Since 2014 the situation in the Mediterranean Sea has been named and tackled as a 'refugee crisis', and in the name of this 'crisis' migrants have been accommodated in 'hotspots' and camps. Within these spaces, their experiences have often been articulated by the humanitarian sector and the discipline of psychology as traumatic, with refugees being described as traumatised. In this article, I critically discuss the politics of psychology and trauma within the European territory of aid, with a specific focus on Greece, amid the current, so-called 'refugee crisis'. I start by situating crisis and trauma as concepts and their role within humanitarian and state governance. I continue by discussing how the terms 'hotspot' and 'camp' emerged in state and humanitarian discourse and practice, to explore then the politics of psychology and trauma there. Both space and time are important elements for understanding the role of psychology, as they comprise the material landscape of migration amid 'refugee crisis'. At the same time, the discourses of psychology and trauma are implicated in the very production of these spaces. Approaching critically their interconnection through the lens of critical psychology and the work of Frantz Fanon, the article concludes that the gaze of humanitarian aid and psychology, besides medicalising refugees, psychologises the inherently political issues of migration and life lived in hotspots and camps. In so doing, it substitutes the latter with a managerial discourse.


Recent work has indicated that, unlike humans, ImageNet-trained CNNs tend to classify images by texture rather than by shape. How pervasive is this bias, and where does it come from? We find that, when trained on datasets of images with conflicting shape and texture, CNNs learn to classify by shape at least as easily as by texture. What factors, then, produce the texture bias in CNNs trained on ImageNet? Different unsupervised training objectives and different architectures have small but significant and largely independent effects on the level of texture bias. However, all objectives and architectures still lead to models that make texture-based classification decisions a majority of the time, even if shape information is decodable from their hidden representations. The effect of data augmentation is much larger. By taking less aggressive random crops at training time and applying simple, naturalistic augmentation (color distortion, noise, and blur), we train models that classify ambiguous images by shape a majority of the time, and outperform baselines on out-of-distribution test sets. Our results indicate that apparent differences in the way humans and ImageNet-trained CNNs process images may arise not from differences in their internal workings, but from differences in the data that they see.


Interfacial delamination of the leadframe pad and encapsulant is the precursor to type I popcorn cracking. Due to high stress concentration at the corner of the interface, delamination usually initiates and propagates from the corner of the interface. The mechanics of delamination propagation from such a corner is three dimensional and can best be studied with a 3D model. When adopting the fracture mechanics approach in the study of delamination, the assumption of the initial shape of the delamination can have significant impact on the fracture mechanics parameters obtained from the numerical analysis. Hence, the main objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of the shape of the initial delamination on energy release rates and the stress intensity based mode mixity. Both the modified virtual crack closure method (MVCCM) and the J-integral method are used in the determination of energy release rate while the stress intensity based mode mixity is obtained from a method based on MVCCM. Three different shapes of initial delamination are studied, namely, convex (bulge towards the corner), concave (bulge towards the center) and straight (initial delamination is triangular in shape). It is found that the maximum energy release rates obtained from the convex case is the highest, follow by the straight case and the concave case. The distribution of the J-integral along the crack front shows that the energy release rate is the highest at the center of the initial delamination for all assumed shapes of initial delamination. Moreover, the mode mixity in all the three cases are relatively constant across the crack front. Comparing the distribution of J-integral among different cases, the convex case exhibits the largest variation of J-integral along the crack front while the distribution of the J-integral for the concave case is relatively flat across the crack front. The results seem to suggest that in an event of crack the center of the delamination will propagate first in all the cases analyzed. They also seem to suggest that the initial crack is likely to propagate with a concave crack front.


Dynamic analysis of an axially stretched arterial wall with collagen fibers distributed in two preferred directions under a suddenly applied constant internal pressure along with the possibility of the formation and rupture of aneurysm are examined within the framework of nonlinear dynamics. A two layer tube model with the fiber-reinforced composite-based incompressible anisotropic hyper-elastic material is employed to model the mechanical behavior of the arterial wall. The maximum amplitudes and the phase diagrams are given by numerical computation of the differential relation. It is shown that the arterial wall undergoes nonlinear periodic oscillation and no aneurysms are formed under the normal condition. However, an aneurysm may be formed under such abnormal conditions as the stiffness of the fibers is deduced or the direction of the fibers is oriented towards the axial direction. Furthermore, the possibility for the rupture of aneurysm is discussed with the distribution of stresses.


The aim of this paper was to establish the influence of social economic factors on completion of construction projects in public secondary schools in Bungoma County, Kenya. The study was informed by construction management and soft value management theories. In the study purposive sampling technique was used in choosing 461study respondents (Principals and Chairpersons of Parents Teachers Association) who were sampled to ensure homogeneity of the selected sample in ensuring that samples were drawn from each region encompassed in the target population, then followed by simple random sampling technique from each sub county. Questionnaires and interview schedules were the main data collection instruments. Data analysis involved use of statistical package for social sciences, SPSS version 21 tool where both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Cronbach Alpha of coefficient of 0.831 was attained on all constructs of social economic factors, which was above 0.7 as recommended by Cronbach (1951) implying the research instruments were reliable. The correlation coefficient (R) or the beta value β of 0.423≠0 at p=0.00 indicated that the hypothesis was accepted. The coefficient of determination, R-square of 0.422 implied that 42.2% of the variance in completion of construction projects was attributed to social economic factors. From the study findings, social economic factors namely; interpersonal skills of project manager, inflation, corruption and community involvement affects completion of construction project progress. The community should be involved directly in school projects. This will improve their perception and goodwill towards completion of construction projects in public secondary schools. The management need to be keen on price fluctuations that eventually have an effect on completion of construction projects. Future research is encouraged to cover other sectors other than education and compare the findings. The findings are of importance to the Ministry of Education in Kenya and other interested parties in future. Researchers in future have a basis for reference from this study. Keywords : Social economic factors, Completion of construction projects, Public Secondary schools. DOI : 10.7176/EJBM/11-12-05 Publication date : April 30 th 2019


Area shift towards horticultural crops is vital for increasing farm income, productivity and overall employment in the agricultural sector. Several economic (price and income) and non-economic (food-security concerns) factors influence farmers' decisions at the farm level. This paper has examined the role of both price and income, along with the role of food-security goals, in the decision-making of farmers regarding shift from low-value crops (food crops) to high-value commercial crops (horticultural crops). It has been shown that higher food requirements at home inhibit the extent of crop-substitution decision of the farmers. However, farmers are less responsive to the changes in the prices of food grains (in terms of changing their consumption) as higher income from high-value crops provide adequate money to purchase food crops from the market. Relative income (not the relative price) of the crops has been found to explain the crop-substitution decisions of the farmers. The farmers have been reported to calculate the aggregate gain from the crop rather calculating only the price of the crop, while making the decision to shift. Their capacity to generate higher productivity along with better market prospects have been recorded to explain farmers' decision to shift area.


Domain Generation Algorithms (DGAs) are a popular technique used by contemporary malware for command-and-control (C&C) purposes. Such malware utilizes DGAs to create a set of domain names that, when resolved, provide information necessary to establish a link to a C&C server. Automated discovery of such domain names in real-time DNS traffic is critical for network security as it allows to detect infection, and, in some cases, take countermeasures to disrupt the communication and identify infected machines. Detection of the specific DGA malware family provides the administrator valuable information about the kind of infection and steps that need to be taken. In this paper we compare and evaluate machine learning methods that classify domain names as benign or DGA, and label the latter according to their malware family. Unlike previous work, we select data for test and training sets according to observation time and known seeds. This allows us to assess the robustness of the trained classifiers for detecting domains generated by the same families at a different time or when seeds change. Our study includes tree ensemble models based on human-engineered features and deep neural networks that learn features automatically from domain names. We find that all state-of-the-art classifiers are significantly better at catching domain names from malware families with a time-dependent seed compared to time-invariant DGAs. In addition, when applying the trained classifiers on a day of real traffic, we find that many domain names unjustifiably are flagged as malicious, thereby revealing the shortcomings of relying on a standard whitelist for training a production grade DGA detection system.


This document presents a quantitative analysis of the direct and relative throughput of IEEE 802.11e. The global throughput of an 802.11e WLAN is determined by EDCA (Enhanced Distributed Channel Access) parameters, among other aspects, that are usually configured with predetermined and static values. This study carefully evaluates the Quality of Service (QoS) of Wi-Fi with EDCA in several realistic scenarios with noise and a blend of wireless traffic (e.g., voice, video, and best effort, with Pareto distribution). The metrics of the benefits obtained in each case are compared, and the differentiated impact of network dynamics on each case is quantified. The results obtained show that the default settings are not optimal, and that with an appropriate selection, can be achieved improvements of the order of 25 %, according to the type of traffic. In addition, it could be shown the quantitative impact of each parameter EDCA on the overall performance. This study proposes a new experimental scenario based on the relative proportion of traffic present in the network. Stations have been simulated using the Mobius tool, which supports an extension of SPN (Stochastic Petri Networks), known as HSAN (Hierarchical Stochastic Activity Networks).


Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry is playing an increasing role in the study of noncovalent interactions involving biomolecules. RNA-RNA complexes are important in many areas of biology, including RNA catalysis, RNA splicing, ribosome function, and gene regulation. Here, microelectrospray mass spectrometry (microESI-MS) is used to study noncovalent base-pairing interactions between RNA oligonucleotides, an area not previously explored by this technique. Using a set of complementary RNA oligonucleotides, we demonstrate the formation of the expected double-helical RNA complexes composed of three distinct oligonucleotides. The ability to study specific RNA noncovalent interactions by microESI-MS has the potential to provide a unique method by which to analyze and assign precise molecular masses to RNA-RNA complexes.


This book addresses the crucial question for innovative prospector companies of how to bridge the gap between exploration and exploitation. Whereas exploration deals with the search for new ideas and opportunities, exploitation is about incrementally moving the performance bar a little bit higher. Finding the right balance between exploration and exploitation is essential for the long term survival in today's highly dynamic business environments. In a cross-industry study of ten large, multinational prospector companies, which are world leaders in their respective industries, it was discovered that the 'industry clockspeed', the length between the subsequent product generations, plays an essential role in bridging this gap.The product generation life cycle (PGLC) typically ranged from just several months in short life cycle industries (SLCIs), such as electronics and the mobile phone industry, to (more than) 10 years in long life cycle industries (LLCIs), such as aerospace and pharmaceutics. Our data indicate that companies operating in SLCIs face major problems in maintaining the long term knowledge base of their firms, whereas companies in LLCIs tend to have problems in aligning their innovation strategy to the short term business needs. To investigate the dynamics of strategic alignment, in one of the LLCI companies, a multinational supplier of industrial components, a six-year longitudinal study was conducted.Here our data indicates that finding a funding structure that effectively balances exploration and exploitation, combined with regular structured feedback between the exploration and exploitation function is needed to maintain long term strategic alignment. CTOs and innovation managers can use this book by first establishing the industry clockspeed(s) in their respective industries or product range(s) and then benchmark their innovation processes to those of the first class (SLCI or LLCI) prospector companies included in this book.


The design of a high speed programmable frequency divider for fractional-N frequency synthesizer is presented. The programmable divider consists of a divide-by-4/5 dual-modulus prescaler, a 5-bit programmable counter, and a 2-bit swallow counter. A new scheme of reload operation is adopted to reduce the propagation delay of the critical path. The triggering signal for the two counters is selected carefully to mitigate the timing requirement of the mode control signal. The divider is designed in 0.18 um CMOS process. Its division ratio (DR) covers the range from 12 to 127. Post-layout simulations show it can work up to 5 GHz under 1.8 V power supply, while consuming only 9 mW and occupying an area of about 0.06 mm2.


With the rapid development of the ribosome field in recent years a quick, simple and high-throughput method for purification of the bacterial ribosome is in demand. We have designed a new strain of Escherichia coli (JE28) by an in-frame fusion of a nucleotide sequence encoding a hexa-histidine affinity tag at the 3-end of the single copy rplL gene (encoding the ribosomal protein L12) at the chromosomal site of the wild-type strain MG1655. As a result, JE28 produces a homogeneous population of ribosomes (His)(6)-tagged at the C-termini of all four L12 proteins. Furthermore, we have developed a single-step, high-throughput method for purification of tetra-(His)(6)-tagged 70S ribosomes from this strain using affinity chromatography. These ribosomes, when compared with the conventionally purified ones in sucrose gradient centrifugation, 2D-gel, dipeptide formation and a full-length protein synthesis assay showed higher yield and activity. We further describe how this method can be adapted for purification of ribosomal subunits and mutant ribosomes. These methodologies could, in principle, also be used to purify any functional multimeric complex from the bacterial cell.


Autonomous localization of nodes in wireless sensor networks is essential to minimize the complex self-organization task and to enhance network lifetime. Known techniques such as distance estimation based on received signal strength are often inaccurate and produce outliers. We propose a new method to measure a distance using the minimal transmission power between a transmitting node and a receiving node. The determined distance is very precise and has a low variance. It is therefore suitable for localization which is exemplary demonstrated for the approximate "weighted centroid localization" algorithm


This paper proposes a new demand response scheduling framework for an array of households, which are grouped into different categories based on socio-economic factors, such as the number of occupants, family decomposition and employment status. Each of the households is equipped with a variety of appliances. The model takes the preferences of participating households into account and aims to minimize the overall production cost and, in parallel, to lower the individual electricity bills. In the existing literature, customers submit binary values for each time period to indicate their operational preferences. However, turning the appliances "on" or "off" does not capture the associated discomfort levels, as each appliance provides a different service and leads to a different level of satisfaction. The proposed model employs integer values to indicate household preferences and models the scheduling problem as a multi-objective mixed integer programming. The main thrust of the framework is that the multi-level preference modeling of appliances increases their "flexibility"; hence, the job scheduling can be done at a lower cost. The model is evaluated by using the real data provided by the Department of Energy & Climate Change, UK. In the computational experiments, we examine the relation between the satisfaction of consumers based on the appliance usage preferences and the electricity costs by exploring the Pareto front of the related objective functions. The results show that the proposed model leads to significant savings in electricity cost, while maintaining a good level of customer satisfaction.


The level of radiation due to the naturally occurring radioactive materials was investigated and the radiological hazard was calculated for Homa Mountain located at the intersection of longitude 33° 26' E and 34° 34' E latitude 0° 30' N and 0° 20'N in southwestern Kenya. The absorbed dose rate in air at 1 meter above the ground was measured using calibrated hand held survey meters that could be coupled to sodium iodide (Nal) radiation detector. The measured mean dose rate of 474.1 nSv h 1 translated to annual dose due to external radioactivity of 4.15 mSv y 1. The radioactivity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra and 232Th in rock and soil samples were measured using gamma ray spectroscopy from two different institutions for comparison purposes of accuracy and precision. The cumulative mean activity concentrations obtained were 915.6, 195.3 and 409.5 Bq k g 1 of 40K, 226Ra and 232Th, respectively. The calculated mean absorbed dose rate was 383.33 nGy h 1; the radium equivalent activity mean was 838.6 Bq k g 1; the representative level index mean value was 5.93; the gamma activity index mean value was 2.96; the external hazard index mean was 2.26 and the internal hazard index mean was 2.77. It was observed that the pattern of high values of the radiological indices follows that of the corresponding activity concentrations. These indices are important parameters for the radiological protection of the population since soils are used for making earthen huts and pottery while bricks and rocks for building human habitations. The resultant total effective dose (TED) equivalent was 5.03 mSv yb Using RESRAD software program, the impact of these naturally occurring radioactive materials on the environment was evaluated for different age sets of the population and the results showed that infants and teenagers receive more effective doses than other segments of the populations. The RESRAD code enabled modeling of 40K, 232Th and 238U environmental pathways. This led to exposure pathways of external radiation, inhalation and ingestion resulting in total effective dose equivalent to exposed individuals estimated as 4.93 mSv y 1. The excellent correlation of similar TED derived from the different iii measurements and modeling methodologies increased the certainty of the conclusions arrived at for the work done. The Homa Mountain study has established data on radiation dose to the population and qualifies the region as a high background radiation area due to dominance of carbonatite rocks. Investigations of the health hazards of radiation and the impacts of high levels of background radiation on the local inhabitants can be done in future epidemiological studies. The exploration of the possible economic benefits that can be derived from the minerals associated with carbonatite deposits, Rare Earth Elements and Thorium is open for consideration.


New tristable [n]rotaxanes (n = 2, 3, 4) were developed based on host–guest interactions, featuring pyromellitic diimide (PmI), anthraquinone (AQ) and N-methyltriazolium (MtA) units as the three kinds of recognition sites and triptycene-derived macrocycle(s) as the moveable part. In the [2]rotaxane molecular shuttle, the states of the macrocycle on different sites can be reversibly and controllably switched using chemical stimuli. The controllable motion mode of the [2]rotaxane molecular shuttle can be extended to its analogous oligorotaxanes, thus creating synchronous behavior for the macrocycles and producing an original visual prototype of artificial molecular machines (AMMs)—molecular cable car.


The present study (n = 154) examines the effects of expectations and stimulus information on the perception of illusory correlation. There have been few studies attempting to integrate expectation-based and data- (dixtinctiveness-) based processes. These studies suggest that data-based illusory correlation can be overruled by prior expectations, but it is not clear whether this is a consequence of a confirmation bias. In the present study, where participants were not exposed to the specific stimulus information, expectation was manipulated by stating that group B behaved more negatively than group A. Moreover, participants were provided with information contained in a statement-rating task that allowed for the confirmation and disconfirmation of the prior expectations. Participants rated the desirability of these behaviours and also performed the standard illusory correlation tasks. Based on self-categorization theory and Alloy and Tabachnik (1984), we predicted that in the absence of prior expectations, completing the rating task before the illusory correlation tasks would produce stronger illusory correlation than the reverse order. However, in the presence of prior expectations we expected the rating task to undermine illusory correlation, because the information obtained in this task tends to disconfirm prior expectations. Results support the predicted interaction between task order and expectation. We discuss some implications for research on confirmation bias.


Mango varieties Edward, Palmer, Keitt and Zill were selected to study the possible relation between the flavor and aroma components or their precursors in the mature green fruit at harvest and in the same fruit ripened under controlled conditions. Flavor quality was also evaluated . The fruits were hand picked from trees at the Fortuna Substation and stored at 70° F (21 o C) and 80% relative humidity. After 7 to 10 days in storage, good eating quality mangoes were attained. Sensory evaluation for flavor scored from 5.3 to 5.6 in a (1-poor to 6-good) 6-point hedonic scale. The gas chromatographic analysis showed differences in the number and concentration of certain components among variet ies and within the same depending on their stage of ripeness. Green fruits showed a larger number of components than ripe fruit in general. Varieties Palmer and Zill seem to be richer in flavor and aroma components than varieties Edward and Keitt. The identity of 15 flavor and aroma components of mango essence, including alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and terpenes, was established by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and comparison with reference spectra.


We present a dual contribution to the task of machine reading-comprehension: a technique for creating large-sized machine-comprehension (MC) datasets using paragraph-vector models; and a novel, hybrid neural-network architecture that combines the representation power of recurrent neural networks with the discriminative power of fully-connected multi-layered networks. We use the MC-dataset generation technique to build a dataset of around 2 million examples, for which we empirically determine the high-ceiling of human performance (around 91% accuracy), as well as the performance of a variety of computer models. Among all the models we have experimented with, our hybrid neural-network architecture achieves the highest performance (83.2% accuracy). The remaining gap to the human-performance ceiling provides enough room for future model improvements.


Communicating Concurrent Kleene Algebra (CKA) is a mathematical framework for capturing the communicating and concurrent behaviour of agents in distributed systems. It extends Hoare et al.'s Concurrent Kleene Algebra (CKA) with communication actions through the notions of stimuli and shared environments. CKA has applications in studying system-level properties of distributed systems such as safety, security, and reliability. In this work, we formalize results about CKA and its application for distributed systems specification. We first formalize the stimulus structure and behaviour structure (CKA). Next, we combine them to formalize CKA and its properties. Then, we formalize notions and properties related to the topology of distributed systems and the potential for communication via stimuli and via shared environments of agents, all within the algebraic setting of CKA.


A method of preparing model lignin and extractive surfaces by using spincoating technique has been developed. The primary aim for the use of these surfaces is adsorption studies performed with the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D instrument). Milled wood lignin (MWL) was isolated from Norway spruce (Picea abies) and the extractive mixture used was hexane extracted from thermomechanical pulp (TMP) from spruce as well. Both the model films were spincoated on the hydrophobic, polystyrene coated QCM-D crystal. Based on the atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Xray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses, smooth and rigid model films were achieved and they were found to be evenly distributed on the polystyrene surface. The stability of the films in aqueous solutions at different ionic strengths (lignin film) and pH (extractive film) were studied using QCM-D. Some water penetrated into the lignin film but no swelling was detected. Extractive film was stable in acidic and neutral conditions but saponification of the fatty and resin acids in basic conditions resulted in an unstable film. Model films were shown to give repeatable results when studying the adsorption of spruce hemicelluloses with QCM-D. It was found that the adsorbed mass, physical properties of the formed layer and the layer formation within the time scale used were all repeatable.


The tripeptide Tyr–Gly–Ser and a series of conjugations to coumarin, cinnamic and gallic acid were synthesized in salt form and their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were investigated. The N-connecting hydroxycoumarin, cinnamic and gallic acid derivatives to peptides and the use of BBr3 as a demethylating agent for peptides was reported. Their activities were investigated based on the conjugated moiety structures. Studies of their activities showed that conjugated tripeptides 7,8-dihydroxycoumarin-peptide (17), caffeic acid-peptide (22) and gallic acid-peptide (28) were found to be superior to ascorbic acid with respect to their antioxidant activity, and 12, 14, 24, and 25 exhibited the most antimicrobial activity in the series compared to amoxicillin. Additionally, the incredible florescence intensity and brightness of 17 in water and DMSO, compared to other synthesized compounds, qualified this peptide as a suitable probe in the human body.


Objectives: Controversy exists regarding the effect of operative treatment on mortality after acetabular fracture in elderly patients. Our hypothesis was that operative treatment would confer a mortality benefit compared with nonoperative treatment even after adjusting for comorbidities associated with death. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Three University Level I Trauma Centers. Patients/Participants: All patients aged 60 years and older with acetabular fractures treated from 2002 to 2009 were included in the study. Four hundred fifty-four patients were identified with an average age of 74 years. Sixty-seven percent of the study group was male and 33% female. Intervention: One of 4 treatments: nonoperative management with early mobilization, percutaneous reduction and fixation, open reduction and internal fixation, acute total hip arthroplasty. Main Outcome Measurements: Kaplan–Meier survival curves were created, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for covariates of interest. Results: In contrast to previous smaller studies, the overall mortality was relatively low at 16% at 1 year [95% confidence interval (CI), 13–19]. Unadjusted survivorship curves suggested higher 1-year mortality rates for nonoperatively treated patients (21% vs. 13%, P < 0.001); however, nonoperative treatment was associated with other risk factors for higher mortality. By accounting for these patient risk factors, our final multivariate model of survival demonstrated no significant difference in hazard of death for nonoperative treatment (0.92, P = 0.6) nor for any of the 3 operative treatment subgroups (P range, 0.4–0.8). As expected, we did find a significantly increased hazard for factors such as the Charlson comorbidity index [HR, 1.25 per point (95% CI, 1.16–1.34)] and age [HR, 1.08 per year of age more than 70 years (95% CI, 1.05–1.11)]. In addition, associated fracture patterns (compared with elementary patterns) significantly increased the hazard of death with a ratio of 1.51 (95% CI, 1.10–2.06). Conclusions: The operative treatment of acetabular fractures does not increase or decrease mortality, once comorbidities are taken into account. The reasons for this are unknown. Regardless of the causes, the decision for operative versus nonoperative treatment of geriatric acetabular fractures should not be justified based on the concern for increased or decreased mortality alone. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.


Bicycle level of service (BLOS) methodologies have been developed for suburban and urban as well as for rural road segments. Although, today, the utilitarian bicyclist requires access to suburban, urban, and rural environments to safely travel between home and work. In order to complement BLOS methodologies which incorporate mental stressors along road segments, this study develops a methodology by which BLOS and Bicycle compatibility Index (BCI) can be found out by qualitative analysis. Qualitative analysis deals with real-time human perceptions taking into account the satisfaction level of bicyclists while riding along a road. The satisfaction level of the bicyclist or the compatibility of the road for bicyclists is derived from a survey where bicyclist are asked questions based on their perception about safely, visibility and convenience. The survey is conducted on numerous bicyclists and their view are taken down in the form of ratings. These rating can be represented in a graphical form so as to give a clear picture of satisfaction level of bicyclists with respect to the road compatibility. BCI is computed using inverse variance method and finally BLOS, ranging from LOS-A to LOS-F, is found out. Qualitative analysis though differs from quantitative analysis in terms of its surveyed data, the result of both will differ to a much extent. The BCI identifies which intersection approaches have the maximum priority for bicycle safety improvements within a particular jurisdiction. The model provides traffic planners and others the capability to rate roadways with respect to bicyclists' level of satisfaction, and can be used in the process of evaluating existing roads, redesigning existing roads or designing new roads.


BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Pepsin in the gastric refluxate is a marker for a prior reflux event and rapid detection might be achieved using the Peptest™, an in vitro diagnostic medical device. The aim of this study was to validate the use of Peptest™ to reliably diagnose reflux in patients with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) disease diagnosed with multichannel intraluminal impedance/ pHmetry (MII-pH).

METHODS
20 reflux patients were recruited of whom 10 had classical GERD and 10 had LPR. All patients underwent MII-pH and provided expectorated saliva samples when a MII-pH reflux event was observed, or reflux symptoms were experienced, and all were tested for the presence of pepsin using the Peptest™.

RESULTS
Pepsin was detected in 31 out of 45 samples (68.9%). At least 1 positive pepsin result was seen in 16 patients (80%) and this was the same, irrespective of the GERD or LPR diagnosis. Peptest™ had a positive predictive value of 69% to detect MII-pH reflux events.

CONCLUSIONS
Peptest™ is a good first-line diagnostic procedure to use in reflux sufferers to confirm the presence of reflux.


The purpose of this book is show how research on families can be used to offer inspiration, suggestions, and guidance to intercultural families choosing to school their children in the regular Japanese school system. Each chapter is written by a parent or parents who are themselves researchers and thus bring their skills to the task of writing about issues which have affected their families, and are likely to affect other families in similar ways. There are also suggestions for other non-Japanese parents coping with similar issues. The book is divided into three sections: The first, "Finding our own way", deals with children's and parents' struggles with identity and inclusion in Japanese schools and society. The second, "Dealing with the Japanese school system", offers narratives and advice on such topics as coping with homework and dealing with more than one school system, as well as what government-accredited Japanese overseas schools have to offer. The third section, "Coping with challenges", examines the experiences of families where children are "different" because they have physical or intellectual challenges, or live with foster or adoptive families. The book concludes with a narrative about a family who made the decision to remove their children from the Japanese system entirely and send them abroad for schooling. The authors of the chapters in this book are all current or former university faculty, living in different areas of Japan. Some, who live in highly-populated urban areas, have had ample opportunities to locate educational options for their children, while others, living in rural communities, have had to struggle to advocate for their children's inclusion in mainstream classes. Their stories are all compelling and their advice is certain to be helpful to those planning to or already raising children in Japan. This book will also be of value to researchers and educators, particularly those with an interest in bilingualism, intercultural families, and cross-cultural issues, along with anyone wishing to learn more about contemporary Japanese society.


Software Testing can take up to half of the resources of the development of new software. Although there has been a lot of work on automating the testing phase, fixing a bug after its presence has been discovered is still a duty of the programmers. Techniques to help the software developers for locating bugs exist though, and they take name of Automated Debugging. However, to our best knowledge, there has been only little attempt in the past to completely automate the actual changing of the software for fixing the bugs. Therefore, in this paper we propose an evolutionary approach to automate the task of fixing bugs. The basic idea is to evolve the programs (e.g., by using Genetic Programming) with a fitness function that is based on how many unit tests they are able to pass. If a formal specification of the buggy software is given, more sophisticated fitness functions can be designed. Moreover, by using the formal specification as an oracle, we can generate as many unit tests as we want. Hence, a co-evolution between programs and unit tests might take place to give even better results. It is important to know that, to fix the bugs in a program with this novel approach, a user needs only to provide either a formal specification or a set of unit tests. No other information is required.


The Helium And Lead Observatory (HALO) is a dedicated supernova detector at SNOLAB consisting of 79 tonnes of lead instrumented with 128 3He-filled neutron counters. A burst of neutrinos from a supernova will interact with the lead and result in a burst of neutrons, detectable by the counters. This burst can be identified as a supernova signal. The previously existing HALO Monte Carlo simulation was revised to better represent the detector and evaluate its supernova response. The composition of the paint used on the lead blocks was estimated using new and previous measurements. Other geometry updates were checked with neutron capture simulations to verify their implementation. To verify the detection efficiencies of the Monte Carlo simulation, a 252Cf neutron source was deployed in the 40 copper calibration tubes in the detector. The high neutron multiplicity in Cf fissions allowed for the source strength to be determined along with the neutron capture efficiency by an analysis of the relative population of the detected multiplicities. This verified the Monte Carlo simulation's results and gave an overall efficiency for the detection of supernova-induced neutrons of (27.61 ± 0.17)%. Backgrounds to the detection of supernovae include neutrons leaking into the detector from the lab, the spontaneous fission of uranium inside the detector, and muon-induced spallation events in and around the detector. These factors along with the false positive rates specified by the Supernova Early Warning System (SNEWS) limit the trigger threshold to 4 neutrons detected in two seconds, giving a detection range of about 13.7 kpc for supernovae with an average neutrino energy of 18 MeV and a pinching parameter of 2.


The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) preferentially infects CD4 positive T cells and monocytes. Other human cell types have been reported to be infectable with HIV, including cells of mesenchymal origin. In this report, we show that both primary human bone marrow stromal fibroblasts and an immortalized human stromal fibroblast line are susceptible to HIV infection. These cells are capable of passing HIV to cells of lymphoid or myeloid lineage, and may thereby act as a reservoir of virus. This in vitro system may be a useful model for assessing the pathophysiology of hematopoietic dysfunction in AIDS patients.


Michael Goodrich and I welcome you to the inaugural issue of the Journal of Human-Robot Interaction (JHRI). Our aim is for this journal to be the leading peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal of human-robot interaction. To further the goal of creating high impact quickly, Michael and I, with the help of the associate editors and advisory board, have adopted a strategy to create special issues containing related HRI papers of high interest and quality. The inaugural issue grew out of a highly successful RSS workshop. Special editors, Leila Takayama and Brian Scassellati, invited members of the workshop and others to submit. All the papers were independently peer reviewed and those that passed initial muster were invited to revise for another round of review. The second special issue will emphasize the global nature of our field. The special editors, Michael Goodrich and Kerstin Severinson Eklundh, announced the issue broadly and invited papers from around the world. Following our process for maintaining quality, all submitted papers have been sent out for independent peer review, revision, and re-review if needed. (And the same process will apply to all issues of the journal.) The third special issue, which I am editing, will contain journal papers based on great papers from HRI-related conferences. The fourth special issue will emphasize systems, addressing a gap across HRI conferences. The special editor, Takayuki Kanda, has been soliciting articles and authors. Chosen articles will be given a special slot for presentations in the HRI 2013 conference. Not all future issues of JHRI will be special issues. Indeed, we have already received unsolicited papers on a variety of HRI topics. If you have a wonderful paper, please do not wait for the announcement of a special issue. We consider the field broadly, to include how people interact with robots and robotic technologies, how to improve these interactions and make new kinds of interaction possible, and the effects of HRI designs on people and society. We also will consider different types of content including video, datasets, reviews of the literature, or teaching materials. We encourage submission of papers from all fields including robotics, computer science, engineering, design, the behavioral and social sciences, and human-computer interaction. Our strategy is to give top preference to readable high quality papers that contribute to the state of the art and general knowledge and that are written to be intelligible to a wide range of audiences.


Background The antimalarial agents, chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) show promising SARS-CoV-2 anti-viral activity in vitro; however, clinical studies have reported conflicting results. We sought to systematically evaluate the effect of CQ and HCQ with or without azithromycin (AZ) on outcomes of COVID-19 patients. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published through July 7, 2020. We searched Medline, Embase, EBM Reviews, Scopus, Web of Science, preprints and grey literature. We included studies that assessed COVID-19 patients treated with CQ or HCQ, with or without AZ. We pooled only adjusted effect estimates of mortality using a random effect model and estimated between studies heterogeneity using I2 statistic. We summarized the effect of CQ or HCQ on viral clearance and ICU admission/ mechanical ventilation. Results Out of 1463 citations screened for eligibility, five RCTs and 14 cohort studies were included (20,263 patients, all hospitalized but with a variable disease severity spectrum). Thirteen studies (1 RCT and 12 cohorts) with 19,573 patients examined the effect of HCQ on short term mortality. The pooled adjusted OR was 1.05 (95% CI 0.96-1.15, I2=0 %, p=0.647). Six cohort studies examined the effect of HCQ and AZ combination among 3430 patients. After excluding a study that examined only patients with cancers, the pooled adjusted OR was (1.15, 95% CI 0.99-1.34, I2=0.0%). Two cohort studies and three RCTs found no significant effect of HCQ on viral clearance. One RCT with 48 patients demonstrated improved viral clearance in patients treated with CQ and HCQ. Three cohort studies found that HCQ with or without AZ had no significant effect on mechanical ventilation/ ICU admission. Conclusion Moderate certainty evidence suggests that HCQ, with or without AZ, lacks efficacy in reducing short-term mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Our findings are consistent with the recommendations from medical societies that HCQ should only be used to treat COVID-19 patients in the context of clinical trials. Trials of HCQ as pre-exposure prophylaxis are ongoing.


Tetrahedral meshes are widely used in scientific computing for representing 3D scalar, vector, and tensor fields. The size and complexity of some of these meshes can limit the performance of many visualization algorithms, making it hard to achieve interactive visualization. The use of simplified models is one way to enable the real-time exploration of these datasets. In this paper, we propose a novel technique for simplifying large unstructured meshes. Most current techniques simplify the geometry of the mesh using edge collapses. Our technique simplifies an underlying scalar field directly by segmenting the original scalar field into two pieces: the boundary of the original domain and the interior samples of the scalar field. We then simplify each piece separately, taking into account proper error bounds. Finally, we combine the simplified domain boundary and scalar field into a complete, simplified mesh that can be visualized with standard unstructured-data visualization tools. Our technique is much faster than edge-collapse-based simplification approaches. Furthermore, it is particularly suitable for aggressive simplification. Experiments show that isosurfaces and volume renderings of meshes produced by our technique have few noticeable visual artifacts.


Setting aside an award and/or resisting the enforcement of the award is the only recourse an award-debtor has following the issuance of the adverse award. It has been suggested that such processes could be long drawn and deprive the successful party the early recovery of the fruits of its successful resolution. Some have suggested that perhaps parties could agree to waive their right to apply for setting aside and/or to resist the enforcement of the award upon its making. Such waivers require the consideration of whether they would eventually be enforceable. This article seeks to discuss the thorny problems for an Indian perspective, examining the perspective of the Indian courts and related legislative framework.
Waiver, Set-Aside, Annulment, Enforcement, India, Arbitration


CONTEXT
Tendon adapts to load through alterations in its composition and mechanical properties. Mechanical adaptation to increased load often involves increases in cross-sectional area (CSA), stiffness, and modulus. Runners exhibit these adaptations.

OBJECTIVE
To determine if runners wearing minimalist shoes had larger and stiffer Achilles tendons (AT) than traditionally shod runners.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional study of well-trained, traditionally and minimally shod runners.

SETTING
Laboratory assessment of trained runners.

PARTICIPANTS
23 men (11 traditional, 12 minimalist) and 8 women (6 traditional, 2 minimalist). Runners wearing minimalist shoes had 4.2 ± 1.6 y of training experience in minimalist shoes.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The authors used diagnostic ultrasound and isokinetic dynamometry to generate a force-elongation curve and its derivatives.

RESULTS
Minimalist runners had a greater CSA: mean difference (MD) = 9.2 mm2, stiffness (MD = 268.1 N/mm), and modulus (MD = 202.9 MPa). ATs of minimalist runners experienced greater stress (MD 8.6 N/mm2) during maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the plantar-flexor muscles due to greater force of contraction (MD 798.9 N).

CONCLUSION
The AT in minimalist runners adapts by increasing size, stiffness, and modulus, which is consistent with our understanding of mechanical adaptation of tendon to increased loading. Increased stress to the AT likely requires a slow transition to minimalist running to allow the AT to adapt without evidence of injury.


We propose a new model for determining the set of plausible multifault ruptures in an interconnected fault system. We improve upon the rules used in the Third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF3) to increase connectivity and the physical consistency of ruptures. We replace UCERF3's simple azimuth change rules with new Coulomb favorability metrics and increase the maximum jump distance to 15 km. Although the UCERF3 rules were appropriate for faults with similar rakes, the Coulomb calculations used here inherently encode preferred orientations between faults with different rakes. Our new rules are designed to be insensitive to discretization details and are generally more permissive than their UCERF3 counterparts; they allow more than twice the connectivity compared with UCERF3, yet heavily penalize long ruptures that take multiple improbable jumps. The set of all possible multifault ruptures in the California fault system is nearly infinite, but our model produces a tractable set of 326,707 ruptures (a modest 29% increase over UCERF3, despite the greatly increased connectivity). Inclusion in the rupture set does not dictate that a rupture receives a significant rate in the final model; rupture rates are subsequently determined by data constraints used in an inversion. We describe the rupture building algorithm and its components in detail and provide comparisons with ruptures generated by a physics-based multicycle earthquake simulator. We find that greater than twice as many ruptures generated by the simulator violate the UCERF3 rules than violate our proposed model.


Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to determine guidelines for effective entrepreneurship education and training, focusing on the development of entrepreneurial skills, based on what successful, established entrepreneurs look like, how they operate and their learning and thinking preferences. Problem investigated: Entrepreneurial skills training is the difficult part of teaching entrepreneurship and is different from teaching functional and managerial skills related to entrepreneurship. The problem is that training and education focuses primarily on the management and functional business training of entrepreneurs and very seldom on the entrepreneurial skills. This study focuses on the much neglected second leg of entrepreneurship training, as most entrepreneurship programmes focus on the first leg, namely business planning and functions and management skills. Design/methodology/approach: This is a formal and exploratory study. Two measurement instruments (Schein Career Orientations Inventory and the Neethling Brain Instrument) were used and completed by a sample of 50 entrepreneurs of the identified population. The paper address the entrepreneurship education needs as determined by the learning preferences of entrepreneurs. Findings: The research indicated that all the essential entrepreneurial skills are seldom addressed in entrepreneurial training. The entrepreneurial skills that need to be incorporated in these programmes are self-concept, creativity and innovation, risk orientation, good human relations; perseverance and a positive attitude. The research also revealed that entrepreneurs have different learning preferences from other students / learners and this should be taken into consideration in the design of entrepreneurial curricula. Value of research: The paper assist curriculum developers of entrepreneurship education programmes to better align their content to the entrepreneurial skills identified by successful entrepreneurs that need to be developed, and to conduct entrepreneurship education according to the learning preferences of entrepreneurs. Conclusion: The application of the Garavan and O'Cinneide model regarding the methodology in the education of entrepreneurs can therefore be confirmed and recommended. The results of the career anchor and brain instruments indicate the importance of entrepreneurial skills-training and include training in the following areas : self concept; creativity and innovation; risk orientation; good human relations, perseverance and positive attitude.


BACKGROUND: Retrospective study of the late results of the Heller's cardiomyotomy and fundoplication for the treatment of the megaesophagus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Were studied 83 patients with a follow-up from one to 186 months (average 40.0±47.4 months). The fundoplications used were in three plans in 15.7% and posterior in 83.1%. The main pre-operatory complain was disphagia followed by regurgitation and loss of weight. Chagas, Disease as the etiology was confirmed in 72.3% of the patients. RESULTS: In the follow-up 55.4 % of the patients were assymptomatic, 34.9% complained of sporadic dysphagia, 14.4% of heartburn, 8.4% of regurgitation and 2.4% did not changed the dysphagia, these being re-operated and had improvement the symptoms. Gastro-esophageal reflux was noted in 8.4% of the patients. Other late complications were par-esophageal hernia, sliping of the fundoplication, Barrett esophagus and cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The necessity of a long-term clinical and endoscopical follow-up, even after surgery, owing to the possibility of late complications, especially cancer was emphasized. The late results are good in relation to the dysphagia. Myotomy is proposed as an alternative to patients with advanced megaesophagus with bad clinical conditions who can not be submitted to an esophagectomy.


A water microjet device that can be used for precise dissection of soft tissue in surgical procedures has been developed. The water jet is generated by irradiating a pulsed Ho : YAG laser, through an optical fiber, into a thin tube/catheter filled with water or a physiological saline solution. Pulsed laser irradiation within the tube evaporates the water generating a vapor bubble, whose rapid expansion drives a microjet of water out of the tube through a micronozzle of 100 ~ 200 μm exit diameter. This laser-induced microjet can readily penetrate a soft tissue in human body. The jet is applicable to neuroendoscopic surgery, treatment of cerebral thrombosis, intravascular drug delivery, etc. The thermal effects and the controllability of the jet were first investigated on a 10% gelatin layer that simulates a soft tissue, and then the jet was used to dissect the ventricular wall of a cadaver rabbit. The experimental results indicated a well-controlled incision, preserving capillary blood vessels thicker than 0.2 mm in diameter, and the collateral damage to the tissue was negligible.


Five studies examined whether, in self-control dilemmas, individuals develop an implicit disposition to approach goals and avoid temptations, psychologically as well as physically. Using a method developed by A. K. Solarz (1960; see also K. L. Duckworth, J. A. Bargh, M. Garcia, & S. Chaiken, 2002), the authors assessed the time for pulling and pushing a lever in response to goal- and temptation-related stimuli (e.g., studying and partying). The results show that individuals offset the influence of tempting activities by automatically avoiding these stimuli (faster pushing responses) and by approaching stimuli related to an overarching goal (faster pulling responses). These implicit self-control dispositions varied as a function of the magnitude of the self-control conflict, itself defined by how strongly individuals were attracted to temptations and held the longer term goal. These dispositions were further shown to play a role in successful self-control.


Impacts of Project Management on Real Option Values. (December 2004) Shilpa Anandrao Bhargav, B.E., University of Pune Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. David N. Ford The cost of construction projects depends on their size, complexity, and duration. Construction management applies effective management techniques to the planning, design, and construction of a project from conception to completion for the purpose of controlling time, cost and quality. A real options approach in construction projects, improves strategic thinking by helping planners recognize, design and use flexible alternatives to manage dynamic uncertainty. In order to manage uncertainty using this approach, it is necessary to value the real options. Real option models assume independence of option holder and the impacts of underlying uncertainties on performance and value. The current work proposes and initially tests whether project management reduces the value of real options. The example of resource allocation is used to test this hypothesis. Based on the results, it is concluded that project management reduces the value of real options by reducing variance of the exercise signal and the difference between exercise conditions and the mean exercise signal.


A simple fixed structure learning scheme is proposed for priority assignment at a single-server queue. The server processes two streams of jobs, with random service times (exponentially distributed) in which the parameters are unknown at the start. The optimal priority assignment is asymptotically learned with arbitrary accuracy by properly choosing the algorithm parameters. The scheme has finite memory and is easily implementable. Simulations results are included.


On the 6th of November 2015 the European Commission unveiled a proposal for the inclusion in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) of a clause dedicated to sustainable development which also refers to several international labour law instruments. The European Commission defined the proposal as 'the most ambitious provisions ever put forward on these issues to any trading partner'. The claimed main purpose of the operation is to ensure that high standards for labour are upheld both in the European Union (EU) and the United States. This short contribution challenges this institutional understanding of the clause highlighting several substantive weaknesses of the proposal. The article shows that the TTIP proposal contains considerably fewer labour standards than what EU Member States have to respect under public international law. In addition, the clause presents some legal weaknesses which limit its capacity to uphold labour standards among the parties to the agreement.


Abstract Objective To evaluate whether food behaviours of parents are associated with children's dietary intakes outside the child-care setting, and to compare children's dietary intakes at home with foods and beverages consumed when they are at child-care centres. Design In 2005–2006, a survey was completed by parents of at least one child between 3 and 5 years old who attended group child-care centres. Surveys about nutrition practices were completed by centre directors. Research assistants observed foods and beverages consumed by children at lunchtime at the centres. Setting Sixteen licensed group child-care centres in three underserved New York City communities (South Bronx, East/Central Harlem, Central Brooklyn) and the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Subjects Two hundred parents. Results Children were more likely to consume healthful foods including fruits or vegetables if parents reported purchasing food from produce stands/farmers' markets, shopped for frozen or canned fruits frequently and ate family meals or meals prepared at home daily. Children were more likely to consume less healthful foods such as French fries, or fruit drinks, more frequently if parents reported eating meals from fast-food or other restaurants at least once weekly, or if children ate while watching television. Types of foods and beverages offered to children at home (e.g. higher-fat milk, soft drinks and desserts) were less healthful than those offered at child-care centres. Conclusions Children's dietary intakes at home need to be improved. Parents need to understand the importance of providing home environments that support healthful food behaviours in children.


Decomposition is an important part of information systems analysis and design and is manifested as the breakdown of the system to elements such as subsystems, modules, activities, processes, entities, and objects. Good decomposition is considered a major requirement for a good system design. However, there is no comprehensive theory of information systems decomposition and no single dominant decomposition approach exists. Consequently, software decomposition relies on "guidelines" and designer's experience. In this article, we propose a foundation for a theory of good decomposition based on two principles: 1) the decomposition of an information system should reflect the nature of the real world system represented by it, and 2) static and dynamic aspects of systems cannot be separated and hence good decomposition should be based on both. The model enables the analysis of concepts such as good software modules, normalized relations, objects, and entities as special cases of one generalized construct.


Our understanding of human somitogenesis is limited and largely based on insights gained from model organisms. Pluripotent stem cell-based in vitro approaches aiming to recapitulate distinct aspects of this core developmental process have recently been reported, including our recent paper on the in vitro recapitulation of the human segmentation clock1. Here we describe in detail our stepwise induction protocol of presomitic mesoderm (PSM), somitic mesoderm (SM), and its two major derivatives, sclerotome (SCL) and dermomyotome (DM) from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We further briefly address the subsequent molecular and functional analysis of these in vitro induced human mesodermal lineages and cell-types.


Cisplatin (DDP) is commonly used to treat head and neck tumors. Therapy frequently fails due to development of DDP resistance or toxicities associated with DDP therapy. In this study, effects of ALRT1057 [9-cis retinoic acid (9-cis RA)] on DDP cytotoxicity were studied in a human oral squamous carcinoma xenograft model. Mice bearing xenografts were dosed p.o. daily 5 days/week with 30 mg/kg 9-cis RA and/or i.p. twice weekly with 0.3-0.9 mg/kg DDP. Maximum tolerated doses of 9-cis RA and DDP were approximately 60 and >/=2.9 mg/kg, respectively, under their dosing schedules and routes of administration. Control tumors grew rapidly with mean doubling times of 4 +/- 1 days and reached mean volumes of 1982 +/- 199 (SE) mm3 after 24 days. DDP at doses of 0.3, 0.45, and 0.9 mg/kg inhibited tumor growth by 28, 47, and 86%, respectively, 24 days after tumor cell implantation. Thirty mg/kg 9-cis RA inhibited tumor growth by 25%. In combination, 0.3 mg/kg DDP + 30 mg/kg 9-cis RA inhibited tumor growth by 68%; 0.45 mg/kg DDP + 30 mg/kg 9-cis RA inhibited growth by 78%. These decreases were greater than those that would have been produced by either agent summed separately. Of importance, at doses of 9-cis RA that enhanced DDP cytotoxicity, no change in dose tolerance was observed as compared to tolerances observed for either agent alone, indicating that 9-cis RA increased sensitivity to DDP without altering systemic toxicity. In addition, 9-cis RA profoundly altered squamous cell carcinoma phenotypes by suppressing squamous cell differentiation, resulting in tumors with increased numbers of basal cells. In contrast, DDP selectively depleted proliferating basal cells from carcinomas. In combination, morphological changes produced by 9-cis RA alone predominated, suggesting a possible basis for enhanced DDP sensitivity in tumors exposed to both agents. These data demonstrate that 9-cis RA enhances tumor sensitivity to DDP, and suggest that this combination should be tested in Phase I-II clinical trials for its potential for improving anticancer therapy of squamous cell cancers.


We report on the noninvasive measurement of temperature, i.e., self-heating effects, in active AlGaN/GaN HFETs grown on sapphire and SiC substrates. Micro-Raman spectroscopy was used to produce temperature maps with /spl ap/1 /spl mu/m spatial resolution and a temperature accuracy of better than 10/spl deg/C. Significant temperature rises up to 180/spl deg/C were measured in the device gate-drain opening. Results from a three-dimensional (3-D) heat dissipation model are in reasonably good agreement with the experimental data. Comparison of devices fabricated on sapphire and SiC substrates indicated that the SiC substrate devices had /spl sim/5 times lower thermal resistance.


"The steady growth in the level of and nature of casual employment in Australia poses unique challenges for the union movement. With a quarter of Australian workers and a third of women in the workforce now employed as casuals, a fresh look at the union movement's traditional response to casual employment is required. The ACTU has recognised the changes in the labour force and the need to adopt a strategy which protects the interests of casual employees, whilst maintaining and enhancing the interests of ongoing part-time and full-time employees. This article outlines one element of the ACTU strategy, the campaign for parental leave for long-term casuals."


Classification-image analysis has proven to be a valuable tool for revealing features used to perform visual tasks in noise. We use this methodology to investigate how the magnitude of noise influences detection mechanisms, and more specifically, to examine whether observers use a consistent perceptual template across noise magnitude as is often assumed in models. The experiments consist of 2AFC detection of a Gaussian target profile in white noise with RMS contrast levels ranging from 1.25% to 20%. Target contrast was manipulated to maintain a performance level of approximately 80% correct at each noise level. The estimated classification images are presented along with a spatial frequency analysis that consists of radial averages of the frequency domain. The resulting frequency weights show significant within-subject differences across noise levels, as do sampling efficiencies derived from these frequency weights. At low levels of external noise, the classification images are attenuated at low spatial frequencies, giving rise to a more bandpass appearance. At high noise levels, the spatial frequency weights have much less low-frequency attenuation, making them closer to an ideal matched filter. Our results provide direct evidence against the notion of a single consistent perceptual template mediating detection across different levels of noise.


The Jiaojiang River estuary, Zhejiang Province, China, receives a mean freshwater discharge of 211 m 3 sec -1 with a mean suspended sediment concentration of 0.18 g l -1 . Mean depth is less than 4 m and mean tidal range is 4 m. The water circulation and the distribution of suspended particle size and concentration were measured along the estuary in dry weather conditions in April 1991. The estuary was partially stratified in salinity and extremely turbid, with suspended sediment concentration in the turbidity maximum zone often exceeding 10 g l -1 . The tidal currents were asymmetric with stronger peak flood than ebb tidal currents. The suspended sediment was coagulated and the floc population was bimodal with day-dominant floes and silt-dominant floes of median size 50 and 500 µm respectively. The clay-dominant floes were not destroyed by ambient turbulence and were present throughout the water column. The silt-dominant floes were very porous, and readily broken by turbulence, had a settling velocity comparable to that of clay-dominant floes 1/2 to 1/3 their sizes, and existed only for tidal current speed < 0.5 m sec -1 . Both flocculation and hydrodynamic processes sort clay particles from silt particles in the estuary.


Basic research skills and resources in psychology, sociology and other disciplines of the social sciences. Research skills include: evaluating sources,finding and identifying journal articles, statistical information and websites.


The understanding of the mechanisms of action and side effects of different antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) are essential for their appropriate use. With the advent of effective and safe ablation therapy, AAD therapy has undergone dramatic changes. This review attempts to understand the rationale behind the clinical use of medical management of different arrhythmias.


The planning of cities must insure a balance between human consumption and natural resources that should be preserved and if needed should be used minimally and efficiently following plans of sustainability. The current study investigated the possibility of recycling natural waste product "plants leaves" that usually fall off, are collected, dumped and burnt. In counties like Kuwait where crude oil constitutes a major pollutant and the environment is hostile for microbial activity rendering bioremediation to be a trivial option. Thus, in the present study, the leaves of Conocarpus and Tamarix were used to enrich the low organic content soils that showed the potential of soil supplementation with organic matter to enhance the growth and activity of soil indigenous microbiota. The amendments of soils with 20 mg g -1 soil significantly increased the counts of crude oil-degrading bacteria in crude oil-contaminated and uncontaminated soils to 999.4 x 10 -3 CFU g -1 and 358.8 x 10 -3 CFU g -1 soil, respectively. The identification of isolated bacteria revealed the dominance of the genus Microbacterium (39.6%), Sphingopyxis soli (19.3%), and Bordetella petrii (19.6%) in unamended, Conocarpus-amended and Tamarix-amended contaminated soils, respectively. The 16S rRNA analyses showed the high diversity of isolated bacteria. Also, the diversity of the majority of isolated bacteria decreased after soil amendments with plant-derived material. Therefore, the recycling of plant-derived materials could be an excellent option under conditions tested and confirm the commandments of sustainable planning.


Belgium's foreign policy in the past five years reveals a contrasted picture. Starting in 2009-2010, an exhaustive assessment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) resulted in significant changes in the workings and organization of the ministry. But the question what policy objectives the MFA was supposed to pursue, remained largely unaddressed.


As police body camera footage pervades courtrooms across the country as evidence in criminal trials, courts must reevaluate whether, and under which evidentiary frameworks, they will admit the footage to prove that what the footage depicts is true. This Note analyzes the frameworks under which courts have historically admitted filmic evidence: namely, through authentication and as demonstrative evidence. It concludes that body camera footage is distinct from evidence traditionally admitted through those frameworks because body camera footage is akin to an officer's assertive statement-the officer has discretion to activate and aim the body camera. Courts should therefore exclude the footage as hearsay when it is offered to prove the truth of the matter depicted in the video. This Note proposes two practical frameworks under which courts could nevertheless admit the footage should they classify it as hearsay: the present sense impression exception to hearsay, or as corroborative evidence that is not offered for the truth of the matter asserted. Both frameworks make the police officer who recorded the footage available for cross-examination. Once the officer is on the stand, a defense attorney may cross-examine that officer to mitigate the reliability concerns that body camera footage


Leading economists warn 1% growth could become the UK's new norm Summary: The UK's sustainable growth rate has been much lower than that calculated by the OBR and used by the government to forecast public finances. The lack of growth is important in its own right. However, it is also important as far as the government's 2010 deficit reduction plan is concerned. This plan relied upon economic growth raising tax receipts for 70 per cent of the deficit reduction. Lack of growth is the key factor behind the government's deficit reduction plan being off target. There is no reason, given the fall in the sustainable growth rate, why we should expect high levels of 'catch-up' growth to compensate for the loss of output after the 2008 crash. From Q1 2008 to Q1 2013, average annual output growth has been -0.7 per cent. Such a disappointing growth performance has no modern historical precedent. Gross domestic product dropped 6.3 per cent from the peak level reached in 2008 and is still some 3 per cent lower than its peak five years later. That is unprecedented in 170 years of shocks that have hit the UK economy since industrialisation. It is clear that poor total factor productivity has driven the poor growth performance. Capital stock – and changes in it – has played very little direct part. The poor growth performance will not be addressed by increased investment or increases in 'aggregate demand'. Loosening fiscal policy by increasing government spending will worsen rather than improve the situation. Productivity growth has been -0.4 per cent in recent years. Productivity often falls in a recession due to labour hoarding but recent performance is especially bad compared with previous recessions. Productivity growth has, on average, been unsatisfactory compared with past norms, by almost 1 per cent a year for five years. In the medium term, the UK's sustainable growth rate is likely to be very low for a number of reasons. These include: Increased public spending and taxation as a proportion of GDP due to the rapid increase in the early twenty-first century. This factor alone has reduced the sustainable growth rate by around 0.5 per cent – possibly more. Increased government, corporate and household debt relative to GDP. Demographic pressures from an ageing population. Increased regulation of the energy and financial services sectors. These sectors had contributed substantially to the productivity performance of the economy in earlier decades. The depletion of North Sea oil. The arithmetical affect of low-productivity immigrant workers being added to the working population The huge growth in credit before the crisis, followed by its contraction since – partly driven by increased banking regulation As a result of these policies, the sustainable growth rate has fallen by over 1 per cent compared with the level before the crisis. Actual growth rates might be higher than 1 per cent, of course, if the economy recovers some of the lost output caused by the crash. However, high 'catch-up' levels of growth are unlikely in the medium term. Low interest rates and government bond yields are a further indicator that the medium-term sustainable growth rate is very low. The factors causing low growth are generally policy induced and could be changed. Furthermore, policies could be followed that would increase productivity growth such as radical reform of our education and health systems. There will be some natural improvement in the sustainable growth rate after 4-5 years if the government manages to reduce spending as a proportion of national income as planned and if household, corporate and government debt fall. Also, the productivity levels of the energy sector may increase if shale gas is developed. These factors may lead to the sustainable growth rate rising. It may even reach the level of around 2.3 per cent which is the current rate currently used by the OBR for its unrealistic short-term projections.


Indentation hardness measurements as a function of annealing were made on broken halves of Charpy impact surveillance samples. The samples had been irradiated in commercial power reactors to a neutron fluence of approximately 1 x 10/sup 18/ neutrons per cm/sup 2/, E > 1 MeV, at a temperature of about 300/sup 0/C (570/sup 0/F). Results are reported for the weld metal, which showed greater radiation hardening than the base plate or heat-affected zone material. Isochronal and isothermal anneals were conducted on the irradiated surveillance samples and on unirradiated control samples. No hardness changes upon annealing occurred for the control samples. The recovery in hardness for the irradiated samples took place mostly between 400 and 500/sup 0/C. Based on the Meechan-Brinkman method of analysis, the activation energy for annealing was found to be 0.60 +- 0.06 eV. According to computer simulation calculations of Beeler, the activation energy for migration of vacancies in alpha iron is about 0.67 eV. Therefore, the results of this preliminary study appear to be consistent with a mechanism of annealing of radiation damage in pressure vessel steels based on the migration of radiation-produced lattice vacancies.


Existing literature argues that taking a holistic approach to disaster management is important for organizations in achieving resilience. However, theoretical underpinnings are lacking to achieve a holistic understanding. This paper applies the notion of an ecosystem as a holistic lens to understand complex disaster management. We report two case studies from Japan and Nepal to illustrate how an ecosystem works during a disaster. The Japan case is a government initiative, whereas the Nepal case is a non-governmental initiative. The theoretical framework of information ecology is used in analyzing the cases. Based on the findings, we formulate three propositions that show important elements of ecosystems to approach resilience. The study suggests that coevolution is a key to respond to constantly changing situations during a disaster. To accomplish ecosystem coevolution, creating a collaboration system with governments and local communities and embedding local knowledge into the system are essential. Furthermore, digital tools can play a critical role in the coevolution process. 1. An ecosystem as a means to achieve


ABSTRACT An isolated pterygoid tooth plate of a lungfish from the Lower Devonian (Lochkovian–Pragian) of Vietnam is described. The material is negatively preserved and lacks associated jawbones to assign a reliable taxonomic status and phylogenetic position. The tooth plate is composed of five main tooth rows radially arranged, separated by several interrow denticles and flanked medially and laterally by smaller accessory rows and by a denticulated posterolateral field. The general structure of the tooth plate displays predominantly primitive traits similar to those known in the contemporaneous Diabolepis from China. However, as opposed to Diabolepis, the tooth plate possesses fewer and more organized rows of teeth, a condition typical of more derived dipnoans. Comparisons with other primitive forms indicate that the arrangement of teeth into distinct rows with a lack of interrow denticles is typical of juvenile specimens of Diabolepis, which may imply that the presence of discrete tooth rows in more derived lungfish taxa is a product of paedomorphosis. Given its puzzling mix of primitive and derived features, this new pterygoid tooth plate can be tentatively assigned to a previously known lungfish prearticular from northern Vietnam, although with caution. Pending the finding of more complete remains, the condition shown by this new form might indicate that the establishment of the modern lungfish tooth plate organization occurred no later than the Pragian.


OBJECTIVE
To determine features, outcome, and complications of surgical treatment of camelid tooth root abscesses.

DESIGN
Retrospective case series.

ANIMALS
123 camelids with tooth root abscesses.

PROCEDURES
Signalment, history, teeth involved, surgery performed, ancillary diagnostic tests, and short-term complications were recorded from each medical record. An owner questionnaire was used to obtain long-term (> 1 year) follow-up information.

RESULTS
The most common surgical treatments included tooth extraction (n = 106) and apicoectomy (13). Owners provided follow-up information on 84 animals. Postoperative complications were reported in 42 of 84 animals. The most common complications included reinfection (n = 15), chronic draining tract (14), and osteomyelitis (14). Significantly more camelids that were in good or obese body condition at the time of surgery were alive at the time of follow-up, compared with those with thin body condition at the time of surgery. Camelids with 2 teeth extracted had significantly more complications than those with 1 tooth extracted. Thirty-four of 47 owners reported that they were completely satisfied with the outcome.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Owners of camelids in poor body condition should be forewarned that such animals are at greater risk for complications following dental surgery. Clinicians should recognize that the number of teeth affected was not associated with a poorer outcome.


The cost of capital is a potentially important determinant of business investment, yet there have been few attempts to provide an adequate measure of it. In this paper the importance of the cost of capital and weaknesses inherent in existing measures are discussed. A new series for the cost of capital is then constructed according to the methodology developed by Carmichael and Stebbing (1981). The measure of the cost of capital developed in this paper incorporates the cost of both debt and equity finance. It also allows for changes in corporate tax rates, expected inflation and changes in sources of finance. It appears that, following large fluctuations in the cost of capital during the 1970s, the series may have again become more stable, but at a higher average level than was evident during the 1960s.


BACKGROUND
Rotavirus is considered to be the most common cause of serious acute dehydrating diarrhea worldwide. However, there is a scarcity of information on rotavirus disease burden in sub-Saharan Africa.

METHODS
We conducted prospective, hospital-based surveillance for rotavirus diarrhea among children <5 years of age at the tertiary care Dr. George Mukhari Hospital (DGM) and at the Brits district Hospital (BH) in the Gauteng and North West Provinces in South Africa; we estimated that up to 80% of children <5 years of age in their catchment areas who are hospitalized for diarrhea are admitted to one of these hospitals.

RESULTS
At DGM, 2553 children <5 years of age were admitted for diarrhea from January 2003 through December 2005, and 852 children <5 years of age were treated for diarrhea at BH during 2004-2005. We examined stool specimens from 450 children (53%) at BH and from 1870 children (73%) admitted to DGM. An estimated 22.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 21.2%-24.5%) of the children hospitalized with diarrhea at DGM were rotavirus positive, and the corresponding figure at BH was 18.2% (95% CI, 14.9%-22.1%). Among children <5 years of age admitted to DGM for any reason, an estimated 5.5% (95% CI, 5.1%-6.0%) had rotavirus diarrhea. Our incidence estimates suggest that 1 in 43-62 children in the area is likely to be hospitalized with rotavirus diarrhea by 2 years of age.

CONCLUSIONS
Prevention of serious rotavirus illness by vaccination will substantially reduce not only the disease burden among young children but also the case load in South African health care facilities.


Multilayer materials consisting of ceramic and glass/epoxy composites have been subjected to high strain rate compression testing using the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar. The samples were extensively strain gaged so that dynamic data were generated directly from the samples during testing. Output data from the experiments were compared with numerical simulations of the same experiments and good agreement was noted. It was found that the stress distribution within samples was quite inhomogeneous and that stresses were highest in the region of the bar-sample interface. The presence of a rubber interlayer between the ceramic and glass/epoxy decreased the stress in both components but dramatically increased the degree of stress in homogeneity.


Educational technology supports meaningful learning and enables the presentation of spatial and dynamic images, which portray relationships among complex concepts. The Technology-Enabled Active Learning (TEAL) Project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) involves media-rich software for simulation and visualization in freshman physics carried out in a specially redesigned classroom to facilitate group interaction. These technology-based learning materials are especially useful in electromagnetism to help students conceptualize phenomena and processes. This study analyzes the effects of the unique learning environment of the TEAL project on students' cognitive and affective outcomes. The assessment of the project included examining students' conceptual understanding before and after studying electromagnetism in a media-rich environment. We also investigated the effect of this environment on students' preferences regarding the various teaching methods. As part of the project, we developed pre- and posttests consisting of conceptual questions from standardized tests, as well as questions designed to assess the effect of visualizations and experiments. The research population consisted of 811 undergraduate students. It consisted of a small- and a large-scale experimental groups and a control group. TEAL students improved their conceptual understanding of the subject matter to a significantly higher extent than their control group peers. A majority of the students in the small-scale experiment noted that they would recommend the TEAL course to fellow students, indicating the benefits of interactivity, visualization, and hands-on experiments, which the technology helped enable. In the large-scale implementation students expressed both positive and negative attitudes in the course survey.


The use of sunscreen products has been advocated by many health care practitioners as a means to reduce skin damage produced by ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from sunlight. There is a need to better understand the efficacy and safety of sunscreen products given this ongoing campaign encouraging their use. The approach used to establish sunscreen efficacy, sun protection factor (SPF), is a useful assessment of primarily UVB (290–320 nm) filters. The SPF test, however, does not adequately assess the complete photoprotective profile of sunscreens specifically against long wavelength UVAI (340–400 nm). Moreover, to date, there is no singular, agreed upon method for evaluating UVA efficacy despite the immediate and seemingly urgent consumer need to develop sunscreen products that provide broad‐spectrum UVB and UVA photoprotection. With regard to the safety of UVB and UVA filters, the current list of commonly used organic and inorganic sunscreens has favorable toxico‐logical profiles based on acute, subchronic and chronic animal or human studies. Further, in most studies, sunscreens have been shown to prevent the damaging effects of UVR exposure. Thus, based on this review of currently available data, it is concluded that sunscreen ingredients or products do not pose a human health concern. Further, the regular use of appropriate broad‐spectrum sunscreen products could have a significant and favorable impact on public health as part of an overall strategy to reduce UVR exposure.


Spelling plays an important role in written communication. The fact that a lot of spelling mistakes have been more frequently made causes commuinication inconveniences. This article investigates the causes of mistakes to find out appropriate solutions to the identified spelling problems.


Abstract The use of moulds produced by stereolithography (SL) for injection moulding provides a quick route to manufacturing a low volume of parts without expensivehard tooling. However, these parts have been shown to exhibit different material property characteristics than those produced from metal tooling. The aim of the present work is to research methods that would allow SL moulds to produce parts of similar material property characteristics to those from conventional metal tools. This work has identified that the different part characteristics are due to differing levels of crystallinity developed in the parts from the comparative mould varieties (SL and metal). These crystallinity differences have been associated with the cooling rates imparted owing to the thermal properties of the mould material. The latter part of this work concerns controlling and manipulating this degree of crystallinity. After a discussion of possible methods, two approaches are taken to modifying the crystalline content of parts produced by SL moulds. One of the approaches is material based, the other concerns the injection moulding process. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is used to quantify the resulting levels of crystallinity in the parts. The results show that by process modification it is possible to produce parts by SL moulding that possess a similar crystalline content to those moulded from metal tooling. The use of modified materials allows parts created in SL and metal tools to be of a consistent crystalline content. The work concludes that not only are SL moulds capable of producing parts that are more like those from metal moulds but also present some unique opportunities that have been demonstrated to be unachievable in metal moulds.


In this study, we compare two common forms of product take-back legislation implementation: (i) manufacturer-operated systems, where the state imposes certain take-back objectives on manufacturers, and (ii) state-operated systems, where manufacturers or consumers finance take-back through recovery fees. We show that their impacts on different stakeholders, that is, social welfare, manufacturers, consumers, and the environment, can be significantly different and stakeholder preferences for these models vary depending on the operating environments (e.g., production and take-back costs, and environmental externalities). We also consider the impact of operational externalities such as operating and monitoring costs, and show how they affect stakeholder preferences.


Two new aconitine-type norditerpenoid alkaloids 6-dehydroacetylsepaconitine (1) and 13-hydroxylappaconitine (2), along with three known norditerpenoid alkaloids lycoctonine, delphatine and lappaconitine were isolated from the roots of the Aconitum heterophyllum Wall. These compounds exhibited significant antibacterial activity. The structure of compound 1 and 2 were deduced on the basis of their spectral data.


Purpose: To develop and test a new registration quality metric, based on the distance between image edges, for evaluation of deformable image registration algorithms without the need for manually placed landmarks. Methods: A 2D Canny filter is used to create binary gradient images from registered grayscale input images that are to be compared. In each slice, a small subregion (10×10 pixels) of one image is translated relative to the other. The translational distance that maximizes overlap of edges in the subregion is the local edge gradient distance to agreement (EGDTA); repeating over all subregions on every slice provides an EGDTA map. The method was applied to pelvic CT images in 3 patients. For each patient, one CT (the planning CT) was registered to each of three daily CTs using three deformable image registration algorithms: Grayscale‐driven (G), Contour‐driven (C), and Grayscale+Contour‐driven (G+C). C and G+C use manually drawn bladder, prostate and rectum contours on both planning and treatment images to drive the registration. EGDTA maps were created for each of the 27 registrations. Mean EGDTA values in concentric ring ROIs close to and far away from the pelvic organs were compared. Results: Both C and G+C had lower EGDTA values (better registration quality) close to the pelvic organs. Both G and G+C showed much better performance in the regions distant from the pelvic organs compared to contour‐only driven (C). G+C registration exhibited lowest EGDTA values (highest registration quality) throughout the image. Conclusion: The edge distance registration quality metric provides the expected dependence on registration type and ROI location, and shows potential as an automated means of comparing deformable image registration algorithms. Supported by NCI Grant P01 CA 116602


In a warming Arctic, as glacier snowlines rise, short‐ to medium‐term increases in seasonal bare‐ice extent are forecast for the next few decades. These changes will enhance the importance of turbulent energy fluxes for surface ablation and glacier mass balance. Turbulent energy exchanges at the ice surface are conditioned by its topography, or roughness, which has been hypothesized to be controlled by supraglacial hydrology at the glacier scale. However, current understanding of the dynamics in surface topography, and the role of drainage development, remains incomplete, particularly for the transition between seasonal snow cover and well‐developed, weathered bare‐ice. Using time‐lapse photogrammetry, we report a daily timeseries of fine (millimetre)‐scale supraglacial topography at a 2 m2 plot on the Lower Foxfonna glacier, Svalbard, over two 9‐day periods in 2011. We show traditional kernel‐based morphometric descriptions of roughness were ineffective in describing temporal change, but indicated fine‐scale albedo feedbacks at depths of ~60 mm contributed to conditioning surface topography. We found profile‐based and two‐dimensional estimates of roughness revealed temporal change, and the aerodynamic roughness parameter, z0, showed a 22–32% decrease from ~1 mm following the exposure of bare‐ice, and a subsequent 72–77% increase. Using geostatistical techniques, we identified 'hole effect' properties in the surface elevation semivariograms, and demonstrated that hydrological drivers control the plot‐scale topography: degradation of superimposed ice reduces roughness while the inception of braided rills initiates a subsequent development and amplification of topography. Our study presents an analytical framework for future studies that interrogate the coupling between ice surface roughness and hydro‐meteorological variables and seek to improve parameterizations of topographically evolving bare‐ice areas.


Hybrid inorganic–polymer nanocomposites can be employed in diverse applications due to the potential combination of desired properties from both the organic and inorganic components. The use of novel bottom–up in situ synthesis methods for the fabrication of these nanocomposites is advantageous compared to top–down ex situ mixing methods, as it offers increased control over the structure and properties of the material. In this review, the focus will be on the application of the sol–gel process for the synthesis of inorganic oxide nanoparticles in epoxy and polysiloxane matrices. The effect of the synthesis conditions and the reactants used on the inorganic structures formed, the interactions between the polymer chains and the inorganic nanoparticles, and the resulting properties of the nanocomposites are appraised from several studies over the last two decades. Lastly, alternative in situ techniques and the applications of various polymer–inorganic oxide nanocomposites are briefly discussed.


A controlled study of the efficacy of cytosine arabinoside in the treatment of patients with variola major was performed. Cytosine aravinoside was given intravenously at a dose approximating 3 mg/kg of body weight every 24 hr for up to seven days. All nine patients receiving cytosine arabinoside and four of the 11 patients receiving placebo died. In three of the patients receiving cytosine aravinoside, death occurred late in the illness at a time when the patient's lesions began to dry up, the patient's temperature became normal, and the patient's general condition appeared to improve. The virus could be isolated from the blood at day 7 from three of four patients treated with cytosine arabinoside as compared with zero of six control patients. Hematologic data showed a depression in the number of circulating granulocytes. It is possible that the drug lowered the resistance to infection either through direct suppression of granulocytes or through interference with other immune mechanisms. Cytosine arabinside administered in the doses used in this study is not effective in the treatment of variola major.


Background: Flu vaccination is recommended annually for high risk groups. However, in Ireland, free access to vaccination is not universal for those in high risk groups; the vaccine and consultation are only free for those with a medical card, a means tested scheme. Few private health insurance policies cover the cost of attendance for vaccination in general practice. The aim was to examine the influence of this reimbursement policy on vaccination coverage among older adults. Methods: Cross-sectional wave 1 data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) were analysed (2009–2011). TILDA is a nationally representative prospective cohort study of adults aged ≥50, sampled using multistage stratified clustered sampling. Self-reported entitlement to healthcare was categorised as 1) medical card only 2) private health insurance only, 3) both and 4) neither. The outcome was responses to 'have you ever had a flu shot'. Multivariate logistic regression was used, adjusting for age and need. Results: 68.6% of those defined as clinically high-risk received the flu vaccination in the past (95% CI = 67-71%). Those with a medical card were almost twice as likely to have been vaccinated, controlling for age and chronic illness (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.5-2.5, p = <0.001). Conclusions: Having a medical card increased the likelihood of being vaccinated, independent of age and need. The mismatch between vaccination guidelines and reimbursement policy is creating unequal access to recommended services among high risk groups.