This article presents a short excursus into the history of research on western esotericism. At the beginning the basic terms esoterica and esotericism are defi ned. Then the history of societies and academic chairs devoted to research on the subject is examined. The source for research on the subject is the Eranos Circle. Later authors such as Frances Yates took up the study which was continued and developed in the volumes authored by Antoine Faivre and Wouter Hanegraaff. Resorting to generalities in describing the various branches of thought on the subject, the author defi nes three main schools: the American School, the Old European School, and finally the New European School. The principle characteristics of the American School is the acknowledgement of the reality of esoteric experience and a tendency to override the border dividing the researcher and the phenomenon researched as well as attempting to popularize the subject in wide sectors of society. The Old European School is characterized by its extremely critical attitude to esotericism, seeing in it little more than a deviation on the path of the development of culture and religion. The New European School, on the other hand, is guided by a post-modern approach to research on this subject, which leads to the constant study of the problem of dialogue and demands a pluralistic attitude in regard to various forms of esotericism. Another characteristic of this school is the intention to include the study of esotericism as an accepted academic discipline. Some basic problems which face the contemporary researcher of this topic are studied by the author separately. The idea of combining the study of esotericism with the study of theology is also touched upon, pointing out the basic contradiction and incompatibility separating the two subjects. Two approaches for Christian researchers are defined — the approach of the tree and the modernistic approach.


Highly accurate and precise measurements of the inorganic carbon system are crucial for monitoring and assessing the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 by the ocean. The Arctic Ocean is an area of particular interest due to Arctic amplification of climate change. Internally consistent constants are essential for making high quality CO2 system measurements and for calculating the full suite of carbon parameters. Temperatures and salinities in the Arctic are near or below the valid ranges of most carbon system constants, but the applicability has never been fully assessed in the Arctic. Using measurements of all four carbon parameters (total alkalinity, total CO2, pH, and pCO2) made on the Arctic GEOTRACES/GO‐SHIP cruise in summer 2015, we evaluate the internal consistency of six different sets of constants for surface waters at in situ temperature. Five of the six sets of constants are generally internally consistent, but each is statistically significantly different from each other. Although differences among constants are generally within the uncertainty of the calculations, these results indicate caution should be used when comparing data using different constants as biases may result from the choice of constants. We also find significant uncertainty in converting measured pH to pH at in situ temperature. The uncertainty in the pH temperature conversion limits our ability to determine the accuracy of pH measurements, particularly in polar regions. Measurements in marginal ice zones indicate that dissolution of semi‐stable ikaite (CaCO3) may bias total alkalinity measurements, and should therefore be analyzed immediately upon collection or filtered before storage.


Across four studies, guilt led to forgiveness of others' transgressions. In Study 1, people prone to experience guilt (but not shame) were also prone to forgive others for past misdeeds. In Study 2, we manipulated harm- and inequity-based guilt; both increased forgiveness of others' transgressions. Further, the effect of guilt on forgiveness was mediated by identification with the transgressor. In Study 3, we replicated the guilt-forgiveness relationship and examined three other plausible mediators: capability for similar wrongdoing, empathic understanding, and general identification; only identification with the transgressor satisfied the criteria for mediation. In Study 4, we induced guilt by asking participants to harm a friend or stranger. Guilt induced by harming a friend led to greater forgiveness of third-party transgressors, and again, identification with the transgressor mediated the effect. We discuss the implications of these results for understanding how the prosocial effects of guilt extend beyond the boundaries of a single interpersonal relationship.


Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children is associated with severity-dependent changes in neurocognitive functioning. However, the severity of OSA accounts for only approximately 40% of the variance in cognitive performance. Thus, genetic determinants of individual susceptibility may also contribute to the morbidity of OSA. Considering the unique susceptibility of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) knock-out mice to an experimental model of OSA, we examined whether the APOE ε4 allele contributes to increased neurocognitive morbidity in pediatric OSA. Methods: Consecutive habitually snoring and nonsnoring 5- to 7-year-old children underwent overnight polysomnography, neurocognitive testing, and a blood draw the next morning. Children were divided into OSA or no OSA, and OSA children were further subdivided into those with ≥2 abnormal cognitive subtest scores and those with normal cognitive scores. The presence of the APOE ε4 allele was determined from blood genomic DNA. Results: Among all children without OSA, APOE ε4 was present in 3 of 199 children, whereas in those with OSA, APOE ε4 was found in 16 of 146 children (p < 0.0002). Furthermore, 16 of 74 children with OSA and cognitive scores <85% had the APOE ε4 allele compared with 3 of 72 children with OSA with abnormal cognitive scores (p < 0.002). Conclusions: APOE ε4 allele is more frequent in children with obstructive sleep apnea and particularly in those who develop neurocognitive deficits, suggesting that the APOE ε4 allele is associated with not only increased odds of having sleep-disordered breathing, but also with an increased risk for neurocognitive dysfunction.


A bacterial strain 3-1 which could use ACC as the sole nitrogen sources was isolated from Chinese chives rhizosphere soil. The strain was identified as Pseudomonas fluorescent, according to the results of morphology, physiology and the phylogenetical analyses of 16S rDNA sequence. The ACC deaminase activity of Pseudomonas fluorescent 3-1 strain had high level of ACC deaminase activity, 2.63±0.12 µmol α-KA • (mg Pr •h)-1 . The procedure described here was relatively straight forward to isolate and characterize new PGPR strains. This bacterium may be used to facilitate the growth of Porrum.


This study examined the effects of removing dominant organisms from different types of patches at different heights on a rocky shore in the northwest Mediterranean. It was proposed that pre-emption of the substratum was a key process in maintaining differences among patches low on the shore, while physical factors were potentially more important at higher tidal levels. In a first experiment we removed barnacles and turf-forming/encrusting algae from areas of substratum just above and below the upper and lower limits of distribution of the red alga, Rissoella verruculosa, respectively. The experimental plots were either completely cleared, partially cleared (organisms were removed from 50% of the substratum) or left undisturbed (controls). Treatments were replicated in 4 sites (stretches of coastline of 8 to 10 m) above, and 4 sites below, the limits of distribution of Rissoella. This experiment was initiated twice, in July 1994 and January 1995. In a second experiment we manipulated the coverage of Rissoella in correspondence to its upper and lower margins of distribution. The design of this experiment was similar to the previous one. In this case the experimental units consisted of plots where Rissoella was either completely removed or where only the erect fronds were removed while the encrusting base was left in place, and controls. This experiment was done only once (from July 1994 to July 1996). The results of the 2 experiments indicated that when dominant organisms were cleared from the substratum, other species could either extend their vertical range of distribution occupying areas where they did not occur before, as in the case of Rissoella, or change their local abundance as in the case of encrusting algae, Rivularia spp., limpets and the recruits of Chthamalus stellatus. With the exception of Rivularia, clearing areas of substratum had similar effects at different heights on the shore. The model that pre-emption of the substratum maintained differences among patches low, but not high on the shore, was not supported by the experimental results. These indicated that pre-emption of the substratum operated independently from other physical and/or biological processes in influencing vertical patterns of distribution. The large variability among sites documented in this study suggested that models of the distribution of plants and animals should also consider horizontal scales of variation.


The purpose of this study is to examinehowdemocracy andstudent participation hasbeen developed inthethree curricula for upper secondary school. To find this out, I have used the following questions:•Howare the conceptsof democracy and student participationformulated in the various curricula Lgy70, Lpf94 and Gy11? •What changes with regard to these formulations have been made between the curricula Lgy70, Lpf94 and Gy11?The essay is written so that I have interpreted my empirical material to make a discourse analysis in which I analysethe three curricula of upper secondaryschool with the intention to highlight how the ideal of student participation was supposed to look like. The source material that I use in the essay arethe three curricula;Lgy70 , Lpf94 and Gy11 .Student participationhas had a major role in allthecurricula,but ithas changed in how it was madeand how it would be implemented. Lgy70stresses thatformal and collective participation is important, but there are indications of ashift to a more personal and informal participation forthe students. With Lpf94 and Gy11itcan be seenthat it is precisely this change that has taken place in the curriculum. The students' own responsibility to implement and take controlhas increased.


Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) are one of the leading worldwide health care issues. The most prevalent HAI are the Klebsiella species. K. quasipneumoniae strains tend to colonize the gastrointestinal tract (GI) and show high rates of resistance against antibiotics. Orally delivered recombinant bacteriocins, like klebicins, could be employed as oral antimicrobials to eradicate multidrug-resistant Klebsiella from the intestinal tract prior to/during hospitalization.

 This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial efficacy of orally delivered Eudragit - coated klebicin (KvarIa) in a murine lower gastrointestinal tract model of K. quasipneumoniae infection. Four study groups were used (3 animals/group) to test the antimicrobial efficacy of orally delivered klebicin KvarIa: vehicle-only group (control, phosphate-buffered saline), and other three groups with bacteria, antibiotic therapy, and 100 µg of uncoated Kvarla, 100 µg coated KvarIa, 1000 µg coated KvarIa. Faecal and tissue samples were used for Klebsiella haemolysin gene (khe) analysis using RT-PCR.

 The gastrointestinal K. quasipneumoniae colonization was achieved only in the antibiotic-treated mice groups ((i) penicillin, streptomycin or (ii) penicillin, streptomycin, and metronidazole) followed by the introduction of K. quasipneumoniae. Analysis of the antimicrobial efficacy of Kvarla showed that coated-KvarIa significantly reduced colonization of K. quasipneumoniae in both mice groups compared to the control group. The amounts of K. quasipneumoniae changed from 6.3 x 107 CFU/50mg on the 18th day to 3.9 x 105 CFU/50mg on the 22nd day (p = 0.01) in the Eudragit S100-coated KvarIa 100 µg group and from 4.0 x 107 CFU/50mg on the 18th day to 1.6 x 105 CFU/50mg on 22nd day (p = 0.009) in the Eudragit S100-coated KvarIa 1000 µg group.

 Our study demonstrates that colonization of mice intestinal tract by K. quasipneumoniae can be achieved after eradication of resident gut microbiota with antibiotics. Furthermore, using this murine model, we showed that orally delivered encapsulated klebicins substantially reduce K. quasipneumoniae colonization in the lower gastrointestinal tract.


Innovation, entrepreneurship, knowledge, and human capital are widely acknowledged as key levers of development. Yet what are the sources of these factors, and why do they differ in their endowment across regions? Motivated by a belief that theories of economic development can move beyond the generally accepted explanations of location and the organization of industries and capital, this book establishes a behavioural theory of economic development illustrating that differences in human behaviour across cities and regions are a significant deep-rooted cause of uneven development. Fusing a range of concepts relating to culture, psychology, human agency, institutions, and power, it proposes that the long-term differentials in economic development between cities and regions, both within and across nations, is strongly connected to the underlying forms of behaviour enacted by humans on an individual and collective basis. Given a world of finite and limited resources, coupled with a rapidly growing population -- especially in cities and urban regions -- human behaviour, and the expectations and preferences upon which it is based, are central to understanding how notions of development may change in coming years. This book provides a novel theory of the role of psychocultural context and human behavioural and institutional frameworks in uneven economic development on a global scale.


The remuneration committee at Shell decided to exercise their discretionary power to award five top executives a bonus for 2008, even though they had not met the necessary performance measures under the compensation plan. Proxy advisers RiskMetrics and the British Association of Insurers advise their clients to vote against the plan at the upcoming 2009 annual meeting. The Shell remuneration committee wonders how the shareholders will react.


This paper explores how Sharpe and Beetham's Digital Literacies Framework which was derived to model students' digital literacies, can be applied to lecturers' digital literacy practices. Data from a small-scale phenomenological study of higher education lecturers who used Web 2.0 in their teaching and learning practices are used to examine if this pyramid model represents their motivations for adopting technology-enhanced learning in their pedagogic practices. The paper argues that whilst Sharpe and Beetham's model has utility in many regards, these lecturers were mainly motivated by the desire to achieve their pedagogic goals rather than by a desire to become a digital practitioner. Keywords:  pedagogic goal; belief; digital practitioner; motivation; framework; model (Published: 24 July 2014) Citation : Research in Learning Technology 2014,  22 : 21453 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v22.21453


We evaluated the expression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and the potential of MT201 (adecatumumab), a human monoclonal antibody against EpCAM, in uterine serous papillary carcinoma (USPC). EpCAM expression was evaluated by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry in a total of 56 USPC fresh-frozen biopsies and paraffin-embedded tissues. EpCAM surface expression was also evaluated by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry in six USPC cell lines. Sensitivity to MT201 antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity was tested against a panel of primary USPC cell lines expressing different levels of EpCAM in standard 5-h 51Cr release assays. EpCAM transcript was significantly overexpressed in fresh-frozen USPC when compared with normal endometrial cells (NEC). Median (minimum–maximum) copy number was 943.8 (31.5–1568.3) in tumor samples versus 12.9 (1.0–37.0) in NEC (P < 0.001). By immunohistochemistry, EpCAM expression was found in 96% (26 out of 27) of USPC samples with significantly higher expression compared with NECs (P < 0.001). High surface expression of EpCAM was found in 83% (five out of six) of the USPC cell lines tested by flow cytometry. EpCAM-positive cell lines were found highly sensitive to MT201-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in vitro, whereas primary USPC cell lines were resistant to natural killer cell–dependent cytotoxicity. Human plasma IgG did not significantly inhibit MT201-mediated cytotoxicity against USPC. EpCAM is highly expressed in uterine serous carcinoma at mRNA and protein levels, and primary USPC are highly sensitivity to MT201-mediated cytotoxicity. MT201 might represent a novel therapeutic strategy in patients harboring advanced/recurrent or metastatic USPC refractory to standard treatment modalities. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(1); 57–66


Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune blistering disease, in which autoantibodies against epidermal cadherins, such as desmoglein (Dsg)1 and Dsg3, lead to the development of blisters and erosions on the skin and mucous membranes. Autoreactive CD4+ T cells are essential for the induction and perpetuation of the disease by interaction with B cells producing autoantibodies. PV has a strong genetic association with certain human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles with HLA-DRB1*04:02 and LA-DQB1*05:03 being the most prevalent in patients. Recently, genome-wide association studies have provided a new approach to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms, alongside the known association with HLA alleles. Loss of tolerance against Dsgs and other autoantigens is a critical event in the pathogenesis of PV. Epitope spreading contributes to the progression of PV, leading to an extension of the Dsg-specific autoimmune response to other molecular epitopes of autoantigens, such as desmocollins or muscarinic receptors. Alterations in CD4+CD25+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells are thought to contribute to the development of PV representing a suitable target for therapeutic interventions. Several CD4+ T-cell subsets and cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of PV, while Th2 cells are the extensively studied population. Recently, other T cell subsets like T follicular helper cells and Th17 have gained attention as new potential players in PV pathogenesis. The involvement of local autoantibody production in the lesional skin of PV patients in tertiary lymphoid organs is currently discussed but not yet clarified. In this study, we reviewed the current knowledge about the development, characteristics and function of autoreactive T cells in pemphigus and present current new T cell-targeted therapeutic approaches.


The feasibility of miniaturizing a chemical analysis system on a planar substrate has been demonstrated for a system utilizing electrokinetic phenomenon for sample separation and solvent pumping. Using micromachining techniques, a manifold of capillary channels has been fabricated in a planar glass substrate. Separation of components of a mixture using electrophoresis has been achieved within the channels using applied voltages of up to 10 kV. The separation efficiency was in agreement with theory, indicating no interactions between the analyte and the glass walls. Solvent flow could be directed along a specified capillary by application of appropriate voltages, so that valveless switching of fluid flow between capillaries could be achieved.<<ETX>>


This qualitative action research case study examines the experiences of three band students in an American high school. The participants took leadership roles in a large performing ensemble. Their overall experience may be affected by this additional responsibility. To understand more about the role of leadership in the band room the following research questions were investigated: (1) How has student participation in a leadership role influenced his or her view of the band? (2) What are the influences that impact student participation in the band? (3) What are the implications for leadership roles in the band? Three individual students were purposefully selected to participate in this case study. Students were interviewed, and then combined in a focus group and finally observed working with their sections. Individual interviews and the focus group discussion was recorded, transcribed and entered into NVivo. Codes and themes were identified and referenced for common threads and concepts. The goal of this study was to understand and assist the future training of leaders in the band setting.


This 200-page publication provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of more than three decades of the implementation of the World Heritage Convention and highlights a number of its successes and challenges. It includes a history of the 1972 Convention and its implementation, an analysis of the natural and cultural diversity of the world included on the World Heritage List, and a look at the state of conservation of World Heritage sites. Containing a wealth of information with over 100 photographs, 26 maps and numerous tables and graphs, it is intended for the general reader as well as university students and researchers, heritage conservation specialists and policy-makers.


Environmental factors controlling the distribution and abundance of boreal avifauna are not fully understood, limiting our ability to predict the consequences of a changing climate and industrial development activities underway. We used a compilation of avian point-count data, collected over 1990–2008 from nearly 36 000 locations, to model the abundance of individual forest songbird species within the Canadian boreal forest. We evaluated 30 vegetation and 101 climatic variables, representing most of the widely-used dimensions of climate space, along with less usual measures of inter-annual variability. Regression tree models allowed us to calculate the relative importance of climate and vegetation variable classes according to avian migration strategy without the need for a priori variable selection or dimension reduction. We tested for hierarchical habitat selection by formulating hypotheses on the locations of variables within the model tree structures. Climate variables explained the majority (77%) of deviance explained over 98 species modelled. As may be expected at high latitudes, we found energy availability (temperature, 65%) to be more important than moisture availability (precipitation, 12%). The contributions of inter- and intra-annual climate variability (28%) were about half that of mean conditions. The relatively large contribution of remotely-sensed vegetation metrics (23%) highlighted the importance of local vegetation heterogeneity controlled by non-climatic factors. The two most important vegetation variables were landcover type and April leaf area index. When selected, these generally occurred in a model's right subtree, consistent with predictions from hierarchical habitat selection theory. When occupying the root node, landcover effectively delineated the historical forest-prairie ecotone, reflecting the current disequilibrium between climate and vegetation due to human land use. Our findings suggest a large potential for avian distributional shifts in response to climate change, but also demonstrate the importance of finer scale vegetation heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of boreal birds.


. Over the past few decades, clone detection and evolution have become a major area of study in software engineering. Clone detection experiments present several challenges to researchers such as accurate data collection, selecting proper code detection algorithms, and understanding clone evolution phenomena. This paper attempts to facilitate clone detection and evolution research by providing a structured and systematic mechanism to conduct experiments. Clone detection experiments usually consist of several tasks such as fetching data from a version control system, performing necessary pre-processing activities, and feeding the data to a clone detection algorithm. Therefore, a particular clone detection experiment can interpret as a meaningful combination of such tasks into a scientific workflow. In this work, the concrete tasks in a code clone detection workflow are referred to as Building Blocks. This paper presents a useful collection of Building Blocks identified based on a systematic literature review, and a conceptual framework of an experimental testbed to facilitate clone detection experiments. The reusability of the Building Blocks was validated using four case studies selected from the literature. The validation results confirm the reusability and the expressiveness of the Building Blocks in new ventures. Besides, the proposed experimental testbed is proven beneficial in conducting and replicating clone detection experiments.


The search for alternative, potent, cost-effective treatment of ailments caused by resistant microorganisms and the role of plants and their products as essential sources of medicinal agents is receiving increasing attention. Several of these natural products are reported to have capacity to produce natural compounds of high structural diversity that serve as defense agents against invading microorganisms. Cnidoscolus aconitifolius also known as tree spinach is an indigenous tropical tree that has gained lot of importance in its nutritive value and traditional use. This study evaluates the possible effect of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaf extract alone, extract/honey combination on Staphylococcus epidermidis clinical isolate. Phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial efficacy of the extract were performed using standard methods. The results of phytochemical analysis reveal the presence of carbohydrate, tannins, alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, anthraquinone, saponins and carotenoids. Antimicrobial activities showed inhibition zone values of 8.0±0.1 mm for aqueous extract alone, 9.0±0.1 mm for aqueous extract/honey combination. The finding suggests that C. aconitifolius might be a good source of compounds that can be used to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis pathogen and further supports its popular and wide traditional applications in the treatment of various illnesses. Hence the need for further research to exploit the full potential of C. aconitifolius tree in order to influence their extensive consumption, storage, improvement and production.


Iran ABSTRACT Background : Hyperlipidemia is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and the most common problems in the community. The present study examined the effect of grape seed supplementation along with aerobic activity on lipid profile in elderly women Methods: In this experimental study, 40 obese women (BMI≥30 kg/m 2 ) over 60 years were selected and randomly divided into two groups (supplement + Exercise and control group). The exercise program included aerobic exercise with 50% of maximum heart rate for three times a week for 8 weeks plus Grape seed extract supplement 200 mg daily for 8 weeks. Blood sampling after fasting period for 12 hours in pretest and 48 hours after the last training session was taken. To compare data between groups t-test was used. Results: The results showed significant differences in the levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-C and pre-test and post-test group supplemented along with sports activities. Conclusion: Long-term aerobic exercise combined with grape extract consumption may reduce the lipid profile


The stimulus selectivity of synaptic currents in cortical neurons often shows a co-tuning of excitation and inhibition, but the mechanisms that underlie the emergence and plasticity of this co-tuning are not fully understood. Using a computational model, we show that an interaction of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic plasticity reproduces both the developmental and – when combined with a disinhibitory gate – the adult plasticity of excitatory and inhibitory receptive fields in auditory cortex. The co-tuning arises from inhibitory plasticity that balances excitation and inhibition, while excitatory stimulus selectivity can result from two different mechanisms. Inhibitory inputs with a broad stimulus tuning introduce a sliding threshold as in Bienenstock-Cooper-Munro rules, introducing an excitatory stimulus selectivity at the cost of a broader inhibitory receptive field. Alternatively, input asymmetries can be amplified by synaptic competition. The latter leaves any receptive field plasticity transient, a prediction we verify in recordings in auditory cortex.


Benzene dimer has long been an archetype for π-stacking. According to the Hunter–Sanders model, quadrupolar electrostatics favors an edge-to-face CH⋯π geometry but competes with London dispersion that favors cofacial π-stacking, with a compromise "slip-stacked" structure emerging as the minimum-energy geometry. This model is based on classical electrostatics, however, and neglects charge penetration. A fully quantum-mechanical analysis, presented here, demonstrates that electrostatics actually exerts very little influence on the conformational landscape of (C6H6)2. Electrostatics also cannot explain the slip-stacked arrangement of C6H6⋯C6F6, where the sign of the quadrupolar interaction is reversed. Instead, the slip-stacked geometry emerges in both systems due to competition between dispersion and Pauli repulsion, with electrostatics as an ambivalent spectator. This revised interpretation helps to rationalize the persistence of offset π-stacking in larger polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and across the highly varied electrostatic environments that characterize π–π interactions in proteins.


PURPOSE
We evaluated long-term changes of central cone-mediated function in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients by recording focal electroretinograms (fERG).

METHODS
A cohort of 43 RP patients was followed from 4 to 16 years (average follow-up 9.3 years, average 10 examinations/patient) by recording the fERG response to a flickering uniform red field overlaying the central 18° of visual field (VF). Statistical censoring led to a reduced dataset of 32 patients (autosomal dominant 9, recessive 5, sporadic 5, x-linked 1, Usher II 12), from which long-term decay rates were estimated by global fitting of individual fERG amplitude time-curves.

RESULTS
Long-term follow-up of central cone FERG amplitude showed two main features: short-term variability and long-term decline. fERG short-term variability range was 0.14 to 0.2 log units. Mean yearly decay rate of central fERG was 5.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 4%-7%). Yearly decline depended on inheritance pattern, being significantly greater in autosomal recessive and sporadic compared to autosomal dominant RP. The degree of central cone fERG decline was unrelated to the size of the residual VF.

CONCLUSIONS
The decline of central cone function is significantly slower than global cone function decline in RP. Central cone fERG loss is independent of residual VF.


A car engine-thermoelectric source system is constructed. The simulation procedure of the system shows in the following. With the using of AVL-BOOST software, the Operating condition of this system is simulated according to the structure of the engine and the temperature, velocity, pressure of the exhaust are obtained, which are used as the initial conditions of the thermal power. The geometry and mathematical model of thermoelectric generator is established and numerical calculation is done with the Star-CD software. This paper focuses on a type of four-stroke gasoline engine-intramural thermoelectric system and gives a calculation instance of the generator's components.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of age, sevoflurane and isoflurane on atracurium-induced neuromuscular blockade in 3-16 week-old lambs.

STUDY DESIGN
Prospective randomized experimental trial.

ANIMALS
Twenty-six Scottish blackface ewe-lambs were anaesthetized for spinal surgery when either 3-6 (mean age 4.6 weeks; n = 18) or 12-16 weeks (mean age 13.7 weeks; n = 15) of age; seven animals were anaesthetized at both ages.

METHODS
After intramuscular injection of medetomidine (10 μg kg(-1)) anaesthesia was induced in the younger lambs either with isoflurane or sevoflurane in oxygen delivered by mask, and in the older lambs with ketamine (4 mg kg(-1)), and midazolam (0.2 mg kg(-1) ) administered intravenously (IV). In both groups anaesthesia was maintained with fixed end-tidal concentrations of either sevoflurane (2.8%) or isoflurane (1.8%) delivered in oxygen. Before surgery meloxicam (0.6 mg kg(-1)), morphine (0.5 mg kg(-1)) and ketamine (1 mg kg(-1) followed by 10 μg kg(-1) minute(-1) ) were administered IV. The lungs were ventilated mechanically to maintain normocapnia. Neuromuscular block was achieved with a loading dose (LD) of atracurium (0.5 mg kg(-1) IV). The peroneal nerve was stimulated (train-of-four every 12 seconds). Evoked responses in the digital extensor muscles were evaluated by palpation and observation. Maintenance doses (MD) of atracurium (0.17 mg kg(-1) IV) were administered when the first twitch (T1) returned. The onset and duration of LD action (T1 absent) and the duration of MD were recorded. Data were analysed using Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test, repeated-measures anova, Wilcoxon's matched pairs test or Pearson correlation coefficient as relevant (p < 0.05).

RESULTS
Onset of LD action developed significantly (p < 0.05) more rapidly in isoflurane compared with sevoflurane-anaesthetized lambs (55 ± 18 cf. 80 ± 37 seconds). Duration of action of LDs and MDs was longer (p < 0.05) in lambs aged 12-16 than 3-6 weeks (33 ± 5.4 cf. 25 ± 6.4 and 26 ± 4.2 cf. 18 ± 5.5 minutes) but were independent of the anaesthetic used.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
The effect of atracurium is age-dependent in lambs being prolonged in older animals. The onset of neuromuscular blockade is more rapid in isoflurane compared with sevoflurane-anaesthetized lambs.


The variety MD2 of pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) was used in this study. This variety is highly demanded in the international market and known for possessing harvest quality with aroma, high sugar content (14% Brix), vitamins and longer shelf life. However, shortage of planting material has limited the production in Malaysia. In vitro mass propagation using the direct and indirect shoot proliferation techniques was tested on variety MD2. The plantlets were successfully initiated from sucker on solid MS basal medium containing 30 g/L sucrose, 0.1 g/L Myo-inositol and 3 mg/L BAP after one month of culture. The highest direct shoot tips regeneration was obtained on solid MS medium when added with 30 g/L sucrose, 0.1 g/L Myoinositol, 3 mg/L BAP and 1 mg/L NAA. Indirect shoot regeneration was obtained on medium containing 3 mg/L Zeatin after one month of culture. In average, 10 shoots were regenerated from approximately 1 gram of calli. The techniques can produce 100-200 number of plantlet within 4 to 6 months of culture, and ready for planting after 7 months of culture.


Abstract Background Treating patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) remains a major challenge. The choice between an inpatient or an outpatient care setting is an essential issue for the patients and for their relatives with major health economic implications. However, health services‐related studies are lacking. The present study was a descriptive exploration of time‐trends in treatment modes of patients with free and equal access to health services. Methods The study was based on a nationwide cohort of patients diagnosed for the first time with AN, each followed for 5 years in the registers covering the years 1994–2018. The per patient number of hospital admissions, cumulated number of days of hospitalization and number of outpatient visits during the first 5 years after initial diagnosis were considered. Results The cohort of patients with AN with at least 5 years of follow‐up amounted to N = 7,505. A clear trend was observed in the per patient five‐year cumulated number of inpatient days, decreasing by 6% per year after adjustment for age at diagnosis, parental mental diagnosis, and family income. The five‐year number of hospital admissions after initial diagnosis decreased by 2% per year, while no trend was observed for outpatient visits. Conclusions The per patient number of hospitalizations and cumulated days of hospitalization during 5 years after diagnosis were reduced for patients initially diagnosed with AN while there was no change in the number of outpatient visits. The factors contributing to these changes of treatment modes over time are in need of further study.


The objective of this work was to evaluate the micropropagation of blackberry ( Rubus spp.) cultivars, after in vitro conservation under minimal growth conditions. Nodal segments of the 'Guarani', 'Caingangue', 'Ebano', and 'Xavante' genotypes were conserved under minimal growth conditions at 20oC, for 15 months. Microshoots were regenerated and multiplied by up to five successive subcultures, when they were rooted and acclimatized. After 30 days of acclimatization in a greenhouse, rooted plantlets showed no significant losses. Blackberry cultivars can be conserved in vitro for 15 months, without subcultures and, after this time, they can be micropropagated on a large-scale, maintaining the regenerative potential and multiplication.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the epidemiology of mental problems in general practice, from the viewpoint of the general practitioner (GP).

DESIGN
Descriptive population survey.

SETTING
Data were collected from the National Study of Morbidity and Interventions in General Practice.

METHOD
In 1987-1988 we used an interview to assess health status and medical consumption of 10,350 persons, aged 15 and over. At the same time they were screened for mental illness using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). For three months, all doctor-patient contacts, the reason for contact (classified in ICPC) and the GP's assessment of possible psychological factors in the reason for contact were recorded.

RESULTS
Of the patients with a high GHQ score only one third explicitly mentioned his psychological problems to the GP, 70 were recognized by the GP as having psychological problems in the three month period and besides psychological problems this group showed much more acute and chronic physical illness. Patients scoring high on the GHQ have more symptoms, but in general not other symptoms than mentally 'healthy' people have.

CONCLUSION
Screening-programmes on mental illness are not recommended because of the impossible of determining the groups at risk. Prevention might be possible in patients with a high frequency in doctor-patient contacts and many physical complaints. A public health approach, encouraging patients to discuss psychological problems directly with their GP, might be sensible.


A simple method for measuring aggregation and aggregate stability across soils of widely varying structure and texture is presented. The method uses standard techniques of particle-size analysis to measure yield of fine particles (<26-µm estimated spherical diam.) after three types of dispersion treatments: shaking in water or in sodium oxalate (Ox), and sonication in sodium pyrophosphate (PPi). PPi sonication, which provided maximum dispersion, served as our benchmark; it was substantially more effective than the commonly used stirring in hexametaphosphate. Aggregation was then calculated as yield of fines after PPi sonication minus yield of fines after the water shake, the minimum dispersion treatment. Aggregate stability was measured by comparing yield of fines after the Ox shake, the mild dispersion treatment, with that after the water shake; aggregate instability was then calculated. The five soils studied varied markedly in both aggregation and aggregate stability, suggesting that mechanisms of aggregate stabilization differ markedly across soil types. Despite these differences, our method of quantifying mild dispersion by shaking with Ox, which should have negligible effect on subsequent microbiological studies, relative to complete dispersion by PPi sonication should be consistent and applicable over a reasonably wide range of soil types.


A highly virulent strain of the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa-V), the causative agent of bacterial canker of kiwifruit, is threatening the $1.5 billion New Zealand kiwifruit industry. A strain of Psa-V was first identified in Italy in 2008 and related strain with a similar level of virulence arrived in New Zealand in November 2010. Since then it has been spreading rapidly throughout the country with devastating effects. Currently there is no effective treatment for growers to control Psa-V in their orchards and the potential impact of Psa-V on the New Zealand kiwifruit industry and growers is catastrophic. As part of a collaboration between Seeka Kiwifruit Industries, EastPack NZ, and a group of scientists nationwide (Taskforce Green) this work designed and implemented laboratory tests to quantify the effect of candidate antimicrobial sprays. Novel formulations with strong antimicrobial properties, including silver nanoparticles were also tested. This work was complemented by an investigation into the antibiotic resistance potential of Psa-V. A spontaneous streptomycin resistant mutant of Psa-V was generated and the molecular mechanism of resistance was elucidated. Further, gene knockout strategies aimed at facilitating the study of Psa-V virulence genes and ultimately developing a potential biocontrol agent were tested. Overall, this work together with several recent advances in the field should help advise the kiwifruit industry on best practice around the use of anti-Psa-V agents, and may make it possible to facilitate the generation and testing of candidate biocontrol agents in the near future.


Non invasive ventilation (NIV) has been shown to be an effective therapy in selected patients with acute respiratory failure. Due to its benefit and relative ease of use, NIV is frequently used. In addition, the shortage and high cost of intensive care beds have prompted the use of NIV outside the intensive care unit. Choosing the right time and type of patient with acute respiratory failure to improve the chances of success with NIV requires an appropriate environment and monitoring. This review presents and discusses the currently available data regarding NIV success outside the intensive care unit, the optimal ventilatory strategy, possible solutions to the mechanical problems and the minimum monitoring required.


Purpose
This paper aims to test the effectiveness of communication platforms in conveying the importance of sustainability messages focusing on electronic waste (e-waste) recycling. While corporate communication has been explored well, this research explores the influence of communication medium on the shift in attitude and behavioural intention of higher education students.

Design/methodology/approach
An experimental design approach was used with quantitative data analysis to address the research questions.

Findings
The results revealed that the text form of communication was more effective in conveying the e-waste recycling message. Students demonstrated a significant shift in attitude and call for action when they read the sustainability article instead of watching a video with the same message.

Practical implications
With several universities trying to integrate sustainability in their curriculum, this research provides guidelines on effective communication methods for students. It also sheds light on the choice of platforms that can be used by organisations to reach out to their employees to convey sustainability-related messages.

Originality/value
The paper addresses sustainability communication in a university by exploring the best method of communication. The results open up new conversations on the media richness theory in the context of sustainability.


Background Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a hereditary neuropathy caused by mutations in the IKBKAP gene, the most common of which results in variable tissue-specific mRNA splicing with skipping of exon 20. Defective splicing is especially severe in nervous tissue, leading to incomplete development and progressive degeneration of sensory and autonomic neurons. The specificity of neuron loss in FD is poorly understood due to the lack of an appropriate model system. To better understand and modelize the molecular mechanisms of IKBKAP mRNA splicing, we collected human olfactory ecto-mesenchymal stem cells (hOE-MSC) from FD patients. hOE-MSCs have a pluripotent ability to differentiate into various cell lineages, including neurons and glial cells. Methodology/Principal Findings We confirmed IKBKAP mRNA alternative splicing in FD hOE-MSCs and identified 2 novel spliced isoforms also present in control cells. We observed a significant lower expression of both IKBKAP transcript and IKAP/hELP1 protein in FD cells resulting from the degradation of the transcript isoform skipping exon 20. We localized IKAP/hELP1 in different cell compartments, including the nucleus, which supports multiple roles for that protein. We also investigated cellular pathways altered in FD, at the genome-wide level, and confirmed that cell migration and cytoskeleton reorganization were among the processes altered in FD. Indeed, FD hOE-MSCs exhibit impaired migration compared to control cells. Moreover, we showed that kinetin improved exon 20 inclusion and restores a normal level of IKAP/hELP1 in FD hOE-MSCs. Furthermore, we were able to modify the IKBKAP splicing ratio in FD hOE-MSCs, increasing or reducing the WT (exon 20 inclusion):MU (exon 20 skipping) ratio respectively, either by producing free-floating spheres, or by inducing cells into neural differentiation. Conclusions/Significance hOE-MSCs isolated from FD patients represent a new approach for modeling FD to better understand genetic expression and possible therapeutic approaches. This model could also be applied to other neurological genetic diseases.


Yes, it surely does. Urinary bladder conditions such as urinary incontinence, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), bacterial cystitis, and bladder cancer are common, inflicting significant morbidity and mortality, resulting in high costs to healthcare systems and societies across the globe. Given these facts, a biomedical research journal dedicated to basic, translational and clinical research which result in a better understanding of how the bladder (and lower urinary tract) functions and dysfunctions is needed. The scientific disciplines applicable to bladder research are diverse. Bladder (ISSN 2327-2120) would welcome manuscripts of original investigations in disciplines such as (in alphabetic order and representing some, but not all, possibilities): aging biology, bacteriology, biomechanics, cancer biology, cell biology, clinical trials, developmental biology, epidemiology, epigenetics, genetics, geriatrics, infectious disease, immunology, neuroscience, smooth muscle biology, stem cell biology, urodynamics, urothelial biology, and vascular biology. The "life cycle" of the bladder involves embryologic development, achievement of social continence (toilet training), ability to resist infections and cancer, and continued maintenance of efficient storage and emptying of urine. During this "life cycle", clinical bladder conditions of sensory and detrusor smooth muscle dysfunction, ineffective storage/emptying, bladder outlet obstruction, anatomic prolapse, and/or urothelial carcinoma may occur. These "life cycle" events demonstrate the complexities of the bladder. A journal dedicated to understanding these complexities is an idea whose time has come. This new biomedical research journal provides a bladder focused forum for researchers worldwide to publish their latest findings which would otherwise be scattered among other broader scope journals. Bladder is dedicated to providing high quality, fair peer-review with a fast turnaround time. With open access publishing, authors maintain their own copyright and can share their published work freely, including their illustrations, pictures and figures. Bladder's Editorial Board is composed of internationally renowned bladder investigators who will help this journal achieve its goals. We, as co-Editors-in-Chief, with a history of basic, translational and clinical research experiences, bring breadth and depth to editorial management of Bladder. Ultimately, our goal is to make Bladder a high impact journal that will be the "go to" journal for bladder research. Yes, the bladder deserves a journal of its own.


This study examines the nature and extent of climate change disclosures in the corporate annual reports of the listed companies in Dhaka Stock Exchange, Bangladesh. For this purpose, annual reports related to the year 2014 of the sample 88 listed companies have been scrutinized. In regard to this study, content analysis approach has been conducted considering thirteen different disclosure issues regarding climate change. Our analysis provides the comprehension of below average climate change disclosure practices by the Bangladeshi companies, though 58 percent companies have reported at least one issue on climate change and global warming. 'Energy saving & efficiency' and 'water management & pollution' are mostly reported issues that are industry specific requirements in some case. From the viewpoint of industry, Banking industry and Cement industry have started to report some issues related to the climate change, where 4 industries out of selected 17 industries have not provided any climate change disclosure. Disseminating climate change disclosure within 10 sentences by most of the reported companies manifests the desideratum of in-depth disclosure practices.


Sparse Gaussian graphical models characterize sparse dependence relationships between random variables in a network. To estimate multiple related Gaussian graphical models on the same set of variables, we formulate a hierarchical model, which leads to an optimization problem with a nonconvex log-shift penalty function. We show that under mild conditions the optimization problem is convex despite the inclusion of a nonconvex penalty, and derive an efficient optimization algorithm. Experiments on both synthetic and real data show that the proposed method is able to achieve good selection and estimation performance simultaneously, because the nonconvexity of the log-shift penalty allows for weak signals to be thresholded to zero without excessive shrinkage on the strong signals.


The first eye hospital, not only in India but in the whole of Asia as well, and the second oldest in the world, known as 'Madras Eye Infirmary' (MEI) as a public facility was established in Madras city (now Chennai) in 1819 to address the ophthalmic problems of residents of the city and the neighbourhood. Robert Richardson was its first superintendent. Whereas the Madras General Hospital, in the early days of its establishment serviced only the British army personnel and civilians, the MEI, right from inception, serviced Indians for reasons unknown. This facility moved around the town during its early days, but settled in its current location in Marshalls Road (now Rukmini Lakşmipati Sãlai), Egmore (Ézhumbûr) in 1886. The MEI changed names over time: 'Government Ophthalmic Hospital' (GOH, in 1886), and presently the 'Regional Institute of Ophthalmology and Government Ophthalmic Hospital'. Local people fondly refer to it as the Ézhumbûr Kaṇ Ãspatiri. Robert Elliot (1904–1913), Henry Kirkpatrick (1914–1920), Robert Wright (1920–1938), K. Koman Nayar (1940–1945) and R. E. S. Muthayya (1947–1956) are significant names in the annals of GOH. Elliott is remembered by ophthalmic surgeons throughout the world for his pioneering surgical-management technique of glaucoma, which involved a novel improvement made over the one proposed by Pierre Félix Lagrange of Bordeaux in 1907. This note recounts the key milestones and scientific landmarks in the pages of the history of this public facility, while referring to the science promoted by the medical men who led this hospital at various times until 1956 and placed it on the world map of medicine.


Abstract This study aims to (1) define and describe Indonesian learning model for non-native speakers using the cultural aspects which have been implemented; (2) explain and describe the   development   of   Indonesian   learning   model   for   non-native   speakers   using   the contemporary puppet-based as an alternative to BIPA learning based on Indonesian culture.This research belongs to development research. The development is done through three stages as presented namely (1) the early development phase; (2) the validation phase of the research; and (3) the production phase. The data source is in the form of informant of BIPA teachers, BIPA students, contemporary puppeteer, and the experts to validate the data. The documents data is in the form of BIPA textbooks. The events such as BIPA learning in UNS and a puppet show performed BIPA students. The data collection technique is through observation, interviews, document analysis, focus group discussions, and questionnaires. The analysis of the data used interactive analysis.The results of the research showed that learning Indonesian for non-native speakersthat  have been  implemented have  not  reach  the aspects  of active learning to  make the students close to the puppet directly. Students usually just saw through the video or the image of a puppet show. The cultural aspect learning is only by knowing Indonesian dishes, cooking Indonesian food, knowing the traditional market, and others. Thus, the researchers carried out the development of BIPA learning model based on puppet including the aspects of Indonesian culture with the Receptive and Productive models or R and P models. This model is an active learning model. The receptive models is started from the level of liking, the level of enjoying, and the level of reacting integrated with scientific learning steps (5 M) : observing, asking,  trying,  reasoning,  and  communicating.  The  production  aspect  combined  the integrative and interactive ways between the productive level with the mind mapping and role playing methods. Keywords:learning model, BIPA, contemporary puppet


A survey was conducted in Dhemaji district of Assam, India comprising 15 villages and 300 households. Both purposive and random sampling methods were used to evaluate the socio-economic status of the farmers involved in rearing of indigenous chicken, systems of management of indigenous chicken, their morphological features, performance, diseases, mortality pattern and economy of indigenous chicken farming. Out of the 300 respondents interviewed, 31.3 percent were illiterate and majority of them (63.8%) were depended on agriculture for their livelihood. Most of the respondents (71.1%) were female and average age of the respondents was 38.4 years. Flock size ranged from 11-60 chickens. The people were rearing the indigenous chickens under both backyard and free-range system. Morphologically, the indigenous chickens were almost similar in nature. Results of the study in respect of body weight, sexual maturity, egg production, disease outbreak, mortality pattern and economic aspect of indigenous chicken were discussed.


Abstract Liberalism as the ideology of the Western alliance is in crisis. Having seen off Nazism and communism, it gained influence after the end of the Cold War, which produced optimism about security, human rights and global prosperity. Now liberalism, shaken by the financial crisis and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, is in retreat. Illiberal states, notably China and Russia, are reshaping the international system. Liberalism may not be able to continue to bind allies together, or enable them to cooperate effectively in a severe crisis. There are three counters to a gloomy prognosis, however. Firstly, heightened great-power competition has reinforced rather than undermined the alliance. Secondly, Russia and China have no substantial alliances, and are showing that authoritarian governments face serious problems of their own, including entrenched leaderships. Thirdly, liberalism remains better equipped to adapt to new circumstances.


Objective To investigate the clinical effects of laser acupuncture therapy for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) after ineffective previous treatments. Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted in 29 treatment-resistant TMD patients (25 women, 4 men; age range, 17–67 years). Subjects were treated 3 times per week for 4 weeks with the Handylaser Trion (GaAlAs laser diode, 810 nm, 150 mW, pulsed waves), which delivered 0.375 J of energy (5 s) to ST7, ST6, and LI4 and 3 J (40 s) to each Ashi point, 7.5–26.25 J/cm2 in total. The visual analog scale (VAS) and maximal mouth opening (MMO) were evaluated before and after treatment. Results VAS analysis showed that the patients were free of pain at rest (endpoint) after 5.90±6.08 sessions of laser acupuncture for acute TMD and after 16.21±17.98 sessions for chronic TMD. The VAS score on palpation of the temporomandibular joint reduced to 0.30±0.67 for patients with acute TMD (p = 0.005) and to 0.47±0.84 for those with chronic TMD (p<0.001). The MMO significantly increased in patients with acute TMD (7.80±5.43 mm, p = 0.008) and in patients with chronic TMD (15.58±7.87 mm, p<0.001). Conclusions Our study shows that laser acupuncture therapy improves the symptoms of treatment-resistant TMD. Further studies with a more appropriate design, involving long-term follow-up examinations in a larger patient sample, are needed to evaluate its efficacy.


Contamination of ground water has been a major environmental concern in recent years. The potential for ground-water contamination by pesticides depends on porous media, solute, and hydrologic parameters. Although sophisticated deterministic computer models are available for assessing aquifer-contamination potential on a site-by-site basis, most deterministic models are too complex for vulnerability assessment on a regional scale because they require input data that are spatially and temporally variable, and which may not be available at this scale. Therefore, development of an affordable model that is robust under conditions of uncertainty at the watershed scale with minimum input of field data becomes a useful ground-water management tool. The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of fuzzy rule-based techniques in predicting aquifer vulnerability to pesticides at the regional scale. The objectives were to (1) develop fuzzy rule-based models using the same input parameters contained in an index-based model (i.e., the modified DRASTIC model), (2) determine the sensitivity of fuzzy rule model predictions, (3) compare the outputs of the fuzzy rule-based models with those of the modified DRASTIC model and with the results of aquifer water-quality analyses, and (4) examine the spatial variability of field parameters around contaminated wells of the Alluvial aquifer in Woodruff County Arkansas. The fuzzy rule-based model for objective (1) was developed using similar parameter weights and ratings as the modified DRASTIC model. For objective (2), fuzzy rule-based models were created using fewer parameters than the modified DRASTIC model. Sensitivity of the fuzzy rule-based models was determined using different combinations of weights of the four input parameters in DRASTIC. It was found that variations in the weights of the input parameters and number of fuzzy sets influenced the location of the aquifer-vulnerability categories as well as the area within each fuzzy category. The fuzzy rule models tended to predict somewhat higher vulnerabilities of the Alluvial aquifer than the modified DRASTIC model. The fuzzy rule base that had the soil-leaching index (S) as the highest weight was chosen as the best fuzzy rule model in predicting potential contamination by pesticides of the aquifer. In general, the fuzzy rule models tended to overestimate the vulnerability of the aquifer in the study area.


We describe two new species of the annelid genus Trilobodrilus Remane, 1925 (Dinophilidae Verill, 1892) from an intertidal and a subtidal location in San Diego, California. These two species show morphological and molecular divergences between each other and the previously described, geographically distant species. Intertidal T. windansea sp. nov. differs from subtidal T. ellenscrippsae sp. nov. most remarkably in the number and pattern of ciliary tufts and bands on the prostomium and along the body length, besides showing ca 15% difference in gene fragments of COI and CytB. Trilobodrilus windansea sp. nov., though nesting with T. ellenscrippsae sp. nov. in the molecular phylogenetic analyses, morphologically resembles the Japanese T. itoi Kajihara, Ikoma, Yamasaki & Hiruta, 2015 most closely, but still differs from this species in the higher number of apical ciliary tufts, an additional ciliary row posterior to the second ciliary band, and by lacking a forth ciliary band and segmentally arranged lateral ciliary tufts. Trilobodrilus ellenscrippsae sp. nov. is morphologically most similar to the Japanese T. nipponicus Uchida & Okuda, 1943, but is much shorter, has more apical ciliary tufts, and less regularly arranged lateral ciliary tufts along the body. All species differ significantly in all compared gene fragments, and no obvious correlation was found between habitat and the species morphology or relationships.


Vehicular Ad-hoc NETwork (VANET) has received increased attention since the last few years to enhance active safety on the road as well as travel comfort. VANET is a new type of ad-hoc network and it is a form of Mobile Ad-hoc NETwork (MANET) with some unique properties. In VANETs, vehicles can be directly interconnected on roads without the need of any dedicated and fixed infrastructure. MObility model generator for VEhicular networks (MOVE) is used along with Simulation of Urban MObility (SUMO) to generate and simulate realistic mobility model. Network Simulator (version 2) (NS-2) is also used to simulate Ad-hoc On-demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocol for VANET. The generated mobility trace file of MOVE can be used in NS-2. In this paper, the performance matrices with various parameters such as average throughput, average end to end delay, packet delivery fraction (PDF) and routing packets of AODV routing protocol for VANET along the different number of nodes and vehicle speeds are also evaluated and analyzed. KeywordsAODV routing protocol, MOVE, NS-2, Realistic mobility model, Simulation, SUMO, VANET


The present study is aimed to examine all types of Refuse collected (Households, commercial, industrial, and biomedical) and their potential health hazards for Household Refuse workers in Jordan. It also aimed to examine the ways of collecting Refuse and the safety measures which was taken while collecting Refuse.

A self-designed questionnaire was used to study, and examine the occupational health and safety hazards. The target population was (370) of Household Refuse workers, Refuse drivers, and their direct supervisors. A convenient sample of 207 was taken (no probability sampling).

The study showed that household and commercial Refuses are the most Refuses collected by the Refuse worker at 98.1% is household refuse and 97.1% is commercial refuse, per in mind that same workers deal with deferent type of
refuse. It also showed that most Refuse workers do not wear face mask (98.6%), overall (85.5%), rubber boot (78.9%), and protective gloves (45%).

The study also showed that Refuse workers suffered from different types of diseases and symptoms, such as sore throat, cough, and high temperature (55.3%), diarrhea or bloody stool (27.9%), shortness of breath (25%), and skin
disease (20.2%). Refuse workers were prone to different injuries, such as hit by any hard or sharp objects (61.1%), lift more than their capacity (37.4%), and fall while pulling or pushing the Refuse trolley (35.6%). The study also showed that Refuse workers whom were stuck with hard object (21.6%), pricked by hypodermic needles (20.2%), twisted ankle while on duty (34.1%), and suffered from a muscle tear (22.1%). It showed that (93.8%) of
Refuse workers were not vaccinated for tetanus and (85.6%) were not vaccinated for hepatitis.

In conclusion, Refuse workers face a tremendous health challenges. Refuse workers with middle age and with low level of education were at higher risk. Refuse workers should be provided with the necessary protective measures
(face mask, protective gloves, overall, and rubber boot). Education and training programs should be provided to all, and routine medical checkup program should be implemented and maintained, to keep them safe and secure.


Aim With a shortage of faculty to teach on simulation courses, we wanted to focus our attention on the bank of trained simulated delegates to identify potential faculty for future courses. Firstly we would need to find out how many delegates have had opportunity to or would like opportunity to teach on simulation based courses. A short questionnaire was developed to survey delegates from the TtT courses. Objectives Identify if delegates were delivering simulation courses following their attendance on TtT. Identify if they would be keen to help HILS in the future. Summary of work 25 delegates were randomly selected from the courses between April 2012 – September 2015. Each delegate was contacted by telephone and asked the same questions. Results Results show that 28% of people have not had the opportunity to run any simulation courses (Figure 1). Of the 18 delegates that ran simulation courses, over 50% help run simulation courses at least once or more each month (Figure 2).Individuals that had not taught since participating on TtT were asked if they would like to teach in the future. The same question was asked to delegates who had taught simulation in the past. From the 7 who have currently not taught simulation, just over half would like to teach in the future. (Figure 3). Conclusion The results show that the TtT is producing future faculty for simulation courses and there is an interest to continually be involved. As 80% of delegates were interested in teaching on future courses, we believe that HILS could attract more faculty from delegates who attended TtT locally. Also as they have been trained at HILS, they are already familiar with the team and centre so it would make them ideal faculty. However management support would be needed to help the transition.


Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) are a class of brominated flame retardants with some congeners having the ability to accumulate in body lipids. The incorporation of PBDE in consumer products found primarily in the indoor environment suggests that routes of exposure include inhalation of indoor air and contact with indoor dust. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that lifestyle factors, and in particular the proximity and use of products likely to contain PBDE in the indoor environment, are primarily responsible for levels of PBDE found in human milk. Human milk samples were taken from two populations of lactating women in the same geographic region of the United States: one "typical" of US suburban lifestyle, and the other practicing a traditional Amish lifestyle, which excludes many modern amenities containing PBDE, such as computers and televisions. For a subset of the cohort, persistent organic pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were also measured in human milk samples. Despite the small number of participants, there is evidence suggestive of Amish women having lower PBDE concentrations in their milk. In addition, the nonsignificant differences in levels of PCBs and pesticides between the two groups of women as compared to the significant differences in levels of PBDE suggest an important route of exposure for PBDE other than diet. Information prepared for study participants is provided to initiate a dialogue on how to best communicate biomonitoring findings to study participants and to the public in general.


Combining with the rheological characteristics of MRF and the traditional structure of pilot operated relief valve, the key technical problems existing in this type of valve when using MRF instead of mineral oil were analysed. To solve its key technical problems, A novel pilot operated relief valve for MRF system has been designed. Adopting MRF valve for using the pilot valve, designing reasonably the relative position and the size of the working gap in the MRF valve, and optimizing design the structure of the main valve of the pilot operated relief valve for MRF system, can effectively improve the damping force of the MRF valve and reduce the erosion and noise of the pilot operated relief valve for MRF system.


Depression glass was enormously popular in 1930's-40's U.S. It contains many beautiful examples of centrally symmetric design patterns, reflecting the recent introduction of machine made glassware. Depression glass also demonstrates a phenomenon that occurs in many kinds of design patterns: Nested symmetry groups that emphasize various elements, or relations between elements, within the designs. We show several examples of such glassware, with descriptions of the various types of symmetry groups that apply to these examples.


Increasingly digital technology in the present helped many
people lives. Unlike the electoral system, there are many conventional
uses of paper in its implementation. The aspect of security and
transparency is a threat from still widespread election with the
conventional system (offline). General elections still use a centralized
system, there is one organization that manages it. Some of the
problems that can occur in traditional electoral systems is with an
organization that has full control over the database and system, it is
possible to tamper with the database of considerable opportunities.
Blockchain technology is one of solutions, because it embraces a
decentralized system and the entire database are owned by many
users. Blockchain itself has been used in the Bitcoin system known as
the decentralized Bank system. By adopting blockchain in the
distribution of databases on e-voting systems can reduce one of the
cheating sources of database manipulation. This research discusses
the recording of voting result using blockchain algorithm from every
place of election. Unlike Bitcoin with its Proof of Work, this thesis
proposed a method based on a predetermined turn on the system for
each node in the built of blockchain


Background Periodontitis is a multifactorial infectious disease influenced by a myriad of other conditions and factors amongst which, psychosocial stress has emerged as a potential risk indicator. In order to establish this link in a generally accepted theory, we need to better understand the physiological pathways of stress on immune response with implications in the periodontal disease. Objective This article aims at synthesizing the current knowledge on the effect of the psychological factors on the periodontal disease and to provide an insight into the bidirectional links between stress-related disorders and periodontitis via psychoneuroimmunology studies. Data sources A search was performed in 2 databases PubMed and Google Scholar, supplemented by a manual search in peer-reviewed journals and cross-referenced with the articles accessed. The key terms used were: periodontal disease, periodontitis, stress, psychosocial stress, inflammation. Study selection The inclusion criteria were all published potentially relevant articles on relationship between stress, inflammation and periodontitis on human and animal models. The exclusion criteria were articles with non-available full text and articles that were not written in English. Data extraction Two reviewers extracted information regarding the quality and study characteristics independently. The studies were assessed for their methodology, statistical analysis, characteristics of the periodontal outcome measures, and psychological measurements. Data synthesis Considerable evidence documents the link between psychosocial stress and periodontitis. This should redirect the attention of researchers and clinicians towards a multidisciplinary approach to periodontitis where psychosocial disturbances might be a key component into the rebus of disease progression and treatment results. ABSTRACT


Electrochemical biosensors and associated lab-on-a-chip devices are the analytical system of choice when rapid and on-site results are needed in medical diagnostics and food safety, for environmental protection, process control, wastewater treatment, and life sciences discovery research among many others. A premier example is the glucose sensor used by diabetic patients. Current research focuses on developing sensors for specific analytes in these application fields and addresses challenges that need to be solved before viable commercial products can be designed. These challenges typically include the lowering of the limit of detection, the integration of sample preparation into the device and hence analysis directly within a sample matrix, finding strategies for long-term in vivo use, etc. Today, functional nanomaterials are synthesized, investigated, and applied in electrochemical biosensors and lab-on-a-chip devices to assist in this endeavor. This review answers many questions around the nanomaterials used, their inherent properties and the chemistries they offer that are of interest to the analytical systems, and their roles in analytical applications in the past 5 years (2013-2018), and it gives a quantitative assessment of their positive effects on the analyses. Furthermore, to facilitate an insightful understanding on how functional nanomaterials can be beneficial and effectively implemented into electrochemical biosensor-based lab-on-a-chip devices, seminal studies discussing important fundamental knowledge regarding device fabrication and nanomaterials are comprehensively included here. The review ultimately gives answers to the ultimate question: "Are they really needed or can bulk materials accomplish the same?" Finally, challenges and future directions are also discussed.


The effects of chronic, intermittent strain on the mechanosensitive cation (SA-cat) channels in UMR-106.01 osteoblast-like osteosarcoma cells were studied using patch-clamp techniques. Chronically strained cells demonstrated significantly larger increases in whole cell conductance when subjected to additional mechanical strain than nonstrained controls (69.0 +/- 15.1 vs. 14.1 +/- 3.1%; P < 0.001). This increase could be blocked by the SA-cat channel inhibitor, gadolinium, and corresponded to a three- to fivefold increase in SA-cat channel activity. Chronic strain increased the number of open channels in response to stretch and induced spontaneous SA-cat channel activity in 33% of the patches of strained cells. Graded increases in negative patch pressure demonstrated that SA-cat channels in chronically strained cells were activated at significantly lower levels of mechanical perturbation than nonstrained controls. These data suggest that chronic, cyclic strain reduces the activation threshold of the SA-cat channel and further strengthen our hypothesis that this channel may act as a mechanotransducer for the activation of bone remodeling by physical strain.


There is paucity of data on long-term outcome of renal transplantation across different immunosuppression groups. Rationale and Objective: The study looks at long-term outcomes in renal transplant patients receiving azathioprine, cyclosporine combination (Group 1) with mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus (Group 2) with terms of patients and graft survival. We also analyzed the spectrum of infections across the two groups. Study Design: A retrospective observational study was conducted from 1995 to 2014 at St. John's Medical College and Hospital, Bengaluru. Patients received treatment as per standard protocol. Setting and Participants: Renal transplant recipients who regularly visited outpatient department. Analytical Approach: Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS 19 software. Continuous variables were analyzed using Student's t-test. Pearson's correlation test used for correlating variables. Kaplan–Mere curve used for calculating survival. Primary Outcomes: Rejection rates were similar across both the groups. The patient survival was 65% and 70% in Group 1 and 2 at 5 years, respectively. Graft survival was 65% and 75% in Group 1 and 2 at 5 years. Secondary Outcome: Bacterial and fungal infections were more common in Group 1, whereas viral infections were more in Group 2. In addition, infections tend to occur early in Group 2. Limitations: Single center, retrospective study. Conclusion: Patient and graft survival were similar across both the groups.


We examine the effects of active international reserve management (IRM) conducted by central banks of emerging market economies (EMEs) on firm investment in the presence of global financial shocks. Using firm level data from 46 EMEs from 2000 to 2018, we document four findings. First, active IRM positively affects firm investment - the effect strengthens with the magnitude of adverse external financial shocks. Second, financially constrained firms, compared with unconstrained ones, are less responsive to active IRM. Third, our results suggest that the country credit spread is a plausible causal channel of the positive IRM effect on firm investment. Fourth, the policies of capital controls and exchange rate managements are complementary to the IRM – it is beneficial to form a macro policy mix including active IRM to safeguard firm investment against global financial shocks. Further, our results indicate the IRM effect on firm investment is both statistical and economical significance and is relevant to the aggregate economy.


In the past decade, pervasive environments have emerged from promising research concepts to available products present in our everyday lives. By connecting multiple smart objects, device ensembles can be formed to assist users in performing tasks. Furthermore, smart objects can be used to control applications, that, in turn, can be used to control other smart objects. While dynamically connecting these components allows for solutions tailored to the needs and respective tasks of a user, it obfuscates the handling and ultimately may decrease usability. Self-descriptions have been proposed to overcome this issue for ensembles of smart objects. For a more extensive approach, descriptions of applications in pervasive environments need to be addressed as well. Based on previous research in the context of self-explainability of smart objects, we propose a description language as well as a framework to support self-explaining ambient applications (applications that are used within smart environments). The framework can be used to dynamically connect smart objects as well as ambient applications and to realize self-explainability for these interconnected device and application ensembles.


On the basis of results of the sociological monitoring study held by the Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences, the author analyzes the features of the "new crisis reality" and its influence on the political process in contemporary Russia. The author also pays attention to the citizens' perception of activities of the authorities of different levels and of the key public agencies. It is noted in the article that the reorientation of the mass attention from the foreign policy agenda to the problems of the everyday practices substantially reduced the level of confidence in the majority of the state and public institutions to the one of the "Crimean period". At the same time, in accordance with the sociological data, social reaction to the crisis is "childish": Russian society seeks no economic or political changes and associates all its hopes for coming out of the crisis with the head of the state. In this context, the author focuses on the prospects for the evolution of the political regime and for the possible reaction of the Russian society to one or another way of this evolution. The author particularly tries to answer the question whether there are social preconditions for the rebirth of the "super-presidential republic" to an authoritarian personalized regime. Building his analysis on the sociological data, the author gives a negative answer to this question, noting that most Russians associate the future of their state with the type of organization of public life that ensures human rights, freedom of expression of the individual, i.e. with democracy. They do it even in spite of the critical attitude to the "Russian version" of democracy. It is also noted in the article that one can observe contours of a future coalition that is interested in the "Russian version" of democracy. This coalition of the so-called "self-sufficient Russians", on the one hand, focuses on stability and on constructive dialogue with the authorities, and on the other hand, these "self-sufficient Russians" do not need government patronage.


We explore the trade-offs of performing linear algebra using Apache Spark, compared to traditional C and MPI implementations on HPC platforms. Spark is designed for data analytics on cluster computing platforms with access to local disks and is optimized for data-parallel tasks. We examine three widely-used and important matrix factorizations: NMF (for physical plausability), PCA (for its ubiquity) and CX (for data interpretability). We apply these methods to TB-sized problems in particle physics, climate modeling and bioimaging. The data matrices are tall-and-skinny which enable the algorithms to map conveniently into Spark's data-parallel model. We perform scaling experiments on up to 1600 Cray XC40 nodes, describe the sources of slowdowns, and provide tuning guidance to obtain high performance.


The increasing magnitude of HPAI epidemics and the endemicy of H5N1 ask for alternative strategies for prevention and control of HPAI next to measures like culling of infected poultry flocks, pre-emptive culling, and the imposement of movement restrictions. Such an alternative is offered by vaccination, which has been applied during some HPAI epidemics. Over the last years, experimental studies have yielded important information about the effect of vaccination on disease symptoms and excretion. However, little is known about the effect of vaccination on transmission, which is crucial when an epidemic has to be controlled by vaccination. The main goal of this thesis was to gain insight in the transmission parameters of HPAI viruses in birds, and in the effect of vaccination on transmission. To this end, transmission experiments with different HPAI strains in unvaccinated and vaccinated birds of different species were performed. To better understand the origin of an HPAI outbreak from an LPAI outbreak, the transmission characteristics of genetically closely related HPAI and LPAI strains (A/Chicken/Pennsylvania/83) from the subtype H5N2 were compared (Chapter 2). The LPAI and HPAI strains appear to differ quite substantially in their key epidemiological parameters, with the HPAI strain spreading more efficiently and having a longer infectious period. In Chapters 3 and 4 the effect of vaccination on transmission of an H7N7 virus that caused a major epidemic in the Netherlands in 2003 was studied. It appears that the effect of vaccination on transmission depends on the bird species, the vaccine, and timing of vaccination relative to the moment of challenge. A single vaccination was able to sufficiently reduce transmission in chickens (Chapter 3), and in teals (Chapter 4), while in pheasants no significant reduction in transmission was observed (Chapter 4). In chickens a difference in the effect of vaccination on transmission was observed between two vaccines that differed in homology and HA content, and between the time points after vaccination (Chapter 3). Chapter 5 elaborates on this theme by focusing on the transmission dynamics of HPAI H5N1 virus in Pekin ducks. The results show that a genetically distant vaccine is able to significantly reduce transmission, although the analyses did not allow us to conclude that transmission is reduced to the extent that no major outbreaks can occur. The results of Chapters 3-5, furthermore, have shown that silent transmission can occur in vaccinated birds. This implies that vaccination programs should be accompanied by monitoring based on a DIVA (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) strategy. Therefore, in Chapter 6 three different DIVA tests were validated using sera that were obtained from the experiments in Chapter 3. The analyses show that two serological tests based on a heterologous neuraminidase have sensitivities and specificities of more than 0.90 in detecting antibodies, while the sensitivity in detecting infection is substantially lower. The discrepancy between the sensitivity in detecting antibodies and in detecting infection can be explained by the finding that chickens with no virus excretion or only a short period of virus excretion after infection only have a low probability to develop antibodies.


As business and enterprises generate and exchange XML data more often, there is an increasing need for efficient processing of queries on XML data. Searching for the occurrences of a tree pattern query in an XML database is a core operation in XML query processing. Prior works demonstrate that holistic twig pattern matching algorithm is an efficient technique to answer an XML tree pattern with parent-child (P-C) and ancestor-descendant (A-D) relationships, as it can effectively control the size of intermediate results during query processing. However, XML query languages (e.g., XPath and XQuery) define more axes and functions such as negation function, order-based axis, and wildcards. In this paper, we research a large set of XML tree pattern, called extended XML tree pattern, which may include P-C, A-D relationships, negation functions, wildcards, and order restriction. We establish a theoretical framework about "matching cross" which demonstrates the intrinsic reason in the proof of optimality on holistic algorithms. Based on our theorems, we propose a set of novel algorithms to efficiently process three categories of extended XML tree patterns. A set of experimental results on both real-life and synthetic data sets demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed theories and algorithms.


The public believes that job security has deteriorated dramatically in the United States. In this study, I examine job durations from eight supplements to the Current Population Survey (CPS) administered between 1973 and 1993 in order to determine if, in fact, there has been a systematic change in the likelihood of long- term employment. In order to measure changes in the distribution of job durations, I examine changes in selected quantiles (the median and the 0.9 quantile) of the distribution of duration of jobs in progress. I also examine selected points in the cumulative distribution function including the fraction of workers who have been with their employer 1) less than one year, 2) more than ten years, and 3) more than twenty years. The central findings are clear. By the measures I examine, there has been no systematic change in the overall distribution of job duration over the last two decades, but the distribution of long-term jobs across the population has changed in two ways. First, individuals, particularly men, with little education (less than twelve years) are substantially less likely to be in long jobs today than they were twenty years ago. Second, women with at least a high-school education are substantially more likely to be in long jobs today than they were twenty years ago.


Unleash the power of computer vision with Python using OpenCV About This Book * Create impressive applications with OpenCV and Python * Familiarize yourself with advanced machine learning concepts * Harness the power of computer vision with this easy-to-follow guide Who This Book Is For Intended for novices to the world of OpenCV and computer vision, as well as OpenCV veterans that want to learn about what's new in OpenCV 3, this book is useful as a reference for experts and a training manual for beginners, or for anybody who wants to familiarize themselves with the concepts of object classification and detection in simple and understandable terms. Basic knowledge about Python and programming concepts is required, although the book has an easy learning curve both from a theoretical and coding point of view. What You Will Learn * Install and familiarize yourself with OpenCV 3's Python API * Grasp the basics of image processing and video analysis * Identify and recognize objects in images and videos * Detect and recognize faces using OpenCV * Train and use your own object classifiers * Learn about machine learning concepts in a computer vision context * Work with artificial neural networks using OpenCV * Develop your own computer vision real-life application In Detail OpenCV 3 is a state-of-the-art computer vision library that allows a great variety of image and video processing operations. Some of the more spectacular and futuristic features such as face recognition or object tracking are easily achievable with OpenCV 3. Learning the basic concepts behind computer vision algorithms, models, and OpenCV's API will enable the development of all sorts of real-world applications, including security and surveillance. Starting with basic image processing operations, the book will take you through to advanced computer vision concepts. Computer vision is a rapidly evolving science whose applications in the real world are exploding, so this book will appeal to computer vision novices as well as experts of the subject wanting to learn the brand new OpenCV 3.0.0. You will build a theoretical foundation of image processing and video analysis, and progress to the concepts of classification through machine learning, acquiring the technical know-how that will allow you to create and use object detectors and classifiers, and even track objects in movies or video camera feeds. Finally, the journey will end in the world of artificial neural networks, along with the development of a hand-written digits recognition application. Style and approach This book is a comprehensive guide to the brand new OpenCV 3 with Python to develop real-life computer vision applications.


Framed as a letter to Sigmund Freud, this text weaves precariously between psychoanalytic interpretations of mourning and laments sung during an epidemic of an unknown disease in the Delta Amacuro rain forest of Venezuela in 2008. This encounter extends reflection on the ways that Freud, Klein, Laplanche, Nasio, and other psychoanalysts have characterized "the work of mourning," urging attention to the poetics, acoustics, and bodily materiality of lamentation. Focusing on a meeting that took place just before the burial of a young man, it explores claims made by lamenters on audiences, interpellating them into particular modes of listening and demanding attention to the politics of the circulation of images of lives and deaths. This intersection between psychoanalysis and lamentation provides a challenge to rethink the nature of anthropological research and writing.


Warfarin remains a difficult drug to manage due to a narrow therapeutic range and wide interindividual variability in dose requirements. The relationship between warfarin sensitivity and CYP2C9 and VKORC1 variants is strong, and is the basis for several proposed dosing algorithms. Here a gene-based dosing algorithm was compared with standard of care dosing in patients receiving warfarin to prevent venous thromboembolism after joint replacement surgery. Participants (n = 229) were adults (≥18 years) undergoing elective total hip or knee arthroplasty and receiving warfarin under the direction of a dedicated anticoagulation services team. Patients were assigned to genotype-based or standard of care dosing arms in an alternating fashion. Initial dose for patients was determined by validated algorithms from Sconce 2005 and Pendleton 2008. Management was based on INR, but dose was adjusted less aggressively for patients with CYP2C9 variants. The primary endpoint was reduction in the incidence of adverse events; additional endpoints included time to first therapeutic INR (1.8-2.9), time to first supratherapeutic INR, and percent of INR determinations that fell below, within, and above the therapeutic range. Endpoints did not achieve statistical significance, possibly due to the management of this study by a dedicated and experienced anticoagulation services team. Trends in the data suggest that patients with genetic variants progressed to a therapeutic INR faster than patients in whom genetic variants were not detected, and there were fewer adverse events in the genotype-based dosing arm. In addition, the results of this study confirm those of others demonstrating clear relationship of genotype for CYP2C9 and VKORC1 with warfarin dose requirements; as the number of variants in these genes increases, the dose requirement decreases. Of note, the gene-based algorithm utilized here significantly underpredicted the dose requirement for participants with no variants, indicating that patients with no variants should be managed with a different algorithm than patients who inherit genetic variants in CYP2C9 and/or VKORC1. In conclusion, gene-based dosing did not improve warfarin management as defined by INR dose response, using the described protocols for implementation. Findings suggest alternative strategies for dosing based on the presence or absence of genetic variants is needed.


This paper illustrates how the Zipf-Mandelbrot law can emerge in language as a result of minimising the cost of categorising sensory images. The categorisation is based on the discrimination game in which sensory stimuli are categorised at different hierarchical layers of increasing density. The discrimination game is embedded in a variant of the language game model, called the selfish game, which in turn is embedded in the framework of iterated learning. The results indicate that a tendency to communicate in general tenns, which is less costly, can contribute to the emergence of the Zipf- Mandelbrot law.


Particle impact dampers (PIDs) have been shown to be effective in vibration damping. However, our understanding of such dampers is still limited, based on the theoretical models existing today. Predicting the performance of the PID is an important problem, which needs to be investigated more thoroughly. This research seeks to understand the dynamics of a PID as well as those parameters which govern its behavior. The system investigated is a particle impact damper with a ceiling, under the influence of gravity. The base is harmonically excited in the vertical direction. A two-dimensional discrete map is obtained, wherein the variables at one impact uniquely dictate the variables at the next impact. This map is solved using a numerical continuation procedure. Periodic impact motions and "irregular" motions are observed. The effects of various parameters such as the gap clearance, coefficient of restitution, and the base acceleration are analyzed. The dependence of the effective damping loss factor on these parameters is also studied. The loss factor results indicate peak damping for certain combinations of parameters. These combinations of parameters correspond to a region in parameter space where two-impacts-per-cycle motions are observed over a wide range of nondimensional base accelerations. The value of the nondimensional acceleration at which the onset of two-impacts-per-cycle solutions occurs depends on the nondimensional gap clearance and the coefficient of restitution. The range of nondimensional gap clearances over which two-impacts-per-cycle solutions are observed increases as the coefficient of restitution increases. In the regime of two-impacts-per-cycle solutions, the value of nondimensional base acceleration corresponding to onset of these solutions initially decreases and then increases with increasing nondimensional gap clearance. As the two-impacts-per-cycle solutions are associated with high loss factors that are relatively insensitive to changing conditions, they are of great interest to the designer.


There is a need to develop cost effective ways to bring hands-on education about essential information technologies, such as electronic health record (EHR) systems to nursing students, nursing faculty and practitioners. This is especially the case as worldwide there is an increased deployment of these systems and they are transforming the practice of healthcare. However, due to technical, financial and knowledge limitations, many nursing schools and programs do not have an adequate way to bring such technology into their classes and curricula. In this paper we describe an approach to developing Web-based EHR education that allows students from any Web-accessible location to access and work with real EHR systems remotely over the Internet for learning purposes. In this paper we describe our work in moving this approach to a cloud-based solution to allow access to EHRs for educational purposes from any location with Web access and to do so in a way that is both educationally sound and cost effective.


Inductive logic programming (ILP) is a subfield of machine learning which uses first-order logic as a uniform representation for examples, background knowledge and hypotheses. In this paper we deal with the template consistency problem, i.e., the problem of finding a consistent hypothesis, which is essential in ILP. A consistent hypothesis entails all positive examples and no negative example. The paper suggests using constraint satisfaction techniques to find suitable unifications of variables in the template and to perform the incurred subsumption checks.