Although the true size of the problem is unknown (and would require measurement by empirical studies), crack traffic and consumption have reached relevant proportions in Brazil, whether from society's perspective or based on the government's response. Unlike the U.S. history of temperance and the prohibition of manufacture, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages under the Eighteenth Amendment (1919), there is no parallel in Brazilian history for the recent implementation of a comprehensive plan for dealing with crack. This unprecedented situation is partially due to the fact that crack is particularly fast-acting and is frequently associated with abuse and addiction, especially affecting young people (including children and adolescents) and with unparalleled visibility as a public scene for sale and consumption, spilling out of the poor communities and occupying new urban spaces, adjacent to areas where the middle class and mass media circulate. Yet an emergency involves not only the urgency of responding, but also the process of emerging or surfacing. In this sense an emergent phenomenon in public health requires proposing and utilizing new concepts and analytical methods. The latter exist, but they have only been applied recently. By way of example, the excellent series from 2001 with the subtitle Methods to Quantify and Understand Hidden Processes (Modeling Drug Use, EMCDDA Monograph Series 6) does not contemplate the methods used today in Brazil and the world to estimate difficult-to-access populations: respondent-driven sampling, timelocation sampling and its refinements (PLoS One 2012; 7(4):e34104), and network scaleup (NSU) (Am J Epidemiol 2011; 174:1190-6). We are thus dealing with profound paradigm shifts in the epidemiology and ethnography of drug use scenes (on this point, note that the NSU formulators are anthropologists; http://nersp.osg.ufl.edu/~ufruss/scale-up.htm). Beyond the methodological challenges for adequately grasping and measuring the issue, public policy analysis has been dangerously simplified by the lack of contextualization of drug policies as a global phenomenon (although with contrasting local expressions), governed by treaties ratified by UN member countries, which to a major extent define the national states' narrow maneuvering room. Thus, when the disharmonious and counterproductive impact of Brazilian policies is discussed (for example, when action by community-based health workers is blocked by criminal factions and police forces in a given community), one overlooks the contradictions and impasses experienced by drug policies at the international level and the crisis in the public security arena and the human rights violations in countries like Mexico and Guatemala. Finally, the debate on treatment options focuses alternately on the inscrutable nature of formations of the unconscious and formulations by different religious denominations, overlooking the milestones of the Republic and democracy, and thus the fact that critical dialogue with reason is not a luxury, but a Republican necessity. Whatever the determinants of psychoactive substance abuse and addiction, the state and society have the right and duty to submit public policies and therapeutic options to the scrutiny of empirical research and critical reflection.


Traffic from real-time and multimedia interactive applications are known to be bursty. With this behavior, they are said to associate with self-similar property, by which they can no longer be expressed as Poisson distribution, but following power law distribution such as Pareto. Bursty traffic has a direct impact on network performance. Thus, if the self-similar property can be captured at earlier stage before submission to network, a specific mechanism could be applied at a sender node such that a more regulated traffic could be obtained. As a result, deterministic network performance could be attained, and thus allowing QoS guarantees be granted to users. However, this can only be effectively done with support of a source traffic analysis. Hence, the objectives of this paper are two folds: first is to identify the reason for burstiness, and second is to determine if the self-similar property can be removed from the source traffic. By executing these two, a traffic analysis shall be produced. Video traces of Jurassic Park and Soccer were simulated in a Bluetooth ad hoc network environment and were checked against a set of criteria for self-similarity. It was found that, in the first place, self-similar behavior is indeed associated with bursty traffic. Secondly, the number of packets produced from SAR segmentation protocol is the reason for the heavy-tailed distribution of the source traffic. Finally, the SAR protocol was found unable to eliminate the self-similar property from a bursty traffic flow.


Introduction Using a canine model of a large, terminal, carotid artery, venous pouch aneurysm, a comparison was made between treatment with standard coils and treatment with the Ballstent MicrocatheterTM. Methods For the pilot coiling study, a single aneurysm was surgically constructed on a newly created carotid artery terminal bifurcation in a hound. After 21 days, the aneurysm measured 12 mm x 9 mm x 6 mm. Using standard technique, this aneurysm was treated with 18 coils (Axium™, Covidien). For the pilot Ballstent study, a similar sized aneurysm was created in a similar manner in the same model system and treated after 21 days with a prototype of the Ballstent comprising a thin-walled 8 mm gold metal balloon mounted, folded, wrapped, and compressed onto a 3.5 Fr microcatheter with a 0.018" guidewire. The compressed Ballstent was positioned in the aneurysm sac and expanded to occlude the aneurysm neck. An 8 mm diameter coil was then deployed through the guidewire lumen into the aneurysm dome to hold the expanded Ballstent in place at the aneurysm neck. The Ballstent was detached by electrolysis with 2 mA of DC current. For both treatments, angiography was performed immediately before and after device deployment. Treatment time, device number and cost, and degree of occlusion at the end of the procedure were measured. Four week terminal angiography and histopathology were performed for the pilot Ballstent study and are pending for the pilot coiling study. Results For the coil treatment, 18 coils were placed over a 60-minute treatment period at a list price cost of $31,500. The degree of acute occlusion at the end of the coil treatment was estimated at 85–99% by angiography. For the Ballstent treatment, one Ballstent and one coil were placed over a 30-minute treatment period at an estimated cost of $11,750. The degree of acute occlusion with the Ballstent treatment was estimated at 100% by angiography. At 4 weeks, the Ballstent showed sustained occlusion of the aneurysm with well-organised, mature, and fully endothelialized neointima covering the entire aneurysm neck. Abstract E-015 Figure 1 Angiography of a canine large, terminal, vein pouch, carotid artery aneurysm. A) Immediately after treatment with ballstent and accessory coil, and B) at 4 weeks Conclusion When compared with standard coil treatment, the Ballstent has the potential to provide a faster, easier, and more cost-effective treatment with better occlusion rates. Transition to a 0.014" guidewire platform is underway. Disclosures N. Franano: 4; C; Equity holder. 5; C; Employee. H. Loree: 4; C; Equity holder. 5; C; Employee. D. Groth: 2; C; Consultant. M. Lisowski: 2; C; Consultant. S. Brunell: 2; C; Consultant. R. Ainsworth: 2; C; Consultant. S. Rousselle: 2; C; Consultant. K. Murphy: 2; C; Consultant. 4; C; Equity holder.


This study explored the inclusion of creative drama into science teaching as an instructional strategy for enhancing elementary school students' understanding of scientific concepts. A treatment group of sixth grade students was taught a Full Option Science System (FOSS) science unit on Mixtures and Solutions with the addition of creative drama while a control group was taught using only the FOSS teaching protocol. Quantitative and qualitative data analyses demonstrated that students who studied science through creative drama exhibited a greater understanding of scientific content of the lessons and preferred learning science through creative drama. Treatment group students stated that they enjoyed participating in the activities with their friends and that the creative drama helped them to better understand abstract scientific concepts. Teachers involved with the creative drama activities were positively impressed and believed creative drama is a good tool for teaching science. Observations revealed that creative drama created a positive classroom environment, improved social interactions and self-esteem, that all students enjoyed creative drama, and that teachers' teaching style affected students' use of creative drama. The researcher concluded that the inclusion of creative drama with the FOSS unit enhanced students' scientific knowledge and understanding beyond that of the FOSS unit alone, that both teachers and students reacted positively to creative drama in science and that creative drama requires more time. THE INTEGRATION OF CREATIVE DRAMA INTO SCIENCE TEACHING


A strong charge-transfer band at UV-wavelengths is found to play a major role for the observed induced optical losses (photodarkening) in ytterbium doped high-power fiber lasers. This is correlated to the valence stability of the ytterbium ion in the silicate glass matrix, which we believe is the origin of photodarkening. We have performed UV-irradiation experiments on ytterbium-doped preform samples and accelerated photodarkening experiments on Yb-doped fibers, by using 915nm high power diodes. Our results show that photodarkening can be reduced, to low levels, either by preparing the preform glass in a reducing atmosphere or by hydrogen loading the fiber in a pressure chamber at room temperature.


To reduce the size of this section's PostScript file, we have divided it into three PostScript files. We present the following index: PART 1


This paper explores how standards will play a critical role in facilitating the creation of smarter cities with systems that are optimized by using a comprehensive information view from pervasive instrumentation. The underlying premise is that the combination of standards, models, and a new suite of design tools and techniques will be needed to address various challenges and make significant progress toward the creation of smarter cities, as defined in this paper. We start by giving examples of where standards have enabled the transformation of large-scale industry systems, such as banking. Drawing from these insights, this paper shows how standards are applicable to the creation, adoption, and management of diverse hierarchies of systems found in cities. In addition, we provide a perspective on key standards currently deployed in cities and areas of development required to address inefficiencies that will help guide the design of new city-wide systems.


We analyze why low-speed sensorless control of the IM is intrinsically difficult, and what is gained by signal injection. The explanation relies on the control-theoretic concept of observability applied to a general model of the saturated IM. We show that the IM is not observable when the stator speed is zero in the absence of signal injection, but that observability is restored thanks to signal injection and magnetic saturation. The analysis also reveals that existing sensorless algorithms based on signal injection may perform poorly for some IMs under particular operating conditions. The approach is illustrated by simulations and experimental data.


SUMMARY The quality of offspring produced by parent fleas (Xenopsylla ramesis) fed on either male or female rodent hosts (Meriones crassus) was studied. The emergence success, duration of development, resistance to starvation upon emergence and body size of the flea offspring were measured. It was predicted that offspring of fleas produced by parents that fed on male hosts (i) will survive better as pre-imago, (ii) will develop faster, (iii) will live longer under starvation after emergence and (iv) will be larger than offspring of fleas fed on female hosts. The emergence success of pre-imaginal fleas was relatively high, ranging from 46.9% to 100.0% and averaging 78.4±3.0%, and was not affected by host gender. The duration of development of pre-imaginal fleas depended on the gender of the host of parents and differed between male and female offspring, with female fleas developing faster. Furthermore, male fleas developed faster if their parents fed on female rather than on male hosts, whereas no difference in the duration of development between host genders was found in female fleas. The time to death under starvation did not depend on the gender of either the flea or the host. A newly emerged flea, on average, lived 31.9±1.0 days without access to food. The relationship between host gender and body size of male flea offspring was the only effect that supported the predictions. An increase in body size in male fleas could increase their mating success and, ultimately, their fitness.


The aim of the study was to identify the clinical markers useful in characterising slow healing and relapsing gastric ulcer patients. Ninety nine subjects entered the short term and 79 the long term study (12 months). The following parameters were taken into account: therapy, sex, age, smoking habit, alcohol consumption, analgesic intake, peptic ulcer family history and onset of the disease. Results of the studies were analysed by means of chi 2 test and logistic regression, both in stepwise and in specifying models. Cigarette smoking was found to be the most important risk factor of non-healing (p = 0.04). In women with late onset of the disease, cigarette smoking identified the gastric ulcer subjects at higher risk of non-healing with a predictive probability of 0.4679. Age under 50 years was found to be the most important risk factor of relapsing throughout the entire 12 month follow up period (p = 0.025). In those under 50 years, cigarette smoking and negative peptic ulcer family history in combination, identified the gastric ulcer subjects at higher risk of relapsing, the predicted probability being 0.6027. It is concluded that cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for non-healing and those who relapse under the age of 50. The possibility of singling out categories of patients more prone not to heal and to relapse suggests new strategies in the management of gastric ulcer disease.


The digital context of equity crowdfunding broadens and diversifies the pool of potential investors and is thus touted as a means to democratize access to capital for non-traditional innovators. It is unclear whether such democratization also applies to user entrepreneurs. User innovators are consumers who create products with the goal of serving their own unmet needs; if they subsequently pursue entrepreneurship as a means to commercialize their innovations they become user entrepreneurs. Importantly, user innovators are significant contributors to consumer product innovation. In contrast, traditional entrepreneurs, also called producer entrepreneurs, create products with the goal of profiting from them. We examine whether investors in equity crowdfunding respond differently to user entrepreneurs relative to traditional producer entrepreneurs, and explore heterogeneity in investor responses. Through a randomized field experiment, we find that less experienced investors are more receptive to user innovators than investors with more experience. Experienced investors are significantly less interested in ventures by user innovators, relative to those by producer innovators, likely due to experienced investors' concern about the ability of user entrepreneurs to commercialize their ideas. Consequently, the democratization of access to capital for user entrepreneurs comes from less experienced investors who are often inaccessible in traditional investment settings.


It is common practice within numerical coastal ocean modelling to perform model calibration with respect to a bottom friction parameter. While many modelling studies employ a spatially uniform coefficient, within the parameter estimation literature the coefficient is typically taken to be spatially (or even temporally) varying. A parameter estimation experiment requires an appropriate set of observations, and also the selection of an appropriate parameter space which captures the spatial variability of the bottom friction parameter. In regions such as the Bristol Channel, which is used as a case study within this work, observation data is relatively abundant; here we use observations of M2 and S2 harmonic amplitudes and phases at 20 locations within the Channel. However, as is typical within friction parameter estimation problems, there is no obvious constraint on the spatial variation of the friction coefficient. Here, we define the parameter estimation 'experiment design' as the mapping from a small number of friction parameters onto the model domain. We propose a robust method for the appropriate selection of a low-dimensional experiment design, utilising an optimal experiment design (OED) technique via construction of the Fisher Information Matrix. The objective is to identify the experiment design resulting in the tightest possible constraints on the unknown parameters, given the available observation data. We construct the Fisher Information Matrix via the use of an adjoint shallow water numerical model, Thetis, and perform a variant of D-optimal design to find the optimal experiment design from within two a priori choices of design space. These are based on splitting the model domain either by simple slices across the channel, or by the type of sediment found on the sea bed. We first validate the OED framework by utilising a Bayesian inference algorithm to perform parameter estimation using a selection of experiment designs, which confirms that the OED framework offers a good estimate of the true parameter uncertainty resulting from the use of a given experiment design. An exploration of the full space of experiment designs shows that up to three Manning's n coefficient values can be estimated from the observation data to within an uncertainty of approximately 0.001 s m−1/3, but that the experiment design is highly influential in achieving this threshold, thus demonstrating the value of our approach as a preliminary step in a parameter estimation study. We also investigate the sensitivity of the achievable parameter uncertainty to the availability of observation data and its measurement uncertainty, providing insights useful to the design of future observation surveys. Finally, we further demonstrate our OED framework with an application to a model of the northwest European continental shelf.


Inferring missing links in knowledge graphs (KG) has attracted a lot of attention from the research community. In this paper, we tackle a practical query answering task involving predicting the relation of a given entity pair. We frame this prediction problem as an inference problem in a probabilistic graphical model and aim at resolving it from a variational inference perspective. In order to model the relation between the query entity pair, we assume that there exists an underlying latent variable (paths connecting two nodes) in the KG, which carries the equivalent semantics of their relations. However, due to the intractability of connections in large KGs, we propose to use variation inference to maximize the evidence lower bound. More specifically, our framework (Diva) is composed of three modules, i.e. a posterior approximator, a prior (path finder), and a likelihood (path reasoner). By using variational inference, we are able to incorporate them closely into a unified architecture and jointly optimize them to perform KG reasoning. With active interactions among these sub-modules, Diva is better at handling noise and coping with more complex reasoning scenarios. In order to evaluate our method, we conduct the experiment of the link prediction task on multiple datasets and achieve state-of-the-art performances on both datasets.


The preliminary design of an aero-engine combustor is a multidisciplinary process that involves an extensive and systematic analysis of the design space. Simulation-driven approaches, in which several design configurations are numerically analyzed, may lead to heterogeneous models interacting with each other, sharing miscellaneous information within the process. Iterative and user-defined approaches, moreover, are inefficient when multiple and conflicting requirements are in place. To rely on integrated design methodologies has been demonstrated to be beneficial, especially if adopted in a structured approach to design optimization.
 In this paper, the application of the Combustor Design System Integration (DSI) to the definition of an optimal combustor preliminary configuration will be presented. Given a combustor baseline design, the multi-objective optimization problem has been defined by targeting an optimal distribution for temperature profiles and patterns at the combustor's exit. Dilution port characteristics, such as hole number and dimension as well as the axial position of the row have been selected as design variables. To guarantee a water-tight design process while minimizing the user effort, the DSI tools were included in a dedicated framework for driving the optimization tasks. Here, a proper CFD domain for RANS, constituted by the flame tube region extended to the dilution port feeds, was adopted for imposing the air split designed for the combustor. Concerning a "complete" combustor sector, this allows a reduction in the computational effort while still being representative for its aero-thermal behavior. The optimization task was performed using a Response Surface Method (RSM), in which multiple, specific combustor configurations were simulated and the CFD result elaborated to build a meta-model of the combustor itself. Finally, the suitability of the resulting optimized configuration has been evaluated through an "a posteriori" analysis for thermal conditions and emission levels (NOx and CO).
 A lean combustion concept developed by Avio Aero with the aim of the homonymous EU research project, the NEWAC combustor, has been considered as test case.


This book examines the needs, aspirations, strategies, and challenges of transnational Muslim migrants in Europe with regard to family practices such as marriage, divorce, and parenting. Critically re-conceptualizing 'wellbeing' and unpacking its multiple dimensions in the context of Muslim families, it investigates how migrants make sense of and draw on different norms, laws, and regimes of knowledge as they navigate different aspects of family relations and life in a transnational social space. With attention to issues such as registration of marriage, civil versus religious marriage, spousal roles and rights, polygamy, parenting, child wellbeing, and everyday security, the authors offer national and comparative case studies of Muslim families from different parts of the world, covering different family bonds and relations, within both extended and nuclear families. Based on empirical research in the Nordic region and further afield, this volume affords a more complete understanding of the practices of transnational migrant families, as well as the processes through which family relations and rights are negotiated between family members and with state institutions and laws, whilst contributing to the growing literature on migrant wellbeing. As such, it will appeal to scholars of sociology and social policy with interests in migration and transnational communities, wellbeing, and the family.


Current state of phytoadaptogen research is discussed with special reference to the protective action of these agents in the organism, such as anticarcinogenic activity. The concept of correction of the body's defensive systems by phytoadaptogen complexes is formulated with a view to creation of an immunobiological basis for non-toxic prevention and therapy of cancer and age-related diseases.


The publication analyzes the structure and the functional characteristics of the collective management bodies of regional development in Bulgaria - Regional and District development councils, in relation to the implementation of the partnership principle. Emphasis is placed on the contributions of the participating stakeholders: socio-economic partners, non-governmental organizations, academic circles, civil society associations, etc. Discussing opportunities for improving regional management by building public-private institutional partnerships within the collegiate bodies surveyed.


Preventing coronary heart disease (CHD) is critical to further extending survival among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. Previously published findings of CHD risk factors in HIV-infected persons have been derived from facility-based cohort studies, which have limited representativeness for the HIV-infected population. State-specific, population-based surveillance data can assist health care providers and public health agencies in planning and evaluating programs that reduce CHD among HIV-infected persons. We describe CHD risk factors from the 2007-2008 Oregon Medical Monitoring Project, a population-based survey of HIV-infected persons receiving care that included both patient interview and medical record review. Among the 539 HIV-infected patients interviewed, the mean age was 45.5 years. Diagnoses from the medical record associated with CHD risk included preexisting CHD (5%), diabetes (11%), and hypertension (28%). Current smoking was reported by 46%; college graduates were less likely to smoke compared with those with lesser education (21% versus 53%, respectively; P <.0001). Obesity was present among 17%. Among the 65% of the survey group with lipid values available, 55% had high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) <40 mg/dL and 42% had triglycerides ≥ 200 mg/dL. Among the 15% of the survey group with either preexisting CHD or diabetes, 42% had a non-HDL <130 mg/dL (target goal) and 38% smoked. Risk factors for CHD among HIVinfected persons, particularly smoking and dyslipidemia, should be managed aggressively. Ongoing surveillance is warranted to monitor changes in CHD risk factors in the HIV-infected population.


In recent years, an interest in measuring and increasing citizens' happiness has characterised many Western democracies, including the UK. At the same time, the new scientific discipline of positive psychology has produced a set of knowledges, techniques and instruments that encourage people to work on and understand themselves in specific ways. While there is a substantial body of work critiquing this turn to happiness, there is a lack of empirical research that examines what it looks like at an everyday level, and how it may inform ideas about successful citizenship. To address this gap, this thesis takes a critical discursive psychological approach to analysing two datasets – four best-selling books, and interviews with 30 UK residents on the subject of happiness. It was found that the books worked to generate a public health-style narrative around happiness, positioning it as "threatened" due to a mismatch between humans' "fallible" brains and the challenges of the modern world, such as consumerism. To counter this universalised danger, individualised solutions of working on one's habits, thoughts and choices were proposed, with happiness constructed as an ongoing practice.

There were considerable similarities in the interview data, with participants forming affective-discursive practices of cultivating appreciation, being mindful and making 'good' choices. However, participants took up a range of complex and shifting subject positions during the interviews, and their talk was dilemmatic, argumentative and occasionally troubled, particularly when they mobilised taken-for-granted, culturally dominant ideas about happiness in personal narratives. The thesis concludes that engaging with the rhetoric of positive psychology risks living out unresolvable contradictions. However, there were also resistances to the idea of being responsible for one's happiness and to the habit of individualism, suggesting that alternatives are possible to the apparent dominance of neoliberal models of selfhood.


We present a step-by-step guide of a refined magnetoseismological technique for plasma diagnostics in the Sun's corona. Recently developed MHD wave theory which models a coronal loop as an expanding magnetic flux tube with an arbitrary longitudinal plasma density profile is applied to TRACE observations of fast kink oscillations. The theory predicts that using the observed ratio of the first overtone and fundamental mode to predict the plasma density scale height and not taking account of loop expansion will lead to an overestimation of scale height. For the first time, the size of this correction is quantified directly from observation and for the particular case study presented here, it is found that the overestimation is approximately by a factor of 2.


The High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard (ITU-T H.265 and ISO/IEC 23008-2) has been developed with the main goal of providing significantly improved video compression compared with its predecessors. In order to evaluate this goal, verification tests were conducted by the Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding of ITU-T SG 16 WP 3 and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29. This paper presents the subjective and objective results of a verification test in which the performance of the new standard is compared with its highly successful predecessor, the Advanced Video Coding (AVC) video compression standard (ITU-T H.264 and ISO/IEC 14496-10). The test used video sequences with resolutions ranging from 480p up to ultra-high definition, encoded at various quality levels using the HEVC Main profile and the AVC High profile. In order to provide a clear evaluation, this paper also discusses various aspects for the analysis of the test results. The tests showed that bit rate savings of 59% on average can be achieved by HEVC for the same perceived video quality, which is higher than a bit rate saving of 44% demonstrated with the PSNR objective quality metric. However, it has been shown that the bit rates required to achieve good quality of compressed content, as well as the bit rate savings relative to AVC, are highly dependent on the characteristics of the tested content.


This article describes the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles (Nps) using the co-precipitation method and then calcinated at 500oC for 2 h. The photo activity of ZnO nanoparticles was examined in photo decolorization of methyl green dye under artificial UV -A light. This prepared photocatalyst (ZnO Np) was modified his surface by 2% Ag doped using the photo deposition method under inert gas for 3h. The characterization of undoped and 2% Ag doped ZnO Nps were estimated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Atomic force microscopy (AFM). In FT-IR analysis, the new peaks occurred around 624-778 cm-1 confirmed the Ag really is doped on prepared ZnO Np. Based on data from XRD, the mean crystal size was reduced with doped the 2% Ag. The AFM images for the prepared photocatalysts ensure that the shapes of all samples are semi-spherical with nanometer size. Series of kinetics experiments were performed for the photocatalytic decolourization of methyl green dye using undoped and 2% Ag doped ZnO nanoparticle and found to be pseudo-first-order kinetics.


Nanoscale strain engineering of monolayer graphene is shown to achieve giant pseudo-magnetic fields and valley polarization. The existence of nontrivial Berry phases associated with two inequivalent valleys in graphene provides interesting opportunities for investigating the valley-projected topological states. Examples of such studies include observation of anomalous quantum Hall effect in monolayer graphene, demonstration of topological zero modes in "molecular graphene" assembled by scanning tunneling microscopy, and detection of topological valley transport either in graphene superlattices or at bilayer graphene domain walls. However, all aforementioned experiments involved nonscalable approaches of either mechanically exfoliated flakes or atom-by-atom constructions. Here, we report an approach to manipulating the topological states in monolayer graphene via nanoscale strain engineering at room temperature. By placing strain-free monolayer graphene on architected nanostructures to induce global inversion symmetry breaking, we demonstrate the development of giant pseudo-magnetic fields (up to ~800 T), valley polarization, and periodic one-dimensional topological channels for protected propagation of chiral modes in strained graphene, thus paving a pathway toward scalable graphene-based valleytronics.


The biochemical properties of the new methyl indole derivative IM-24 (N-methyl-N-propargyl-2(1-methyl-5-methoxyindolyl)methylamine HCl) have been investigated. The activity on both forms of monoamine oxidase MAO was tested in several nervous and non nervous tissues ex vivo after chronic administration. IM-24 is mainly an inhibitor of the activity of MAO A without any effect on intestinal MAO B at the doses studied. IM-24 was compared with tricyclic antidepressants in tests for serotonin (5HT), noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA) uptake inhibition in vitro. IM-24 is mainly an inhibitor of the 5HT uptake mechanism but is less active than paroxetine and chlorimipramine which are very potent 5HT-uptake inhibitors. Radioligand binding techniques in rat brain ex vivo showed that IM-24 after chronic administration (21 days) produces no change in the number or the affinity of the alpha 2-adrenoceptors. IM-24 reduces by 70% the number of 5HT2 receptors but does not modify the affinity for the ligand. IM-24 is thus an interesting compound which combines monoamine oxidase inhibition with inhibition of 5HT uptake. Both these actions will lead to an increase of the availability of serotonin at the synaptic site.


This symposium presents the results of a rigorous seven-year clinical trial aimed at promoting technological solutions to advance the global response to traumatic stress in humanitarian emergencies. While there is a growing recognition of the importance of trauma-informed care in emergencies, there is a lack of evidence-based tools to rapidly and effectively diagnose and treat trauma cross-culturally at scale. Moreover, aid agencies and charities providing psychological support to survivors often possess limited mental health training and resources. This clinical trial addressed these challenges by (i) identifying diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of trauma that have the potential for integration in portable technology to equip agencies in emergency zones; (ii) developing and examining the feasibility of the eResilience App a seven-day, cross-cultural mHealth intervention for emergencies; and (iii) conducting a pilot implementation of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) via a local charity in Africa to examine technology acceptance and scalability potential. Presenters will highlight the development of the eResilience App, including the clinical rationale, the two MVP designs for research and field implementation, and its potential for the integration of biometric measures, Neurofeedback (NFB), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Photoplethysmography (PPG), and machine learning. Moreover, presenters will discuss the cognitive and electrophysiological biomarkers identified at baseline and post intervention, and the clinical results observed over a 12-month period. Insights from the field implementation at a rural Ebola-impacted community in Liberia will feature selected clinical and scalability response in the village, alongside technological challenges, proficiency, and adaptations.


Introduction and Purpose A subset of patients with vertebrobasilar artery occlusion (VBAO) lasting more than 24 hours still suffered recurrent ischaemic events and progressive disability despite intensive medical therapy. The prognosis of these patients is extremely poor, with a high incidence of catastrophic brainstem and cerebellar infarction. Optimal management for these patients remains unknown. Recurrent symptoms despite aggressive medical treatment may be an indication for endovascular revascularisation and stenting. This study was to evaluate the technical feasibility, safety and short-term effects of recanalisation and stenting. Materials and Methods Twenty-one consecutive patients with VBAO including 12 vertebral artery occlusion (VAO: occlusion not involving basilar artery) and 9 basilar artery occlusion (BAO) lasting more than 24 hours refractory to aggressive medical treatment were enrolled into this study and underwent recanalisation and stenting between February 2010 and November 2011. Data were retrospectively collected. The rate of recanalisation was evaluated radiographically and the functional outcome was examined using modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores. Independent groups T-test, t'-test, Fisher Exact test or Nonparametric test were used according to the studied variables characteristics. Results The median time between onset of symptoms and recanalisation was 1.7 months (IR, 0.9–5.2), and the median time between imaging-documented occlusion and endovascular recanalisation was 10.5 days (IR, Interquartile Range: 6.5–18); Median NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at admission was 8 (IR, 2–13). Technique success ratio of recanalisation was 95.2%. There were 3 periprocedural complications. Median mRS score was 4 (IR, 2.5–5) prior to procedure and 4 (IR, 1–5) at discharge (P<0.05). One stroke and one death occurred within 30 days postprocedure. Mean duration of clinical follow-up was 6.9 months. One transient ischaemic attack, one stroke and one death occurred beyond 30-day postprocedure. Mean angiographic follow-up was 8.9 months in 7 patients. Three patients developed in-stent restenosis or occlusion, and two of them were symptomatic. Subgroup analyses revealed patients got better functional recovery (lower mRS) at discharge in patients with VAO (P<0.05) compared with their respective preoperative mRS scores and there was no significant difference in patients with BAO. Conclusions Endovascular recanalisation and stenting for symptomatic VBAO lasting more than 24 hours was technically feasible and patients with VAO benefited from the treatment with significant functional recovery. However, the complexity of the procedure and high risk of complications should prompt extreme caution. Procedures should only be performed at high volume centres by experienced operators. Disclosures Y. He: 1; C; Zhengzhou University. Z. Wang: None. T. Li: None.


Sales forecasting plays a significant role in the development and success of consumer-oriented companies. Sales forecasting without high accuracy generates massive losses to the companies. To avoid losses, the company should focus on the factors which are affecting the sales forecasting. Nowadays people prefer e-commerce websites for purchasing products and they give online reviews and ratings about the products. These online reviews are used for computing the sentiment index which is necessary for sales forecasting. This paper surveys the different state-of-the-art sales forecasting techniques with different approaches. This survey also focused the sentiment analysis to predict sales forecasting.


OBJECTIVE
Vancomycin carries risks of treatment failure and emergent resistance with underexposure and renal toxicity with overexposure. Children with overweight or obesity may have altered pharmacokinetics. We aimed to examine how body weight metrics influence vancomycin serum concentrations and to evaluate alternative dosing strategies.

METHODS
This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study across 3 large, academic hospitals. Patients aged 2 to 18 years old who received ≥3 doses of intravenous vancomycin were included. Weight metrics included total body weight, adjusted body weight, ideal body weight, body surface area, and allometric weight. Outcomes included vancomycin concentration and ratios of area under the curve (AUC) to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Regression analyses were used to examine which body-weight identifier predicted outcomes.

RESULTS
Of the 1099 children, 45% were girls, mean age was 9.0 (SD = 5.4) years, 14% had overweight, and 17% had obesity. Seventy-five percent of children had vancomycin concentrations in the subtherapeutic range by trough <10 µg/mL, and 63% had a ratio of AUC to MIC <400 μg-hr/mL. Three percent had a supratherapeutic initial trough >20 µg/mL or ratio of AUC to MIC >600 μg-hr/mL. Serum vancomycin concentrations were higher in children with overweight or obesity compared with children who were at a normal weight or underweight; the mean ratio of AUC to MIC also trended higher in the groups with overweight or obesity.

CONCLUSIONS
Most children received vancomycin regimens that produced suboptimal trough levels. Children with overweight or obesity experienced higher vancomycin trough levels than children of normal weight despite receiving lower total body weight dosing. Using the ratio of AUC to MIC was a better measure of drug exposure.


A growing number of young women abuse substances and engage in suicidal
behavior. Combinations of these problems are under-researched. Research that
exists includes women of all ages in the samples. This study adds information to the
current state of knowledge on these problem behaviors by limiting the sample to
women ages 30 to 39 years. A group of 113 women, part of a larger study of 364
women who had received inpatient psychiatric treatment,was included in this study.
Findings revealed that most of the women had made at least one suicide attempt and
nearly one-quarter were in the hospital for a current attempt. Almost 60% had
engaged in substance abuse at some point in their lives. The combination of continued
substance abuse and suicidal behavior could result in an early death for some
women. Implications for treatment and future research are discussed.


Most well-established and widely used color difference (CD) metrics are handcrafted and subjectcalibrated against uniformly colored patches, which do not generalize well to photographic images characterized by natural scene complexities. Constructing CD formulae for photo-graphic images is still an active research topic in imaging/illumination, vision science, and color science communities. In this paper, we aim to learn a deep CD metric for photographic images with four desirable properties. First, it well aligns with the observations in vision science that color and form are linked inextricably in visual cortical processing. Second, it is a proper metric in the mathematical sense. Third, it computes accurate CDs between photographic images, differing mainly in color appearances. Fourth, it is robust to mild geometric distortions (e.g., translation or due to parallax), which are often present in photographic images of the same scene captured by different digital cameras. We show that all four properties can be satisfied at once by learning a multi-scale autoregressive normalizing flow for feature transform, followed by the Euclidean distance which is linearly proportional to the human perceptual CD. Quantitative and qualitative experiments on the large-scale SPCD dataset demonstrate the promise of the learned CD metric. Source code is available at https://github.com/haoychen3/CD-Flow.


One of the reasons for the formation of twins and grain boundaries during the CdZnTe crystal growth is the crystal-crucible interaction, typical of the vertical Bridgman technique. Particularly detrimental seems to be the use of quartz crucibles that ease the sticking of the crystal to the crucible walls. Due to this reason, many authors suggest the use of graphite crucibles or of carbon coated quartz crucibles. In order to avoid the contact between the growing crystal and the crucible, it was proposed to opportunely control the wetting angle. However, it was shown that this is possible only under microgravity conditions or by imposing a pressure difference between the melt and the solidifying crystal. In this work, we show that it is possible to avoid the contact between the crystal and the crucible by interposing a thin liquid boron oxide layer. This condition can be obtained in a vertical Bridgman furnace by covering the polycrystalline charge with a boron oxide pellet. In this way, crystals with large single grains were obtained also in quartz crucibles. Moreover, the crystals show low dislocation density, as expected in the case of crystals grown without contact with the crucible.


Kunitz soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) and glutaraldehyde are used to create an interlayer for proteins immobilization on the gold surface of the sensor chips of surface plasmon resonance spectrometer. Human serum albumin (HSA), goat Ig G and bovine eye lens alpha-crystallin are immobilized via the proposed interlayer. We studied the effects of the duration of storage of the sensor chips before use and pre-treatment by "piranha" solution on the STI adsorption by the gold surface. The influence of STI surface concentration, as well as the effect of the duration of storage of STI-modified sensor chips on the HSA immobilization are investigated. The binding of specific antibodies to the immobilized proteins and non-specific binding to the modified surfaces are studied. HSA immobilization on the bare gold surface is compared to that on the surfaces, modified by different methods.


Abstract:According to a widespread view, Einstein's definition of time in his special relativity is founded on the positivist verification principle. The present paper challenges this received outlook. It argues that Einstein's position on the concept of time, to wit, simultaneity, is best understood as a mitigated version of concept empiricism. He contrasts his position to Newton's absolutist and Kant's transcendental arguments, and in part sides with Hume's and Mach's empiricist arguments. Nevertheless, Einstein worked out a concept empiricism that is considerably more moderate than what we find in the preceding empiricist tradition and early logical positivism. He did not think that the origin of concepts is in observations, but in conventions, and he also maintained a realist ontology of physical events, which he thought is necessary for his theory. Consequently, his philosophy of time in special relativity is not couched in terms of an antimetaphysical verificationism.


The Staten Island Bluebelt Program focuses on addressing flood problems that are a result of natural landscape, tidal factors and a lack of drainage infrastructure. Using Best Management Practices (BMPs), New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) seeks to mitigate stormwater flooding and improve water quality in a cost-effective manner by employing natural hydrologic features in a gravity-driven system. To quantify the potential benefits of BMPs in Staten Island's New Creek watershed, a robust one-dimensional model was developed using United States Army Corps of Engineers HEC software. The model was calibrated to historical rainfall and tidal data and supplied with watershed information from a GIS land use database. It was then possible to test a variety of improvements, and the model showed that incorporating BMPs could result in a significant decrease in storm event peak water surface.


Intermetallic precipitates are known to play a critical role in the oxidation process of Zircaloys. Since under irradiation they undergo structural changes, a specific study was conducted to analyze whether these transformations modify the oxidation behavior of the Zircaloy-4. Oxidation kinetics in autoclave were measured on reference, ion irradiated, and neutron irradiated materials. In the case of ion-irradiated samples, the oxidation kinetics are changed, while in the case of neutron-irradiated cladding, no significant change is observed after 60 days of oxidation. The behavior of reference and irradiated precipitates during the growth of these oxide layers was analyzed using analytical scanning transmission electron microscopy. Close to the metal-oxide interface, precipitates are incorporated unoxidized in the oxide layer. Then, when oxidized, at a few hundreds of nanometers from this interface, they undergo two major evolutions: their structure becomes either nanocrystalline or occasionally amorphous and an iron redistribution and depletion is observed. In the case of precipitates previously made amorphous by irradiation, a similar behavior is observed. The role of precipitates on the oxidation of the Zircaloy-4 is discussed in terms of interaction of the precipitates with the zirconia layer (stability of the dense oxide layer) and oxidation kinetics.


Case studies have revealed neurological problems in severely affected COVID-19 patients. However, there is little information regarding the nature and broader prevalence of cognitive problems post-infection or across the full spread of severity. We analysed cognitive test data from 84,285 Great British Intelligence Test participants who completed a questionnaire regarding suspected and biologically confirmed COVID-19 infection. People who had recovered, including those no longer reporting symptoms, exhibited significant cognitive deficits when controlling for age, gender, education level, income, racial-ethnic group and pre-existing medical disorders. They were of substantial effect size for people who had been hospitalised, but also for mild but biologically confirmed cases who reported no breathing difficulty. Finer grained analyses of performance support the hypothesis that COVID-19 has a multi-system impact on human cognition.


Sauerkraut, one of the most popular traditional fermented vegetable foods in northern China, has been widely consumed for thousands of years. In this study, the physicochemical characteristics, microbial composition and succession, and metabolome profile were elucidated during the fermentation of traditional northeast sauerkraut sampled from different households. The microbial community structure as determined by high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology demonstrated that Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the predominant phyla and Weissella was the most abundant genus in all samples. Except for Weissella, higher relative abundance of Clostridium was observed in #1 sauerkraut, Clostridium and Enterobacter in #2 sauerkraut, and Lactobacillus in #3 sauerkraut, respectively. Meanwhile, Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed significant variances in the volatilome profile among different homemade sauerkraut. Acids and lactones were dominant in the #1 sauerkraut. The #2 sauerkraut had significantly higher contents of alcohols, aldehydes, esters, sulfides, and free amino acids (FAAs). In comparison, higher contents of terpenes and nitriles were found in the #3 sauerkraut. Furthermore, the potential correlations between the microbiota and volatilome profile were explored based on Spearman's correlation analysis. Positive correlations were found between Clostridium, Enterobacter, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Weissella and most volatile compounds. Pseudomonas, Chloroplast, Rhizobium, Aureimonas, and Sphingomonas were negatively correlated with volatile compounds in sauerkraut. This study provided a comprehensive picture of the dynamics of microbiota and metabolites profile during the fermentation of different homemade northeast sauerkraut. The elucidation of correlation between microbiota and volatile compounds is helpful for guiding future improvement of the fermentation process and manufacturing high-quality sauerkraut.


We present mass models for the dark matter component of seven dwarf galaxies taken from "The H i Nearby Galaxy Survey" (THINGS) and compare these with those taken from numerical Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) simulations. The THINGS high-resolution data significantly reduce observational uncertainties and thus allow us to derive accurate dark matter distributions in these systems. We here use the bulk velocity fields when deriving the rotation curves of the galaxies. Compared to other types of velocity fields, the bulk velocity field minimizes the effect of small-scale random motions more effectively and traces the underlying kinematics of a galaxy more properly. The "Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey" 3.6 μm and ancillary optical data are used for separating the baryons from their total matter content in the galaxies. The sample dwarf galaxies are found to be dark matter dominated over most radii. The relation between total baryonic (stars + gas) mass and maximum rotation velocity of the galaxies is roughly consistent with the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation calibrated from a larger sample of gas-dominated low-mass galaxies. We find discrepancies between the derived dark matter distributions of the galaxies and those of ΛCDM simulations, even after corrections for non-circular motions have been applied. The observed solid body-like rotation curves of the galaxies rise too slowly to reflect the cusp-like dark matter distribution in cold dark matter halos. Instead, they are better described by core-like models such as pseudo-isothermal halo models dominated by a central constant-density core. The mean value of the logarithmic inner slopes of the mass density profiles is α = −0.29 ± 0.07. They are significantly different from the steep slope of ∼ − 1.0 inferred from previous dark-matter-only simulations, and are more consistent with shallower slopes found in recent ΛCDM simulations of dwarf galaxies in which the effects of baryonic feedback processes are included.


By the end of this section, you will be able to: • Explain concentric, isotonic, and eccentric contractions • Describe the length-tension relationship • Describe the three phases of a muscle twitch • De ne wave summation, tetanus, and treppe To move an object, referred to as load, the sarcomeres in the muscle bers of the skeletal muscle must shorten. The force generated by the contraction of the muscle (or shortening of the sarcomeres) is called muscle tension. However, muscle tension also is generated when the muscle is contracting against a load that does not move, resulting in two main types of skeletal muscle contractions: isotonic contractions and isometric contractions. In isotonic contractions, where the tension in the muscle stays constant, a load is moved as the length of the muscle changes (shortens). There are two types of isotonic contractions: concentric and eccentric. A concentric contraction involves the muscle shortening to move a load. An example of this is the biceps brachii muscle contracting when a hand weight is brought upward with increasing muscle tension. As the biceps brachii contract, the angle of the elbow joint decreases as the forearm is brought toward the body. Here, the biceps brachii contracts as sarcomeres in its muscle bers are shortening and cross-bridges form; the myosin heads pull the actin. An eccentric contraction occurs as the muscle tension diminishes and the muscle lengthens. In this case, the hand weight is lowered in a slow and controlled manner as the amount of cross-bridges being activated by nervous system stimulation decreases. In this case, as tension is released from the biceps brachii, the angle of the elbow joint increases. Eccentric contractions are also used for movement and balance of the body. An isometric contraction occurs as the muscle produces tension without changing the angle of a skeletal joint. Isometric contractions involve sarcomere shortening and increasing muscle tension, but do not move a load, as the force produced cannot overcome the resistance provided by the load. For example, if one attempts to lift a hand weight that is too heavy, there will be sarcomere activation and shortening to a point, and ever-increasing muscle tension, but no change in the angle of the elbow joint. In everyday living, isometric contractions are active in maintaining posture and maintaining bone and joint stability. However, holding your head in an upright position occurs not because the muscles cannot move the head, but because the goal is to remain stationary and not produce movement. Most actions of the body are the result of a combination of isotonic and isometric contractions working together to produce a wide range of outcomes (Figure 1 (Types of Muscle Contractions )). ∗Version 1.3: Jun 4, 2013 11:14 am -0500 †http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ http://cnx.org/content/m46470/1.3/ OpenStax-CNX module: m46470 2 Types of Muscle Contractions Figure 1: During isotonic contractions, muscle length changes to move a load. During isometric contractions, muscle length does not change because the load exceeds the tension the muscle can generate. http://cnx.org/content/m46470/1.3/ OpenStax-CNX module: m46470 3 All of these muscle activities are under the exquisite control of the nervous system. Neural control regulates concentric, eccentric and isometric contractions, muscle ber recruitment, and muscle tone. A crucial aspect of nervous system control of skeletal muscles is the role of motor units.


A study was conducted to determine the dietary characteristics of sheep and Grant's gazelles on Kapiti Ranch, Kenya. The botanical composition of the diet was determined using the faecal microhistological technique. Plant species in the diets were categorised into grass, forb and browse classes. Shannon-Wiener and Morisita's similarity indices were used to express dietary diversity and overlap respectively. Simulated diets, based on microhistology results, were analysed for crude protein, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, cellulose, lignin and in vitro dry matter digestibility. Sheep were predominantly grazers during both the dry and wet season while Grant's gazelles were mixed feeders, with a higher consumption of grasses during the wet season and an equal consumption of both grasses and browse during the dry season. Diets of Grant's gazelles were more diverse than those of sheep during both seasons. Degree of dietary overlap between the animal species was highest during the wet season. There were differences (P < 0.05) in dietary nutrient content between the animal species, within seasons. Dry matter digestibility was higher (P < 0.05) for both species during the wet season. Neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, lignin and cellulose were significantly higher (P < 0.05) during the dry season. Sheep diets were higher (P < 0.05) in crude protein during the wet season, whereas crude protein was higher (P < 0.05) in the Grant's gazelles diet during the dry season than in the wet season. This study indicates that sheep and Grant's gazelles are compatible in their use of vegetation on Athi Kapiti plains.


This paper proposes the use of parameterised FPGA configurations for a new test set generation approach. The time-consuming problem of test set generation aims at finding the right input values to fully test an ASIC design. Since well-known methods for test set generation such as fault simulation techniques have become impractical to use due to their speed limitations, FPGAs have been used in order to facilitate fault injection techniques. However, the development of previous FPGA fault injection techniques demonstrate either area or time overhead. This paper proposes a post-synthesis fault injection method that combines fault emulation with the parameterised configuration technique. The new fault-injected design is mapped with different mapping solutions based on dynamic specialisation of the logic and routing infrastructure of the FPGA during runtime. The experimental results for the proposed technique indicate a significant reduction of the logic depth and an area reduction up to a factor 10 compared to conventional tools.


: The walls of the third ventricle contain a large variety of tissues, and the pathological processes in this area are extremely varied. The pathological lesions encountered in the third ventricle are analyzed with interest to their incidence in the national series. Colloid cysts have a single layer of epithelial cells, mimicking the bronchus epithelium, which may reveal their probable endodermic origin. Xanthogranulomas are not true neoplasms but are only reactional to local hemorrhages. Histological diagnosis may be difficult for glial tumors if the biopsy sampling is insufficient : pilocytic astrocytomas can be overgraded and confused with high grade astrocytomas. Subependymomas should be separated from ependymomas, and giant cell subependymal astrocytomas are specific lesions occurring in tuberous sclerosis. Craniopharyngiomas often show a papillary type when located in the third ventricle. Germinal tumors are associated with immunological markers. The variety of the encountered lesions in the third ventricle needs a close collaboration between neuropathologists and neurosurgeons, and a confrontation of histological data with clinical and radiological data.


The temperature dependences of the magnetization, internal energy and specific heat in a three-sublattice ferrimagnet or ferromagnet with /J(ab)/ = /J(bc)/ not equal /J(ca)/ are calculated within the framework of the linear spin-wave approximation, by employing retarded Green's functions. For both the ferromagnet and the ferrimagnet, the internal energy and the specific heat decrease with increasing J ' /J and/or the value of the spins. For fixed values of S,, Sb, S, and J ' /J, the internal energy and the specific heat increase, whereas the sublattice magnetization decreases with increasing temperature theta. The three-sublattice ferrimagnet has some particular characteristics which are not shown by the systems with two sublattices. For ferrimagnets, the antiferromagnetism of the system becomes weaker with increasing J ' /J. The sublattice magnetization at low temperatures (also the magnetization M(0) at 0 K) of a ferrimagnet increases with increasing J ' /J for fixed values of S(a), S(b) and S(c). The effects of the spins S(a) (S,) and Sb On the magnetizations of other sublattices differ. The characteristics of the a-sublattice are the same as those of the c-sublattice, due to their similarity as well as the symmetry of the system. The behaviours of the b-sublattice are different from those of the a- and c-sublattices, due to the asymmetry of the three-sublattice system. The spin-value dependences of the spin deviation Deltam per spin land also the energy for the zero-point quantum fluctuation) of the system are different for different sublattices. These differences are ascribed to the asymmetry of the three-sublattice systems, which leads to the new intrinsic properties of the systems.


This text proposes an alternative approach to the methodological discussions on the studies of social representation in the field of nursing, which are usually anchored in an opposition between quantitative and qualitative methods. It is argued that such an opposition is just an apparent one, since it is possible to observe similar results in studies conducted with different methods. With a basis on the thought of several authors in the field of social representations, the question is treated from the standpoint of the distinction between a processual and a structural approach to the phenomenon of social representation. It is proposed a taxonomy that, in departing from those perspectives, takes into consideration the data collection and data analysis implied techniques, as well as the plan of the representation to which the researcher wants to get access.


Abstract Some freshwater turtle species show substrate color-convergence of the dorsal integument, thus facilitating crypsis. Because turtles move among aquatic habitats with variable substrate colors, we tested whether melanization was reversible in juvenile Midland Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta marginata) and Red-Eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans). We reared individuals as controls (those reared on black or white substrates for 160 days) or as reversal treatments (those reared on black or white substrates for 80 days and then reversed treatments from black to white or white to black). Mean intensity (a measure of total reflectance of the visual spectrum) of the third vertebral scute of the carapace (TVSC) and dorsal head skin (DHS) of black substrate control groups declined (turtles darkened) slightly in C. p. marginata but more so in T. s. elegans. In the white substrate control groups, mean intensity of TVSC and DHS increased (turtles lightened) substantially in both species. During the first 80 days in both species, intensity of the TVSC and DHS of black-white and white-black reversal groups largely paralleled the black and white substrate control groups, respectively. Following reversal of substrates in both species, mean TVSC and DHS intensities of the black-white and white-black reversal groups converged with the white and black substrate control groups, respectively. Therefore, reversal of TVSC and DHS melanization was complete, or nearly complete, by day 160. Therefore, it seems plausible that, in both species, reversible melanization could allow substrate color convergence in juveniles that experience different environments with variable substrate colors.


Burial elaborations are a human behaviour that, in recent contexts can inform on social diversification, belief systems, and the introduction of new practices resulting from migration or cultural transmission. The study of mortuary practices in Mainland and Island Southeast Asia has revealed complex and diverse treatments of the deceased. This paper contributes to this topic with the description of three new burials excavated in Tron Bon Lei (Alor Island, Indonesia) dated to 7.5, 10, and 12 kya cal BP. In addition to the bioskeletal profiles and palaeohealth observations, we propose the adoption of archaeothanatological methods to characterise burial types in the region. Through the analysis of skeletal element representation, body position, articulation, and grave associations, we provide an example of a holistic approach to mortuary treatments in the Lesser Sunda Islands. Our results provide significant new data for understanding the evolution and diversification of burial practices in Southeast Asia, contributing to a growing body of literature describing prehistoric socio-cultural behaviour in this region.


The fifteenth-century collection of miracles attributed to Henry VI and collated as evidence for his canonization proceedings includes the tale of John Robbins of Worcestershire, who, it is reported, 'rashly insulted the blessed King Henry, heaping many rebukes upon him'. The late king punished the irreverent Robbins, striking him blind. When Robbins repented, and 'vowed with many tears to visit [Henry's] holy tomb, he recovered his faculty of sight'. Robbins appears to have been understandably embarrassed about the event: when he later made his pilgrimage to Windsor, he failed to reveal the whole story to the shrine official. In late medieval England, a common moral justification for disease was that God and his saints inflicted infirmity on sinners as a punishment for their transgressions, providing the opportunity for repentance and atonement. However, blindness could also be regarded as a divine gift, offering protection from worldly distractions and allowing holy individuals to communicate more easily with God. Indeed, a lack of earthly sight allowed potential saints to demonstrate that they possessed the intrinsic values of humility and patience deemed necessary to achieve sanctity. This paper examines these two different theological explanations for blindness.


The crust across each margin of the Labrador Sea, a conjugate rift margin pair, consists of three well-defined zones: thinned continental crust, 70–80-km-wide transitional crust, and oceanic crust. The transition zone is characterized by a low-velocity upper crust (4–5 km/s) underlain by a 6.4–7.7 km/s layer. We propose that the lower layer is serpentinized upper mantle; it is less likely to be gabbroic igneous lower crust. The low-velocity upper crust may be either an oceanic basaltic layer or very thin (<2 km) continental crust. Results from this first combined seismic reflection and refraction study of a conjugate margin pair support very slow initial continental rifting (∼1 mm/yr on average) resulting in an asymmetric crustal-thinning profile, with breakup occurring against the West Greenland shelf. This asymmetry may be an important feature of rifting at nonvolcanic margins and may be related to strain hardening of the cooling and thinning lithosphere or to small-scale convection in the lower lithosphere and asthenosphere at the sides of the rift. The thin crust in the transition zone implies that the amount of melt generated in the upwelling mantle is negligible, consistent with slow spreading or rifting. The transition from this slow formational period to normal oceanic accretion processes is marked by a sharp decrease in basement depth, signaling an increase to normal oceanic crustal thickness.


With his book Purpose in the living world? Creation and emergent evolution1 Klapwijk meets two challenges. Often the suggestion is made that the theory of evolution denies any meaning and purpose to the world because everything is the result of chance. Klapwijk argues that the actual process of evolution provides arguments for the opposite view, according to which evolution cannot be properly understood without the recognition of purpose and directionality. The question posed in the main title is definitely given a positive answer. The second challenge concerns the Christian response to the theory of evolution. Should it be rejected because it is incompatible with the belief in creation? Again, Klapwijk's answer points in the opposite direction. "Darwin's theory does not undermine the picture of creation but clarifies it."(Purpose 210) Evidently, Klapwijk's Christian conviction does not urge him to reject the theory of evolution, trying to find scientific or philosophical arguments against it. The scientific theory of evolution rather is accepted as an established fact. The point is how to interpret (or transform) it in such a way that it can be integrated with the Christian faith.


Casting process of the gearbox shell of a drill is simulated based on different technological conditions by analysis software ProCAST and orthogonal experiment method. The optimizing target is the shrinkage. It can be concluded that the factors that affect shrinkage are casting temperature, casting velocity, mold initial temperature and the cross-sectional area of inner gate in the gating system. Through analyzing the diagram of factor levels influent trend which is described according the last simulated results, the most optimized process parameters scheme is got, and the process scheme is simulated.


Abstract Nurses are key providers of health care in remote Indigenous communities throughout Australia. Evidence of nurses' actual practice and the outcomes of their care for clients in this context, however, is lacking. This exploratory research describes how nursing is practised in a remote Aboriginal community and reveals many anomalies. The overall theme, termed amorphous practice, defines the changeable character of practice from nurse to nurse and from situation to situation. The themes underlying amorphous practice are termed detachment, diffusion, and beyond the nursing domain. Each theme is described by way of its characteristics, the strategies nurses use to deal with the situation, and the consequences. The significance of these findings raise concerns for the accountability of nursing and most of all for the rights of Indigenous people in remote areas to basic standards of safe health care.


Calcium imaging with genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) is routinely used to measure neural activity in intact nervous systems. GECIs are frequently used in one of two different modes: to track activity in large populations of neuronal cell bodies, or to follow dynamics in subcellular compartments such as axons, dendrites and individual synaptic compartments. Despite major advances, calcium imaging is still limited by the biophysical properties of existing GECIs, including affinity, signal-to-noise ratio, rise and decay kinetics, and dynamic range. Using structure-guided mutagenesis and neuron-based screening, we optimized the green fluorescent protein-based GECI GCaMP6 for different modes of in vivo imaging. The jGCaMP7 sensors provide improved detection of individual spikes (jGCaMP7s,f), imaging in neurites and neuropil (jGCaMP7b), and tracking large populations of neurons using 2-photon (jGCaMP7s,f) or wide-field (jGCaMP7c) imaging.


In an era of rapid climate and land transformation, it is increasingly important to understand how future changes impact natural systems. Scenario studies can offer the structure and perspective needed to understand the impacts of change and help inform management and conservation decisions. We implemented a scenario-based approach to assess how two high impact drivers of landscape change influence the distributions of managed wildlife species (n = 10) in the New England region of the northeastern United States. We used expert derived species distribution models (SDMs) and scenarios developed by the New England Landscape Futures Project (NELFP) to estimate how species distributions change under various trajectories (n = 5) of landscape change. The NELFP scenarios were built around two primary drivers – Socio-Economic Connectedness (SEC) and Natural Resource Planning and Innovation (NRPI) – and provide plausible alternatives for how the New England region may change over 50 years (2010–2060). Our models generally resulted in species occurrence and richness declines by 2060. The majority of species (7 of 10) experienced declines in regional occurrence for all NELFP scenarios, and one species experienced a projected increase in mean regional occurrence for all scenarios. Our results indicate that the NRPI and SEC drivers strongly influenced projected distribution changes compared to baseline projections. NRPI had a greater impact on distribution change for five species (coyote, moose, striped skunk, white-tailed deer, and wild turkey), while SEC had a greater impact on four species (American black bear, bobcat, raccoon, and red fox); one species (gray fox) was equally influenced by both NRPI and SEC. These results emphasize the importance of integrating both natural resource planning and socio-economic factors when addressing issues of distribution change and offer insights that can inform proactive management and conservation planning.


It is well established that the industrialized world is witnessing a significant change in the age profile of the population that will challenge the way healthcare is provided to older people. The increased prevalence of healthcare problems and instances of chronic conditions while having less available staff implies that more needs to be done with less resource. It is known that use of information and communication technology (ICT) has been experienced as positive for ill people living at home and their caregivers. eHealth combines the usage of ICT to support the remote monitoring of people with chronic illness in their home environment. This has influenced work of district nurses and has led to the support of such forming an important part of their work. The aim of the study was to describe the experiences of people with chronic illness and assistants who used information and communication technology (ICT) to communicate through picture and sound with the district nurse. A qualitative case study design was chosen and the case comprises one district nurse at a primary healthcare centre and one of her patients, and his assistants. The data collection process included repeated interviews and the district nurse also keeping a logbook. An application of new technology in form of an electronic communication program via a computer with Internet connection was used for communication through picture and sound between the district nurse and the people with chronic illness, their relatives and assistants. The program consists of a virtual room and enables direct communication through use of picture and sound in real time or as saved massages. The communication program enables the people with chronic illness and assistants to get into contact with the district nurse and to communicate about his health status. Data were analysed using content analysis. The results showed that using ICT increased the accessibility to care through the use of picture and sound facility in real time. This was something all the participants experienced as positively. However, the district nurse found it difficult to judge the patient's condition via ICT. It was difficult to make a decision without knowing the patient's prior condition. Nevertheless, all participants felt safe about ICT because the need for accessibility to care related to progression in the case of the chronic illness. In conclusion, the result indicates that information and communication technology increases accessibility to care and nursing for people with serious chronic illness living at home. However, this way of communicating and providing care for these people cannot replace a physical presence, but it could be seen as a complement to nursing care at home. © 2009 The authors and IOS Press. All rights reserved.


Background Lactoferrin has been suggested to have many biologic activities, such as facilitating iron absorption and having antimicrobial and antiinflammatory effects. In humans, several of these activities are likely to only be facilitated by human lactoferrin because they depend on the binding of human lactoferrin to specific receptors. Rice may be a useful vehicle to introduce recombinant human lactoferrin to infant foods because it has low allergenicity and is likely to be safer than using microorganisms or transgenic animals. Methods Recombinant human lactoferrin was expressed in the rice cell culture system, and its biologic activity was assessed by iron-binding and -releasing properties, antimicrobial activity, and binding and uptake to Caco-2 cells. The authors also compared the stability of recombinant and native human lactoferrins against heat, low pH, and in vitro digestion. Results Biologic activity of rice-expressed recombinant human lactoferrin was similar to that of native human lactoferrin. Heat-treated proteins retained their functional activities except with severe treatment at 100°C for 8 seconds, which disturbed the iron-binding capacity of recombinant human lactoferrin. Both types of proteins retained their functional activities between pH 2 and 7.4. After in vitro digestion, 50% of both proteins were detectable by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The remaining native and recombinant lactoferrins retained antimicrobial and Caco-2 binding and uptake activities. Conclusions The results indicate recombinant human lactoferrin has stability similar to native human lactoferrin when exposed to thermal treatment, pH treatment, and in vitro digestion, suggesting it may be active when added to infant formula.


The thermoluminescence of the 200 and 260 degrees C peaks of 7LiF has been measured and compared with off-axis dose and depth-dose distributions for three therapeutic high-LET beams: negative pions, helium ions and neon ions. The method of analysis consisted of both a single-peak analysis and the dual-peak analysis methods of Hogstrom and Irifune (1980) and Hoffmann et al. (1980). The results indicate the 7LiF, analysed by the dual-peak analysis methods, is potentially useful for extracting total dose, high-LET dose, and beam quality of helium-ion and negative-pion beams. For the higher-LET neon beam, differences in sensitivity between the 200 and 260 degrees C peaks of 7LiF were found to be independent of variations in LET within the beam; consequently, only the single-peak analysis method is applicable in which case the dosemeter at best can only estimate total dose.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the usefulness of locoregional anesthesia and sedation as an alternative to general anesthesia for dacryocystorhinostomy.

PATIENTS AND METHOD
Study of 20 patients undergoing dacryocystorhinostomy between April and October 1999. All the processes were carried out by the same surgeon under locoregional anesthesia plus sedation. We used EMLA cream to anesthetize nasal mucosa and ropivacaine for infiltration and anesthetic block; midazolam and fentanyl were used for sedation.

RESULTS
Surgery was possible in all cases under locoregional anesthesia with no noteworthy complications. Anesthesia in the zone was good (assessed by hemodynamic changes and by asking the patient during and after the process). The experience was described as good by 70% of patients and poor by only 5%; the surgeon emphasized that bleeding was less than when the procedure is performed under general anesthesia. All patients were released within 24 hours.

CONCLUSIONS
Using locoregional anesthesia and sedation for dacryocystorhinostomy is safe and effective and provides a valid alternative to general anesthesia. We suggest using EMLA cream in the nasal dressing and ropivacaine for infiltration. The process can be considered major outpatient surgery.


A new method has been developed for the accurate and precise measurement of sulfur isotopes (32S, 33S, 34S) in solids on a scale down to 80–100 μm by laser ablation multiple collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS). The method was developed independently on two different sets of instrumentation, both of which give equivalent results with comparable accuracy and precision. The first instrumental set-up utilizes Xe gas in a hexapole collision and reaction cell for interference attenuation coupled with a mass discrimination correction by external normalization using a nebulised vapour of 37Cl/35Cl standard solution. The second employs high mass resolution by sector field mass spectrometry to avoid the interfering O2+ isobars with a 30Si/29Si standard aerosol for external normalization. The external isotope mass discrimination correction was applied using the exponential law and was further calibrated for both sets of instrumentation by linear interpolation in a sample–standard bracketing method. Mean δ34SV-CDT and δ33SV-CDT show excellent agreement (within analytical error, typically 0.6 and 1.5‰, respectively) with compiled data for IAEA-S series AgS standard reference materials. Results for NIST SRM 127 (sulfate) were less accurate when calibrated against the IAEA-S series sulfides, whilst significant and consistent deviations in accuracy of up to 3‰ were observed in both sets of instrumentation for Soufre de Lacq SRM sulfur. Such generic matrix effects may be widespread in LA-ICP-MS due to differential ablation rates, particle formation, particle transport efficiency and ionization efficiency in an argon plasma.


Usability is arguably one of the most significant social topics and issues within the field of cybersecurity today. Supported by the need for confidentiality, integrity, availability and other concerns, security features have become standard components of the digital environment which pervade our lives requiring use by novices and experts alike. As security features are exposed to wider cross-sections of the society, it is imperative that these functions are highly usable. This is especially because poor usability in this context typically translates into inadequate application of cybersecurity tools and functionality, thereby ultimately limiting their effectiveness. With this goal of highly usable security in mind, there have been a plethora of studies in the literature focused on identifying security usability problems and proposing guidelines and recommendations to address them. Our paper aims to contribute to the field by consolidating a number of existing design guidelines and defining an initial core list for future reference. Whilst investigating this topic, we take the opportunity to provide an up-to-date review of pertinent cybersecurity usability issues and evaluation techniques applied to date. We expect this research paper to be of use to researchers and practitioners with interest in cybersecurity systems which appreciate the human and social elements of design.


METABOLIC REPROGRAMMING OF HUMAN LUNG CANCER CELLS AND EX VIVO TISSUES REVEALED BY UHR-FTMS ANALYSIS OF SMALL AMINO AND CARBOXYL METABOLITES Studies were carried out to understand how human lung cancer cells and human ex vivo lung cancer tissues that are metabolically reprogramed compared with analogous non-cancer cells or non-cancer tissues. A Stable isotope resolved metabolomics (SIRM) approach was used to fulfill this aim by employing C, H or N labeled metabolic precursors like C6-Glc, C2-Gly, H2-Gly, H3-Ser, C5, N2-Gln to trace the flow of the labeled atoms into the down stream metabolic network. NMR and mass spectrometry are two major analytical tools utilized in these types of metabolic studies. Regarding mass spectrometry, to be able to resolve neutron mass difference between C, H, N in complex metabolite pools and obtain reliable isotopologue data for each metabolite in trace sample size from human, an ultra-high resolution Fourier transform mass spectrometry (UHR-FTMS) with highly sensitive electro-spray is required. However, direct infusion UHR-FTMS analysis of small polar metabolites has been difficult to achieve. In this dissertation, analytical derivatization methods were developed for small amino and carboxyl metabolites to make them quantitatively analyzable by UHRFTMS. These methods were employed on both human lung cell lines and tissues resected from surgery. Metabolic pathways like glycolysis, the Krebs Cycle, one-carbon metabolism, nucleotide synthesis and protein turnover were examined and profiled from the analysis of amino and carboxyl metabolites such as amino acids. Relevant to this analysis, Ala can be de novo synthesized from pyruvate, which is the product of glycolysis. Asp and Glu can be synthesized from the Krebs Cycle intermediates oxaloacetic acid and α-ketoglutarate. Gly and Serine exchange is part of the one-carbon metabolism and they serve as the precursors of the nucleotide synthesis. As the amino acids are the building blocks of protein, the amino acids turnover in protein can also reveal the protein turnover. The activities of glycolysis and the Krebs Cycle differ significantly between different lung cell lines. However, by comparing the lung cancer tissue and noncancer tissue generated from the same patient, it is clear that the glycolysis activity is increased in cancer tissue since the de novo synthesized alanine is increased. The different labeling patterns of aspartate indicate enhanced activity of pyruvate carboxylase in cancer tissues. In addition, the Gly and Ser exchange activity seems more active in cancer tissues. Furthermore, we traced the labeling flow to nucleotide synthesis via the labeled atoms from glycine or serine, and found preferred precursor source for nucleotide synthesis. The tissues were also treated with different drugs to investigate the drug effect on cancer or non-cancer tissues. The maintained 3D structure and micro-environment of tissues present a more convincing result than the cell experiments. Finally, immortalized human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells are believed to be transforming with chronic arsenic exposure, which were examined with time course experiments to study how the arsenic alters the metabolism chronically in BEAS-2B cells. The effects of arsenic exposure and various culture conditions on the metabolism of BEAS-2B cells were further studied.


The transition to a low carbon economy heralds an economic and social transformation that is exciting as well as challenging. The challenges that face India include: enhancing economic opportunities and living standards for a growing population and addressing the environmental threats. In this backdrop, if is to realize its development goals. the path towards a low-carbon economy is inevitable. Approaching a low-carbon economy is of critical importance as the country evolves its economic development model, adjusts its economic structure, enhances its technological innovation capabilities and strengthens the sustainability of its economy. Using a ''bottom up'' policy framework for low-carbon growth based on national preferences, possibilities and policies the present study develops a model with two scenarios. One is business-as-usual reference case (BAU) and the other is low-carbon (LC) scenario. We discuss the financing mechanisms and key policy issues. The low-carbon scenario is characterized by increased use of renewables through solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydro, which will reduce fossil fuel demand. Also, use of efficient and clean end-use devices in all the sectors will multiply savings. The analysis shows that economy-wide reductions of the order of 30-35% appear to be technically feasible at reasonable costs, relative to the baseline scenario.


Endovascular infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are a major health care concern, especially infective endocarditis (IE). Standard antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) defines most MRSA strains as "resistant" to β-lactams, often leading to the use of costly and/or toxic treatment regimens. In this investigation, five prototype MRSA strains, representing the range of genotypes in current clinical circulation, were studied. ABSTRACT Endovascular infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are a major health care concern, especially infective endocarditis (IE). Standard antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) defines most MRSA strains as "resistant" to β-lactams, often leading to the use of costly and/or toxic treatment regimens. In this investigation, five prototype MRSA strains, representing the range of genotypes in current clinical circulation, were studied. We identified two distinct MRSA phenotypes upon AST using standard media, with or without sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) supplementation: one highly susceptible to the antistaphylococcal β-lactams oxacillin and cefazolin (NaHCO3 responsive) and one resistant to such agents (NaHCO3 nonresponsive). These phenotypes accurately predicted clearance profiles of MRSA from target tissues in experimental MRSA IE treated with each β-lactam. Mechanistically, NaHCO3 reduced the expression of two key genes involved in the MRSA phenotype, mecA and sarA, leading to decreased production of penicillin-binding protein 2a (that mediates methicillin resistance), in NaHCO3-responsive (but not in NaHCO3-nonresponsive) strains. Moreover, both cefazolin and oxacillin synergistically killed NaHCO3-responsive strains in the presence of the host defense antimicrobial peptide (LL-37) in NaHCO3-supplemented media. These findings suggest that AST of MRSA strains in NaHCO3-containing media may potentially identify infections caused by NaHCO3-responsive strains that are appropriate for β-lactam therapy.


Literature on immigrants' religious activities highlights the importance of transnational ties between the host and home communities. This paper challenges the dominant discourse by looking at a Chinese evangelical church in Chiba, one of the seven prefectures in the Greater Tokyo Area, Japan. This ethnic church is an isolated religious community that grows with limited transnational connections and support. By exploring the structure and membership of this ethnic church, I argue that adopting a transnational approach may downplay the role of religious immigrants in the construction of ethnic religious community. I propose that the growth of this ethnic church with very limited connections with the host country and the homeland can be better understood using the concepts of cultural identity and diaspora. The data in this study originates from my ethnographic fieldwork in Japan, conducted from August 2010 to February 2011.


BACKGROUND
Microsurgery is a common treatment of brainstem tumors. However, misdirection, vascular damage, nerves injuries, paralysis, even death are all well-known complications, and the risk of adverse events is more likely in less experienced operators. This study was aimed to validate the accuracy of multimodal neuronavigation during microsurgery resection of brainstem tumors.

METHODS
Ten patients with brainstem tumors underwent preoperative MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, computed tomography, three-dimensional print, and images loaded into the neuronavigation platform were used for its segmentation and preoperative planning. After patients' registration and subsequent surgical exposure, each segmented brain element was validated by manual placement of the navigation probe to the target.

RESULTS
Preoperative images of the brain matched with three-dimensional print and neuronavigation played important role in all patients. Excellent correspondence between image-based segmentation and microscope view was also evident at the surface of tumors and at the tumor-normal gland interfaces.

CONCLUSION
Multimodal navigation is a safe and effective method in surgery for patients with brain stem tumors. Our preliminary study is conducted to encourage for future more research with larger numbers of patients.


Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) is increasing in the Campo- Ma'an Conservation Area located in the southern region of Cameroon, thus threatening human livelihoods and wildlife; yet the sources and consequences of HWC in this region remain poorly understood. 127 households from three subdivisions were interviewed to investigate the extent of wildlife crop damage and identify humans' impact on wildlife. Most surveyed households (98%) reported wildlife crop damage, mainly by eighteen sp ecies. The severity level's distribution differed among subdivisions. Out of 23 plant species grown, 14 suffered damage, five being staple foods; suggesting that HWC can threaten food security. Elephants ( Loxodonta cyclotis ) were the second most cited crop raiders, after cane rats ( Thryonomys swinderianus ), causing the greatest economic loss. None of the mitigation measures implemented effectively reduced crop raiding. The main human effects on wildlife were poaching and habitat loss, threatening biodiversity. Crop damage and illegal activities must be monitored and mitigations established, to reduce human-wildlife interferences. This requires setting up adaptive land-use systems and modifying and empowering wildlife legislation.


Background: Hypertension is often called as "silent killer" and the common cause of cardiovascular disease. It's also the main problem in both developed and developing country. The management of hypertension must be integrated between the essential standard medication and altering the life style which involved dietary habit management, stress coping management, activity management, avoiding alcohol and smoking. Purpose this study to analyze the effectiveness of beet juice, potato and ambon banana for blood pressure of the elderly with hypertension. Method: The research design was pre experiment with Pre and Post Control Group Design. The independent variable was the beet juice, potato and ambon banana. The dependent variable was the blood pressure. The sample was the elderly with hypertension who take hypertension medication periodically. The sample consisted of 66 respondents. The blood pressure was examined once aten days for a month. The data analysis was chi-square. Result: There was reduction of the blood pressure for 99.7% respondents. Conclusion: Beet juice, potato and ambon banana are effective in lowering the blood pressure of  elderly with hypertension.


This study compares various computerized bilingual dictionaries (CBDs) for their relative effectiveness in helping Japanese college students at several language proficiency levels to access new English target vocabulary. The rationale of the study was based on several observations and research claims (Atkins & Knowles, 1990; Bejoint & Moulin, 1987; Laufer & Hadar, 1997) that bilingual/bilingualized dictionaries in general, and electronic dictionaries in particular, appear to be much more effective than monolingual book dictionaries for the acquisition of new L2. The author has been testing and analyzing various CBDs for several years and has recently devised a simple, yet practical dual assessment vocabulary evaluator (DAVE) to help more clearly define and test differences between both L1 and L2 mental lexicons and also between language learners' L2 receptive vocabulary and productive vocabulary (Loucky, 2001a). Computer technology has now made it possible, with the benefits of interactive processing and immediate feedback, to scan, pronounce, and translate vocabulary items. This paper examines Japanese college students' use of four kinds of CBDs for more rapid accessing and archiving of new L2 terms and recommends more informed integration of their use into a systematic taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies for maximally effective instruction. It describes a comparative study of CBDs as they were used at three colleges in Kyushu, Japan from October 2000 to December 2001 and examines possible benefits that may accrue from their use.


Attitudes represent object evaluations, comprising complex underlying cognitive and affective knowledge structures. When people are asked to judge an object, they can use their primary response (i.e., the immediate object-evaluation linkage) or underlying affective and cognitive knowledge structures. In many situations, a primary response satisfices, but if not, more elaboration is required. Both processes are fundamentally different but may lead to the same attitude. For monitoring underlying processes during attitude expression, we developed an innovative eye-tracking procedure using eye-gaze on response scale options. This procedure was applied in three studies to identify the extent to which elaboration differs for attitude objects with weak or strong, univalent or mixed object evaluations (i.e., univalent, neutral and ambivalent). In Study 1, the overall judgment preceded processing of more specific affective and cognitive linkage evaluations. In Studies 2 and 3, the order was reversed, and affective and cognitive bases were assessed prior to overall attitude outcomes. For attitude objects with strong univalent or strong mixed object evaluations, we found similar outcomes on underlying processes. For weak object evaluations, cognition was found to be more predictive and easily accessible if an overall judgment was required first; affect for these objects was more predictive if people had to elaborate on affect and cognition first. We concluded that both affective and cognitive attitudes may require substantial elaboration, albeit in different situations.