment and suspension traning can be used to improve functional strength, stability, flexibility, and used in sports-specific training. With over 100 different exercises, mobilisations and stretches to suit all abilities, this is an ideal guide for anyone interested in fitness and resistance training who wants to get the most out of suspended exercise equipment, for their own workouts or for client training programmes. Includes information on: - types of suspension training systems and attachments - safety considerations - beginner, intermediate and advanced exercises - push, pull, squat, lunge and core exercises to train the whole body - progressions and variations as well as common faults - example training session plans Suitable for beginners, fitness enthusiasts and professionals, this useful guide will help you make full use of your suspended training equipment and reach your fitness objectives.


This paper presents a new method for improving the assessment of energy and resources of waves in the cases of finite water depths in which the historical and some ongoing sea wave measurements are simply given in forms of scatter diagrams or the forms of (significant) wave heights and the relevant statistical wave periods, whilst the detailed spectrum information has been discarded, thus no longer available for the purpose of analysis. As a result of such simplified wave data, the assessment for embracing the effects of water depths on wave energy and resources becomes either difficult or inaccurate. In many practical cases, the effects of water depths are simply ignored because the formulas for deep-water waves are frequently employed. This simplification may cause large energy under-estimations for the sea waves in finite water depths. To improve the wave energy assessment for such much-simplified wave data, an approximate method is proposed for approximating the effect of water depth in this research, for which the wave energy period or the calculated peak period can be taken as the reference period for implementing the approximation. The examples for both theoretical and measured spectra show that the proposed method can significantly reduce the errors on wave energy assessment due to the approximations and inclusions of the effects of finite water depths.


In this paper, we present a new idea to analyze facial expression by exploring some common and specific information among different expressions. Inspired by the observation that only a few facial parts are active in expression disclosure (e.g., around mouth, eye), we try to discover the common and specific patches which are important to discriminate all the expressions and only a particular expression, respectively. A two-stage multi-task sparse learning (MTSL) framework is proposed to efficiently locate those discriminative patches. In the first stage MTSL, expression recognition tasks, each of which aims to find dominant patches for each expression, are combined to located common patches. Second, two related tasks, facial expression recognition and face verification tasks, are coupled to learn specific facial patches for individual expression. Extensive experiments validate the existence and significance of common and specific patches. Utilizing these learned patches, we achieve superior performances on expression recognition compared to the state-of-the-arts.


In France, the classic republican conception of citizenship does not provide space for multicultural issues because the ideal republic stipulates encounters of anonymous, equal citizens in public sphere, whilst any form of cultural affiliation is strictly confined to the private sphere. The main question in this text, therefore, is how French teachers of civic education, who should represent the official conception of citizenship, deal with cultural difference in a creolized, post-colonial society. The teachers are well aware of universalistic principles separating public and private, state and church, and distinguish very precisely between their official and their private roles. They use the official discourse on regional languages to speak about cultural differences in the public sphere of the school, but in protected or private spheres they allow themselves statements about multicultural society. The French conceptualization of civic and public cultural blindness thus appears respected while the multicultural society in La Reunion is nonetheless acknowledged. This runs parallel to the notion that the creation of the overseas department represents the will to equal participation in the French state while, at the same time, the colonial past has left its unique heritage in language, religion and every day culture on this local society. Such a situation accounts for the fact that, in La Reunion, the republican ideal of universalism cannot completely rule cultural diversity out of the public sphere. From this point of view, French citizenship does include ways of dealing with both universalism and difference.


RATIONALE
Implementation of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) following discharge of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) has led to a reduction in 30-day readmissions with unknown effects on post-discharge mortality.

OBJECTIVE
To examine the association of HRRP with 30-day hospital readmission and 30-day post-discharge mortality rate in patients after discharge from COPD hospitalization.

METHODS
Retrospective cohort study of readmission and mortality rates in a national cohort (N=4,587,542) of admissions of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries 65 years or older with COPD from 2006 to 2017.

MEASUREMENTS
Data were analyzed for three non-overlapping periods based on implementation of the HRRP specific to COPD: 1) pre-announcement (December 2006- March 2010), 2) announcement (April 2010-August 2014) and 3) Implementation (October 2014-November 2017).

MAIN RESULTS
The 30-day readmission rate decreased from 20.54% in the pre-announcement period (December 2006-July 2008) to 18.74% in the implementation period (May 2016-November 2017). The 30-day risk-standardized post-discharge mortality rates were 6.91%, 6.59% and 7.30% for the pre-announcement, announcement and implementation periods, respectively. Generalized Estimating Equations analyses estimated an additional 1,196 deaths (October 2014-April 2016) and 3,858 deaths (May 2016-November 2017) during the HRRP implementation period.

CONCLUSIONS
We found a reduction in 30-day all-cause readmission rate during the implementation period compared to the pre-announcement phase. HRRP implementation was also associated with a significant increase in 30-day mortality after discharge from COPD hospitalization. Additional research is necessary to confirm our findings and understand the factors contributing to increased mortality in patients with COPD in the HRRP implementation period.


Polylactide (PLA) is an attractive polymeric material due to its origin from annually renewable resources and its biodegradability. The ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide initiated by Lewis acidic and oxophilic metal-based catalysts constitutes the method of choice to access PLA in a controlled and stereoselective manner. The design and synthesis of ligand-supported metal complexes to act as effective ROP initiators of lactide monomers have been the subject of numerous investigations over the past decades. In view of their oxophilic nature, well-defined group 4 metal complexes supported by polydentate supporting ligands have appeared as active initiators for lactide ROP. This perspective summarizes various classes of structurally well-defined group 4 metal initiators developed for lactide ROP. It also provides observed trends regarding their catalytic performance. Whenever appropriate and possible, catalyst structure-ROP performance (i.e. activity, control and stereoselectivity) relationships are rationalized.


In social protection, Costa Rica has a well-established social assistance network to protect vulnerable groups, but it does not adequately reach the very poor. Costa Rica is not likely to be able to rely on favorable economic conditions to reverse these trends. Macroeconomic projections do not show signs of the consistent growth that characterized the past ten years, and which allowed the government to continue increasing investment in the social sectors. Relative to gross domestic product (GDP), Costa Rica already spends more on social services overall than other countries in Latin America, and considerably more than the average for other countries at similar stages of development outside the region. Moreover fiscal pressures will not only limit the government's ability to increase social spending, but could also act as a drag on real growth prospects for the economy as a whole. This underscores a key finding of the report: that social sector challenges cannot be resolved only through the allocation of more resources, but that they will require reforms which improve management and efficiency in the use of available resources. New instruments and approaches will be required that focus on obtaining value for money in the social programs.


In this investigation, we extend our previous works to improve piezoelectric properties of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics. Modified lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoceramics with a composition Zr/Ti=53/47 containing a trace of mixing dopants were prepared by conventional ceramic technology sintering powder compacts. Replacement of (Zr, Ti)+4 by Nb+5, Pb+2 by Sb+3 and Mn+4 in PZT perovskite type solid solutions was accomplished by the creation of cation and anion vacancies. Modified ceramics were explored as a function of firing temperature to acquire exceedingly good piezoelectric characterizations. From the analysis results, calcined at 850°C for 2 h, and then sintered at 1280°C for 2 h, PZT piezoceramic showed the larger dielectric constant er 2013, mechanical quality factor Qm 120 and maximum electromechanical coupling factor kp 0.67. Besides, the bulk ceramic grains distribution were found to be uniform. Furthermore, the sample was found to possess piezoelectric properties, the resonance frequency being about 200 KHz suitable for acoustic sensor.


Abstract This paper proposes a new type of internal meshing cycloid rotor pump-Double enveloping cycloid pump. It is characterized by double contact lines between the inner and the outer rotor so that it has outstanding advantages, such as better sealing capacity, higher outlet pressure and volumetric efficiency etc. Based on the brief introduction of the equations of the inner and the outer rotors' tooth profile, the composition and characteristics of the outer rotor's tooth profile for the double enveloping cycloid pump are discussed in detail, the calculation method of the normal meshing clearance between the outer rotor and the modified inner rotor is introduced, and the calculation example is given. Result shows that the works in this paper will help to design the new type cycloid rotor pump with high performance.


ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to assess the impact of hearing status on age-related decrease in verbal short-term memory (STM) performance. This was done by administering a battery of verbal STM tasks to elderly and young adult participants matched for hearing thresholds, as well as to young normal-hearing control participants. The matching procedure allowed us to assess the importance of hearing loss as an explanatory factor of age-related STM decline. We observed that elderly participants and hearing-matched young participants showed equal levels of performance in all verbal STM tasks, and performed overall lower than the normal-hearing young control participants. This study provides evidence for recent theoretical accounts considering reduced hearing level as an important explanatory factor of poor auditory-verbal STM performance in older adults.


Small amounts of silver have been added to the intermetallic compound β-NiAl for the purpose of improving its mechanical properties. Four ternary NiAl-Ag alloys NiAl-0.5Ag, NiAl-1Ag, NiAl-5Ag and NiAl-10Ag (at.%), and an Ag-free β-NiAl have been oxidized at 900oC for 24 h in 1 atm O2 to study the effect of the presence of silver on the oxidation of β-NiAl. The kinetics of all the alloys were generally composed of two main parabolic stages with slightly larger parabolic rate constants for the second stage, except for NiAl-10Ag, which has an instantaneous parabolic rate constant decreasing with time. A continuous external layer of Al2O3 formed on all the alloys. In particular, the scales formed on NiAl-5Ag and NiAl-10Ag contained a thin and discontinuous layer of silver at the alloy/Al2O3 interface. Furthermore, NiAl-10Ag formed also isolated Ag particles or even a discontinuous Ag layer occasionally surmounting the Al2O3 scale. The addition of minor amounts of silver does not affect significantly the oxidation of β-NiAl, because silver is essentially present as a second phase due to its very small solubility in this intermetallic compound.


Cell adhesion is essential for cell cycle progression in most normal cells. Loss of adhesion dependence is a hallmark of cellular transformation. The F-box protein Skp2 (S-phase kinase-associated protein 2) controls G(1)-S-phase progression and is subject to adhesion-dependent transcriptional regulation, although the mechanisms are poorly understood. We identify two cross-species conserved binding elements for the STAF (selenocysteine tRNA gene transcription-activating factor) in the Skp2 promoter that are essential for Skp2 promoter activity. Endogenous STAF specifically binds these elements in EMSA (electrophoretic mobility-shift assay) and ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) analysis. STAF is sufficient and necessary for Skp2 promoter activity since exogenous STAF activates promoter activity and expression and STAF siRNA (small interfering RNA) inhibits Skp2 promoter activity, mRNA and protein expression and cell proliferation. Furthermore, ectopic Skp2 expression completely reverses the inhibitory effects of STAF silencing on proliferation. Importantly, STAF expression and binding to the Skp2 promoter is adhesion-dependent and associated with adhesion-dependent Skp2 expression in non-transformed cells. Ectopic STAF rescues Skp2 expression in suspension cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that STAF is essential and sufficient for Skp2 promoter activity and plays a role in the adhesion-dependent expression of Skp2 and ultimately cell proliferation.


Background: Airway management is the most important thing in resuscitation and requires special skills in the management of emergencies, therefore the first thing that must be assessed is the smoothness of the airway, which includes airway examinations that can be caused by foreign bodies. The lack of oxygen is a cause of rapid death. Research Objectives The general objective of this research is to improve the ability of airway management skills ordinary people in Kateguhan, Sawit, Boyolali. Methods: This research is an experimental study with a Pre-Test-Post Test one Group control design approach. through testing research hypotheses. The population of this research is the cloud community of 50 respondents which are divided into two groups,  25 respondents in the intervention group and 25 respondents as a control group. Statistical test in the paired group uses the nonparametric Wilcoxon test and the non-paired uses Mann-Whitney. Results: Based on the results of the Wilcoxon analysis test it can be concluded that the 25 respondents who conducted training in simulation measures by way of air way management training specifically airway obstruction can be drawn the conclusion that the majority of ordinary people have good knowledge in terms of emergency handling abilities, especially in air way management measures p value 0.001 which means that there are significant differences between before and after training. In the control group there were also significant differences with a P value of 0.001. Based on the Mann-Whitney test analysis, there were significant differences between the intervention and control groups with a p value of 0.001. Conclusion: Airway management education and training courses for lay people continue to be held to improve the ability of the action skills.


This paper expounds the effects of diffusion annealing and age hardening heat treatments on the phase morphology and mechanical properties of Al7075–eutectoid steel powder (0.8 wt% carbon steel) reinforced composites. Eutectoid steel powder ranging from 55–70 μm is selected due to its ability to improve the bulk hardness of the composite. In the present study three different weight fractions of eutectoid steel powder composites are prepared by conventional stir casting process. The material is cast in the form of rods inside the permanent stainless steel mould from where some samples are cooled in still air to room temperature. From these samples some are diffusion annealed from isothermal holding of 6 h i.e., above recrystallization temperature (600 °C) followed by boiling water quench and few are subjected to age hardening for a fixed time duration of five hours. Age hardening is carried out at solutionising temperature 560 °C tailed by aging at two temperatures 100 °C and 180 °C independently. All the samples in each category are subjected to critical property characterization and the phase arrangement information are characterized by scanning electron microscopy. From the analysis of microstructure and destructive tests, it is clear that the as-cast (stir-cast) samples display dendritic segregations with wider grain boundary area, is responsible for the inferior mechanical properties. It is also found out that diffusion annealing and age hardening heat treatments eliminates micro-segregation and improve mechanical properties of Al7075–eutectoid steel powder reinforced composites. It is concluded that chemical inhomogeneity in dendrites can be eliminated by selecting the suitable heat treatment with proper heat treatment parameters.


To the Editor .—Meckel diverticulum is the most common congenital malformation of the intestinal tract. Surgical resection is indicated for a variety of pathologic complications, which usually manifest themselves in the form of an acute condition of the abdomen. We are reporting one such complication that is exceedingly rare. A 34-year-old woman complained of abdominal pain for two months. On the day of admission, the pains became severe and the vomiting persistent. Examination showed her to be in shock. A well-delineated, freely mobile mass of approximately 9 cm in diameter was palpable in the right lower abdominal quadrant. The bowel sounds were diminished. A plain abdominal roentgenogram showed the features of small bowel obstruction. Resuscitative measures were instituted in preparation for exploratory laparotomy, but she died five hours after arrival at the hospital. At autopsy, a 10-cm long segment of the intestine, dark bluish-red and edematous, was found 20 cm


The Li–Mg–B–H system that is prepared from 2LiH + MgB2 or 2LiBH4 + MgH2 possesses high hydrogen capacity and relatively favorable thermodynamics, but it is greatly restricted in practical hydrogen storage applications by problematic H-exchange kinetics. In the present study, TiF3 was mechanically milled with a 2LiH + MgB2 mixture and examined with respect to its effect on reversible dehydrogenation of the Li–Mg–B–H system. Experimental study showed that TiF3 is highly effective for promoting the two-step dehydrogenation reaction in the Li–Mg–B–H system. Compared to the neat 2LiH + MgB2 sample, the 2LiH + MgB2 + 0.01TiF3 sample exhibits significantly reduced dehydrogenation temperature and markedly enhanced dehydriding rate at both steps. Furthermore, the catalytic enhancement arising upon adding TiF3 additive was observed to persist well in the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation cycles. Based on the results of phase analysis and a series of designed experiments, the mechanism underlying the observed property improvement is discussed.


OBJECTIVE
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) represents one of the most significant and costly health problems occurring in the working population. An estimation of the potential impact of CTS prevention programs in the workplace would be useful for public policy. The aim of this study was to assess the work-related population-attributable fraction (PAF) of CTS in industrial sectors and occupational categories at high risk of CTS in the general population.

METHODS
All cases of CTS occurring in patients living in a French region were included prospectively between 2002-2004. Using a mailed questionnaire, we gathered medical and occupational history from 815 women and 320 men. We calculated the age-adjusted relative risks and PAF of CTS in relation to industrial sectors and occupational categories.

RESULTS
The PAF for women was higher in lower-grade, white-collar workers (24%, 95% CI 19-29) than blue-collar workers (19%, 95% CI 15-22). The PAF was higher for the service industries sector (16%, 95% CI 8-22) than manufacturing (10%, 95% CI 7-13) or agricultural (5%, 95% CI 3-7) sectors. The PAF was high for men in blue-collar workers (50%, 95% CI 41-57) and in the construction (13%, 95% CI 9-18) and manufacturing industries (17%, 95% CI 10-23).

CONCLUSION
The study suggested that 5-50% of CTS cases might be avoided in the whole population if totally effective intervention programs were implemented in specific occupational categories or industrial sectors.


Using an extensive set of establishment and individual data, we estimate the extent to which the variance of earnings among establishments increased in 1977-2002 and its contribution to the increased dispersion of US earnings among individuals. We find that more than 70 percent of the increase in the variance of earnings in this period occurred across establishments. More than two thirds of the growth in establishment wage dispersion arises from changes within detailed industry and region. Two industries contributed disproportionately to earnings inequality. Business services accounted for a growing share of the total variance in log earnings across plants, while the increased variance in earnings in finance, insurance, and real estate accounted for one-fifth of the growth in variance in the whole economy. Decomposing the increase in earnings among establishments between rising inequality among existing establishments and changes in inequality due to the earnings of establishments that enter or exit the economy we find that the bulk of the increase occurred among existing establishments. We reject explanations that attribute the increase in the variance among establishments to increased returns to human capital or increased sorting of observable skills across plants. The factor most closely related to the increased dispersion in earnings across plants is the increase in the dispersion in labor productivity among plants. Evidence of rent sharing and of the growing importance of inter establishment wage dispersion run, given the declining strength of union, counter to the usual analysis of wage-setting in a competitive market. JEL Codes: J3; J31; D3


This paper describes portfolio projects currently underway within three South Australian settings: an undergraduate general nursing curriculum, a postgraduate perioperative nursing course, and a major general hospital and health service. The projects share a common interest in achieving an organised, useful means for registered nurses and midwives to demonstrate their competence in accord with contemporary professional standards. Their beginnings in international research and experience is described, and the progress of each project tracked to date. Others wishing to develop similar innovations can follow this decision trail and the advice offered. Outcomes to date indicate portfolios hold promise for advancing professional nursing and midwifery practice. Research currently underway on the topic is highlighted.


This thesis is concerned with analysing the available data on grain production and its utilisation from the time when the earliest grain statistics became available in pre-revolutionary Russia until the eve of mass transformation of Soviet agriculture that was associated with mass collectivisation in 1929. The pre-revolutionary period and post revolutionary period are treated separately in two separate parts of the thesis. In each part I describe the methods of collecting and organising statistics related to the production and utilisation of grain. I discuss the circumstances in which these statistics were gathered and I attempt to assess the reliability of these data and place them in a more meaningful and more comparative form. I then present an account of the available works that have attempted to analyse the balance of grain production and its utilisation. I conclude by making my own assessment of the balance and compare it with the general conceptions held on the nature of the grain problem. I conclude that the balance of grain production and utilisation was a highly complex phenomenon dependent upon the inter-relationship of demographic, economic and agronomic factors that differed from region to region and from time to time. The full complexity of these inter-relationships was little understood by the political leadership of the time.


A promising strategy in the treatment of malignant gliomas involves the creation of Herpes Simplex Virus-thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) modified tumor cells. Some authors have observed complete tumor regression after ganciclovir (GCV) treatment of established gliomas transduced in vivo by the HSV-tk gene. Yet, further investigations did not confirm completely these results, even if confirmed the therapeutic potential of such a therapy. Using the rat C6 glioblastoma as a model of malignant brain tumor, we investigated the efficacy of in vivo and in vitro transduction of growing brain tumors with the HSV-tk gene, followed by GCV administration. The stereotactic injection into the left striatum of C6 cells mixed with retroviral producer cells and GCV treatment did not improve significantly the animal survival compared to controls. On the contrary, there was a significant prolongation of the survival of rats inoculated with C6 cells engineered in vitro to express the HSV-tk gene. Nevertheless, complete eradication of the tumors was not achieved. We also injected a group of six rats with a mixture of cells expressing the murine Interleukin-4 (IL-4) gene and C6 cells. IL-4 has been shown to produce the regression of experimental brain tumors. Our preliminary experience seems to confirm that hypothesis. Our results indicate that the outcome of HSV-tk gene therapy can be limited not only by low gene transfer but also by insufficient delivery of GCV to tumor cells. Combined strategies, based on contemporary transduction of HSV-tk and IL-4, may enhance the therapeutic perspectives of such a therapy.


Abstract Policy makers, political and state elites, and civilian and military cadres have grappled with the unprecedented crisis of Covid‐19 in the Middle East and North Africa. Against this gloomy backdrop, the main question became whether the region could sustain its traditional security‐first policy even though the definition of security has changed. Could the state perpetuate its role as the arbiter of a broken clientelistic contract in a state‐led socioeconomic order? Could geopolitical rivalries be upheld against unprecedented domestic challenges? This article tries to illuminate the changing role of the state in the Middle East and North Africa, the rising salience of institutional good governance, and their effects on regional geopolitics in the aftermath of the pandemic.


A balance board is an unstable platform which is currently used for training and rehabilitation to stabilize an individual's upright posture. Models that examine how individuals remain upright while standing on an unstable surface are therefore needed to understand the mechanisms behind balance improvements. Most research in this area has focused on the fluctuations in posture about a static upright equilibrium using single-degree-of-freedom (1-DOF) inverted pendulum models [1–2]. While conceptually simple, these models nonetheless capture the stochastic, nonlinear and multiple timescale behavior of the fluctuations that are known to occur in human posture [1–3].© 2012 ASME


tDCS is a neuromodulation technique that involves noninvasive delivery of weak direct current (1–2 mA) to the brain. Conventionally, tDCS employs rectangular saline-soaked sponge pads (25–35 cm) placed on the scalp, with an internal electrode connected to the current source. Impedance measurement across the current source output may fail to recognize nonuniform conditions at the skin interface such an uneven content or saturation. tDCS is well tolerated with minor adverse effects limited to transient skin irritation [1]. Nonetheless, technology that enhances the sophistication of electrode design would further enhance tolerability and promote broad (e.g., home) use. In order to enhance the reliability and tolerability of tDCS, we describe a novel method called WECS. This concept is distinct from (across electrode) current steering, as developed for implanted devices such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), where current is steered between electrodes that are each in contact with tissue, with the goal of changing desired brain regions that are activated [2]. WECS adjusts current between electrodes not in contact with tissue but rather embedded in an electrolyte on the body surface. The goal here is not to alter brain current flow, but rather compensate for nonideal conditions at the surface. This technology leverages our technique for independently isolating electrode impedance and overpotential during multichannel stimulation [3]. With a novel approach, the objective of this first paper was to demonstrate the principles of WECS using an exemplary electrode design typical for tDCS (four rivet-electrode sponge) and extremes of current steering (from uniform in all rivets to a single rivet). Through FEM simulation of this illustrative case, we validate the underlying assumptions of WECS: steering current within electrodes but without altering current distribution in brain target. Having presented this novel idea through an exemplary case, this report supports future studies in optimization of electrode design, automation of algorithms to control current (including using impedance measurement), and ultimately validation under experimental conditions. 2 Methods


The scheme design of large-scale hydraulic turbine is a complicated, multi-hierarchy, multi-attribute and creative process of product structure configuration. In order to improve the design quality and the design efficiency, a scheme design of large-scale hydraulic turbine system based on multilayer-case-based reasoning (MCBR) with grey relational analysis is developed and applied to enterprise project. The performance of the developed system is validated by the application to the practical enterprise project; the result of the application also indicates that using artificial intelligence technique in large-scale hydraulic turbine scheme design can extend the process ability of CIMS.


Cloud computing has become one of the most important technologies for reducing cost and increasing productivity by efficiently using IT resources in various companies. The cloud computing system has mainly been built for private enterprise, but public institutions, such as governments and national institutes, also plans to introduce the system in Korea. Various researches have pointed to security problems as a critical factor to impede the vitalization of cloud computing services, but they only focus on the security threats and their correspondents for addressing the problems. There are no studies that analyze major security issues with regard to introducing the cloud computing system. Accordingly, it is necessary to research the security factors in the cloud computing given to public institutions when adopting cloud computing. This research focuses on the priority of security solutions for the stepwise adoption of cloud computing services in enterprise environments. The cloud computing security area is classified into managerial, physical and technical area in the research, and then derives the detailed factors in each security area. The research derives the influence of security priorities in each area on the importance of security issues according to the identification of workers in private enterprise and public institutions. Ordered probit models are used to analyze the influences and marginal effects of awareness for security importance in each area on the scale of security priority. The results show workers in public institutions regard the technical security as the highest importance, while physical and managerial security are considered as the critical security factors in private enterprise. In addition, the results show workers in public institutions and private enterprise have remarkable differences of awareness for cloud computing security. This research compared the difference in recognition for the security priority in three areas between workers in private enterprise, which use cloud computing services, and workers in public institutions that have never used the services. It contributes to the establishment of strategies, with respect to security, by providing guidelines to enterprise or institutions that want to introduce cloud computing systems.


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Author(s): Witmer, Gary; Borrowman, David | Abstract: Rodent populations at airports can cause human safety issues by attracting raptors which increases the risk of raptor-aircraft strikes. Various methods can be used to reduce rodent numbers, including trapping, poisoning, and habitat manipulation. Burrow disruption by turf rolling and soil aeration is a potential habitat manipulation method that could potentially reduce the carrying capacity for rodents. We tested this method at Kansas City International Airport, Missouri. We monitored the rodent populations in a control (untreated) area and in a nearby treated area where the turf was rolled and the soil aerated. We used grids of live traps to determine rodent abundance in the two areas. Unfortunately, the turf rolling and aeration did not reduce the rodent population, as we recorded 14-15 rodent captures per 100 trap-nights on both areas. We caution, however, that this was a very preliminary assessment, and the method could be further investigated for its potential to reduce rodent populations.


Background: A new, simple, accurate and precise High Performance Liquid Chromatographic method (HPLC-UV) has been developed and validated in accordance with ICH guidelines for the determination of gallic acid in Lohasava and Pippalyasava. The developed method was optimised using 32 full factorial design by evaluating the effect of two independent variables i.e. mobile phase composition and flow rate on the various chromatographic responses such as retention time, area, number of theoretical plates and tailing factor. Materials and Methods: Chromatographic separation was achieved using Sun Chrome C18 column (250 mmX4.6 mm, 5μm) as stationary phase. The optimised mobile phase consisted of 0.05% o-phosphoric acid: Acetonitrile (93:7,v/v) and flow rate was set at 1.5 ml/min with detection at 270 nm. Results: The retention time of gallic acid was found to be 3.71 min. The Limit of Detection (LOD) and Limit of Quantification (LOQ) were found to be 0.0487 μg/ml and 0.1478 μg/ml; respectively. The proposed method was found to be linear in the concentration range of 0.15-6 μg/ml for gallic acid with correlation coefficient of 0.9955. The proposed method was found to be accurate with 99.43%-100.81% recovery. The % RSD for intraday and interday precision was found to be less than 2.0 indicating that the proposed method was precise. The method was found to be robust with respect to % RSD and % w/w of gallic acid. The amount of gallic acid in Lohasava and Pippalyasava was found to be 3.00% and 0.98%; respectively. Conclusion: Factorial design assisted HPLC method was developed and validated for quantitative determination of gallic acid in two commercial formulations of asava. This method can be used for routine quality control of asava using gallic acid as marker compound.


As the Internet of Things (IoT) is evolving at a fast pace, the need for contextual intelligence has become more crucial for delivering IoT intelligence, efficiency, effectiveness, performance, and sustainability. Contextual intelligence enables interactions between IoT devices such as sensors/actuators, smartphones and connected vehicles, to name but a few. Context management platforms (CMP) are emerging as a promising solution to deliver contextual intelligence for IoT. However, the development of a generic solution that allows IoT devices and services to publish, consume, monitor, and share context is still in its infancy. In this paper, we propose, validate and explain the details of a novel mechanism called Context Query Engine (CQE), which is an integral part of a pioneering CMP called Context-as-a-Service (CoaaS). CQE is responsible for efficient execution of context queries in near real-time. We present the architecture of CQE and illuminate its workflows. We also conduct extensive experimental performance and scalability evaluation of the proposed CQE. Results of experimental evaluation convincingly demonstrate that CoaaS outperforms its competitors in executing complex context queries. Moreover, the advanced functionality of the embedded query language makes CoaaS a decent candidate for real-life deployments.


The purpose of this study, initially, is to understand all the steps in the process of integrating a seafarer into a shipping company. The primary objective is to recognize the specificity of this profession due to the 'non-stationary' nature of it. We need to understand the kind of requirements and characteristics the employees of crewing department should fulfil, since it is the most responsible department which introduce the seaman to the shipping company and generally is the department which should handle properly the whole fleet/personnel of all ships. Part of this process is the proper check of the mandatory and optional certificates that a
Candidate must hold. At the same time, additional training should be provided to seafarers,
based on the specific needs and statutes of the company. We will also analyse the usual process of travelling from and to the ship until seafarer's repatriation. But we should also mention to this study, the importance of evaluation procedure because its appropriate factor for seaman's career, the reputation of the company, the quality of good services on board the ship etc.
Afterwards, we will move from theory to practice by using the 'case study' shipping company, which manages 60 ships within 2 years. Examples are the special tools used by the crew for the most appropriate recruiting of seafarers, as the seamen who are entering the company are unknown, something that maximizes the responsibility for a good pre-recruitment process.


Space and upper atmospheric sciences group in the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) is now planning to carry out a ground-based network observation project of auroral phenomena using unmanned observation system during the next term of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) programme. At present, 8 unmanned magnetometers have been deployed within the area of 66 to 72 degree magnetic latitude and 60 to 85 degree magnetic longitude around Syowa Station. Along the inland route to Dome Fuji Station, 3 BAS (British Antarctic Survey) type unmanned magnetometers are deployed, while along the coast area, 5 NIPR type ones are deployed. At these 8 points, 1 sec resolution magnetic observations are carried out continuously through the year with a 3-axis fluxgate magnetometer. Within this JARE programme term (the 8th term), a new unmanned auroral observation system, which is equipped with 3-axis fluxgate magnetometer, all-sky auroral imager, and GNSS/TEC receiver, has been developed by NIPR, and one set of the system will be deployed around Molodezhnaya Station located about 300 km east from Syowa Station. In the next 9th term, another set will be deployed around the SerRondane area located about 800 km west from Syowa. In addition to the observations at these unmanned sites, we will promote a collaboration with the observations at Indian Station Maitri and South African Station Sanae, which are located further westward from SerRondane area at sub-auroral latitudes, to construct a large area auroral observation network within the area of 62 to 72 degree magnetic latitude and 45 to 85 degree magnetic longitude. Scientific purposes of this large area network observation are as follows: 1. To observe phenomena which appear around the time of substorm onset. 2. To observe temporal variation of conjugacy of auroral phenomena. 3. To observe phenomena associated with various wave-particle interactions during the storm and substorm times in the inner magnetosphere region.


Author(s): Pena, Leopoldo | Advisor(s): Mahiuex, Viviane | Abstract: The Art of Animating Images investigates photography during Mexico's reconstruction years: 1920s -1930s. During this period, photography was essential to illustrate nationalist projects through which a progressive image of the nation was projected locally and abroad. In this function, photography was a visual medium in its objective, expressive and technical capacity. Yet, photography also nourished discursive variants that promoted Mexico as a modern, liberal and socialist nation. Taking these discourses into consideration, this dissertation focuses on the role photography played in expressing nationalist ideals, informing nationalist imperatives by lending its own aesthetic and theoretical values: modern, objective and, foremost, unlimited reproducibility. In doing so, this dissertation engages a scholarly conversation on how photography was more than a visual and technical device at the service of nationalist ideals. The dissertation rethinks photography as an essential discursive apparatus that complemented, rewrote and magnified different nationalist currents at work during the reconstruction years of the Mexican Revolution. Analyzing how photographic theory and discourse were employed by early twentieth century intellectuals in Mexico, it is possible to understand how in the 1920s, a time when the nation needed to project an integral and progressive image, Anita Brenner, a self-made writer, represented the rise of the modern Mexican nation as a religious-autochthonous phenomenon while Salvador Novo approached photography to question nationalist ideas; and in the 1930s, Enrique Gutmann, a Jewish journalist and photographer, promoted a socialist conception of Mexico, in a decade in which socialism was perceived as the last refuge from European fascism and totalitarian regimes. In the hands of these two lesser-known figures, photography was a system that provided a modernist discourse to promote the nation as modern, socialist, and yet autochthonous.


In November 2002, ASEAN and China signed a Free Trade Area (FTA) agreement. Before 2002, there was an estimation that both regions would gain from FTA deals. However, the rapid growth of China since the early 1990s had caused trade and investment diversions to ASEAN. The strong competition between the regions in the international commodity market and productive foreign capital has produced a great deal of stress within ASEAN economies. The economic stress is largely attributed to the structure and similarity of production and exports of ASEAN and China. Theoretically only countries that have the lowest cost of production will gain in trading. Today, nearly 14 years after the agreement was signed, the picture of competitiveness in the commodity market should show a new trend of competitiveness. With respect to Indonesia, the Business Chamber of Commerce Indonesia (KADIN) and industrialists, had complained that the ACFTA actually caused losses to local manufacturers and businesses, in particular consumer goods products such as textile and clothing, and electrical and electronics sectors. This paper investigates the impacts of the ACFTA on the Indonesian manufacturing sector. For the investigation this paper employs various trade performances indices such as revealed comparative advantage, intra-industry trade, and the Hillman index.Keywords: ASEAN, China, Indonesia, FTA, RCA, Hillman index, intra-industry trade


The business model concept is characterized by numerous fields of application which are promising in business practice. Consequently, research on business models has attracted increasing attention in the scientific world. However, for a successful utilization, the widely-criticized lack of theoretical consensus in this field of research has to be overcome. Thus, this paper conducted a comprehensive and up-to-date literature analysis examining 30 relevant literature sources focusing mainly on business model research. To achieve this, the analysis was based on a classification framework containing 17 evaluation criteria. Hereby, a systematic and objective penetration of the research area could be achieved. Moreover, existing research gaps as well as the most important fields to be addressed in future research could be revealed.


The Jusur Learning Management System (Jusur LMS) was first
 introduced into the Saudi public universities in 2008. However, little is known about its utilisation and influencing factors among faculty members as not many comprehensive studies have been done related to it. A review of related literature demonstrates that factors, namely competency, attitude, barriers, pedagogical beliefs toward e-learning,and demographic variables influence technology uptake. Thus, the main objectives of the study were to identify the factors influencing the utilisation of the Jusur Learning Management System of faculty members in Saudi-Arabian universities. This study is quantitative in nature and a descriptive correlational research design was employed to gather relevant data. The population of the study comprised of faculty members from 11 public universities in Saudi Arabia (N= 18328). Based on Israel's formula,the minimum sample size for this study was 392 faculty members. They were selected based on the cluster random sampling technique. The research instrument was in the form of an online questionnaire (http://www.smart-survey.co.uk/v.asp?i=35187abvln). A total of 710 faculty members were emailed this link, and out of this number, a total of 454 responses were valid and analyzed. The research instrument was adapted from previous studies and validated by a panel of experts from the field of Instructional Technology. The reliability of the instrument ranged from 0.71 to 0.97. The research instrument was divided into six sections, namely,demographic
 variables (7 items), utilisation of Jusur LMS (18 items), competency in using Jusur LMS (20 items), attitude towards Jusur LMS (20 items), barriers in using Jusur LMS (22 items), and pedagogical beliefs towards e-learning (19 items). The results of this study indicated that the faculty members' competency, attitude, barriers, and pedagogical beliefs were related more to utilisation of Jusur LMS than the demographic variables. The utilisation level of the Jusur LMS among the faculty members in the Saudi universities was considered as at moderate level. Also
 found, the faculty members had positive attitude towards Jusur LMS (M= 3.68, SD= .92) and positive pedagogical belief towards e-learning (M= 3.21, SD= .86). The competency and the barrier levels in using Jusur LMS among the faculty members in Saudi universities were considered at a moderate level. Generally, the male faculty members were found to use more likely the Jusur LMS than their female counterpart. In contrast, specialization, nationality, and position did not significantly differ in the utilisation of the Jusur LMS. Also found, positive correlations existed between the utilisation of the Jusur LMS and five independent variables, which included faculty members' competency in the use of the Jusur LMS, their attitude towards using Jusur LMS and pedagogical beliefs towards e-learning, as well as e-learning workshops and computer experience. A negative correlation existed between the utilisation of the Jusur LMS and the barriers faced by faculty members in using Jusur LMS. The multiple regression analysis showed that competency in the use of the Jusur LMS, attitude towards Jusur LMS, barriers in using Jusur LMS, and the pedagogical beliefs toward e-learning were significant predictors of the utilisation of the Jusur LMS.


Since 2008 the City of Malmo has implemented a special programme on Educationfor Sustainable Development (ESD). The aim is to increase the capacityfor ESD and to integrate it into the formal and informal learning settings in thecity. This report includes a presentation of a study conducted on this programme.The study covers the period 2008 to 2012 with the purpose to describe theprogramme implementation and enable a structured learning process for keyprofessionals in Malmo. The study was conducted within the frames of theEU-funded Global Awareness in Action (GAIA)-project. The report is based ondesk studies of programme documents combined with workshops with keyprofessionals in Malmo.The main results of the study are five lessons learned intended to be of relevancefor similar initiatives and one key recommendation to the city of Malmo. Thelessons learned are: 1. Set open goals to enable collaboration and make use ofprofessional competence; 2. Shape a joint story to make meaning; 3. Combinedifferent change strategies to achieve impact; 4. Use existing systems and reinforceon-going work; 5. Experiment, draw out lessons and adjust accordingly.The key recommendation to the city of Malmo is:The city of Malmo should continue to develop its already strong capacity toopen up development processes for iteration and co-creation between stakeholders.At the same time the city needs to develop its capacity to close downdevelopment processes through evaluation, prioritisation and coordination.This report is published in Swedish.


Open and distance learning (ODL) is an important channel for increasing education opportunities and outcomes. It is particularly relevant for the Pacific, given small dispersed remote populations and limited access to secondary and post-secondary opportunities in rural and outer island locations. Despite the importance of ODL to the region and the immediate need to build capacity, there has been limited investment. The COVID-19 pandemic has further reinforced the need for the Pacific to be well-prepared for non-contact teaching and learning approaches outside traditional classroom-based practices. This paper charts the development of an ODL course catalogue, as part of a wider initiative, to build capacity by assisting classroom-based teachers to locate professional development opportunities in and through ODL. The process began with the development of a concept note and an attempt to survey what training was already available in the region. This led to the development of a prototype which was subsequently reviewed through three different stakeholder lenses. The combined feedback from these reviews was then used to inform development of a request for proposals to create the fully fledged version of the ODL course catalogue. Based on this experience, and approached from a pragmatic perspective, the paper will identify some key principles for development work of this nature, particularly within the Pacific region.


Yemeni clays (bentonite and kaolin) were used as catalysts and catalysts supported metals ions Ce, Pt, Pt-Ce, Pd, Pd-Ce, for the debutylation reaction of 2-tert-butylphenol. The two clays were characterized using atomic absorption spectroscopy, particle size analyzer and N2-BET adsorption method. The activity of debutylation reaction was found to depend on the type of the catalyst. Kaolin based catalysts were more active than those bentonite based. The Selectivity of the catalysts was found to depend on the type of treatment that each catalyst was subjected to. The catalysts that were treated by calcination were more selective towards phenol formation (debutylation reaction of 2-tertbutylphenol), while those treated by reduction were more selective toward the formation of 4-tert-butylphenol (isomerization reaction of 2-tertbutylphenol).


Purpose: LKB1 is a key sensor of metabolic stress, including hypoxia and glucose deprivation, two features of the tumor microenvironment exacerbated by antiangiogenic therapy. We investigated the role of LKB1 as a potential predictive marker of sensitivity to bevacizumab in advanced non–small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC). Experimental design: We retrospectively analyzed LKB1 expression by IHC in 98 samples from 125 patients with aNSCLC, including 59 patients treated with chemotherapy and 39 treated with chemotherapy plus bevacizumab. IHC intensity was recoded in two classes (negative/weak vs. moderate/intense) and correlated with outcome according to treatment arm. Patient-derived tumor xenografts (PDXs) were used to investigate mechanisms involved in preclinical models. Results: In the whole study population (125), median OS and PFS were 11.7 [95% confidence interval (CI), 9.1–15.3] and 6.7 (95% CI, 5.7–7.2) months, respectively. Differential impact of the marker on outcome of the 98 patients was highlighted according to the treatment. Patients with negative/weak LKB1 status did not have a statistically significant benefit from bevacizumab added to chemotherapy (HR for patients treated with bevacizumab: 0.89; 95% CI, 0.51–1.56; P = 0.6803), whereas patients expressing moderate/intense LKB1 and receiving bevacizumab had significant lower risk of death compared with those not receiving bevacizumab (HR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.10–0.64; P = 0.0035). Loss of LKB1 was associated with reduced AMPK activation in PDXs and increased tumor necrosis following bevacizumab administration, highlighting impaired control of the metabolic stress caused by this antiangiogenic drug. Conclusions: Our data hint at a possible predictive impact of LKB1 expression in patients with aNSCLC treated with chemotherapy plus bevacizumab. Clin Cancer Res; 23(13); 3316–24. ©2017 AACR.


Abstract Until now, the only living species assigned. to the cancellariid genus Loxotaphrus Harris , 1897 was the West African species L. deshayesii (Duval, 1841). Two new living species are described here, L. limpusi n. sp., from the Swain Reefs, Queensland, and L. rosadoi n. sp., from off southern Mozambique. L. limpusi most closely resembles the type species of the genus, L. variciferus (Tate, 1888) (Miocene, southern Australia). Although L. rosadoi resembles L. variciferus and L. limpusi more closely than it does L.. deshayesii, it differs from all other species ,assigned to Loxotaphrus in having weak sculpture, apart from the prominent, sharp nodules around the peripheral keel.


This dissertation contributes to the current critical discourse in Early Modern English Studies on the conceptions and literary representations of national and racial identity in 16thand 17th-century England. Central to this discourse is an examination of how the English defined themselves in relation to those they deemed as "others": the foreign and marginalized members of society. My study is unique because I look at individual figures of "otherness"---the Irishman, the Turk, and the Jew---in light of their common characteristic: their shared significance as coded figures of Catholicism. Ultimately, my dissertation unifies disparate conversations about race, religion, and politics in Early Modern Studies. Central to this study is an examination of the work by major canonical writers: specifically Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe, and William Shakespeare.


This paper presents an automatic de-identification system for Serbian, based on the adaptation of the existing rule-based named entity recognition system. Built on a finite-state methodology and lexical resources, the system is designed to detect and replace all the explicit personal protected health information present in the medical narrative texts, while still preserving all the relevant medical concepts. The results of a preliminary evaluation demonstrate the usefulness of this method both in preserving patient privacy and the de-identified document interoperability.


Seven patients exposed to the inhalation of synthetic fibres presented with various bronchopulmonary diseases, such as asthma, extrinsic allergic alveolitis, chronic bronchitis with bronchiectasis, spontaneous pneumothorax, and chronic pneumonia. The histological features are described and an attempt has been made to set up immunological techniques for the diagnosis. A series of histochemical techniques, based on textile chemistry, are proposed for the identification of the inclusions found in bronchopulmonary lesions. The results of the experimental production of the disease in guinea-pigs by the inhalation of synthetic fibre dusts are presented. The prognosis of these cases is good in the acute or recently established cases but is poor when widespread and irreversible fibrosis has set in. The authors consider that pulmonary disease due to inhaled particles is probably set off by an individual factor, possibly immunological.


This paper investigates (1) if, and to what extent, self-congruity theory is applicable in tourism, (2) to what extent travel and person characteristics explain the degree of self-congruity, and (3) how the operationalization of self-congruity affects the conclusions about whether self-congruity holds in tourism. Results derived from a large-scale study of Swiss travelers indicate that conclusions depend heavily on how self-congruity is measured. Using a relatively strict measure, more than half the trips under study can be classified as self-congruent. However, travel and sociodemographic characteristics are very limited in their ability to explain when self-congruity occurs.


1. As a preliminary step towards a fishery management strategy for the squid Loligo forbesi, indices of reproduction, egg production and recruitment were derived for this species in Irish (1991-93) and Scottish (1990-95) waters to give a quantitative estimate of peaks in spawning and fishery recruitment. 2. The indices were derived by combining landings or catch per unit effort (CPUE) data with the estimated proportions of mature squid (reproducers) and immature squid (recruits) to give an index of the number of squid spawning in and recruiting to the fished population each month. 3. The reproductive index peaked between November and December in Irish waters and between December and January in Scottish waters, earlier than predicted by simply examining peaks in the proportion of mature squid. 4. The index of recruitment showed peaks in the autumn in both Irish and Scottish waters, but there was also an additional April peak in Scottish waters. The two periods of recruitment in Scottish waters, together with a decrease in the size of mature females during the spawning season, are not compatible with a single breeding season and possible explanations for this are discussed. 5. By helping to define the timing of the fishing season (to avoid overfishing) and by providing estimates of natural mortality (for assessment of population size), the indices provide important input for population models for fisheries management of squid and short-lived fish species. 6. A possible model for a directed fishery for L. forbesi is proposed. In the model, the start of the fishing season is delayed to prevent growth overfishing and the season curtailed during spawning to prevent recruitment overfishing. However, on the basis of the indices developed here, this leaves only a narrow time window in which such a fishery could operate.


Rufinamide was evaluated in vitro to determine which enzyme(s) are responsible for rufinamide hydrolysis and whether valproate, one of its metabolites (valproyl-CoA), and/or the rufinamide hydrolysis product (CGP 47292) could inhibit hydrolysis. Rufinamide hydrolysis was mediated primarily by human carboxylesterase (hCE) 1 and was nonsaturable up to 500 μM. Two-thirds of rufinamide hydrolysis was estimated to occur in human microsomes and one-third in cytosol. Valproate was a selective inhibitor for hCE1 compared to hCE2 and inhibition had a greater impact on rufinamide hydrolysis in microsomes than in cytosol. Valproyl-CoA caused similar inhibition of rufinamide hydrolysis in both microsomes and cytosol. Carboxylesterases were not significantly inhibited by CGP 47292. Inhibition of in vitro rufinamide hydrolysis by valproate could offer an explanation for the observed in vivo drug-drug interaction between the two antiepileptic drugs.


This thesis collates and analyses the current energy use and the future energy options for the Northern Territory. Primary energy resources, household and industry level data as well as energy market data (electricity, liquid fuels and gas supply, demand and prices) are also collated and anlaysed. Business as usual future energy demand is forecast in the context of the current Northern Territory, Australian and world economic outlook. Scenario modelling is introduced and exploratory scenarios of business as usual, a safe climate scenario and a third scenario which takes into consideration the characteristics of the Northern Territory are proposed. While scenario modelling was deemed beyond the scope, this thesis is significant in its collation of a unique data set which is capable of supporting scenario and economic modelling. This thesis revealed that the Northern Territory has world class energy resources. The end use energy mix is dominated by fossil fuels with less than one percent from renewable energy sources. The thesis demonstrates the NT is lagging behind national benchmarks and policy targets around energy productivity and renewable energy. The NT is however, well placed with lower than national average of carbon emissions intensity of electricity purchased from the grid. The primary outcomes of this thesis is the demonstration that policy makers and energy planners have a number of future energy investment options, with the most technically and economically feasible being energy efficiency, natural gas, Solar PV and Solar Thermal. Additional outcomes are recommendations for further research in order to support future energy and infrastructure planning and actions to address the gaps in the data set.


This study aims to localize the ligamentous lesions in distinct knee joint instabilities. For that reason 41 human cadaver knee joint specimens were tested in a three-dimensional determined apparatus. Ligaments were successively dissected and forces and torques were introduced. Both cruciates are the dominant structures in preventing straight anterior und posterior movement of the tibia. As a supporting element the postero-medial capsule prevents anterior dislocation in ACL-deficient knees. Therefore extraarticular procedures in cruciate instabilities will not be successful. In contrast varus- and valgus instabilities resulted after transsection of a couple of ligaments. Valgus stability decreased after cutting the medial collateral, posterior oblique and both cruciate ligaments. The most important element in preventing straight varus instability was the lateral collateral followed by the posterior cruciate ligament, while the popliteus tendon had only little influence. Therefore in medial and lateral instabilities all supporting structures should be exposed and reconstructed.


An artificial light-harvesting system with two-step sequential energy transfer was constructed in aqueous media based on cyano-substituted p-phenylenevinylene derivative (PPTA) and bis-(p-sulfonatocalix[4]arenes) (BSC4) supramolecular polymers formed through host-guest interactions, in which two different fluorescent dyes, eosin Y (EY) and sulforhodamine (SR101), were employed as energy acceptors. The obtained artificial light-harvesting system can achieve an efficient two-step energy transfer process from PPTA-BSC4 to EY and then to SR101 with high energy-transfer efficiencies of up to 36.6% and 40.8%, respectively. More importantly, the harvested energy from the PPTA-BSC4 + EY + SR101 system can be used to promote the dehalogenation of α-bromoacetophenone with a yield of 89% in aqueous solution.


Governments purchase everything from airplanes to zucchini. This paper investigates the role of the technological content of government procurement in innovation. We theoretically show that a shift in the composition of public purchases toward high-tech products translates into higher economy-wide returns to innovation, leading to an increase in the aggregate level of private research and development (R&D). Collecting unique panel data on federal procurement in US states, we find that reshuffling procurement toward high-tech industries has an economically and statistically significant positive effect on private R&D, even after extensively controlling for other R&D determinants. Instrumental-variable estimations support a causal interpretation of our findings.


In this study, some thiazole-based pyrrolidine derivatives were synthesized, characterized by FT-IR and 1H NMR spectroscopic techniques, and evaluated as potential antibacterial agents. Their antibacterial activities were evaluated by broth microdilution method and expressed as minimum inhibitory concentration; against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus. Cytotoxicity studies of synthesized compounds were also conducted to minimize the toxic effects on healthy mammalian cells. From synthesized compounds, 4-F-phenyl derivative compound (11) has been found to inhibit Gram-positive bacteria with minimum toxicity selectively.


Abstract:This study examines how 12 Black student leaders apply transgenerational knowledge to pursue social change while attending a predominantly White institution. Findings indicated participants' used Black cultural beliefs as a source of pride concerning what it means to be Black and to create positive change on campus through engaging in activism. By applying parental and elder transgenerational knowledge participants were able to preserve and protect the communal interest of Black students. Participants engaged in face-to-face and digital modes of protest, resistance and communication by using technology to conduct activism. The emergent themes were: Preserving "My" Black; and Digital Underground. These findings provide insight into how Black student leadership identities are positively influenced by racial socialization.


Many system building efforts in artificial intelligence intentionally begin with expressively rich and flexible declarative structures for the control of problem solving-especially when the best problem solving strategies are not known. However, as experience with a system increases, it sometimes becomes desirable to compile declarative knowledge into procedures for purposes of efficiency. We present a paradigm for compilation which begins with declarative opportunism, moves to a phase of heuristic implementation of a partial plan and finally evolves into a fully elaborated procedure. We use the PROTEAN geometric constraint satisfaction system as an example. Using results from a purely declarative structure, we were able to compile strategic knowledge into a procedure for planning a solution. The problem solving behavior of the new system is reported.


Recently, hybrid   structure  graphene / organic  nano composite have been studied for low cost photovoltaic devices (P3HT/Graphene ) can be formed by solution process at room temperature, in this study, we demonstrate a hybrid solar cells composite of (Graphene-P3HT/TiO2 Nanowire  to allowed for distributed the organic materials among the nanorode, the organic which cover by spin coating to provide higher mobility and conductivity of (G-P3HT)  where employed as P-type or Hole transparent materials with TiO2 NW as a photoanode. The nanocoposite of P3HT (G-P3HT, 10% wt graphene)   deposited on  TiO2 NW by spin couter technique. The solar cells based on vertical  TiO2 NW nanowire arrays by utilizing a spin couter spin speed. The initial results showed the power conversion efficiency of 0.5 %. The cells with G-P3HT showed different performance. The power conversion efficiency was improved from 0.3 for spin couter speed 300 rpm to 1.3 at 500 rpm for G-P3HT among different spin speed solar cells. It exhibited tunable power conversion efficiency with spin speed, with very thin materials and in expensive processing ,hybrid G/P3HT /Nanorod solar cells are promising as an economically viable alternative energy solution


The major problems associated with the use of corticosteroids for the treatment of ocular diseases are their poor intraocular penetration to the posterior segment when administered locally and their secondary side effects when given systemically. To circumvent these problems more efficient methods and techniques of local delivery are being developed. The purposes of this study were: (1) to investigate the pharmacokinetics of intraocular penetration of hemisuccinate methyl prednisolone (HMP) after its delivery using the transscleral Coulomb controlled iontophoresis (CCI) system applied to the eye or after intravenous (i.v.) injection in the rabbit, (2) to test the safety of the CCI system for the treated eyes and (3) to compare the pharmacokinetic profiles of HMP intraocular distribution after CCI delivery to i.v. injection. For each parameter evaluated, six rabbit eyes were used. For the CCI system, two concentrations of HMP (62.5 and 150mg ml(-1)), various intensities of current and duration of treatment were analyzed. In rabbits serving as controls the HMP was infused in the CCI device but without applied electric current. For the i.v. delivery, HMP at 10mg kg(-1)as a 62.5mg ml(-1)solution was used. The rabbits were observed clinically for evidence of ocular toxicity. At various time points after the administration of drug, rabbits were killed and intraocular fluids and tissues were sampled for methylprednisolone (MP) concentrations by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Histology examinations were performed on six eyes of each group. Among groups that received CCI, the concentrations of MP increased in all ocular tissues and fluids in relation to the intensities of current used (0.4, 1.0 and 2.0mA/0.5cm(2)) and its duration (4 and 10min). Sustained and highest levels of MP were achieved in the choroid and the retina of rabbit eyes treated with the highest current and 10min duration of CCI. No clinical toxicity or histological lesions were observed following CCI. Negligible amounts of MP were found in ocular tissues in the CCI control group without application of current. Compared to i.v. administration, CCI achieved higher and more sustained tissue concentrations with negligible systemic absorption. These data demonstrate that high levels of MP can be safely achieved in intraocular tissues and fluids of the rabbit eye, using CCI. With this system, intraocular tissues levels of MP are higher than those achieved after i.v. injection. Furthermore, if needed, the drug levels achieved with CCI can be modulated as a function of current intensity and duration of treatment. CCI could therefore be used as an alternative method for the delivery of high levels of MP to the intraocular tissues of both the anterior and posterior segments.


This article examines how cultural matching relates to a job applicant's likelihood of getting hired into an organization and identifies the components of cultural similarity that matter most for hiring success. Cultural compatibility at the hiring stage can forecast an individual's post-hire productivity but is difficult to reliably measure in the selection process. As a consequence, cultural matching is often subject to various informational and identity-based biases. We develop a language-based model that provides a means for directly assessing job candidates' cultural similarity. Based on variegated data from a mid-sized technology firm--including job applicants' free text responses at the pre-hire stage, applicant characteristics, applicant-interviewer assignments, and hiring outcomes--we find that linguistic similarity with previously hired employees increases a job candidate's chances of being hired, even after controlling for the applicant's human and social capital. We further find that, although all three forms of cultural fit that we assess--fit based on work preferences, lifestyles, and ideology--predict hiring in between-interviewer models, only work preferences fit predicts hiring in within-interviewer models. Supplemental analyses indicate that pre-hire cultural fit is also predictive of successful enculturation in the firm over the first six months of employment. Together, these results indicate that cultural matching leads to sorting on attributes that are both relevant and potentially irrelevant for job success.


In the age of ever-growing technology, information transfer is becoming more and more vulnerable. Cryptography the key which ensures secure communication. In this paper, an attempt to recreate the Hill Cipher encryption scheme has been made where the key structure is based on a group algebra G over the boolean ring R. The key idea of the proposal is to overcome the currently existing vulnerabilities in the Hill Cipher. Developed by Lester S. Hill in 1929, the Hill Cipher encryption algorithm was a key invention in the field of Cryptography in the then era. However, changing worlds and developing technologies have made it necessary to make some amendments in the currently existing algorithm. Here, we use Boolean Rings as the key matrices to make the encryption scheme stronger and more secure.