Dermatophytes cause superficial fungal infections that pose public health problem to man and animals. Long term treatment with antifungal agents is required to control these infections. Various parts of Azadirachta indica are claimed to have significant medicinal value in treatment of infections especially ringworm. To determine the antifungal activity of the oil and fractions against dermatophytes isolated from clinical cases. Seeds of A. indica were collected, dried, grinded and extracted with hexane using soxhlet and cold maceration. Physicochemical analysis of the oil was carried out as described by Association of Official Analytical Chemists methods (AOAC, 1990). Fractionation of the oil was subjected using column chromatography and Infra-Red (I.R) analysis using spectrophotometer. Swab samples were collected from pupils in Kudan, Kaduna State with suspected cases of Tinea corporis (ringworm). The causative fungal organisms were isolated and identified by routine mycological and biochemical procedures. The antifungal activities of the extracts were evaluated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) and diameter zones of inhibition. Hexane extract from soxhlet method of extraction showed higher diameter zone of inhibition against isolated dermatophytes (Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum and Microsporum canis), ranging from 14.33 – 17.33 mm. The MIC and MFC values of the extract range from 3.13 to > 50% v/v and 50 to >50%v/v respectively. The oils and fractions recorded class of compounds which include alkyl, alkanes, alkenes, aliphatic esters, ketone, carboxylic acid, amide and alkyl halide. Hexane extract of seed of A. indica extracted by soxhlet and cold maceration methods had inhibitory activities against the causative agents of T. corporis (ringworm) when tested.

 Key words: Dermatophytes, Azadirachta indica, antifungal, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR).


The probability distribution P(k) of the sizes k of critical trees ( branching ratio m = 1) is well known to show a power law behavior k(-3/2). Such behavior corresponds to the mean-field approximation for many critical and self-organized critical phenomena. Here we show numerically and analytically that also supercritical trees (branching ration m > 1) are critical in that their size distribution obeys a power law k(-2). We mention some possible applications of these results.


The purpose of the present study was to determine if trihydroxymethamphetamine (THMA), a metabolite of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy"), or its thioether conjugate, 6-(N-acetylcystein-S-yl)-2,4,5-trihydroxymethamphetamine (6-NAC-THMA), play a role in the lasting effects of MDMA on brain serotonin (5-HT) neurons. To this end, novel high-yield syntheses of THMA and 6-NAC-THMA were developed. Lasting effects of both compounds on brain serotonin (5-HT) neuronal markers were then examined. A single intraventricular injection of THMA produced a significant lasting depletion of regional rat brain 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), consistent with previous reports that THMA harbors 5-HT neurotoxic potential. The lasting effect of THMA on brain 5-HT markers was blocked by the 5-HT uptake inhibitor fluoxetine, indicating that persistent effects of THMA on 5-HT markers, like those of MDMA, are dependent on intact 5-HT transporter function. Efforts to identify THMA in the brains of animals treated with a high, neurotoxic dose (80 mg/kg) of MDMA were unsuccessful. Inability to identify THMA in the brains of these animals was not related to the unstable nature of the THMA molecule because exogenous THMA administered intracerebroventricularly could be readily detected in the rat brain for several hours. The thioether conjugate of THMA, 6-NAC-THMA, led to no detectable lasting alterations of cortical 5-HT or 5-HIAA levels, indicating that it lacks significant 5-HT neurotoxic activity. The present results cast doubt on the role of either THMA or 6-NAC-THMA in the lasting serotonergic effects of MDMA. The possibility remains that different conjugated forms of THMA or oxidized cyclic forms (e.g., the indole of THMA) play a role in MDMA-induced 5-HT neurotoxicity in vivo.


As 5G networks are being rolled out in many different countries nowadays, the time has come to investigate how to upgrade and expand them toward 6G, where the latter is expected to realize the interconnection of everything as well as the development of a ubiquitous intelligent mobile world for intelligent life. To enable this epic leap in communications, this article provides an overview and outlook on the application of sparse code multiple access (SCMA) for 6G wireless communication systems, which is an emerging disruptive non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) scheme for the enabling of massive connectivity. We propose to apply SCMA to a massively distributed access system whose architecture is based on fiber-based visible light communication, ultra-dense networks, and NOMA. Under this framework, we consider the interactions between optical fronthauls and wireless access links. In order to stimulate more upcoming research in this area, we outline a number of promising directions associated with SCMA for faster, more reliable, and more efficient multiple access in future 6G communication networks.


Turbo-receivers reduce the effect of the interference-limited propagation channels through the iterative exchange of information between the front-end receiver and the channel decoder. Such an iterative (turbo) process is difficult to describe in a closed form so the performance evaluation is often done by means of extensive numerical simulations. Analytical methods for performance evaluation have also been proposed in the literature, based on Gaussian approximation of the output of the linear signal combiner. In this paper, we propose to use mutual information to parameterize the logarithmic-likelihood ratios (LLRs) at the input/output of the decoder, casting our approach into the framework of extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) analysis. We find the EXIT functions of the front-end (FE) receiver analytically, that is, using solely the information about the channel state. This is done, decomposing the FE receiver into elementary blocks described independently. Our method gives an insight into the principle of functioning of the linear turbo-receivers, allows for an accurate calculation of the expected bit error rate in each iteration, and is more flexible than the one previously used in the literature, allowing us to analyze the performance for various FE structures. We compare the proposed analytical method with the results of simulated data transmission in case of multiple antennas transceivers.


In this paper we propose a tactile sensor consisting of standing 300 nm-thick piezoresistive cantilevers embedded in PDMS. The sensor detects the shear stress applied on its surface. Since the thin cantilever deforms only in one direction, the sensor can detect the one directional deformation of PDMS by monitoring the change of resistance of the cantilever. We applied the force of 0 [N] to 2.0 [N] in the X, Y, and Z directions to the sensor. The sensor showed a good linearity (R/sup 2/ = 0.983) and high sensitivity in X-axis. The sensitivities in the other axes were low enough to separate the X-axial component of applied force.


This paper describes a wireless sensor network for mine safety monitoring. Based on the characteristics of underground mine gallery and the requirements for mine safety monitoring, we proposed a distributed heterogeneous hierarchical mine safety monitoring prototype system, namely HHMSM This system is capable of monitoring methane concentration, and locating miner. We proposed a novel overhearing-based adaptive data collecting scheme which exploits the redundancy and correlation of the sampling readings in both time and space to reduce traffic and control overhead with a well-bounded offset error for large-scale sensor networks. This mechanism is easy to implement and low-cost compared to other more theoretically based mechanisms such as Kalman filter. Experimental results show that HHMSM achieves better performance on flexibility, correctness, coverage, and lifetime compared with other existing wireless mine safety monitoring systems.


This thesis is in two parts. Part I is a phonetic study of the sounds of the Karanga dialect of Shona, prefaced by a review of some of the major works on Shona phonetics. The review, written from the point of view of current scientific theory, isolates those areas of the subject in which the present author hopes to make a contribution. In order to bring some order to the analysis and classification of the sounds of the dialect, a brief outline of the phoneme theory as set out by the post- Bloomfieldians is given in the first chapter. The review is thus set against the background of that theory and it is argued that the work of Doke (1931) and Fortune (1955, 1968) would have benefitted if it had been conducted within the framework of an explicit theory such as that propounded by the American structuralist phonemicists. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 are a phonetic study of the sounds of Karanga: the distinctive segments of the dialect are grouped into classes using articulatory criteria. Then each class is described with a view to pin-pointing some of the outstanding acoustic features which characterise it and such features are compared with those reported for the sounds of other languages in articles and books by other phoneticians. The outstanding phonetic features described in Part I are used as the basis for an inventory of distinctive features used in Part II. In the latter part, in 1. All the instrumental material is contained in Vol. II of the thesis. particular in Chapter 7, the distinction between phonology and grammar has become very narrow indeed. That Chapter (Chapter 6 is on segmental phonological processes) is on the tonal processes caused by the affixation of certain grammatical prefixes on to nominal stems, e.g. what have been called the prefixes of "association" and "similarity", /na-/, "with" or "in the company of..", and /sa-/, "like" or "resembling", respectively. The nouns of Shona fall into a number of classes each of which is made up of items with a variety of tone patterns. The study reported in that chapter is interesting in that the rules which one can posit to account for these tonal processes are, to a large extent, similar, in spite of the fact that the prefixes perform diverse grammatical functions.


Innovation and technology brought by the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) have become an urgent reality to all teachers because of the need for a virtual classroom. In South Africa, over 13 million students in almost 25,000 schools have been affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. Most school teachers were not trained for online teaching, which was the only safe method of teaching during the lockdown period. This study, therefore, investigated how innovation and technology were utilised to mitigate the virtual classroom problems during the COVID-19 lockdown. This study employed a qualitative research approach using interviews to collect data based on the phenomenological research design. The sample for this study consisted of 12 lecturers purposively drawn from one university in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Thematic content analysis was performed on the data. The findings revealed that a majority of the participants have poor pedagogical skills especially those related to using technologies such as Blackboard, Microsoft Teams, and V-Drive on computers for online teaching engagements during the COVID-19 lockdown; strategies utilised by the participants for their teaching activities during the lockdown included Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp voice notes, email attachments for sending bulky teaching materials to students, and other Computer-instructional resources. Thus, this study recommends an urgent need for capacity development workshops to equip lecturers with computer and ICT skills, knowledge, and strategies for online teaching delivery and increased provision of adequate learning and teaching facilities in all public educational institutions, including those in the rural areas.


A method is developed from combined viscous-dynamic hydroplaning theory to rate the skid resistance of wet pavements in terms of pavement microtexture and macrotexture drainage coefficients derived from full-scale tire-pavement friction tests. The friction tests can be conducted using any of the conventional tire test operating modes such as braked rolling, yawed rolling, or locked-wheel sliding. Once the drainage coefficients have been established for a wet pavement surface by friction test in a particular tire operating mode, the method can be used to predict friction coefficients on the wet pavement surface for the other tire operating modes, as well as friction coefficients for different-size tires and inflation pressure conditions. The procedure for using the method is described and examples are given. The method is used to evaluate the skid resistance, microtexture, and macrotexture characteristics of 83 highway pavements in Switzerland which were tested by The Institute of Technology (ISETH) using a skiddometer (locked-wheel test mode) over a 40 to 100-km/h speed range. The results obtained are compared with British pendulum, sand patch, and outflow meter tests of pavement surface texture also performed by ISETH on the same 83 highway pavements. Comparison with experimental data shows that the method gives reasonable estimates of friction coefficient for both aircraft and automobile tires for the examples cited.


XANTHINE urolithiasis is uncommon in dogs, with case series giving a prevalence of between 0.07 and 0.46 per cent (Houston and Moore 2009, Osborne and others 2009, Low and others 2010). The most common cause of canine xanthinuria is iatrogenic when allopurinol is administered, inhibiting xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) (Bartges and Kirk 2008).

In human beings, primary xanthinuria may be caused by enzyme deficiency or a cofactor abnormality. XDH deficiency may be isolated (type I), due to a missense mutation in the encoding gene for XDH, or in association with aldehyde oxidase deficiency, due to a missense mutation of the MCSU gene. Both are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner (Levartovsky and others 2000, Ichida and others 2001). Human beings with these defects may be asymptomatic with incidental hypouricaemia (Holmes and others 1974). Clinical signs, when they occur, are related to muscle deposition of xanthine causing myopathy, or renal dysfunction due to renal deposition (Nyhan 2005). A final cause of primary xanthinuria is an abnormality of the molybdenum cofactor required by xanthine oxidase, aldehyde oxidase and sulphite oxidase. Sulphite oxidase deficiency results in dramatic clinical signs of neonatal seizures and ophthalmic abnormalities (Wadman and others 1983).

Xanthine uroliths appear uncommon in cats, with a prevalence of 0.1 per cent reported in uroliths submitted to the Minnesota Urolith Center, USA (Osborne and others 2004). There are case reports of xanthinuria in two domestic shorthair cats and one Himalayan cat (White and others 1997, Tsuchida and others 2007, Schweighauser and others 2009). Single nucleotide polymorphism analysis of the XDH gene in a xanthinuric Himalayan cat suggested that it had …


Study of development of physical motorik in Kindergaten must be done with the technique and way of interesting, so that child motivated to follow the study activity. As characteristic of study system in Kindergaten that is learn at the same time play at and play at at the same time learn. Play at to represent the basic requirement every child. Its meaning, playing at to represent one of most phenomenon of natural or natural in phase of child life. Effort teacher to develop the motoric child not yet showed the maximal result and lack of physic appliance supporting study, so that child of indigent of application of teacher boldness, require to be by effort of study development which inspirative, inovative, challenging, pleasing and motivating and can give the positive response learn to child to increase process and development of motoric child. This research aim to description of applying of practice technique to increase skill of motoric of child and description of applying of practice technique to increase activities of learn child in TK Karnida Bahagia of Perum Sidomulyo Pekanbaru. Data collecting of research at even semester of study year 2009-2010, The research instrument that is sheet of observation of activity of child and teacher. Analyse the data by qualitative usher the cycle, while analysis of result of domination motoric with the quantitative approach. The research result got by conclusion that applying of practice technique can uplift skill the motorik of child and applying of practice technique can improve the activity learn child in TK Karnida Bahagia of Perum Sidomulyo Pekanbaru. Applying of practice Technique can give the positive respon, capable to improve the effectiveness of domination of motorik child. And to reaching of study result by playing at optimal, have to be supported ably the understanding of teacher to structure of anatomy of body and function. With this understanding is teacher can create the creative game, inspiration, innovate, challenging, pleasing, and motivating, supporting growth of ability motoric needed by child. Keywords: practice technique, motoric


This tutorial examines the failure theories of Tresca and von Mises, both of which are crucial for designing metallic structures. Conventionally, Tresca is regarded as more conservative than von Mises from a deterministic perspective. This tutorial, however, introduces a different viewpoint, presenting a scenario where von Mises theory may appear more conservative when variability in the mechanical system parameters is considered. This often overlooked aspect is not extensively addressed in standard textbooks on solid mechanics and the strength of materials. The tutorial aims to shed light on the non-negligible probability where von Mises criterion yields a smaller equivalent stress than Tresca, thus being more conservative. It underscores the importance of integrating probabilistic considerations into stress analyses of solids, offering valuable insights for the education of structural mechanics.


Mice irradiated with a dose of 4,78 Gy X-radiation were treated 3 or 5 days with a thrice-daily dose of chloramphenicol of 160 or 320 mg/kg. Observation of the incorporation of 59Fe into the heme fraction suggested that chloramphenicol has a depressive effect on erythropoiesis in the spleen of nonirradiated animals, and clearly proved this in irradiated ones. Depression in the bone marrow of nonirradiated animals was not observed, in irradiated animals a depressive effect was shown, though less strong than in the spleen. As benefits these findings there is an accentuation of postirradiational anemia after chloramphenicol treatment of irradiated animals, and signs of incipient anemia in nonirradiated animals. All the effects mentioned were repaired within 14 days of the end of chloramphenicol treatment.


Green chemistry is the preferred approach for the synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles due to its environmental friendliness, feasibility, and safety to human health when compared with other chemical or physical methods. Caesalpinia spinosa is a promising resource to be applied in the green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles due to the high amount of polyphenols. The aim of the present research was to obtain an antifungal coating functionalised with nanoparticles synthesised from C. spinosa tannin and aqueous solutions of metallic (silver and copper) salts to control biodeterioration of acrylic paints and bricks. Green synthesised NPs were characterised by UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The silver nanoparticles with average size of 12 nm and obtained from a 500 ppm aqueous solution of C. spinosa tannin inhibited the growth of Aspergillus niger, Penicillium commune and Lasiodiplodia theobromae. These strains were previously isolated from a biodeteriorated facade. Functionalised coating obtained with silver nanoparticles synthesised from C. spinosa tannin is reported for the first time as antifungal protective system of acrylic paints and bricks.


In cognitive psychology, some experiments of games were reported [1, 2, 3, 4], and these demonstrated that real players did not use the "rational strategy" provided by classical game theory. To discuss probabilities of such "irrational choice", recently, we proposed a decision-making model which is based on the formalism of quantum mechanics [5, 6, 7, 8]. In this paper, we briefly explain the above model and calculate the probability of irrational choice in several prisoner's dilemma (PD) games.


The zenital dependence of muon intensity which reaches the earth's surface is well known as proportional to cosn(θ). Generally, for practical purposes and simplicity in calculations, n is taken as 2. However, compilations of measurements show dependence on the geographical location of the experiments as well as the muons energy range. Since analytical solutions appear to be increasingly less necessary because of the higher accessibility to low cost computational power, accurate and precise determination of the value of the exponent n, under different conditions, can be useful in the necessary calculations to estimate signals and backgrounds, either for terrestrial and underground experiments. In this work we discuss a method for measuring n using a simple muon telescope and the results obtained for measurements taken at Campinas (SP), Brazil (22o 54′W , −41o03′, 854 m asl) and at Fermilab Batavia (IL), United States (41.83, 88.26Ł, 220 m asl). After validation of the method, we intend to extend the measurements for more geographic locations due to the simplicity of the method, and thus collect more values of n that currently exist in compilations of general data on cosmic rays.


This paper examines the implications of the learning curve in a world of uncertainty. We consider a competitive firm whose costs decline with cumulative output. Because the price of the firm's output evolves stochastically, future production and cumulative output are unknown, and are contingent on future prices and costs. We derive an optimal decision rule that maximizes the firm's market value: produce when price exceeds a critical level, which is a declining function of cumulative output. We show how the shadow value of cumulative production, as well as the total value of the firm, depend on the volatility of price and other parameters. Over the relevant range of prices, uncertainty reduces the shadow value of cumulative production, and therefore increases the critical price required for the firm to begin producing.


Seen and Unseen explores how visual mediums construct visual cultures that create limited perspectives of issues and groups, specific to this volume, the representation of Islam and Muslims. It deals with fixed and stereotypical visual representations and explores alternative and challenging representations that are reconstructing existing belief systems.


OBJECTIVES
Pulmonary artery (PA) cannulation during peripheral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been shown to be effective either for indirect left ventricular (LV) unloading or to allow right ventricular (RV) bypass with associated gas-exchange support in case of acute RV with respiratory failure. This case series reports the results of such peculiar ECMO configurations with PA cannulation in different clinical conditions.

METHODS
All consecutive patients receiving PA cannulation (direct or percutaneous) from January 2015 to September 2018 in 3 institutions were retrospectively reviewed. Isolated LV unloading or RV support, as well as dynamic support including initial drainage followed by perfusion through the PA cannula, was used as part of the ECMO configuration according to the type of patient and the patient's haemodynamic/functional needs.

RESULTS
Fifteen patients (8 men, age range 45-73 years, EuroSCORE log range 14.45-91.60%) affected by acute LV, RV or biventricular failure of various aetiologies, were supported by this ECMO mode. Percutaneous PA cannulation was performed in 10 patients and direct PA cannulation, in 5 cases. Dynamic ECMO management (initially draining and then perfusing through the PA cannula) was carried out in 6 patients. Mean ECMO duration was 9.1 days (range 6-17 days). One patient exhibited pericardial fluid during the implant of a PA cannula (no lesion found when the chest was opened), and weaning from temporary circulatory support was achieved in 14 patients (1 who received a transplant). Three patients (20%) died in-hospital, and 12 patients were successfully discharged without major complications.

CONCLUSIONS
Effective indirect LV unloading in peripheral venoarterial ECMO as well as isolated RV support can be achieved by PA cannulation. Such an ECMO configuration may allow the counteraction of common venoarterial ECMO shortcomings or allow dynamic/adjustable management of ECMO according to specific ventricular dysfunction and haemodynamic needs. Percutaneous PA cannulation was shown to be safe and feasible without major complications. Additional investigation is needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of such an ECMO configuration and management in a larger patient population.


Winner of the 2006 Whitley Award for Best Conservation Text Practical Conservation Biology covers the complete array of topics that are central to conservation biology and natural resource management, thus providing the essential framework for under-graduate and post-graduate courses in these subject areas. Written by two of the world's leading environment experts, it is a 'must have' reference for environment professionals in government, non-government and industry sectors. The book reflects the latest thinking on key topics such as extinction risks, losses of genetic variability, threatening processes, fire effects, landscape fragmentation, habitat loss and vegetation clearing, reserve design, sustainable harvesting of natural populations, population viability analysis, risk assessment, conservation biology policy, human population growth and its impacts on biodiversity. Practical Conservation Biology deals primarily with the Australian context but also includes many overseas case studies. The book is the most comprehensive assessment of conservation topics in Australia and one of the most comprehensive worldwide.


Diffusion is an important mechanism for failure inducing phenomena in many applications. The common Pb-free solder alloys used in the current generation of electronics packages are complex multiphase multicomponent materials. As the scale of the solder joint decreases, it becomes increasingly important to account for the effect of surface phenomena such as grain boundary evolution, surface diffusion and interfacial reactions in the mechanics of the solder joints. The dynamics of these diffusion driven interfacial phenomena are affected by the state of stress and the electric current in the solid. The primary challenges to modeling the dynamics of evolution are the tracking of the interface while satisfying the boundary conditions for the bulk problem.In previous work, the authors utilized the phase field method in conjunction with a commercial finite element code to study the effect of stress and electrical fields on the diffusion driven evolution of voids in solder interconnects. The utilization of commercial tools for the simulation of the stress, electrical and thermal fields allowed for the use of pre-existing meshes and allowed the study of electromigration failure in assemblies of solder joints. However, the use of commercial tools can be expensive and the options for parallel simulation are limited, restricting the size and complexity of the simulations.In this work, the authors describe DiffCode, a parallel adaptive finite element code for three-Dimensional simulation of electromigration and stress migration driven failure due to void evolution and growth in solder as well as line interconnects using the phase field method. Several illustrative two-dimensional and three-dimensional electromigration driven void evolution simulations are demonstrated using the code.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


Present research aims to determine the amount of occupational stress and to identify organizational factors creating occupational stress among high school Principals in Zahedan. Research used was a descriptivesurveying method. Statistical population of research involved all high school principals of Zahedan city. The sample contained 150 principals (78 female, 72 male) who had been selected by stratified-random sampling. Data-collecting tool consisted of :Wiliam Dyer's" questionnaire of occupational stress and researcher made questionnaire of effective organizational factors in creating stress with 29 questions on "Lickert's" five-optional scale. For testing the questions and hypotheses of the research; single-sample T-test, independent t-test and Ftest were used. Attained results showed that the high school principals were under occupational stress, and that all four organizational factors, namely occupational necessities 1 , physical necessities, role necessities and interactive necessities were effective in creation of occupational stress in high school principals of Zahedan city. The results also showed that excepting the sort of institution, there were identical insights among principals, based on gender, years of service and their course of study, into the effect of studied factors.


When studying the immune status of the organism the use of additional exposures allow to clear up the defective character of physiological functions even when overt changes are absent. Altitude chamber hypoxia++, reproduction of allergic reactions of the slow and non-slow types, pathogenic Escherichia infection followed by assessment of virulence factors were used as such a stress under exposure to chemicals, electromagnetic fields of radio frequencies. A model was developed for the determination of safe levels of exposure to environmental factors, which makes it possible to differentiate the damaging and defence action of antibodies on the basis of their influence on the fetus and offspring. The effects of antibodies characterized by the postimplantation mortality of fetuses may be used as a criterion of significance for the organism of shifts in immunological reactivity.


Summary The Rufous-throated Dipper Cinclus schulzi is endemic to the Southern Yungas of north-western Argentina and southern Bolivia. The species is categorised as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List on the basis of small population size and restricted range. The purpose of our study was to determine the distribution of potentially suitable habitat for the Rufous-throated Dipper, estimate its population size, and assess potential distribution within strict protected areas, in north-western Argentina. We surveyed 44 rivers in the Southern Yungas of Argentina from 2010 to 2013 to determine dipper density (i.e. the number of individuals detected per km surveyed). The dipper's potential distribution was assessed using a maximum entropy modeling approach based on 31 occurrence points and eight bioclimatic and two topographic variables as predictors. The species is dependent on mountain forest rivers, so the potential distribution was restricted to rivers. We estimated dipper population size by multiplying density by the potential distribution along rivers. Finally, we calculated the extent of suitable habitat contained within the boundaries of Argentina´s National Parks. Dipper density was 0.94 ± 1.55 individuals/km. We estimate that within north-west Argentina there are ~2,815 km of river that are potential habitat, with an area of occupancy of 141 km2 and a population size of 2,657 ± 4,355 dippers. However, of this river extent, less than 5% is within National Parks. Our results highlight the need to create new and to enlarge existing National Parks that protect the potentially suitable habitat of the species. Although more information is needed for Bolivia, the country-level area of occupancy and population size of the dipper found in Argentina provides strong evidence that the IUCN Red List classification of this species as 'Vulnerable' is warranted.


The feasibility of using naturally extracted solutions as wood preservative chemical was tested. Extracts extracted from mimosa (Acacia mollissima Willd.), quebracho (Shinopsis lorentzii Griseb.), and Pinus brutia Ten. bark were used to treat sapwood of Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), beech (Fagus orientalis L.), and poplar (Populus tremula L.) at two different retention levels (6% and 12% weight/weight) against the subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei Clement (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae). The lowest mass loss and highest termite mortality rates were recorded for mimosa and quebracho extract treated woods at the 12% concentration level. Pine bark extract seemed to be ineffective as a wood preservative chemical even at the highest retention level. The results suggest that mimosa and quebracho extracts can be utilized as an environmentally-sound alternative wood preservative chemicals for indoor applications against Reticulitermes grassei.


The characterization of interlaminar fracture--with the goal to obtain a database that can be used in design--is demonstrated for a first generation graphite/epoxy composite widely used by European aircraft manufacturers. Critical energy release rates for Mode I and Mode II failure have been obtained from static tests using double cantilever beam, end notched flexure, and transverse crack tension specimens. An interaction criterion for the mixed mode case is formulated based on the results from mixed mode bending tests. Fatigue tests have been carried out to determine the Paris law parameters for pure Mode I, pure Mode II, and mixed mode conditions as well as threshold energy release rates that could be used as a design limit in a no-growth concept. In accordance with the static case, an interaction criterion is formulated for the crack growth rate under mixed mode conditions. Delamination progression in more complex specimens has been measured, and mixed mode energy release rates have been computed along the delamination fronts. Results lie well within the scatter band of the Paris law as obtained by the specimens employed for characterization. This confirms that the data obtained from the characterization of interlaminar fatigue growth can be applied for predictions inmore » design.« less


The solution of the inverse problem in scatterometry employing deep ultraviolet light (DUV) is discussed, i.e. we consider the determination of periodic surface structures from light diffraction patterns. With decreasing dimensions of the structures on photo lithography masks and wafers, increasing demands on the required metrology techniques arise. Scatterometry as a non-imaging indirect optical method is applied to periodic line structures in order to determine the sidewall angles, heights, and critical dimensions (CD), i.e., the top and bottom widths. The latter quantities are typically in the range of tens of nanometers. All these angles, heights, and CDs are the fundamental figures in order to evaluate the quality of the manufacturing process. To measure those quantities a DUV scatterometer is used, which typically operates at a wavelength of 193 nm. The diffraction of light by periodic 2D structures can be simulated using the finite element method for the Helmholtz equation. The corresponding inverse problem seeks to reconstruct the grating geometry from measured diffraction patterns. Fixing the class of gratings and the set of measurements, this inverse problem reduces to a finite dimensional nonlinear operator equation. Reformulating the problem as an optimization problem, a vast number of numerical schemes can be applied. Our tool is a sequential quadratic programing (SQP) variant of the Gauss-Newton iteration. In a first step, in which we use a simulated data set, we investigate how accurate the geometrical parameters of an EUV mask can be reconstructed, using light in the DUV range. We then determine the expected uncertainties of geometric parameters by reconstructing from simulated input data perturbed by noise representing the estimated uncertainties of input data. In the last step, we use the measurement data obtained from the new DUV scatterometer at PTB to determine the geometrical parameters of a typical EUV mask with our reconstruction algorithm. The results are compared to the outcome of investigations with two alternative methods namely EUV scatterometry and SEM measurements.


In this note, I decompose LFPR movements into the contributions of the inflows into participation --the Ins-- and the outflows out of participation --the Outs--. Contrary to conventional wisdom, movements in the outflow rate account for most of the variation of the labor force participation rate: the LFPR increases in tight labor markets because fewer workers leave the labor force, not because more nonparticipants enter. The cyclicality of the outflow rate is in turn mechanically driven by a composition effect: in tight labor markets, job seekers find jobs faster and as a result become less likely to leave the labor force.


Credit life insurance, which repays some or all of a borrower's outstanding debt in the event of death, has been a controversial subject for many years. Critics assert that, despite regulations that limit tied sales, pressure on loan officers to generate fee income through cross selling creates an incentive for coercion of borrowers. Allegedly, some sales techniques leave the consumer with the false impression that the purchase of credit insurance was necessary to obtain the loan. This article measures the frequency with which creditor efforts to sell credit insurance transform the sales message from persuasive to coercive. A methodology is developed for measuring the impact of coercive selling pressure applied to borrowers at the point of sale. Data used to measure the effect of coercive pressure are taken from an extensive survey of borrowers conducted during 1993. Not only are public policy concerns about coercion in the selling of credit insurance addressed, but more generally the article offers a methodology to quantify the influence of the customer's point-of-sale experience on the decision to purchase any financial service. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Primary objective : This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of the Chinese version of Cognistat for patients with stroke in a Chinese community. Methods and procedures : A total of 53 patients and 34 normal elderly with age, gender and literacy level matched were tested with the Chinese translated version of Cognistat. Outcomes and results : The results suggest that the patients performed significantly lower than their normal counterparts on the test. The Orientation, Attention and Calculation sub-tests were the most significant contributors to its high sensitivity (0.79) and specificity (0.85), which is largely consistent with the original English version. A two-factor structure was confirmed with the 10 sub-tests clustered into the areas of fluid and crystallized abilities, which indicates that the translation of the test content did not alter the structure of the instrument. However, the low level of literacy of the local elderly population and language structure tends to slightly alter the cognitive profile of the patients. Conclusions : Further studies are recommended to further explore the cross-cultural issues and clinical implications on establishing cognitive profile for patients with stroke with Cognistat.


Preface. Contributors. 1 Polyelectrolytes. Physicochemical Aspects and Biological Significance (Magnus Ullner). 1.1 Introduction. 1.2 Polyelectrolytes and Biological Function. 1.3 Electrostatic Interactions. 1.4 Solution Properties. 1.5 Flexibility. References. 2 Solution Behavior of Nucleic Acids (Rita S. Dias). 2.1 Biological Function of Nucleic Acids. 2.2 Discovery of DNA. 2.3 Structure of Nucleic Acids. 2.4 Nuclei Acids Nanostructures. 2.5 Behavior of DNA in Solution. 2.6 Melting of Double-Stranded DNA. Acknowledgments. References. 3 Single DNA Molecules: Compaction and Decompaction (Anatoly A. Zinchenko, Olga A. Pyshkina, Andrey V. Lezov, Vladimir G. Sergeyev, and Kenichi Yoshikawa). 3.1 Introduction. 3.2 Condensation and Compaction of DNA by Surfactants. 3.3 DNA Condensation by Cationic Liposomes. 3.4 DNA Compaction and Decompaction by Multivalent Cations. 3.5 DNA Compaction by Polycations. 3.6 Compaction of DNA in a Crowded Environment of Neutral Polymer. 3.7 Conclusion. References. 4 Interaction of DNA with Surfactants in Solution (Rita S. Dias, Kenneth Dawson, and Maria G. Miguel). 4.1 Introduction. 4.2 DNA-Cationic Surfactant Interactions. 4.3 DNA Covalent Gels and Their Interaction with Surfactants. 4.4 Applications. Acknowledgments. References. 5 Interaction of DNA with Cationic Polymers (Eric Raspaud, Adriana C. Toma, Francoise Livolant, and Joachim Radler). 5.1 Introduction. 5.2 Theory of DNA Interacting with Polycations. 5.3 Condensation of DNA, Phase Diagram, and Structure. 5.4 Formation of Polycation-DNA Complexes: Polyplexes. 5.5 DNA-Nanoparticles for Gene Delivery. 5.6 Cellular Uptake and Intracellular Interactions of Polyplexes. 5.7 Conclusion. Acknowledgment. References. 6 Interactions of Histones with DNA: Nucleosome Assembly, Stability, Dynamics, and Higher Order Structure (Karsten Rippe, Jacek Mazurkiewicz, and Nick Kepper). 6.1 Introduction. 6.2 Histones. 6.3 Structure of Histone-DNA Complexes. 6.4 Assembly of Nucleosomes and Chromatosomes. 6.5 Stability and Dynamics of Nucleosomes. 6.6 Higher Order Chromatin Structures. Acknowledgments. References. 7 Opening and Closing DNA: Theories on the Nucleosome (Igor M. Kulic and Helmut Schiessel). 7.1 Introduction. 7.2 Unwrapping Nucleosomes. 7.3 Nucleosome Sliding. 7.4 Transcription Through Nucleosomes. 7.5 Tail Bridging. 7.6 Discussion and Conclusion. Acknowledgment. References. 8 DNA-DNA Interactions (Lars Nordenskiold, Nikolay Korolev, and Alexander P. Lyubartsev). 8.1 Introduction. 8.2 The Statistical Polymer Solution Model Predicts DNA Collapse/Aggregation Phase Behavior. 8.3 DNA in Solution is Condensed to a Compact State by Multivalent Cationic Ligands. 8.4 Ion Correlation Effects Included in Theory and in Computer Modeling Explain DNA-DNA Attraction. 8.5 Conclusions and Future Prospects. References. 9 Hydration of DNA-Amphiphile Complexes (Cecilia Leal and Hakan Wennerstrom). 9.1 Introduction. 9.2 General Properties of DNA Double Helices and Cationic Aggregates. 9.3 Thermodynamics of DNA-Amphiphile Complexes. 9.4 Molecular Properties of DNA-Amphiphile Complexes. 9.5 Concluding Remarks. References. 10 DNA-Surfactant/Lipid Complexes at Liquid Interfaces (Dominique Langevin). 10.1 Introduction. 10.2 Soluble Surfactants. 10.3 Insoluble Surfactants. 10.4 Lipids. 10.5 Mixtures of Surfactants and Lipids. 10.6 Conclusion. References 286 11 DNA and DNA-Surfactant Complexes at Solid Surfaces (Marite Cardenas and Tommy Nylander). 11.1 Introduction. 11.2 Adsorption of DNA at Surfaces. 11.3 Attachment of DNA Surfaces-Strategies and Challenges. 11.4 DNA Structure on Surfaces-Comparison with Highly Charged Polyelectrolytes. 11.5 Some Applications-Arrays and Nanostamping. Acknowledgments. References. 12 Role of Correlation Forces for DNA-Cosolute Interactions (Malek O. Khan). 12.1 Introduction. 12.2 Experimental Evidence of DNA Condensation Induced by Electrostatic Agents. 12.3 Simulations Used to Characterize the DNA Compaction Mechanism. 12.4 Ion Correlations Limiting the Validity of DLVO Theory. 12.5 Ion Correlations Driving the Compaction of DNA. 12.6 Conformation of Compact DNA-The Coil to Toroid Transition. 12.7 Conclusions. References. 13 Simulations of Polyions: Compaction, Adsorption onto Surfaces, and Confinement (A.A.C.C. Pais and P. Linse). 13.1 Introduction. 13.2 Models. 13.3 Solutions of Polyions with Multivalent Counterions. 13.4 Polyion Adsorption onto Charged Surfaces. 13.5 Polyions in Confined Geometries. 13.6 Concluding Remarks. References. 14 Cross-linked DNA Gels and Gel Particles (Diana Costa, M. Carmen Moran, Maria G. Miguel, and Bjorn Lindman) 14.1 Introduction. 14.2 Covalently Cross-Linked DNA Gels. 14.3 ds-DNA versus ss-DNA: Skin Formation. 14.4 DNA Gel Particles. 14.5 Physical DNA Gels. References. 15 DNA as an Amphiphilic Polymer (Rita S. Dias, Maria G. Miguel, and Bjorn Lindman). 15.1 Some General Aspects of Self-Assembly. 15.2 Illustrations. References. 16 Lipid-DNA Interactions: Structure-Function Studies of Nanomaterials for Gene Delivery (Kai K. Ewert, Charles E. Samuel, and Cyrus R. Safinya). 16.1 Introduction. 16.2 Formation and Structures of CL-DNA Complexes. 16.3 Effect of the Lipid-DNA Charge Ratio ( r chg) on CL-DNA Complex Properties. 16.4 Effect of the Membrane Charge Density (sM) on CL-DNA Complex Properties. 16.5 Effect of Nonlamellar CL-DNA Complex Structure on the Transfection Mechanism. 16.6 Model of Transfection with Lamellar CL-DNA Complexes. 16.7 Model of Transfection with Inverted Hexagonal CL-DNA Complexes. 16.8 PEGylated CL-DNA Complexes: Surface Functionalization and Distinct DNA-DNA Interaction Regimes. 16.9 Conclusion and Summary. Acknowledgments. References. Index.


This research demonstrates the important role of the remote sensing in finding out the different parameters behind the agricultural crop change, forest cover and urban 3D models. Standalone software is developed to view and analysis the different factors effecting the change in crop productions. Open-source libraries from the Open Source Geospatial Foundation have been used for the development of the shape-file viewer. Software can be used to get the attribute information, scale, zoom in/out and pan the shapefiles. Environmental changes due to pollution and population that are increasing the urbanisation and decreasing the forest cover on the earth. Satellite imagery such as Landsat 5(1984) to Landsat TRIS/8 (2014), Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) and NDVI are used to analyse the different parameters that are effecting the agricultural crop production change and forest change. It is advisable for the development of good quality of NDVI and forest cover maps to use data collected from the same processing methods for the complete region. Management practices have been developed from the analysed data for the betterment of the crop and saving the forest cover


IZA DP No. 15002 JANUARY 2022 Updates on Returns to Education in India: Analysis Using PLFS 2018-19 Data In this paper, we report returns to education in India using unit level data from the nationwide Periodic Labour Force Survey for 2018-19. OLS estimates from the classical Mincerian equation are presented. Various econometric techniques (e.g., conventional IV and heteroskedasticity-based IV models) are used to address endogeneity and sample selection issue. For regular workers, compared to those with no formal education, an additional year of literacy education increases yearly return by 2.3%, primary education by 3.4%, middle school education by 3.7%, secondary school education by 4.5%, higher secondary education by 5.8%, graduate and diploma by 9.8%, and postgraduate and above level of education by 8.2%. We also find a widening of the wage distribution, with striking differences across social groups, sectors, locations. First, returns to middle-school and above level of education are higher for women than for men; second, returns to graduate and above level of education are higher for urban than for rural workers; third, returns to workers in the public sector are higher than returns in the private or third sectors; fourth, returns to the scheduled tribe are the highest across all the castes. Over the last decade, returns to education have reduced. We provide evidence showing that this may be because more people hold higher levels of education qualifications, while the demand for skills remains quite stable. Overall, our policy suggestion is that in India, as in other lowmiddle-income countries, especially in rural areas, it is important to increase primary and secondary level of education in rural areas, and the tertiary level in urban areas and to equalize the life chances of some social groups. JEL Classification: I26, J15, J16, J30, C20


This paper proposes a procedure for facial template synthesis based on features extracted from multiple facial instances with varying pose. The proposed system extracts the rotation, scale and translation invariant SIFT features, also having high discrimination ability, from the frontal and half left and right profiles of an individual face images. These affine invariant features obviate the need of ad-hoc algorithms to register features of side profiles against frontal profiles for feature-set augmentation. An augmented feature set is then formed from the fusion of features from frontal and side profiles of an individual, after removing feature redundancy. The augmented feature sets of database and query images are matched using the Euclidean distance and Point pattern matching techniques. The experimental results are compared with the system using only frontal face images for both the matching strategies. The reported results prove the efficacy of the proposed system.


A trained chaplain can be a major resource to families of patients in the I.C.U. The classical perceptions of a clergy person as God's representative, as an intermediator, as the repository of ethical standards and as the ritual leader at the time of death all work to help support families in crisis. Properly understood a chaplain can use these archetypical projections to help families deal with their stress. This in conjunction with the rest of the treatment team, can aid families to better cope with anxiety.


This paper proposes a low voltage ride through (LVRT) scheme of doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) based on the supercapacitors energy storage. The novel control strategy of the bi-directional converter and the grid side converter is established. Simulation model of the DFIG system is developed. Simulation results show that the presented scheme can efficiently reduce the DC-link overvoltage, supply reactive power to the power system through grid side converter, and help grid recovery under system fault, improving the LVRT capability of the system.


Big Black Holes Black holes come in two sizes: stellar-mass black holes, with masses just above that of the Sun, and supermassive black holes, with masses up to a billion times that of the Sun. The hyperluminous x-ray source HLX-1 in the spiral galaxy ESO 243-49 is the best candidate to host a black hole of intermediate mass. Webb et al. (p. 554, published online 5 July) now report the detection of transient radio emission from this source, which may represent a jet ejection event. The radio flares indicate a mass that is consistent with that of an intermediate mass black hole. Jets have been seen to emanate from both supermassive and stellar-mass black holes. Intermediate mass black holes thus seem to behave like other black holes. Observations of a candidate intermediate-mass black hole support the scale invariance of jets in black holes. Relativistic jets are streams of plasma moving at appreciable fractions of the speed of light. They have been observed from stellar-mass black holes (~3 to 20 solar masses, M☉) as well as supermassive black holes (~106 to 109 M☉) found in the centers of most galaxies. Jets should also be produced by intermediate-mass black holes (~102 to 105 M☉), although evidence for this third class of black hole has, until recently, been weak. We report the detection of transient radio emission at the location of the intermediate-mass black hole candidate ESO 243-49 HLX-1, which is consistent with a discrete jet ejection event. These observations also allow us to refine the mass estimate of the black hole to be between ~9 × 103 M☉ and ~9 × 104 M☉.


Background Higher incidence of SDB has been reported from West in patients having sight threatening retinopathy with limited information from South Asia. Methods It was a prospective, observational study carried out on 80 patients of type 2 DM presented to Vitreo-retinal clinic. Patients with coronary artery disease, acute and chronic Heart Failure, concurrent hypothyroidism, known Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with DM and of any known respiratory disorder were excluded. On the basis of fundus and fluorescein angiography they were divided into two Groups, Group I without retinopathy (n=30) and Group II with retinopathy (n=50). Latter had 30 and 20 patients of Non Proliferative Diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and Proliferative Diabetic retinopathy (PDR) respectively. All patients underwent whole night attended polysomnography in the hospital. Results The patients having diabetic retinopathy had higher age, BMI, waist circumference, Serum creatinine, HbA1c and Apnea Hypoapnea index (AHI) (p<0.05). PDR sub-group had a higher waist and neck circumference however NPDR patients had a higher HbA1c (p<0.05). OSA was observed in 66% and 40% of patients with & without diabetic retinopathy (12/30 vs. 33/50) respectively. On subgroup analysis, 90% of patients having PDR had OSA as compared to 50% in NPDR group. Severity of OSA was proportional to the presence of retinopathy (AHI=24.35±27.72 vs. 13.09±20.3 in Gp II & Gp.I respectively). It was nearly twice as severe in PDR Group than NPDR Group ((34.91±30.61 vs 17.3±23.94) with significantly higher desaturation (5.37±5.09% vs. 11.53±6.82%). On multivariate regression analysis only HbA1c levels correlated with presence of SDB in Diabetics. Conclusion In a selective hospital based population of type 2 DM, prevalence and severity of SDB correlated with severity of retinopathy. A larger longitudinal study is need of the hour to predict factors responsible for OSA and find correlation between SDB with diabetic retinopathy. Key words sleep disordered breathing, type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, NPDR, PDR, Apnea Hypoapnea Index.


The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) crosses rugged topography to the north of South Georgia. In this region the subsurface expression of the Polar Front (PF) is generally thought to occur north of the Maurice Ewing Bank (MEB) close to the Subantarctic Front (SAF). However, in January 1996 the PF was south of the bank, separate from the SAF, in a position where it was most likely constrained by local bathymetry. High rates of transport (25 Sv eastward) were present at the PF, consistent with previous estimates for this current core. High transport rates (20 Sv westward) were also present along the northern shelf of South Georgia close to where the southern ACC Front (sACCF) has previously been reported. During our occupation, the sACCF was not encountered as it probably lay outside the survey area. Comparisons with recent circumpolar analyses emphasise the potential for variability in the region.


Since customer attention is increasing due to growing customer health awareness, it is important for the perishable food supply chain to monitor food quality and safety. This study proposes a real-time monitoring system that utilizes smartphone-based sensors and a big data platform. Firstly, we develop a smartphone-based sensor to gather temperature, humidity, GPS, and image data. The IoT-generated sensor on the smartphone has characteristics such as a large amount of storage, an unstructured format, and continuous data generation. Thus, in this study, we propose an effective big data platform design to handle IoT-generated sensor data. Furthermore, the abnormal sensor data generated by failed sensors is called outliers and may arise in real cases. The proposed system utilizes outlier detection based on statistical and clustering approaches to filter out the outlier data. The proposed system was evaluated for system and gateway performance and tested on the kimchi supply chain in Korea. The results showed that the proposed system is capable of processing a massive input/output of sensor data efficiently when the number of sensors and clients increases. The current commercial smartphones are sufficiently capable of combining their normal operations with simultaneous performance as gateways for transmitting sensor data to the server. In addition, the outlier detection based on the 3-sigma and DBSCAN were used to successfully detect/classify outlier data as separate from normal sensor data. This study is expected to help those who are responsible for developing the real-time monitoring system and implementing critical strategies related to the perishable supply chain.


In this study, ethanol produced from fruits of pineapple, orange and sweet lime was investigated. Effect of different constant times [24 and 72 h, and 8 days (in submerged fermentation)]; pH (3.5 to 8.5), temperature (78°C) and autoclave pre-treatment (121°C, 20min) were also studied to improve the yield of ethanol in fruits. Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida alb cans) are used for fermentation. Fermentation process used solid state fermentation and submerged fermentation methods. The results showed that there is a substantial increase in the quantity of ethanol produced in submerged fermentation as compared to that produced by the solid state fermentation. Optimal ph and temperatures for the better yield of ethanol were 3.5 to 8.5 and 78°C respectively. Autoclave pre treatment protected the samples from contamination and increased the volume of ethanol.


Abstract Background Higher body mass index (BMI) has been shown to increase postoperative complications in autologous breast reconstruction. However, the correlation with flap weight is unknown. Here, we explore the relationship of flap weights and complication rates in patients undergoing microvascular breast reconstruction. Methods Retrospective chart review identified all patients undergoing microvascular breast reconstruction with abdominally based flaps at a single institution between November 2007 and April 2013. Breasts with documented flap weight and 1-year follow-up were included. Patients undergoing stacked deep inferior epigastric perforator flaps were excluded. Breasts were divided into quartiles based on flap weight and examined by demographics, surgical characteristics, complications, and revisions. Results A total of 130 patients undergoing 225 flaps were identified. Patients had a mean age of 50.4 years, mean BMI of 27.1 kg/m2, and mean flap weight of 638.4 g (range: 70–1640 g). Flap weight and BMI were directly correlated. Flaps were divided into weight-based quartiles: first (70–396 g), second (397–615 g), third (616–870 g), and fourth (871–1640 g). There were no associations between flap weight and incidences of venous thrombosis, arterial thrombosis, hematoma, flap loss, fat necrosis, or donor site hernia. However, increased flap weight was associated with increased rate of donor site wound healing problems in both univariate and multivariate analysis. Conclusions Increased flap weight is not associated with added flap complications among patients undergoing microvascular breast reconstruction, however, patients with flaps of 667.5 g or more are more likely to have donor site healing problems. The success and evidence contrary to previous studies may be attributed to surgeon intraoperative flap choice.


This paper develops a theoretical discussion about the definition of the unit of content in spoken language. The issue originates from the applicative field of corpus-based lexico-statistical surveys, which are traditionally and prevalently used to optimize and standardize the programs for the vocabulary didactics of foreign languages. The main critical limitation of lexico-statistical inquiries can be identified in their impossibility to determine a representative threshold of the basic content lexicon of a language or, put otherwise, the most important words referring to the concrete things that are spoken about. Beyond the threshold of the most recurring 1,000 lexemes, in fact, words virtually show low and irregular as well as semi-equivalent probabilities to recur in spoken texts. The lexico-statistical applications that have followed aim exactly at overcoming this limitation. Albeit through different methodologies, the various approaches conceive in fact the basic content lexicon as made up by the most frequent or used concrete substantives of a language. From time to time, either limited or particularly extensive series of concrete nouns have been compiled: however, these nouns are de facto subject to sporadic and irregular trends of recur-rence values in spoken texts and are likely to be encountered very rarely by the language user in actual spoken utterances. The discussion on basic spoken contents simply ends up in a theoretical flaw and in a mere representational paradox, because it investigates and describes exactly what is not constitutive of the examined phenomenon. The consideration of the very semiotic peculiarity of spoken language constitutes the premise of an alternative definition of its meaning unit. The things that are talked about are in fact expressed only sporadically, because they are embedded in the situational context wherein they are shared – and mostly reiterated – by the conversation partners. More than with a dis-crete lexical element, the unit of spoken content seems to be identifiable with the holistic con-versational practice that is instead regularly carried out by the speakers within likely ordinary frames of experience; consequently it seems to be closer to a basic unit in the "practice of meaning" than to an isolated meaning constituent. As the habitudinary modality of construct-ing, inhabiting and sharing our everyday form of life, the meaning unit in spoken language rather unveils as a narrative unit, for reasons that this paper explores in details. Such an alter-native theoretical vision is dealt with in the final part of the contribution, which also outlines further issues related to the possibilities of both its representation and its didactic usability.


In the gambling foundation of probability theory, rationality requires that a subject should always (never) find desirable all nonnegative (negative) gambles, because no matter the result of the experiment the subject never (always) decreases her money. Evaluating the nonnegativity of a gamble in infinite spaces is a difficult task. In fact, even if we restrict the gambles to be polynomials in Rn, the problem of determining nonnegativity is NP-hard. The aim of this paper is to develop a computable theory of desirable gambles. Instead of requiring the subject to accept all nonnegative gambles, we only require her to accept gambles for which she can efficiently determine the nonnegativity (in particular SOS polynomials). We call this new criterion bounded rationality.


A Late Carboniferous (Early Moscovian) olistostrome developed in the Kadamzhai and Khaidarkan gold-antimony-mercury deposits on the Alay Ridge northern slope (Kyrgyzstan), at the front of the Late Paleozoic Southern Tian Shan nappes, is characterized. It comprises a sub-nappe olistostrome in a collisional tectonic setting. The olistostrome contains olistoliths and olistoplaques containing parts of the mid-Paleozoic sedimentary successions belonging to the parautochthon and lower nappes of the northern Bukantau–Kokshaal branch of the Southern Tian Shan nappe belt. The olistostrome accumulated ahead the advancing nappes in the foredeep basin that was filled with turbidities and debris-flow deposits (Tolubai Formathion). The parautochthon was partly dismembered into thrust limestone sheets which disintegrated and slid into unconsolidated sediments of the foredeep basin, forming large limestone olistoliths and olistoplaques. Olistoliths containing shales and bedded cherts were slid from the lower nappes. Tectonic breccias up to melange scale are present in some olistoliths, suggesting tectonic disintegration within the nappe pile and the subsequent sliding of the tectonized blocks into the olistostrome basin. Ore-bearing silicified rocks (so-called "jasperoids") with antimony-mercury and gold mineralization are located predominantly along the contacts of the limestone olistoliths/olistoplaques with a terrigenous matrix.


The URGENCY algorithm uses data from on-board crash recorders to assist in identifying crashes that are most likely to have time critical (compelling) injuries. The injury risks projected by using the National Automotive Sampling System/Crashworthiness Data System data are the basis for the URGENCY algorithm. This study applied the algorithm retrospectively to a population of injured occupants in the database from the University of Miami School of Medicine, William Lehman Injury Research Center. The population selected was adult occupants in frontal crashes that were protected by three point belts plus an air bag. For the cases with greater than 50% predicted Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS) 3+ injury probability, 96% of the occupants in the study had MAIS 3+ injuries. For the cases with less than 10% predicted MAIS 3+ injury probability, 63% did not have MAIS 3+ injuries. Most of the MAIS 3+ injuries not predicted involved injuries in multiple impact crashes, pole crashes or close-in occupants injured by air bag deployment. Modifications to the URGENCY algorithm to include predictors for these three factors significantly improved accuracy of the MAIS 3+ injury predictions.


Exploring organic linkers is very important to target porous metal–organic frameworks with desired structures and properties. In this work, we devised a triazole-functionalized bent diisophthalate ligand, 5,5′-(triazole-2,5-diyl) diisophthalate (H4L), which was used to successfully construct an anionic copper-based MOF ([Cu6(L)3(H2O)4(HCOO)]·Me2NH2+·20DMF) under solvothermal reaction conditions. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that the title MOF compound features three types of polyhedral cages with different shapes and sizes. More importantly, the title MOF compound after desolvation exhibits promising potential for industrially important C2H2/CH4 and CO2/CH4 separations. At 298 K and 1 atm, the C2H2 and CO2 uptakes reach 107.6 and 65.6 cm3 (STP) g−1, respectively. The adsorption selectivities are predicted to be 33.4–120.3 for an equimolar C2H2–CH4 gas mixture and 6.4–7.6 for an equimolar CO2–CH4 gas mixture at 298 K and pressures varying from 1 to 109 kPa. The highly selective adsorption of C2H2 and CO2 over CH4 might be attributed to the synergistic interplay between suitable pore sizes, functional active sites, such as open metal sites and Lewis basic nitrogen atoms in the pore surface, and the ionic nature of the framework.


To develop current manpower data and project the future need for orthodontic specialists, a survey questionnaire was mailed to Indiana orthodontists (90 percent response). In addition, a telephone survey of orthodontic receptionists was conducted during the same time period (95 percent response). In general, orthodontists perceived a lower state of business than did their staffs. About 77 orthodontists are expected to retire by the year 2010. Based on maintaining the adjusted potential patient-to-orthodontist ratio (increasing adult and declining children in the population), it was projected that only about 66 (86 percent) of the retirees require replacement. To maintain manpower at eight percent fewer orthodontists than are currently in practice, three to four new orthodontists per year will be needed in Indiana over the next two decades.


Introduction: Low-and middle-income countries are undergoing nutrition transition wherein presence of under and over-nutrition in the same household is increasing. Aims & Objectives: This study explored the coexistence of under and over-nutrition among mother-child dyads in an urban poor setting in India. Material & Methods: Data was collected from 225 dyads in urban poor settings of Delhi. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist-circumference, hip circumference in mothers and weight, height, MUAC in children) were taken from a random sample of mothers aged >18 years with children aged 3-5 years. Prevalence of underweight, stunting, wasting and overweight/obesity were determined in children, while corresponding proportions of underweight and overweight/obesity were determined in mothers, based on BMI and waist circumference. Results: Of the 225 children, 19% were stunted, 12% were underweight, 4.8% were wasted, while 20% were overweight/obese. Among their mothers, 8.4% were underweight, 20% were overweight/obese and 23% had waist circumference > 88cm. A large proportion of overweight and obese mothers (33% and 30% respectively) had stunted, wasted or underweight children. Among the overweight/obese children, 12% had underweight, and 22% had overweight/obese parentage. Among, all dual burden households, the nutritional status of child correlates with that of mother. Conclusion: One-third mother-child dyads revealed the existence of double burden of malnutrition characterized by high prevalence of undernutrition, stunting and wasting in children, and overweight/obesity in mothers within the same household. It is crucial to understand the pathways to this coexistence, and to test effectiveness of context-specific interventions to curb associated future health risks


The function of prolyl 4-hydroxylases (P4H) in the formation of the nematode cuticle was studied. The cuticle is one of the two major forms of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the nematode and performs vital roles in these animals including acting as an exoskeleton to maintain body morphology. Nematodes develop from an embryo through four larval moults to the adult stage. Each larval stage is characterised by the synthesis of a new cuticle and shedding of the existing structure. The nematode cuticle is a complex multi-layered structure formed principally from collagens that are synthesised by the underlying hypodermal tissue. Collagens are characterised by repeats of the amino acid sequence Gly-X-Y, where Gly is glycine and X and Y can be any residue but are most commonly proline and 4-hydroxyproline respectively. Three collagen monomers combine to form a triple helix, with the presence of 4- hydroxyproline residues stabilising the structure. The enzyme P4H modifies Y position proline residues in newly synthesised collagen molecules within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of the cell to produce 4-hydroxyproline. P4H role in cuticular ECM formation was examined primarily using the free-living species Caenorhabditis elegans due to its ease of handling and culture in the laboratory, the range of genetic and transgenic techniques available, and the complete genome sequence. Characterised collagen P4H from other species are most often multi-enzyme complexes formed from catalytically active beta subunits with the alpha subunit being the enzyme protein disulphide isomerase (PDI). The role of PDI in these complexes is not connected to its enzymatic activity but instead functions to keep the beta subunits in a catalytically active form within the ER of the cell. The described vertebrate P4Hs are alpha2beta2 tetramer complexes. Two different alpha subunits have been identified which form into separate enzyme complexes with a common PDI beta subunit. In this study the genes Ce-phy-1, Ce-phy-2 and Ce-pdi-2 were examined for their role in cuticular ECM formation in C. elegans. These genes were shown to be expressed throughout development in cuticle collagen synthesising hypodermal tissue in a manner reflecting the expression of their substrate, placing the encoded enzymes in the appropriate tissue for collagen modification, at times of maximal collagen synthesis. Disruption of Ce-phy-1 gene function produced nematodes with a mutant body shape known as dumpy (Dpy). This demonstrated that this gene is required for correct body morphology and led to the identification of the strain dpy-18 as a Ce-phy-1 mutant. This represented the first identification of a P4H mutant in any organism. Double disruption of Ce-phy-1 and Ce-phy-2 or Ce-pdi-2 singly resulted in an embryonic lethal phenotype due to the loss of P4H activity resulting in a cuticle unable to maintain nematode body shape. Disruption of these genes was demonstrated to have an affect on the localisation of specific cuticle collagens. The forms of P4H complex present were examined which revealed the presence of a unique mixed a subunit tetramer, in addition to the already described dimer form of the enzyme. Examination of three divergent putative Ce phy genes did not reveal any role for these in modification of the major ECMs in this nematode and showed that only Ce-PHY-1, Ce-PHY-2 and Ce-PDI-2 perform the essential modification of cuticle collagens. P4H was also studied in the human infective filarial nematode Brugia malayi which is one of the causative agents of lymphatic filariasis in humans, a disease that affects over 120 million people. A phy gene homologue, named Bm phy-1, was cloned and characterised from this organism. In contrast to the both human a subunit-encoding genes, which were shown to rescue the C. elegans dpy-18 P4H mutant, expression of Bm-phy-1 was not sufficient to repair the mutant form of these nematodes. Expression of this gene was demonstrated in all life cycle stages examined, with the gene promoter directing expression of a reporter gene to the hypodermal cells of C. elegans.


Using data from a survey of Iowa farmers we examine producers' willingness to supply corn stover, corn cobs and energy grasses for biomass markets. We identify factors that affect producers' interest in growing biomass crops as well critical barriers to participation. Choices among biomass types are found to be correlated.


The prevailing practice of affirmative action typically involves introducing measures to raise the participation of members of an economically disadvantaged group in the areas of education, employment and business, where they had been historically excluded or underrepresented. Measures taken are generally in the form of preferential policies toward members of a designated group, based on criteria such as a particular ethnicity, gender, or religion. Precisely because affirmative action measures entail bestowing preferential treatment on members of a designated group, they invariably will generate controversy; in particular preferential treatment on the basis of ethnicity and gender has generated intense, passionate debate. While affirmative action policies vary substantially across countries in terms of the beneficiary groups, nevertheless, in nearly all countries the beneficiaries are groups which are economically and socially disadvantaged and politically subordinate.1 Malaysia's affirmative action policy differs from those of other countries in one crucial respect ? it is "the politically dominant majority group which introduces preferential policies to raise its economic status as against that of an economically more advanced minorities".2 The majority ethnic group that has the power to legislate the affirmative action policies and receive the benefits from those policies in Malaysia are the Malays.3 Conversely, it is the Chinese and Indian ethnic minorities, the most advanced economic groups, who have felt most victimized by the affirmative action policies. Another unique feature of Malaysian affirmative action is that preferential treatment for the Malays and other indigenous groups was written into the Malaysian Constitution, under Article 153. In other words, affirmative action in Malaysia is a consitutionally sanctioned and exclusively ethnic-based policy where only the Malays and other native groups are entitled to receive preferential treatment. Besides being written into the Constitution, the wording of Article 153 links the ethnic preferential


Ankle instability may be the result of chronic ankle injuries and sprains. Surgical indications for lateral ankle stabilisation include persistent pain and functional disability such as recurrent sprains and instability. Surgical decision making for ankle instability involves an evaluation of anatomical predisposing factors, clinical exam findings, radiographic imaging, and treatment of associated injuries and conditions. Anatomical predisposing factors include hindfoot varus and generalised ligamentous laxity conditions. Associated injuries and conditions can be classified as intra and extra-articular. These include peroneal tendon injuries, osteochondral defects of the talus, posterior and lateral joint impingement. Surgical options for reconstruction include anatomical direct repair, anatomical reconstruction with use of autograft or allograft, non-anatomical lateral ligament reconstruction, and arthroscopic ligament repair. Adjunct procedures include ankle and foot osteotomies, ankle joint arthroscopy and the use of biologics are also reviewed. Guidelines are provided to assist clinicians in the surgical decision making of patients with lateral ankle instability.


Novelization, i.e. a literary adaptation of a film, despite its widespread presence on the book market, was treated as a merely commercial phenomenon, and until the late 1990s, it did not inspire any academics research. The main objective of this paper is to show that the phenomenon of novelization can offer new opportunities for linguistics and to reconsider the place of novelization in adaptation and translation studies. It is claimed that the process of film-to-book transformation can be called a translation process. The term multimodal translation is adopted since transforming a multimodal text film into a monomodal one book involves a change of modalities and their density. What follows is an attempt to propose tools that can be used for the effective analysis of multimodal translation, which involve the classical Aristotelian view of the three-part plot of verbal texts and Elżbieta Tabakowska's theory of cognitive translation. In order to illustrate the film–book translation process, an Interstellar film segment and its book counterpart are analyzed and the conclusion has been drawn that both the film and the book units use the same orientational image schemata. These findings prove that the extension of Tabakowska's theory to multimodal texts is an adequate framework for the comparison of a film and its novelization.


Within species, larger offspring typically outperform smaller offspring. While the relationship between offspring size and performance is ubiquitous, the cause of this relationship remains elusive. By linking metabolic and life-history theory, we provide a general explanation for why larger offspring perform better than smaller offspring. Using high-throughput respirometry arrays, we link metabolic rate to offspring size in two species of marine bryozoan. We found that metabolism scales allometrically with offspring size in both species: while larger offspring use absolutely more energy than smaller offspring, larger offspring use proportionally less of their maternally derived energy throughout the dependent, non-feeding phase. The increased metabolic efficiency of larger offspring while dependent on maternal investment may explain offspring size effects—larger offspring reach nutritional independence (feed for themselves) with a higher proportion of energy relative to structure than smaller offspring. These findings offer a potentially universal explanation for why larger offspring tend to perform better than smaller offspring but studies on other taxa are needed.


The Objective of this study was identify the aspects related with the adherence of medical treatment recommended to the patients that received hemodialysis in the tertiary public hospital. A non experimental transectional correlation design was utilized in this study. Fifty-three patients constituted the population study. A structure interview was utilized to gathered the data. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were utilized to analysis. The response rate was 91.0%. The 75.0% of patients not compliance with the medical treatment. Significant association between compliance variable and educational level was encountered (p < or = 0.05). This study provides important findings to will develops educative intervention in the Renal Unit, directed to improve the adherence of the patient with medical treatment.


There were 12 intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) and 1 neonatal death (15.7%) in AFP against 3 (4.4%) in hCG Group, despite tertiary perinatal care. Mean gestational age at delivery was 34.5 weeks (range 21–41) for AFP and 37.7 weeks (range 22–42) for hCG Group. 6 (7.2%) in AFP and 3 (4.4%) in hCG Group developed severe preeclampsia. Multimodal screening predicted preterm delivery < 32 weeks with a likelihood ratio (LR+) of 6.932 in AFP against 0 in hCG group and IUFD with LR+ of 4.438 in AFP against 0 in hCG group. Conclusion: Predictive value of placental morphology and uterine artery Doppler was higher in the AFP group. Pregnancies with an elevated maternal serum AFP are more commonly associated with adverse perinatal outcomes than those with elevated hCG warranting increased maternal and fetal surveillance.


Predation is generally thought to be one of the major processes influencing the size of populations and the structure of ecological communities. As such, the mechanisms of prey survival during predatory interactions will play a large role in determining those characteristics and traits that are passed on to later life stages. These mechanisms will be particularly important during periods of high mortality, such as transitional periods between life history stages for organisms with complex, bi-partite life cycles. One such period is that of settlement from the pelagic larval phase to the more benthic associated juvenile phase in many coral reef fishes.

This project examines the mechanisms influencing survival during interactions with small reef fish predators over this early post-settlement period. The focus is split between two distinct ecological areas that are thought to play a major role in determining survival during transitional life stages: the phenotypic and performance characteristics of predator and prey; and the behavioural responses of prey to potential predation threats. The chapters of this thesis addresses the following questions: 1) how selective is predation with respect to three key prey characteristics: body size, body weight and burst swimming speed; 2) how does predator size and identity influence the nature of size selection; 3) how do behavioural characteristics associated with body size influence sizeselective patterns; 4) what is the role of chemical alarm cues in anti-predator responses and predator identification; and 5) how do anti-predator responses to both visual and chemical predation cues differ with a changing level of threat.

The common Ambon damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis, was used as the model prey species throughout all experiments. These were collected during settlement pulses using light traps, so as to keep them naive to all reef-based processes. All experiments examining the selective nature of predation were conducted in aquaria. Individual predators (Pseudochromis fuscus) were offered a choice of prey, differing in either body size, body weight or burst swimming speed. Predation by this species was found to be highly selective towards larger body size at the time of settlement. In contrast, there was no evidence of selection with regards to either prey body weight or burst swimming speed. These patterns were found to differ from those observed in field based trials, where prey were open to multiple predator communities. These results indicate that body size may be the most important prey characteristic influencing prey survival during predatory encounters over this early period. Further, the discrepancy between single and multiple species trials suggest that the nature of selection towards this trait may differ between predator species and sizes.

Closer examination of this hypothesis using further aquarium trials showed that the intensity and direction of size selectivity differed significantly between four of the key predatory fish species (the dottyback, Pseudochromis fuscus; the moonwrasse Thalassoma lunare; the lizardfish Synodus variegatus; and the rockcod, Cephalopholis microprion). Some species preferentially removed smaller individuals (T. lunare, S. variegatus), while others removed larger individuals (P. fuscus) or were non-selective (C. microprion). However, these patterns of selectivity were not found to differ with predator size. These results suggest that no specific expression of a phenotypic trait holds a definitive survival advantage during all encounters. Instead, prey survival may in part be determined by the behavioural characteristics of different sized prey within a hierarchy, and how this influences vulnerability to predation by different 'modes' of predation.

Size associated differences in prey behaviour within simple hierarchical groups were examined in both aquaria and on small patch reefs constructed immediately adjacent to shallow lagoonal habitat. Small and large individuals were paired and assessed for five behavioural traits. Large individuals were found to make more aggressive strikes on conspecifics and had higher feeding rates than their smaller counterparts. We suggest that the dominant behaviours displayed by larger individuals in a group could result in increased vulnerability of smaller individuals to opportunistic predation, leading to the patterns of predation observed in the previous chapter (with the exception of P. fuscus).

How species react to predation threats and acquire knowledge of them in previously novel habitats will have a large influence on survival during transitional periods. To examine the role that visual and chemical cues play in this process, fishes were assessed for behavioural responses to potential visual predation cues and chemical alarm cues released from injured fishes. Additionally, fish were assessed to determine whether they could use chemical alarm cues to associate novel predator scents with danger. Fish were found to respond to conspecific chemical alarm cues only by reducing their feeding rate. Individuals were able to use these alarm cues to associate a previously novel predator scent with danger, after only a single previous exposure to the paired conspecific alarm/novel scent cue. In contrast, responses to visual cues were more widespread but diffuse, and fish were unable to distinguish between predatory and nonpredatory cues. These results indicate the important role that chemical cues in particular play in both threat detection and learned predator recognition during the early postix settlement period in coral reef fishes. Although visual cues also play a role, their utility appears limited whilst still naive to reef based processes, due to a lack of innate recognition of predator identity.

When tested across a range of predation threat levels (by manipulating chemical cue concentration and distance from visual cue), behavioural responses were found to be threat dependent in nature. Although significant changes were observed, responses to visual cues were again inconsistent, whilst responses to extremely low chemical cue concentrations were marginal, indicating a possible threshold lower limit. This demonstrates the ability of newly settled fish to assess the level of predation risk using both visual and chemical cues, and respond appropriately.

This project provides us with a detailed insight into the mechanisms and processes of survival during a potentially critical life history period for coral reef fishes. In doing so, it shows how both phenotypic characteristics, predator identity and behavioural changes associated with threat detection and predator learning may influence the outcome of predatory interactions during this early period.


Introduction: Depression is a mental disorder that is common and chronic, especially if it is initially undertreated. It is now widely recognized that primary care providers have an important role to play in the detection and treatment of depression. However, ensuring quality depression care remains a challenge. Quality indicators for the treatment of depression can help monitor the treatment received by people suffering from depression in primary care and guide improvements needed in that sector. Objectives: To systematically review indicators used to measure the quality of depression treatment in primary care and explore factors leading to divergent results. Method: The literature on the quality of depression treatment was reviewed using "360search", a federated search engine for searching across multiple databases from a single interface. Databases searched included Pubmed, Embase and PsycINFO and keywords were depression, depressive disorder, quality, treatment, indicator, adequacy, adherence, concordance, clinical guideline and guideline. Additional articles were also identified through a manual search of the reference section of retrieved articles. Results: Though mostly based on recommendations from clinical practice guidelines, a great variety of indicators were observed. Most studies used rudimentary indicators to measure the quality of depression treatment, especially for psychotherapy. Studies also differed greatly with respect to the methods used, thus limiting the comparability of results. However, whatever the chosen method, most studies reveal that a large proportion of people with depression do not receive minimally adequate treatment in primary care settings. Conclusion: The implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed.


Experimental results on the fire endurance of full-scale glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite columns are reported in this paper. The pultruded four-cell profiles were first loaded to axial compression (uniform serviceability stress of 5 MPa) and then simultaneously subjected to an ISO834 fire from one side until ultimate failure occurred or the planned duration of fire exposure was reached. An active water cooling system was integrated into two columns to improve the fire resistance duration. The time-dependent temperature responses and lateral deflections were recorded. The latter were caused by thermal expansion and load eccentricity due to material loss on the fire side. A non-cooled reference column failed after 50 min fire exposure while the two water-cooled columns did not fail within the planned 60 and 120 min. Previously developed models were capable of predicting the time-dependent temperature responses, modulus degradation and time-to-failure.


Abstract. Two hundred marine-terminating Greenland outlet glaciers deliver more than half of the annually accumulated ice into the ocean and have played an important role in the Greenland ice sheet mass loss observed since the mid-1990s. Submarine melt may play a crucial role in the mass balance and position of the grounding line of these outlet glaciers. As the ocean warms, it is expected that submarine melt will increase, potentially driving outlet glaciers retreat and contributing to sea level rise. Projections of the future contribution of outlet glaciers to sea level rise are hampered by the necessity to use models with extremely high resolution of the order of a few hundred meters. That requirement in not only demanded when modeling outlet glaciers as a stand alone model but also when coupling them with high-resolution 3-D ocean models. In addition, fjord bathymetry data are mostly missing or inaccurate (errors of several hundreds of meters), which questions the benefit of using computationally expensive 3-D models for future predictions. Here we propose an alternative approach built on the use of a computationally efficient simple model of submarine melt based on turbulent plume theory. We show that such a simple model is in reasonable agreement with several available modeling studies. We performed a suite of experiments to analyze sensitivity of these simple models to model parameters and climate characteristics. We found that the computationally cheap plume model demonstrates qualitatively similar behavior as 3-D general circulation models. To match results of the 3-D models in a quantitative manner, a scaling factor of the order of 1 is needed for the plume models. We applied this approach to model submarine melt for six representative Greenland glaciers and found that the application of a line plume can produce submarine melt compatible with observational data. Our results show that the line plume model is more appropriate than the cone plume model for simulating the average submarine melting of real glaciers in Greenland.


Efficiency and Efficacy are crucial to the success of national and international business operations today. With this in mind, businesses are continuously searching for the information and communication technologies that will improve job productivity and performance and enhance communications, collaboration, cooperation, and connection between employees, employers, and stakeholders.

The Evolution of the Internet in the Business Sector: Web 1.0 to Web 3.0 takes a historical look at the policy, implementation, management, and governance of productivity enhancing technologies. This work shares best practices with public and private universities, IS developers and researchers, education managers, and business and web professionals interested in implementing the latest technologies to improve organizational productivity and communication.


Though it may seem commonsensical that interoperability standards play an important role in systems integration and information sharing within the environment of electronic government, establishing these standards is no easy task. This process is highly complex due to the number of participating agents, the environment in which it takes place and the interrelation between the agents and the environment, not to mention the likely conflicts of interests connected with this interrelation. It is also believed that the affected agents' perception of the relevance and the legitimacy of the defined specifications may influence the latter's adoption. Based on these assumptions, this paper analyses the development and implementation processes of standards for electronic government from the standpoint of Institutional Theory. It presents the preliminary findings of an exploratory qualitative case study, based on document analysis and semi-structured interviews, of the framework interoperability specified by the Brazilian Federal Government (e-PING). The results point out some of the institutionalization processes and legitimacy mechanisms that are being used by the government in the establishment of those standards and the likely implications of those actions for full compliance with the said standards.


The viscous slip coefficient for helium-argon binary gas mixture is extracted from the experimental values of the mass flow rate through a microtube. The mass flow rate is measured by the constant-volume method. The viscous slip coefficient was obtained by identifying the measured mass flow rate through a microtube with the corresponding analytical expression, which is a function of the Knudsen number. The measurements were carried out in the slip flow regime where the first-order slip boundary condition can be applied. The measured viscous slip coefficients of binary gas mixtures exhibit a concave function of the molar ratio of the mixture, showing a similar profile with numerical results. However, from the detailed comparison between the measured and numerical values with the complete and incomplete accommodation at a surface, it is inappropriate to estimate the viscous slip coefficient for the mixture numerically by employing separately measured tangential momentum accommodation coefficient for each co...


The traditional image of journalists as adversaries of the establishment is sometimes blurred by the complex relationship between reporters and scientists, particularly in developing countries where advancing science and technology is seen as essential to economic growth, and jour- nalists, intentionally or not, may become advocates for this national goal. The changing nature of media technology, coupled with intense market pressures, is further complicating the role of science journalists as many have become affiliated with research organizations: institutional adjuncts provid- ing information directly to the public. While it is difficult to develop a single set of ethical standards that can be applied globally — or that can address the new realities of modern science communica- tion — existing models suggest that peer pressure can be an effective method of policing journalistic misconduct, even on an international scale.


Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites which are transmitted by mosquitoes. Until recently, human malaria was considered to be caused by human-specific Plasmodium species. Studies on Plasmodium parasites in non-human primates (NHPs), however, have identified parasite species in gorillas and chimpanzees that are closely related to human Plasmodium species. Moreover, P. knowlesi, long known as a parasite of monkeys, frequently infects humans. The requirements for such a cross-species exchange and especially the role of mosquitoes in this process are discussed, as the latter may act as bridge vectors of Plasmodium species between different primates. Little is known about the mosquito species that would bite both humans and NHPs and if so, whether humans and NHPs share the same Plasmodium vectors. To understand the vector-host interactions that can lead to an increased Plasmodium transmission between species, studies are required that reveal the nature of these interactions. Studying the potential role of NHPs as a Plasmodium reservoir for humans will contribute to the ongoing efforts of human malaria elimination, and will help to focus on critical areas that should be considered in achieving this goal.


Neural networks have contributed to tremendous progress in the domains of computer vision, speech processing, and other real-world applications. However, recent studies have shown that these state-of-the-art models can be easily compromised by adding small imperceptible perturbations. My thesis summary frames the problem of adversarial robustness as an equivalent problem of learning suitable features that leads to good generalization in neural networks. This is motivated from learning in humans which is not trivially fooled by such perturbations due to robust feature learning which shows good out-of-sample generalization.