BACKGROUND
Compared to children, adult patients with minimal change disease (MCD) tend to have a slower response to steroids, but little is known about the factors influencing the steroid responsiveness in these patients. In this study, we investigated the difference in the expression of the glomerular glucocorticoid receptor (GCR) according to steroid responsiveness in 28 adult-onset MCD patients.

METHODS
Based on the response to steroid treatment, the patients were divided into early responders (ER, n=20) and late responders (LR, n=8) according to the response to steroids on the basis of 4 weeks of treatment. The clinical and laboratory findings, and the glomerular mRNA and protein expression of GCR and nephrin, assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, respectively, were compared between the ER and LR groups. Ten microscopic haematuric patients in whom renal biopsy was performed and revealed no histological abnormalities were included for control (C).

RESULTS
The mRNA expression of GCR was significantly lower in the LR than that in the ER group (P<0.01), whereas it was comparable between the C and ER groups. GCR protein expression was also decreased in the LR compared with the C and ER groups. In contrast, there was no significant difference in nephrin mRNA expression among the three groups. On the other hand, the GCR mRNA expression correlated inversely with the time to complete remission (r= -0.49, P<0.05), but not with the amount of proteinuria at presentation.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the levels of glomerular GCR expression may be a useful predictor of steroid responsiveness in adult-onset MCD patients.


In an interview titled "The Janus-Face of Politicized Art," Jacques Ranciere describes his methodology as follows: "I always try to think in terms of horizontal distributions, combinations between systems of possibilities, not in terms of surface and substratum. Where one searches for the hidden beneath the apparent, a position of mastery is established. I have tried to conceive of a topography that does not presuppose this position of mastery." The aim is to construct "little by little, an egalitarian or anarchist theoretical position that does not presuppose this vertical relationship of top to bottom."
 In this essay, I ask, first, how we can theorize the two methodologies that Ranciere opposes in view of actual practices of aesthetic education. To further this theoretical reflection, I continue with some reflections on a graduate student seminar on aesthetics and politics that I taught in the Master's Program in Aesthetics and Politics in the School of Critical Studies at the California Institute of the Arts. Ranciere's work was one of the main inspirations for this program, and I reflect in this essay on how the methodology of horizontal distributions is played out in the aesthetic education that the program offers. In the third and fourth parts of this essay, I explore the ways in which these different methodologies circulate in what I am calling in my title two "scenes of aesthetic education": the first is Oedipus's confrontation with the Sphinx in Sophocles's famous play; the second is Jean-Luc Godard's discussion of the shot reverse shot film technique in his film Notre Musique . Each of these scenes enables one to understand much about Ranciere's methodology and its importance for aesthetic education.


High filtration efficiency of nanofibrous membrane has been proved in air filtration area, but, in addition to filtration efficiency, pressure drop is another important characteristic of fibrous filter. Because pressure-drop is related to energy wastage of filtration, it's necessary to study. While there are not enough studies dedicated to pressure-drop of nanofibrous membrane filters. Here, different thickness PVA nanofibrous membranes were made by electrospinning, and they deposited on cotton scaffolds to form nanofibrous filter samples. Through testing these samples, we found as thickness of nanofibrous membrane increased, pressure-drop rose almost linearly, while filtration efficiency presented a different change trend. When thickness of nanofibrous membrane reaching a point, filtration efficiency attained extreme limit, even if increasing thickness nanofibrous membrane, filtration efficiency only rose limitedly, but pressure-drop still increased rapidly. At the same time, we found despite the thickness of nanofibrous membrane was thinner than conventional fibrous filter, pressure-drop of nanofibrous filter was obviously higher than conventional fibrous filter. So it's remarkable phenomena. Through theoretical analysis and simulation, the causation of high pressure-drop of nanofibrous filter was discussed and provided. Decreasing diameter of fiber caused resistance performance change. It's necessary to carry on a further research.


Abstract. The tsunami generated on 12 July 1993 by the Hokkaido–Nansei–Oki earthquake (Mw = 7.8) brought about a maximum wave run-up of 31.7 m, the highest recorded in Japan during the 20th century, near the Monai Valley on the west coast of Okushiri Island (Hokkaido Tsunami Survey Group, 1993). To reproduce the extreme run-up height, the three-dimensional non-hydrostatic model (Flow Science, 2012), referred to here as the NH-model, has been locally applied with open boundary conditions supplied in an offline manner by the three-dimensional hydrostatic model (Ribeiro et al., 2011), referred to here as the H-model. The area of the H-model is sufficiently large to cover the entire fault region with one-way nested multiple domains. For the initial water deformation, Okada's fault model (1985) using the sub-fault parameters is applied. Three NH-model experiments have been performed, namely without islands, with one island and with two islands. The experiments with one island and with two islands give rise to values close to the observation with maximum run-up heights of about 32.3 and 30.8 m, respectively, while the experiment without islands gives rise to about 25.2 m. The diffraction of the tsunami wave primarily by Muen Island, located in the south, and the southward topographic guiding of the tsunami run-up at the coast are, as in the laboratory simulation (Yoneyama et al., 2002), found to result in the extreme run-up height near Monai Valley. The presence of Hira Island enhances the diffraction of tsunami waves but its contribution to the extreme run-up height is marginal.


High-resolution melting (HRM) shows great promise for high-throughput, rapid genotyping of individual polymorphic loci. We have developed HRM assays for genotyping single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in several key genes that are involved in methyl metabolism and may directly or indirectly affect the methylation status of the DNA. The SNPs are in the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR; C677T and A1298C), methionine synthetase (MTR; 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase; A2756G), and DNA methyltransferase 3b (DNMT3b; C46359T and C31721T) loci. The choice of short amplicons led to greater melting temperature (Tm) differences between the two homozygous genotypes, which allowed accurate genotyping without the use of probes or spiking with control DNA. In the case of MTHFR, there is a second rarer SNP (rs4846051) close to the A1298C SNP that may result in inaccurate genotyping. We masked this second SNP by placing the primer over it and choosing a base at the polymorphic position that was equally mismatched to both alleles. The HRM assays were done on HRM capable real-time PCR machines rather than stand-alone HRM machines. Monitoring the amplification allows ready identification of samples that may give rise to aberrant melting curves because of PCR abnormalities. We show that samples amplifying markedly late can give rise to shifted melting curves without alteration of shapes and potentially lead to misclassification of genotypes. In conclusion, rapid and high-throughput SNP analysis can be done with probe-free HRM if sufficient attention is paid to amplicon design and quality control to omit aberrantly amplifying samples. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(5):1240–7)


An energy-based fracture mode has been derived for the mode I crack kinking and branching. The classic -integral has been further explored by a new partial integral path and the analytical solution of the energy release rate for crack kinking and branching from a mode-I crack tip has been established. The crack kinking/branching angle has also been analytically derived. It shows that the Griffith's theorem and conservation law can be applied to both model I crack extension and model I crack kinking and branching. The branching mechanism for quasi-static mode-I crack has been theoretically investigated. The branching toughness and the K-based criterion for crack branching have been defined. The crack branching phenomena predicted by the present model are in well agreement with the experimental observations reported in the literatures.


Article history: Received 28.06.2016 Accepted 17.10.2016 The natural reseeding of plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) in a sward mix containing plantain, chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) was monitored under conventional dairy grazing management between January and September 2015 in Manawatu, New Zealand. Measurements included numbers of seedlings emerging, and survival of tagged seedlings and their contribution to sward population densities. Seedling numbers ranged between 17-368 seedlings per m2 and varied (P < 0.05) between paddocks and gradients (>15° slope versus flat). The time of seedling emergence had no effect (P > 0.05) on seedling survival; however seedling survival varied considerably (P < 0.05) between the paddocks (26% versus 76%), with higher survival following mechanical topping prior to the start of the study. Overall, at the end of the study, plantain seedlings contributed 14% of the total plantain shoots in the sward and plantain shoot density either increased or remained stable during the study period. The current study suggests that natural reseeding of plantain is significant under conventional grazing management and could be used as a management tool to maintain or increase plantain shoot density.


The aim of this dissertation is to examine critically the incessant inter-religious conflicts in
Northern Nigeria, to identify the real causes of such conflicts and to suggest theological
and practical ways to sustain peace building endeavours. Conflicts as an inevitable part of
human existence can be triggered and exacerbated by numerous factors. Religion as a
powerful impulse in human existence has been used to fuel conflict in Northern Nigeria.
Radical religious strife, quest for more converts, colonisation, ethnicity, and perceived
political domination have strengthened stereotypical views of the self and the other.
Religion is closely intertwined with culture and thus central in the understanding and
establishment of peace in society; continue to play paradoxical role in the locality. Religion
can be a cause of conflict and a way of conflict resolution. In Nigeria religion has failed to
establish the peace which it has claimed to promote, because deep historical feuds have
found expression in religion, and religion is thus at the core of the strife as experienced in
contemporary Northern Nigeria.
The theology of the Second Vatican Council, in which the Roman Catholic Church
reflects on its self-understanding as a community and its role in the world, provides a first
model for the encounter between Christianity and other religions in mutual understanding.
This thesis considers the theological potential of this interreligious encounter (or dialogue)
between Islamic and Christian traditions in general and the possibilities and difficulties of
dialogue between Muslims and Christians in Northern Nigeria in particular.
Moreover, this study delves into the need for engagement between theology and
politics in addressing issues of conflict. It explores the theology of interreligious dialogue
as a means for a promising peace-building process in Northern Nigeria. Religion as a
significant part of the problem is equally essential in proffering solutions. However, taken
on their own terms, neither religion nor politics have comprehensive answers. Hence, any
peace building project in Northern Nigeria must be multi-faceted. It could be, modelled on
a theological approach for encounter and dialogue which examines common grounds for
collaboration within the two faith traditions, in an attempt to consider and strengthen
peace-building endeavours within the region.


ABSTRACT Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) programmes are mushrooming in many different contexts. However, research has mainly focused on their impact on foreign language learning and to a lesser extent on L1 development, whereas the number of studies undertaken in multilingual contexts in which more than two languages coexist is negligible. In an attempt to fill this gap, the overall aim of this research study was to examine the effect of CLIL on the learning of three languages in contact, namely English, Basque and Spanish in the Basque Country, Spain. With this objective in mind, two test rounds were conducted in a longitudinal study spanning one year and in which 285 secondary education students took part. The results revealed significantly higher scores on the part of the CLIL students in English (which represents the L3 and the foreign language in this context) in both test rounds, although a similar linguistic development between the experimental CLIL and the control non-CLIL groups was observed. Additionally, no significant differences were found in the students' L1 and L2 development (Spanish and Basque), despite the fact that CLIL students had a lower exposure to Basque in the school context.


Phagocytic and oxidative metabolic activities of bovine blood neutrophils were determined in the presence of glycolytic (NaF) and cytoskeletal (colchicine, cytochalasin B, and prostaglandin E1) inhibitors. Phagocytosis and post-phagocytic oxidative metabolic activity, measured by nitroblue tetrazolium reduction, were determined using zymosan, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, or Streptococcus agalactiae. Sodium fluoride (1.25 microM to 1.25 mM concentrations) did not significantly (P greater than 0.05) inhibit phagocytosis of S aureus and Str agalactiae, whereas phagocytosis of zymosan and E coli was significantly (P less than 0.05) inhibited only at 1.25 mM concentration. Colchicine at 1.25 nM to 1.25 microM concentrations significantly inhibited phagocytosis of zymosan and E coli, but not of S aureus and Str agalactiae. Cytochalasin B at 1.25 nM to 1.25 microM concentrations significantly inhibited phagocytosis of zymosan and all 3 bacteria, whereas prostaglandin E1 was noninhibitory at similar concentrations. Nitroblue tetrazolium reduction, in general, was not significantly affected by NaF and cytoskeletal inhibitors.


This thesis studies the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s capacity to rule in contemporary China by examining (a) its quest for popular legitimacy and (b) its search for party cohesion. In explaining the CCP's ruling basis, a plethora of political science and economics literature has pointed to China's economic growth. Conventional wisdom considers ideology to be obsolete and the political reform to be too limited to take any substantive effect in China.

This thesis argues that ideological adaptation and the institutionalization of power succession play crucial roles in maintaining the CCP's popular legitimacy and party cohesion. China's economic success is certainly important, however, it also creates a fundamental dilemma of the CCP's rule. If a communist party is not to deliver communism and class victory, why is it there at all? There is a potential contradiction between generating economic success by utilizing quasi capitalist economic policies on the one hand, and the fact that this is a communist party that supposedly justifies its rule by being the vehicle to deliver a communist society on the other. This thesis shows how the CCP has been constantly revising its ideological basis for justifying – if not legitimizing – its rule. By studying the CCP's ideological discourses, the mechanism of ideological promotion, and their effectiveness, this thesis makes a valuable contribution to the relevant literature.

In addition to ideology, the institutionalization of power succession is also crucial to the CCP's rule. During Mao Zedong's rule, an un-institutionalized power system had caused endless fierce power struggles within the party, which indirectly led to economic stagnation and social unrest. Thirty years of institutionalization has made leadership transitions in China more stable, transparent, predictable, and smoother now than ever before. By offering a large amount of first- and second-hand data on China's leadership transition, this thesis shows how the institutionalization of power succession helps to maintain regime stability and legitimacy.


OBJECTIVES
To study the determinants and factors influencing the development of cognition and perception using the Mann-Zeichen Test in preschool children.

METHODS
Data were obtained from the Ulm Birth Cohort Study (UBCS) including newborns and their mothers recruited in Ulm between 2000-2001. Data were collected using self-administered parental questionnaires following delivery (baseline examination) and at 2, 3, 4, and 6 years of children's age. Cognitive development was tested using drawings of n=298 children at a school entrance examination (mean age=5.8 years, SD=0.4). Bi- und multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS
In boys, we observed statistically significant positive associations between high paternal education and the children's cognitive development (regression coefficient b, p-value: 6.65, p=0.018). There was a trend towards negative association between institutional care during the first 3 years of life (b=- 0.18/months of institutional care, p=0.074), as well as allergic diseases (b=- 6.02, p=0.075) and cognitive development. More than 30 min. spent on watching television (TV) or video at children's age of 4 years was significantly associated with reduced cognitive abilities at 6 years of age (b=- 9.37, p=0.005). In girls, there was a trend towards negative association between maternal education (b=- 4.43, p=0.091) and a positive association between allergic diseases and the cognitive development (b=6.42, p=0.075). Mutually adjusted, the effects were attenuated in boys and girls. However, a negative association between paternal education and time spent watching TV with children's cognitive ability was observed.

CONCLUSION
The study shows modifiable factors associated with the cognitive abilities at age 6 years, especially early TV consumption in boys.


Relativity of soil maps may limit their utility at many aspects such as agriculture development, farming, civil engineering, urban and regional planning and forestry. Paying attention to the scale is one of the most common procedures in assessing the maps usability. The average size delineation (ASD), effective scale number (ESN), index of maximum reduction (IMR) and shape complexity index (SCI) are the maps quality criteria that can be examined. The purposes of this study were: a) to evaluate the EC and SAR maps of the farm lands affected by the Kaveh-Soda factory effluent on the basis of the above quality criteria and b) to evaluate the efficiency of continuous and intermittent methods of leaching in three Saline-Sodic soils with loam and sandy loam textures. EC maps of the area were selected and ASD, ESN, IMR and SCI were determined as 0.95 cm2, 1:26000, 1.54 and 3.33, respectively. For the SAR maps the above criteria were 1.33 cm2, 1:31000, 1.84 and 3.51, respectively. According to the above criteria there should be no limitation in their uses for developing of agricultural and civil engineering projects. It is known that optimum IMR is equal to 2, so that raising IMR of EC and SAR maps from 1.54 and 1.84 to 2 led their scale to increase from 1:34000 to 1:26000 and 1:31000, respectively and increase maps contrast as well. At the subsequent stage, efficiency of two leaching methods of saline-sodic soils was examined after knowing the usability of the maps and separating their units, as affected by Kaveh-Soda factory (Maragheh). For this purpose, PVC tubes (Lengths= 70 cm; Diameter= 10 cm) were prepared and filled with soil (5200 g sieved by 4.76 mm). The flow rate during both leaching methods was selected to be 1.25 KS of the columns. Soil columns were grouped according their EC as 1) EC= 10.38 dSm-1, with Na+= 49.64 meqL-1; 2) EC= 20.6 dSm-1, with Na+= 94.57 meqL-1; and 3) EC= 36.6 dSm-1, with Na+ = 166.11 meqL-1. Leaching water was saturated with gypsum because of it's high SAR to disperse the soil and effectively reduce the leaching efficiency. The EC of leaching water was 2.34 dSm-1. Leaching was stopped when EC of the effluent from the columns became relatively constant. The results revealed that intermittent leaching method efficiency was 8% greater than that of continuous method. The depth water need for the reclamation of the affected soils was also calculated.


A before-and-after field evaluation assessed the impacts that centerline and shoulder rumble strips on rural two-lane roadways have on various characteristics of driver behavior. The following characteristics were assessed as part of this evaluation: passing maneuvers, lateral lane placement, and centerline and edgeline encroachments. The data were collected with video cameras temporarily installed at 18 passing zones and 12 curves on rural two-lane roadways throughout Michigan. The cameras were installed at the same locations before and after the installation of rumble strips. A manual review of the videos was performed to assess the various behavioral characteristics. Nearly 78,000 vehicles were observed during review of the passing zone videos, and more than 50,000 vehicles were observed during review of the curve videos. Centerline rumble strips were found to improve driver central lane positioning tendencies and decrease the occurrence of centerline encroachments. The inclusion of shoulder rumble strips in addition to centerline rumble strips provided incremental improvements in central lane positioning and reduced edgeline encroachments. Most notable, centerline and shoulder rumble strips greatly reduced the occurrence of drivers laterally shifting to the inside while maneuvering through curves (i.e., corner cutting). In addition, centerline rumble strips did not reduce the rate of passing maneuvers. Collectively, these results suggest that both centerline and shoulder rumble strips have a positive impact on surrogate measures for roadway safety and do not negatively affect driver behavior.


Coastal mobility can be expressed as the response of a specific coastline to different forcing factors: (1) Climate change and more specifically the sea level change which is a response to the temperature increase of ocean (steric effect) and to the melting of ice caps, (2) Internal geodynamic processes like tectonics, which can lead to movements along faults and to the flexure of the lithosphere, (3) External geodynamic processes like coastal erosion, accretion, and sediment transport. These processes are linked both to the marine environment (current, wave climate etc.) and to continental processes (sedimentary supplies by rivers, continental erosion. . . ). (4) Anthropogenic actions like sea defences, sea walls and other structures participating in the "holding the line" strategy. Anthropogenic actions within watersheds and in coastal areas can also play an important role in coastline mobility: mining activities, gravel extraction in rivers, drastic modification of land use, etc. Within the on-going project CECILE (Le Cozannet & al. this session, our goal is to evaluate the impact of future sea level change on some emblematic coasts located at different locations in order to assess their sensitivity and in order to assess the variability of the response of the coast to different change rise rates. In order to evaluate this sensitivity, we firstly analyse the past response of each coastline during the sea level rise of the past 50 years. We used both monitoring of the sea level and analysing evolution of the coastline by comparison of historical aerial photographs and present day satellite images. We also take into account the evolution of anthropogenic actions like buildings, construction of sea defence works (groynes, sea wall etc.) and other actions (damming, mining, gravel extractions etc.) contributing to modifications of the sedimentary budget at the coast. After a complete analysis of the past events and their effects on the coastline, an assessment of the plausible future effects of the next 100 years of sea level rise will be attempted. Two areas of the SW Pacific are currently studied: French Polynesia and New Caledonia. The archipelago of French Polynesia is composed of atolls and High Islands both of volcanic origin. The high islands are constituted by volcanic rocks (mainly basalt) and protected from ocean waves by barrier reefs. New Caledonia is an old shield largely faulted with long term alteration, affected by differential vertical movement and largely influenced by mining activities. A barrier reef is also present near New Caledonia but it is located far from the coast with a different impact on the wave climate at the coast. This work presents some preliminary results obtained with the analysis of the evolution of some regions of the coastline of French Polynesia and New Caledonia. The analysis of the impact of the sea level rise on the coastline in various contexts within the same oceanic region will be useful for understanding and anticipating the future impact of sea level rise in the SW Pacific and is complementary to the work completed by Webb & Kench (2010) in the Central Pacific.


If we want future products and services to be designed for a specific target group, we need to assess the latent needs of this target group. Assessing these needs can be done using generative research techniques. This paper describes the development of the digital workbook, a digital tool to be used in the sensitizing stage of a contextmapping study, a methodology for generative research. Evaluation of the digital workbook shows the great potential of using the possibilities of web 2.0 to create digital research tools which combine the size and low costs of online surveys with the richness of data provided by generative research methods.


Warren Buffet and George Soros both started with nothing and made billion-dollar fortunes solely by investing. At first glance they seem to have nothing in common: Buffett buys bargain-priced stocks and businesses for cash; and Soros is renowned for his highly-leveraged, quick-footed bets in the currency markets. So what do they have in common? As Mark Tier demonstrates in "The Winning Investment Habits of Warren Buffet and George Soros", they practice exactly the same mental habits and strategies when investing, and these tactics have since been used successfully by all other traders and investors that Tier has worked with - without exception. By sharing 23 key investment habits in this ground-breaking book, the author provides you with the rare opportunity to understand the logic behind them and make them your own.


Objectives:Whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) are common and involve both physical and psychological impairments. Research has shown that persistent posttraumatic stress symptoms are associated with poorer functional recovery and physical therapy outcomes. Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) has shown moderate effectiveness in chronic pain samples. However, to date, there have been no clinical trials within WAD. Thus, this study will report on the effectiveness of TF-CBT in individuals meeting the criteria for current chronic WAD and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Method:Twenty-six participants were randomly assigned to either TF-CBT or a waitlist control, and treatment effects were evaluated at posttreatment and 6-month follow-up using a structured clinical interview, self-report questionnaires, and measures of physiological arousal and sensory pain thresholds. Results:Clinically significant reductions in PTSD symptoms were found in the TF-CBT group compared with the waitlist at postassessment, with further gains noted at the follow-up. The treatment of PTSD was also associated with clinically significant improvements in neck disability, physical, emotional, and social functioning and physiological reactivity to trauma cues, whereas limited changes were found in sensory pain thresholds. Discussion:This study provides support for the effectiveness of TF-CBT to target PTSD symptoms within chronic WAD. The finding that treatment of PTSD resulted in improvements in neck disability and quality of life and changes in cold pain thresholds highlights the complex and interrelating mechanisms that underlie both WAD and PTSD. Clinical implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed.


The Unified Modeling Language (UML) comprises several different notations for object-oriented modeling with no formal semantics attached to the individual diagrams. We have developed a generic framework for formalizing a subset of UML diagrams in terms of various formal languages, with a focus on embedded systems. We have formalized UML in terms of Promela, thus enabling analysis of the UML diagrams by the SPIN model checker and simulator. We have also developed a number of visualizations to assist in the interpretation of the analysis results. This paper presents a case study of the UML design and automated analysis of an industrial automotive embedded system using our formalization techniques, supporting tools and existing analysis.


Gas-Liquid Cylindrical Cyclone (GLCC 1 ) separators are becoming increasingly popular as attractive alternatives to conventional separators as they are simple, less expensive, have low-weight, and require little maintenance. However, present studies focus on GLCC designs and applications at relatively lower gas velocities (below the minimum velocity for onset of liquid carry-over in the form of mist flow). With appropriate modifications GLCCs can be used for wet gas and high gas oil ratio (GOR) applications, characterized by higher gas velocities, to knock out the liquid droplets from the gas core. The objectives of this study are to design a novel GLCC capable of separating liquid from a wet gas stream; conduct experimental investigations to evaluate the GLCC performance improvement in terms of operational envelope for liquid carryover; and, measure the liquid extraction from the gas stream. Specific design guidelines for wet gas GLCC are also formulated based on the experimental studies. This investigation provides new capabilities for compact separators for wet gas and high GOR (exceeding 90%) applications.


Cancer is often associated with a high number of large-scale, structural rearrangements. In a highly selective environment, some `driver' mutations conferring clonal growth advantage will be positively selected, accounting for further cancer development. Clarifying their nature, as well as their contribution to the pathology is a major current focus of
biomedical research. Next generation sequencing technologies can be used nowadays to generate high-resolution data-sets of these alterations in cancer genomes. This project has been developed along two main lines: 1) the reconstruction of cancer aberrant karyotypes, together with their underlying evolutionary history; 2) the elucidation of some combinatorial properties associated with gene duplications. We applied graph theory to the problem of reconstructing the final cancer genome sequence; additionally, we developed an algorithmic approach for the reconstruction of a multi-step evolution consistent with read coverage and paired end data, giving insights on the possible molecular mechanisms underlying rearrangements. Looking at the combinatorics of both tandem and inverted duplication, we developed an algebraic formalism for the representation of these processes. This allowed us to both explore the geometric properties of sequences arising by Tandem Duplication (TD), and obtain a recursion for the number of tandem duplications evolutions after n events. Such results are missing
for inverted duplications, whose combinatorial properties have been nevertheless deeply elucidated. Our results have allowed: 1) the identification, through an original approach, of potential rearrangement mechanisms associated with cancer development, and 2) the
definition and mathematical description of the complete evolutionary space of specific rearrangement classes.


A fiber-optic sensor is investigated in this work for potential applications in structural health monitoring. The sensor, called fiber-loop-sensor, is based on bending an optical fiber beyond a critical radius to obtain intensity losses and calibrating the losses with respect to the applied force or displacement. Additionally, in the present case, the use of single-mode optical fibers allows the appearance of several resonance peaks in the transmitted power-displacement graph. The intensity of one of these resonances can be tracked in a narrow range to obtain high sensitivity. Experimental results show that the resolution of 10−4 N for force and 10−5 m for displacement can be obtained in these sensors. The sensors are calibrated for various loop radii and for various loading rates. They are also tested under loading-unloading conditions for over 104 cycles to observe their fatigue behavior. The sensors show very repeatable response and no degradation in performance under these test conditions. Simple cons...


C3H/HeN mice were infected with Echinostoma trivolvis metacercariae on day 0, given intramuscular injections of dexamethasone daily for 5 or 7 days, and necropsied on days 5, 8, 12, 15, 20 and 30 p. i. Controls consisted of mice that were infected with echinostomes, but were not treated with dexamethasone. Dexamethasone treatment caused a delay in worm expulsion from the small intestine of the hosts, and the increase in goblet cell numbers that occurred in untreated mice was markedly delayed in the treated mice. Mast cell number in the small intestine increased rapidly from just after day 5 p. i. and reached a peak on day 15 p. i. in both dexamethasone-treated and control mice, although the increase in cell numbers was delayed slightly in the dexamethasone-treated mice. The eosinophil number in the small intestine of dexamethasone-treated mice was suppressed until 8 days p. i. and then increased reaching a peak on day 12 p. i., although the number was about one half that of the control. As determined on day 12 p. i., the mean body area of worms from dexamethasone-treated animals was significantly greater than that of the controls. Histological examination of the small intestine showed that the goblet and Paneth cell hyperplasia seen in mice infected with E. trivolvis was suppressed by dexamethasone treatment. Transmission electron microscopy revealed no marked ultrastructural differences in the small intestine of the dexamethasone-treated and control mice except that the former had an increased number of intracristal granules in mitochondria, an increase in vesicles in the apical epithelial cells and an increase in amorphous bodies and autophagic vacuoles in the Paneth cells. These results indicate that dexamethasone treatment delayed the expulsion of E. trivolvis from the small intestine of the host mouse in association with the suppression of goblet cell hyperplasia and increase in the number of mast cells and eosinophils.


Although different approaches have been proposed for 3D point cloud-related tasks, few-shot learning (FSL) of 3D point clouds still remains under-explored. In FSL, un-like traditional supervised learning, the classes of training and test data do not overlap, and a model needs to rec-ognize unseen classes from only a few samples. Existing FSL methods for 3D point clouds employ point-based models as their backbone. Yet, based on our extensive experiments and analysis, we first show that using a point-based backbone is not the most suitable FSL approach, since (i) a large number of points' features are discarded by the max pooling operation used in 3D point-based backbones, decreasing the ability of representing shape information; (ii) point-based backbones are sensitive to occlusion. To address these issues, we propose employing a projection-and 2D Convolutional Neural Network-based backbone, referred to as the ViewNet, for FSL from 3D point clouds. Our approach first projects a 3D point cloud onto six different views to alleviate the issue of missing points. Also, to generate more descriptive and distinguishing features, we propose View Pooling, which combines different projected plane combinations into five groups and performs max-pooling on each of them. The experiments performed on the ModelNet40, ScanObjectNN and ModelNet40-C datasets, with cross validation, show that our method consistently outperforms the state-of-the-art baselines. Moreover, compared to traditional image classification backbones, such as ResNet, the proposed ViewNet can extract more distinguishing features from multiple views of a point cloud. We also show that ViewNet can be used as a backbone with different FSL heads and provides improved performance compared to traditionally used backbones.


Digital watermarking is an emerging copyright protection technology. The paper presents a new robust watermarking technique based on combining the power of transform domain technique; the discrete cosine transforms (DCT) and the data mining technique such as decision tree induction (ID3). The paper focuses on a technique through which the notion of decision tree can be applied on transformed vectors to build the decision tree. We train the image blocks for deriving the classification tree. The resulting decision tree provides decision-making rules to identify good quality image blocks for insertion of watermark. The implementation results have shown that the algorithm has an acceptable robustness against the JPEG compression and addition of noise.


Author(s): Framroze, Mayanna | Advisor(s): Kellner, Douglas M | Abstract: Given the ubiquity and pervasiveness of digital technologies within contemporary society, scholarly exploration about how life is lived in this digital era is critical in order to understand the impact upon our lives, as well as upon society. One aspect of living a digitally oriented life involves how and why one represents oneself in virtual environments, and how one interacts with others within the digital ecosystem. As individuals spend more time online, their interactions, perceptions, and behaviors -- even their sense of self -- are shaped by new technologies as well as by the social contexts within which these manifest. Understanding this is particularly relevant for educators, as they engage with students who are increasingly conversant with technologies, and whose life experiences may best be appreciated, by educators, if grounded within a broader sensibility about digital life.This study focuses on how and more critically why the self is constructed and presented as it is within online environments. In order to assess this, particularly from the perspective of those emplaced within this mode of living, this inquiry is situated at the intersection of three scholarly disciplines. Thus, this study draws from the following theoretical frameworks: a constructivist developmental approach emanating from social psychology, wherein symbolic interactionism and performativity are invoked; a communication studies approach that considers how technologies mediate identity representation and interaction; and a critical cultural studies perspective that examines media culture, with a particular emphasis on the role of spectacle within society. This study presents the results of qualitative research that examines the online self-representations of 12 students at a large urban university in Los Angeles. This study also employs a longitudinal approach, as five of these 12 participants have been observed for a period of nearly two years, and comparative assessments of their activities as well as their own interpretations of the same have occurred over this time period. Since the primary focus of this study is to enable understanding regarding the motivations, meanings, and value associated with self representation online, it is necessary to derive these insights directly from participants themselves. As such, interviews have been conducted with all participants, and in some cases, more than once. The findings of this research reveal four broad patterns that address how and why participants construct their online identity representations. They do so 1) to enhance their employment prospects; 2) to position themselves in a particular light to formulate a self-brand; 3) to engage socially with others; and 4) to engender feelings of self-worth from which they derive feelings of self-satisfaction, among other positive emotional benefits. In consideration of these self-representation, this study further proposes a new theorization with which to frame these findings. It proposes that what is occurring might be viewed as a form of self-spectacle, one that derives its foundation from previous iterations of societal spectacle, inclusive of some of the tenets of broader spectacle, yet is distinct, given its singular focus on the individual. It is suggested that this micro-level spectacle instantiates in the myriad shapes online self-representation assumes today and, if the rapid adoption of self-facing technologies is any indication, is likely to continue unabated. As such, this study contributes to the emerging scholarship regarding life lived online, and offers a perspective that attempts to contextualize what is occurring during this contemporary moment.


Most doctors believe medicine to be a force for good. Why else would they have become doctors? Yet while all know medicine's power to harm individual patients and whole populations, presumably few would agree with Ivan Illich that "The medical establishment has become a major threat to health."1 Many might, however, accept the concept of the health economist Alain Enthoven that increasing medical inputs will at some point become counterproductive and produce more harm than good. So where is that point, and might we have reached it already?

Readers of the BMJ voted in a poll for us to explore these questions in a theme issue of the BMJ , and this is that issue. Unsurprisingly, we reach no clear answers, but the questions deserve far more intense debate in a world where many countries are steadily increasing their investment in health care. Presumably no one wants to keep cutting back on education, the arts, scientific research, good food, travel, and much else as we spend more and more of our resources on an unwinnable battle against death, pain, and sickness—particularly if Illich is right that in doing so we destroy our humanity. And do we in the rich world want to keep developing increasingly expensive treatments that achieve marginal benefits when most in the developing world do not have the undoubted benefits that come with simple measures like …


A primary health care system is being developed in Baram District, Sarawak, Malaysia, for the benefit of the Penans, who, until recently, were largely nomadic. Many of them are now attempting to adopt a settled mode of existence, and this in itself creates special health problems because the people lack the skills needed for living in one place. Substantial progress has already been achieved in mother and child care and in immunization coverage.


Separation of surfactant subtypes is now commonly used as a parameter in assessing the amount of active compared with inactive material in various models of lung injury. The protein content, morphology and surface activity were determined of the heavy and light subtype isolated by differential centrifugation. Here we report the presence of surfactant proteins B and C in the heavy subtype but not in the light subtype. Adsorption studies revealed that separation of fast adsorbing bronchoalveolar lavage resulted in slowly adsorbing heavy and light subtypes. Surfactant, reconstituted from heavy and light fractions, did not show a high adsorption rate. It is concluded that the isolation procedures might result in a loss of fast adsorbing surfactant structures. Surface area cycling was used as a model in vitro for the extracellular surfactant metabolism. The heavy subtype is converted into the light subtype during conversion. Conversion performed with resuspended heavy subtype revealed the generation of a disparate subtype. Furthermore it was found that the conversion was dependent on preparation and handling of the samples before cycling. Finally, adsorption studies at low surfactant concentrations revealed a delayed adsorption of lipid-extracted surfactants compared with natural surfactants. These observations emphasize the importance of the (surfactant-associated protein A-dependent) structural organization of surfactant lipids in the adsorption process.


Global backscatter data can be used for accurate synthetic aperture radar (SAR) performance estimation and optimizing instrument settings for SAR systems, e.g. the TerraSAR-X mission (TSM) and the TanDEM-X mission (TDM). The goal of this work is the generation of X-band backscatter maps by mosaicking images acquired by the TSM. An algorithm that allows the estimation of the on-ground backscatter, for any required polarization and incidence angle from the available data, is implemented. In this paper, the backscatter map generation algorithm is presented, together with the first results, obtained from the TSX-1 data. The validity of the interpolation models is also discussed, as they will form the basis for a future global statistical analysis and modeling of backscatter behavior in X-band SAR data.


The distinguishing feature of the modern U.S. Senate is the ability of any senator to block legislation and nominations, forcing the rest of the chamber to limit debate using a slow process that requires a 60-vote supermajority. This article explains the development of this new and powerful veto in the legislative process, its use as a minority party veto, and then reviews options for restoring the balance between governance and deliberation.


Irrigation management practices have a significant impact on the leaching of nutrients and salts within a soil profile. Crops such as lettuce, which are highly dependent on irrigation water for their effective growth and high quality yield, are particularly susceptible to high levels of nutrient leaching below the root zone. To ascertain the effect of irrigation management on nitrate movement soil, water and solute data was collected from a sprinkler and drip irrigated field of lettuce grown on a Ferrosol. This work has shown that deep drainage did occur during the season and that nitrate did leach below the root zone. Substantial spatial and temporal variations in nitrate and EC in the soil solution were observed which appear to be related to the pattern of water movement associated with the irrigation applications. Significant differences in nitrate concentration and EC were also found depending on the type and depth of placement of soil solution extractor used.


The Leeds Association of Girls' Clubs (LAGC) was set up by a group of women, including Hilda Hargrove, Dr Lucy Buckley and Mary and Margaret Harvey, to promote collaboration between the city's girls' clubs. The organisation epitomised women working in partnership whilst reflecting their differing philanthropic and political interests. However LAGC's collaborative approach resulted in liberal consensus which downplayed the significance of girls' working conditions. Throughout the decade LAGC's focus was its annual competitions. These featured utilitarian and decorative handicrafts (darning and doylies) enshrining both frugality and aspiration, alongside dance and drill which channelled girls' vigour. Nevertheless, LAGC's resilience resulted in an organisation which is still in existence.


This work builds a qualitative and quantitative case that additional planning, design and management philosophies other than those based on reduction are necessary to begin to holistically and benignly integrate current human constructions into nature. Further it makes a substantive case that ecological systems fall into a unique category of system types, interdependent complex systems, which differ significantly from the system types that typically describe mechanistic systems. Thus, contextually contrasting ecological systems and mechanistic systems using the Socratic Method by dialectically comparing mechanism versus ecology through reductive versus system thinking dichotomies and direct versus indirect causalities each indicating how mechanical and living systems are opposite ends of a spectrum. It identifies that the current Newtonian stratagem of analysis and hence design are inadequate for the planning and construction of natural living systems. Further, this work significantly looked at the proliferation of system connectivity and interdependence as the system operates over time by examining a Neuse River Estuary, NC model and various other models of ecological systems. These models evidence increasing connectivity or coupling of ecological system components providing the quantitative weight that further substantiates that planning and design of ecological systems requires different methods other than those often employed in engineering design. It suggests that the methods needed are the diametric opposite of those used in traditional engineering. Thus, building on the qualitative and quantitative evidence presented in this work which indicated that ecological systems had qualities and behaviors that are the opposite of traditionally engineered systems, this work extrapolates that argument to planning and design and proposes a design philosophy, axioms, and corollaries for environmental systems. Lastly, this work investigated eigenvalues as the key mathematical quantities that map to system emergent properties. The investigation and the resulting data indicated, however, that matrices of similar size, components, inputs, stocks, and outputs with identical eigenvalues returned a variety of network properties. Nonetheless, eigenvalues and inverse matrix methods still perhaps provide an initial step toward the planning and design of environmental systems. INDEX WORDS: Design, Interdependent complex system, Environmental systems, Eigenvalues, Network properties, Dialectic, Connectivity. TOWARD PHILOSOPHIES AND METHODS FOR PLANNING, DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS


Objective To examine the current status and physicians' attitude toward ACP in PCU in Japan. Method We conducted a questionnaire survey and retrospective chart review of 203 certified PCU in December 2010. We received permission to perform a retrospective chart review of ACP before and during admission, and who made the decision to admit a patient into the hospice palliative care program for the last 3 patients who died before 30 November 2010 in each PCU. Physicians working in the PCU were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their attitude toward, and practice of ACP. Main results Among 203 PCUs contacted, 95 participated (response rate 47%). 285 patients were reviewed. The percentage of patients for whom their physicians expressed their intentions regarding implementation of CPR, mechanical ventilation, antibiotics, tube feeding, artificial hydration and Power of Attorney of health care prior to admission to PCU was 44%, 44%, 9%, 15%, 29% and 41% respectively. However during their admission this increased to 47%, 46%, 19%, 18%, 43% and 49% respectively. 70% of patients had a physician's order to implement DNAR and 44% of families consented to implementation of the DNAR order without discussing the issue with the patient. We also assessed physicians' attitudes toward and practice of ACP. Conclusions This study will clarify the current status of and physicians' attitude toward ACP in PCU in Japan, and provide evidence of the unique cultural diversity toward end-of-life care and ACP among Japanese.


Covid-19 has been declared by the World Health Organization a pandemic that poses a new hazard to humankind. This has resulted in a global close-down of several operations, including education events. This led universities to migrate their education systems from traditional to online systems using e-learning educational platforms. The goal of this paper is to recognize the most relevant challenges and issues the associated with using e-learning as seen through the perspective of university students. It also observers their opinions and measures their level of readiness and satisfaction to adopt the e-learning methods existing in Libya. A descriptive method has been conducted and an online questionnaire was sent to collect data from students to explore the challenges facing them in e-learning during coronavirus pandemic lockdown. The research community consists of students from six faculties at the Libyan International Medical University (LIMU). The statistical analysis of the data was executed by means of SPSS. The mean and standard deviation of all questionnaire items are recorded and analyzed. Through the analysis of the results, the social challenge comes at the forefront with a large percentage, Then there's the issue of students' problems as they relate to e-learning. The challenges that arise from the lecturers are not as effective as social and student challenges. In general, an average of more than or equal to 3.44 was obtained through the four challenges, which are associated with a high degree of acceptance and thus each of them has a substantial influence on e-learning.


The buffer cache plays an essential role in smoothing the gap between the upper level computational components and the lower level storage devices. A good buffer cache management scheme should be beneficial to not only the computational components, but also the storage components by reducing disk I/Os. Existing cache replacement algorithms are well optimized for disks in normal mode, but inefficient under faulty scenarios, such as a parity-based disk array with faulty disk(s). To address this issue, we propose a novel penalty-aware buffer cache replacement strategy, named Victim Disk(s) First (VDF) cache, to improve the reliability and performance of a storage system consisting of a buffer cache and disk arrays. VDF cache gives higher priority to cache the blocks on the faulty disks when the disk array fails, thus reducing the I/Os addressed directly to the faulty disks. To verify the effectiveness of the VDF cache, we have integrated VDF into the popular cache algorithms least frequently used (LFU) and least recently used (LRU), named VDF-LFU and VDF-LRU, respectively. We have conducted intensive simulations as well as a prototype implementation for disk arrays to tolerate one disk failure (RAID-5) and two disk failures (RAID-6). The simulation results have shown that VDF-LFU can reduce disk I/Os to surviving disks by up to 42.3 percent in RAID-5 and 50.7 percent in RAID-6, and VDF-LRU can reduce those by up to 36.2 percent in RAID-5 and 48.9 percent in RAID-6. Our measurement results also show that VDF-LFU can speed up the online recovery by up to 46.3 percent in RAID-5 and 47.2 percent in RAID-6 under spare-rebuilding mode, or improve the maximum system service rate by up to 47.7 percent in RAID-5 under degraded mode without a reconstruction workload. Similarly, VDF-LRU can speed up the online recovery by up to 34.6 percent in RAID-5 and 38.2 percent in RAID-6, or improve the system service rate by up to 28.4 percent in RAID-5.


BACKGROUND
Worldwide, hormonal contraceptives are among the most popular reversible contraceptives in current use. Despite their high theoretical effectiveness, typical use results in much lower effectiveness. In large part, this disparity reflects difficulties in adherence to the contraceptive regimen and low rates for long-term continuation.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the effectiveness of ancillary techniques to improve adherence to, and continuation rates of, hormonal methods of contraception.

SEARCH STRATEGY
We searched computerized databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing client-provider interventions with standard family planning counseling. Sources included CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, POPLINE, LILACS, and PsycINFO.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of an intensive counseling technique or client-provider intervention versus routine family planning counseling. Interventions included group motivation; structured, peer, or multi-component counseling; and intensive reminders of appointments. Outcome measures were discontinuation, reasons for discontinuation, number of missed pills and on-time injections, and pregnancy.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
The primary author evaluated all titles and abstracts from the searches to determine eligibility. Two authors independently extracted data from the included studies. With RevMan 4.2, we calculated the odds ratio for all dichotomous outcomes and the weighted mean difference for continuous data. The studies were so different that we could not conduct a meta-analysis.

MAIN RESULTS
We found six RCTs; only one showed a statistically significant benefit of the experimental intervention. In that trial, women who received repeated, structured information about the injectable contraceptive depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) were less likely to have discontinued the method by 12 months (OR 0.27; 95% CI 0.16 to 0.44) than were women who had routine counseling. The intervention group was also less likely to discontinue due to menstrual disturbances. In another study, the intervention group was less likely to discontinue due to dissatisfaction with the contraceptive method, but overall continuation was not affected.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Most studies to date have shown no benefit of strategies to improve adherence and continuation. These trials have important limitations, however. Two had small sample sizes, several had high losses to follow-up, and the intervention and its intensity varied across the studies. High-quality research is a priority, since adherence and continuation are fundamentally important to the successful use of hormonal contraceptives.


Wavelet coding has been shown to be better than discrete cosine transform (DCT) in image/video processing. Moreover, it has the feature of scalability, which is involved in modern video standards. This work presents novel algorithms, namely 2-D symmetric mask-based discrete wavelet transform (SMDWT), to improve the critical issue of the 2-D lifting-based discrete wavelet transform (LDWT), and then obtains the benefit of low latency, high-speed operation, and low temporal memory. The SMDWT also has the advantages of high-performance embedded periodic extension boundary treatment, reduced complexity, regular signal coding, short critical path, reduced latency time, and independent subband coding processing. Moreover, the 2-D lifting-based DWT performance can also be easily improved by exploiting appropriate parallel method inherently in SMDWT. Comparing with the normal 2-D 5/3 integer lifting-based DWT the proposed method significantly improves lifting-based latency and complexity in 2-D DWT without degradation in image quality. The algorithm can be applied to real-time image/video applications, such as JPEG2000, MPEG-4 still texture object decoding, and wavelet-based Scalable Video Coding (SVC).


Marxan, a complementarity based area selection software, was used to detect the priority protected areas for the Lesser Caucasus Ecoregion. Six taxonomic groups, endemic and non-endemic highly threatened plants, globally important amphibian and reptiles, butterflies, breeding birds, large mammals, and ecological communities were included in the analysis. Nineteen areas (planning units) were identified as priority protected areas among 336 planning units (UTM grids) of 10 x 10 km. The efficacy of the identified priority areas were measured with species representation. Also, distributions of the priority areas were compared with existing protected area systems of the study area. Results indicated that priority protected areas achieved higher than 70% species representation for taxonomic groups and distributions of priority areas were very consistent with existing protected area systems. The Marxan program produced compact complementary priority protected areas. These priority protected areas provided the maximum species representation for the study area. Moreover, results showed the importance of already existing protected areas and determined the need for new protected areas.


One of the current pivotal issues globally that have a massive impact on the forthcoming generation is climate change and its consequences. Carbon dioxide (CO2) plays a key role in sustaining the appropriate temperature for the planet. It adds to the temperature and is known as a greenhouse gas (GHG). Buildings are one of the producers of GHGs and can be part of the solution through their energy performance improvements. As a viable solution, green certification systems acknowledge the large impact of buildings on the environment. They encompass various requirements for their solutions in the building construction and retrofits. As a result, Green buildings provide higher performance in energy consumption towards reduction of GHG emissions. However, these green rating organizations still carry some limitations in their methodologies including architectural and whole building interpretation. Accordingly, how can all of these green standards capitalize on the existing buildings?


The problem of emission by an atom is treated according to Schroedinger's rules. The translational motion of the atom as a whole is taken into account. The charge-current density vector is shown to be propagating with the velocity of light in the direction of the emitted quantum. Only unidirectional quanta can be emitted according to the theory. The reason is that the charge-current wave radiates infinitely more intensely if it travels with light velocity than otherwise.It is shown that Gordon's treatment of the Compton effect involves an analogous phenomenon. It is suggested that Schroedinger's equations designed for the conservation of energy and momentum work out better when the translational motion of the atom as a whole is considered.


We present a new neural network, the XPDNet, for MRI reconstruction from periodically under-sampled multi-coil data. We inform the design of this network by taking best practices from MRI reconstruction and computer vision. We show that this network can achieve state-of-the-art reconstruction results, as shown by its ranking of second in the fastMRI 2020 challenge.


Since their discovery in the mid-nineteenth century, ultralow frequency (ULF) waves, often associated with magnetic storms, have been the subject of numerous investigations whose results have provided a significant contribution to our understanding of space weather. The recent launches of multi-spacecraft missions such as Cluster and THEMIS have produced new data that can be applied to the study of ULF waves in Earth's magnetosphere. The large amount of data from these missions offers an unprecedented opportunity for a large-scale investigation of magnetospheric ULF wave activity. During the most recent minimum in the sunspot cycle (2006–08), the average annual number of geomagnetic storms was the fewest for nearly the past 40 years. This period was marked by extended intervals during which the magnetosphere was in a quiet, steady state. Such unusual conditions, along with the abundance of spacecraft data, have provided a rare opportunity to study wave power in the quiet magnetosphere—a topic that has been investigated far less than wave power in the active magnetosphere. This is the focus of our current work. Our primary objective in this investigation is to develop statistical "maps" of ULF wave power throughout the quiet magnetosphere using available magnetic field data from the five THEMIS satellites. These global maps serve not only as useful references for work by other researchers, but also contribute to our understanding of the connection between the solar wind and space weather. Here, we present our computed global power maps followed by a discussion of the dependence of ULF wave power on the solar wind during quiet magnetospheric conditions.


Abstract: This chapter articulates a new politics for social work education in light of its public statements on confronting injustice and inequality (Global Agenda, International Federation of Social Workers, International Association of  Schools of Social Work and International Council on Social Welfare (IASSW, ICSW, IFSW 2012). With social justice as a guiding value, we exhort social workers to take an ethical and political stance and define how commitments can be mobilised. Students come to social work motivated by change: they want to make a difference but the crucial question is 'How do we make this happen?' To answer this we need to understand the centrality that issues play in mobilising a politics of controversy for social work and gain salience with  publics in political activation. We argue that the displacement of politics to a global forum, in which a cross-national alliance of social workers can hold an international institution to account, requires a concrete set of controversies over which mobilisation can be configured. Our intention is to conceive of public involvement in politics – in this instance by social work students and their educators – as being occasioned by, and providing a way to settle, controversies that existing institutions are unable to resolve. This chapter is in part a call for social work educators to renew their engagement with radical thought through issues that impact on students and practitioners alike.


The metavolcanic belt west of Wadi Bagharid, south Eastern Desert, Egypt is geologically investigated. Petrographically, the metavolcanics are subdivided into four rock varieties namely: metaandesites, metadacite-rhyodacite, metarhyolite and metapyroclastics. Petrochemical characters based on major and trace elements data of nine analysed samples are clarified. Behaviour of major and trace elements are discussed and chemical classifications are presented based on major and trace elements composition. Petrographical and petrochemical data suggest a calc alkaline trend for the examined rocks during island arc development at converging plate margin, but well behind the deep ocean trench.


The limiting effects of stressors like desiccation, light and salinity on seagrass growth and distribution are well-studied. However, little is known about their interactive effects, and whether such effects might differ among populations that are adapted to different local conditions. In two laboratory experiments we tested a) if growth and development of intertidal, temperate Zostera noltii is affected by emergence time (experiment 1 and 2), and b) how this is affected by an additional, second stressor, namely shading (experiment 1) or high salinity (25, 30 and 35 , experiment 2). In addition, we tested c) whether the effects of emergence time and salinity varied between three different European seagrass populations (Saint-Jacut / France, Oosterschelde / The Netherlands, and Sylt / Germany), which are likely adapted to different salinity levels (experiment 2). In both experiments, emergence of 8 hours per tidal cycle (of 12 hours) had a negative effect on seagrass relative growth rate (RGR), and aboveground biomass. Emergence furthermore reduced either rhizome length (experiment 1) or belowground biomass (experiment 2). Shading (experiment 1) resulted in lower RGR and a two-fold higher aboveground / belowground ratio. We found no interactive effects of emergence and shading stress. Salinity (experiment 2) did not affect seagrass growth or morphology of any of the three populations. The three tested populations differed greatly in morphology but showed no differential response to emergence or salinity level (experiment 2). Our results indicate that emergence time and shading show an additive negative effect (no synergistic or antagonistic effect), making the plants still vulnerable to such combination, a combination that may occur as a consequence of self-shading during emergence or resulting from algal cover. Emergence time likely determines the upper limit of Z. noltii and such shading will likely lower the upper limit. Shading resulted in higher aboveground / belowground ratios as is a general response in seagrass. Z. noltii of different populations originating from salinity 30 and 35 seem tolerant to variations in salinity within the tested range. Our results indicate that the three tested populations show morphotypic rather than ecotypic variation, at least regarding the salinity and emergence, as there were no interactive effects with origin. For restoration, this implies that the salinity regime of the donor and receptor site of Z. noltii is of no concern within the salinity range 25-35.


Most kansei studies have focused users' kansei, namely the affect and emotions of users when interacting with a product. With a different perspective on kansei moving from the user to the designer, we aim at studying designers' kansei during the process of designing. In this paper, we examine how external stimuli, like images and sounds, influence the design process and the creation of design concepts. More specifically, we investigated the effect of stimuli on recall of memories and feelings by designers and how these impressions were incorporated in the creation of design concepts. Our findings showed that auditory stimulation supports the generation of design concepts with high-level properties (user experience), as compared to visual stimulation.


This paper uses unique bank-by-bank balance sheet and income statement information to investigate the intermediation efficiency in the Nigerian pre-consolidated banking sector during 2000-05. The author analyzes whether the Central Bank of Nigeria's policy of recent banking consolidation can be justified and rationalized by looking at the determinants of spreads. A spread decomposition and panel estimations show that the reform of the banking sector could be the first step to raise the intermediation efficiency of the Nigerian banking sector. The author finds that larger banks have enjoyed lower overhead costs, increased concentration in the banking sector has not been detrimental to the spreads, both increased holdings of liquidity and capital might have led to lower spreads in 2005, and a stable macroeconomic environment is conducive to a more efficient channeling of savings to productive investments.


SUMMARY: Some factors which affect the killing by streptomycin of Staphylococcus aureus in growing cultures have been investigated. In short-term experiments, streptomycin is not bactericidal under conditions in which growth of the organisms cannot occur (low temperature, absence of nitrogen source, presence of growth-inhibitory concentrations of chloramphenicol). The rate of killing of organisms growing anaerobically is considerably lower than that of organisms growing aerobically. Streptidine can partially reverse the growth inhibitory effect of streptomycin. During the period in which growth becomes inhibited by streptomycin, the rates of incorporation of 14C-labelled precursors into the major cell constituents, and of synthesis of nucleic acids, are reduced simultaneously, and no large changes occur in the total quantities of amino acids or 260 mμ-absorbing substances in the metabolic pool. During this period the rate of metabolism of glucose via the Embden-Meyerhof pathway is decreased, but there is no change in the proportion of the total glucose oxidized which is metabolized via a C1-preferential oxidation. The Q
o2 value for oxidation of glucose by organisms harvested when inhibition of growth by streptomycin is first detectable is lower, by about 20%, than that of normal organisms, and falls to c. 30% of normal when growth is fully inhibited. At this time the Q
o2 values for oxidation of glycerol, lactate and formate are also reduced, by 40–80%. These effects appear to be specific to organisms whose growth is inhibited by streptomycin.


Dorsopathy is a group of diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, the major symptomcomplex of which is pain and functional syndrome in the trunk and limbs of non-visceral etiology. Treatment and prophylaxis of spine degenerative-dystrophic changes leading to the development of dorsalgias is an important and complicated problem which should be investigated and solved by complex and targeted prophylactic measures that allow prevention of acute clinical conditions development and give the possibility for athletes to participate in training and competition activities. On the basis of long-standing experimental and clinical investigations we have introduced the theory of degenerative-dystrophic spine changes and dorsalgias development. The theory is based on the conception that both hypokinesia and very intense prolonged muscle exertion can lead to changes in the metabolism of aminoacids and thiamin-dependent reactions of decarboxylation of alpha-acids (their predecessors), which can result in their configuration in musculoskeletal system tissues. Long-term increased stress on the intervertebral disc which has insufficient biochemical supply can cause microtraumas, autoimmune processes, and lead to degenerative-dystrophic processes and the development of pain syndrome (dorsalgias), the latter in its turn causes changes in metabolism and bioelectric activity of skeletal muscles. Our clinical observations have showed that the best treatment outcomes in such patients are registered when both a physician and a coach participate in organizing prophylaxis and rehabilitation considering physical and psychological state of a athletes. In conclusion, it should be noted that prolonged intense exertion in sport can lead to changes in structure and functions of the musculoskeletal system which requires timely rehabilitation to achieve better outcomes.


Medical diagnostic imaging and therapeutic applications using lasers such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and laser hyperthermia therapy have limited success due to the lack of penetration depth of light into in vivo tissues. Light can only travel a few millimeters into tissue before the effects of scattering and absorption attenuate it to unuseful levels.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


Until recently, health plans typically imposed higher co-pays and limited benefits for treatment of mental health and substance abuse disorders. The co-pays and benefit restrictions discouraged unnecessary use of services and reduced the health plans' economic risks (1;2). After many years of seeking comprehensive reforms in these discriminatory policies, mental health and substance abuse advocates succeeded when Congress passed the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. The legislation prohibits health plans that include behavioral health benefits from imposing greater quantitative limits (e.g., co-pays and limits on the amount of care) and more restrictive non-quantitative limits (e.g., pre-authorization) for mental health and substance abuse disorders relative to the benefits provided for general health care – parity.

Prior to the implementation of parity, opponents voiced concerns about increased costs to the health plans and to employers purchasing health plans. Analysis of the costs of care following imposition of parity requirements in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program found no consistent increase in total costs of care due to parity and reductions associated with parity in out-of-pocket expenditures in three of five health plans (3). To implement parity for federal employees, health plans were encouraged to manage the utilization of care (i.e., to use non-quantitative limits) and more stringent care management may have contributed to lack of a significant increase. A more recent analysis of Oregon's implementation of a strong parity initiative that prohibited more restrictive quantitative and non-quantitative limits on services for mental health and substance use disorders found a trend toward increasing costs of care that was consistent among individuals affected and unaffected by parity requirements and no apparent effect due to parity (4).

Empirical evidence consistently finds little or no impact on costs related to the introduction of parity. Busch and colleagues in this issue add to the analysis of parity (5). A difference-in-difference analysis of utilization and cost data from the evaluation of the Federal Employee Health Plan (FEHP) parity policy examined the effects of diagnosis before and after the implementation of parity relative to employed individuals who were not federal employees. Difference in difference means that both the federal employees and the control non-federal employees were compared between an earlier period when they both lacked parity and a later period when the federal plan had parity and the control plans did not. The differences between the two periods for each group were then compared for the final analysis, a difference between groups in the difference between the two time periods. Three mental health diagnostic groups that typically differ in severity were extracted from the data set – individuals with bipolar disorder (federal n = 2,557; comparison n = 1,117) (the most severe diagnostic group), individuals with major depression (n = 10,412 and 5,245), and individuals with adjustment disorder (n = 6,125 and 4,099) (least severe diagnostic group). The analysis found that the utilization of services for mental health and substance use disorders declined slightly relative to the non-federal comparison group but did not differ from zero. As expected, out-of-pocket spending declined significantly in each diagnostic group. Total spending declined significantly among individuals with a history of an adjustment disorder; the total spending declines within the bipolar and major depression groups did not differ from zero. The only significant change in service utilization was a 12% decline in psychotherapy visits among individuals with a history of adjustment disorder. The discussion notes that parity decreased out-of-pocket costs across the three diagnostic categories without reducing access to services among individuals with bipolar and major depression diagnoses (the most severe diagnostic groups examined). Because this parity policy was associated with encouragement to manage care more assertively, the decline in use of psychotherapy services among individuals with the least severe diagnosis (adjustment disorder) may reflect increased care management. The paper concludes that parity provided increased financial protection (reduced out-of-pocket spending) without erosion in access to care (5).

With each analysis we learn more about the impacts of parity. Implementation of parity continues and with continued implementation and time, there is more opportunity for analyses of impacts. A relatively surprising observation is the lack of an increase in utilization of mental health and substance abuse services. No studies have found increased use. The primary impact has been reduced out-of-pocket expenditures. It does not appear that more individuals enter care.

Parity may have many benefits. Health plans have less incentive to select for lower risk members (1) and stigma toward people with mental health and substance abuse diagnoses may decline. Mental health and substance use disorders, however, remain under treated. Until systems of care develop more aggressive screening protocols, need for care will continue to exceed demand for care. Parity and the Affordable Care Act may help move the conversation beyond the impacts of parity (6) and toward the real goal – more effective systems of care for treatment of alcohol, drug and mental health disorders. Whether parity reduces stigma and increases utilization of care is still to be determined.


Purpose: This study is a methodological research study for development of a tool for measurement of care satisfaction of home health nursing in patients who have received care through home health nursing and to test the validity and reliability of the tool. Method: Based on Watson`s theory of caring and its constituent factors, the literature related to home health nursing was reviewed, and the standard of home health nursing was compared and analyzed. For verification of the validation and reliability of the final tool which has been developed, data were collected from 166 people who were receiving home health nursing care. Result: According to results of analysis of the factors based on Kaiser and scree test, 10 factors with an eigenvalue greater than 1.0 were extracted, and they explained 72.26% of the total variance. In addition, the factor loadings of 56 questions were greater than .30. For verification of reliability, Cronbach`s alpha for all 56 items was .98 and Guttman split half reliability coefficient was .90. Conclusion: This tool based on Watson`s theory of caring contributed to development and application of the nursing theory through verification of the theory.


The objective of research was to find out the different effects of learning using interactive Compact Disc (CD) and the one using MS. Power Point media on the learning achievement improving braking system having been controlled from the student's prior competency.This study was taken place in SMK Muhammadiyah Karangmojo (Karangmojo Muhammadiyah Vocational Middle School) as treatment group using interactive CD and SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Playen as treatment group using MS.Powerpoint in the XI graders in the school year of 2013-2014. The sample of research was taken using multistage cluster random sampling. This study was an experimental research with covariance analysis (ANACOVA) technique. Technique of collecting data used was test. The instruments used to collect data were physical prior competency and demonstration tests of improving automobile braking system. The physical prior competency test was tested for its validity and reliability to find out the validity and the reliability of the instrument to be used in the research. The physical prior competency test was validated using Micro Computer Adaptive Test (MicroCat) version 3.00 and the reliability of test was examined using Kruder and Richardson (KR-20) formula with r11 = 0.903. Subsequently, the data on physical prior competency and on improving automobile braking system obtained were then examined using prerequisite test including Normality and Homogeneity Tests with correlational regression coefficient. Technique of analyzing data used was a covariance analysis.Considering the result of analysis at significance level (α = 0.05), it could be stated that there was a different effects of interactive Compact Disc (CD) and MS. Powerpoint uses on the learning achievement of improving braking system having been controlled from the student's prior competency with Fobservation g Ftable (4.997 g 4.00). Using interactive CD media, the learning achievement of the students had the mean value of 80.09 better than that of those using MS.Powerpoint, of 77.28.


Conservation of agricultural and forestry land has taken on a new urgency as development patterns have exploded over the past few decades, due to demand for residential, industrial and commercial land uses in the U.S. As a result, numerous land conservation programs have been implemented over the years. Current Use Property Taxation is one of the land conservation programs that was initiated in the 1960s, introducing some property tax relief for landowners who wished to keep undeveloped productive land in current use without developing it for more urbanized uses. The substantial property tax relief landowners receive by enrolling land in the Current Use program was believed to be the main determinant in avoiding property tax induced land development. However, the forgone property tax revenue was a concern for state and local governments. In order to recapture forgone tax revenues and also to discourage enrollment of land for short-term property tax gains, withdrawal penalties and restrictions on land development were introduced. Current Use program features are not consistent across states and the reasons for interstate differences are not clear. This dissertation explores the factors that lead to such variations across states and whether such variations in fact lead to differences in land development. One chapter focuses on detailing the factors that lead New Hampshire landowners to enroll land in the program, while another chapter explores the factors that determined differences in program features across states. The last chapter explores whether the Current Use program is effective in slowing the land development in the U.S. by considering a town-level case study from New Hampshire and also a state level analysis.


The SARS-COV2 virus emerged in December 2019, in China. It quickly crossed borders and spread worldwide, affecting a large number of individuals. It was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. It is a highly contagious virus, transmitted person-to-person, not only by inhaling droplets and aerosols, but also by direct contact through surfaces. Pulmonary function tests (PFT), especially forced manoeuvres and possible cough induction, are aerosol generating procedures that can spread viral particles, thus presenting a high risk of contamination and cross-infection between patients and healthcare workers. Several scientific societies developed rules and recommendations on the reorganization and conditions of respiratory function laboratories with regard to the use of personal protective equipment by the technicians who carry out the PFTs, the ventilation of the rooms, the use of disposable materials, the cleaning of equipment and surfaces, the distance between tests, the absence of companions, the use of surgical masks only removed for the exam and the use of antimicrobial filters.These procedures aim to minimize the risk of infection by direct and indirect contamination of patients, workers, and environment, maximizing everyone s safety. Despite these measures, we believe that patients' perception and experience could differ from those of the healthcare workers. Thus, the aim of our study was to identify the fears and constraints experienced by patients, during the PFTs. This study was carried out in April 2021 at the Respiratory Function Laboratory of the Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho. It was a cross-sectional study, and the patients were selected consecutively after undergoing the procedure (PFT). All the invited individuals agreed to participate in the study. The collected data was analysed using the SPSS Statistics program, using the Student T, Chi-squared, and Fisher's exact tests, with a p-value of <0.05 considered statistically significant. The sample of this study is composed by 103 patients whose general characteristics are shown in Table 1. It was a heterogeneous sample, mainly composed of males (59%) and people whose level of education was only the first cycle of basic education (45%). Also, the majority had previously undergone a PFT (84%), had not been infected by SARS-COV2 (89%), and had not yet been vaccinated (66%). Regarding the main objective of the study, we observed that 90% (N = 93) of the patients denied fear of undergoing a PFT at admission, and after the procedure the level of fear of a significant part of them (64%) remained the same, while 33% reported a decrease in their fear, having expressed a feeling of confidence and security with the measures implemented in the laboratory. Only one patient considered missing the exams, despite the fact that we are still in a period of pandemic. As for the group of individuals who said they were afraid of undergoing a PFT (N = 10) at admission, the mean age was 53.8 years, and there was no gender predominance. Among these individuals, the majority had only completed the first


In this paper we explore how carbon markets have entered the world of financial accounting. The advent of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) in 2005 provided the opportunity for global climate change concerns to be translated from policy into something that could, and should, be recognised within financial accounting. That is, the EU ETS provided a mechanism whereby greenhouse gas emission allowances acquired a financial value, simultaneously creating an obligation (or liability) on certain European organisations when they emit greenhouse gases. Prima facie, this process created the need for financial accounts of companies covered by the EU ETS to reflect the new commodity of carbon. Disagreement amongst accountants about how to treat emission allowances has arisen, with the initial international accounting guidance issued in late 2004 subsequently being withdrawn, and not yet replaced. Taking this absence of guidance as a starting point, we undertake an empirical project (through a survey, consultation analysis, and interviews) to establish what financial reporting practices are being adopted by participants in the EU ETS, and the level of momentum for standardisation. We draw on sociological theories about accounting, measurement, and markets.


Rat embryo cells transformed by two ts mutants of HSV-2 strain HG 52 and also by u.v.-irradiated HSV-2 strain 333 were inoculated into highly inbred host rats, either newborn or which had undergone various immunosuppressive treatments. The latent period before a palpable tumour (a fibrosarcoma) was detected varied directly with the degree of immunosuppression of the host. Transformed cells could form tumours after a latent period of nearly 2 years. All tumours were invasive and in some cases metastatic. The continuing expression of HSV information in 10 tumour cell lines was demonstrated by perinuclear and cytoplasmic staining in immunofluorescence studies using a rat antiserum directed against the early polypeptides of HSV-2 HG 52 infection and a rabbit serum prepared against a 24 h cell infection with HSV-2 HG 52 ts I. Sera from tumour-bearing rats fluoresced the surface of unfixed human or rat embryo cells 4 to 5 h after infection with HSV-2 HG 52. In addition the rabbit antiserum (4740 or 4741) fluoresced the surface of 80% of the tumour cells in culture. Transplanted tumours after 20 passages in vitro and taking up to a year to again form a tumour in a host rat also showed specific HSV cytoplasmic and perinuclear fluorescence in tests with the rat antiserum directed against early polypeptides of HSV-2 lytic infection.


In this thesis work, the voltage stability and post disturbance voltage recovery times are investigated for the Nordic 32 test system for different load combinations with and without large scale integration of solar PV power plants. In addition, the mitigation of the voltage stability and voltage recovery time phenomena through various Dynamic Var Compensators are investigated.
The study is commenced with detailed analysis of the Nordic-32 test system that mimics the Swedish power grid through a Power System Simulation Software (PSS/E). The dynamic analysis was then done through PSS/E dynamic simulation capability to investigate the fault induced VRT (Voltage Recovery Time) through different load combinations in the system. It has been found that the voltage recovery time when induction motor loads are introduced beside complex (constant impedance and constant current) loads is significantly higher than that of the case when having complex loads only. Moreover, the system is more likely to have a voltage collapse with less number of cascaded disturbances in the case when having induction motors in the system. Also, if induction motor loads are dispersed throughout the weak buses in the system instead of being concentrated into a single bus, the voltage recovery time increases even more and the system becomes much more prone to a voltage collapse.
The improvement of the voltage stability of the system has been done through the installation of Dynamic Var Compensators at the point of common coupling with the induction motor loads. The performance of various Dynamic Var Compensators such as Static Var Compensators (SVC) and Static Synchronous Compensators (STATCOM) has been investigated in the mitigation of the voltage recovery time with different load combinations and it has been found that the STATCOM was superior to the SVC in reducing the voltage recovery time and postponing the voltage collapse. The base case with the induction motor loads was able to withstand N-1 contingency. SVCs and STATCOMs are installed at the induction motor load buses with the same rating of 300 Mvar capacitive power for both devices such that the minimum voltage sag induced due to the fault doesn't decrease below 0.8 p.u. It has been noticed that the system was able to withstand N-2 contingency for both compensators cases. For the case with SVC the voltage recovery time was reduced from 0.9 seconds in the base case to 0.665 seconds which corresponds to a reduction of 26% of voltage recovery time with a minimum voltage sag of 0.8 p.u. However, for the case with STATCOM, the voltage recovery time was reduced to 0.364 seconds that corresponds to a reduction of 60% of voltage recovery time with a minimum voltage sag of 0.87 p.u.
The effects of large scale solar PV plants penetration has been investigated. It has been found that the maximum allowable solar PV penetration is 30% of the total generation for the base case due to the limits imposed by the Nordic Grid Code for frequency deviations due to the lack of inertia for PV plants. It has been also found that the voltage stability gets worse due to the increase in the voltage recovery time in the case of 30% PV penetration, this is because the time constant for the exciter models of the conventional generating units in PSS/E is less than that of the PV model. Adding to that, the significant reactive power losses in the transmission lines since the PV plants located far away
v
from the load center. The effect of irradiance changes with load profile changes throughout year has been investigated. It has been found that the system was more prone to a voltage instability if the share of the PV plants to the total generation of the system is significant.


INTRODUCTION
Hooch blindness following consumption of adulterated alcohol has been known for centuries.

OBJECTIVE
To study cases of mass alcohol intoxication followed by Hooch blindness in eastern India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Ten patients of toxic amblyopia collected from a community mass intoxication following consumption of adulterated alcohol were studied. The parameters studied were the findings of ocular examination, applanation tonometry, automated perimetry and visual-evoked potential (VEP). As a part of the special investigations fundus photography and OCT were done. Routine blood examination, fasting lipid profile, postprandial blood sugar estimation were done . All patients were treated with injections of methyl prednisolone and Hydroxy cobalamine, antioxidants and local neuro-protective agents.

RESULTS
Along with diminished vision (from NPL to 3/60), marked pallor of the disc without any other retinal change were noted. The amplitude on VEP was significantly reduced. However, visual improvement (up to 6/18) in 7 patients was observed within 6 weeks of treatment.

CONCLUSION
Hooch blindness in India can be prevented by creating awareness among the target population and reducing the cost of country liquor.


Using benchmarks to evaluate operating systems is a common and important approach. However, determining which benchmarks to use for such evaluation requires very careful consideration. It has been found that a seemingly naive change of system configuration or input set could lead to drastic change of benchmark characteristics, and could also lead to misleading or incorrect results. Some OS benchmark suites may also include too many benchmark programs with very similar characteristics that could give biased results against, or in favor of, certain kernel behavior. Hence, we need to determine the characteristics of benchmark programs in order to come up with an appropriate benchmark suite for such evaluation, and to interpret the measured results more precisely and correctly. Although there have been many tools developed to help on profiling an OS and to characterize its run-time behavior, the collected data by those tools are often very large and complex. It is extremely time consuming, labor intensive, and error prone to analyze the large volume of measured results, and to determine the characteristics of a suite of benchmark programs. In this work, we propose to use machine-learning techniques to help on analyzing and characterizing OS benchmark programs based on the traced OS kernel events. In this work, a systematic methodology is proposed to automatically characterize benchmarks. We found that the characterized OS behavior could help developers to choose appropriate applications to benchmark operating systems.