The attempt of dealing with the complexity of planning tasks by resorting to abstraction techniques is a central issue in the field of automated planning. Although the generality of the approach has not been proved always useful on domains selected for benchmarking purposes, in our opinion it will play a central role as soon as the focus will move from artificial to real problems. In this case, it will be crucial to have a tool for automatically generating abstraction hierarchies from a domain description. This paper addresses the problem of how to identify macrooperators starting from a ground-level description of a domain, to be used for generating useful abstract-level descriptions. In particular, a preliminary release of a system devised to automatically generate abstraction hierarchies has been implemented. Compared to our previous work, this paper reports a step further, in the direction of fully automatizing the process, from both a conceptual and a pragmatic perspective. Conceptually, we refined the process of macro -operators extraction by dealing with the problem of parameters' unification through the exploitation of domain invariants, which can resolve ambiguities that may arise while performing abstraction. Pragmatically, we implemented a system that -given a description of the domain expressed in PDDLoutputs a set of macro-operators to be used as a starting point for defining abstract operators. Experimental results highlight the ability of the system to identify suitable macro-operators, used as starting point for populating the abstract level. Such macro-operators usually represent good alternatives to those extracted by a knowledge engineer after a thorough (and sometimes painful!) domain analysis.


This study involved a community-based, multisite hospice program serving 7 distinct communities in the greater Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The objectives were to compare time and costs among hospice interdisciplinary group (IDG) meetings and resultant select clinical outcomes in order to establish a benchmark for best practices within a large multisite hospice provider. A standardized data collection tool was used at all practice sites during multiple team meetings to determine staffing by discipline and numbers, types and number of patient reviews (new patients, patient deaths, simple vs complex plan-of-care revisions), time involved, resultant costs, and clinical key quality-of-care outcome measures, including pain relief, patient and family satisfaction, and crisis prevention and rates of disruptions in care (unscheduled medical visits, transfers to emergency departments and/or hospital). A point system devised by the authors was used to normalize the data in order to account for differences in case mix (complexity, admissions, deaths). This novel approach has not been previously described, but was a necessary innovation in order to create apt comparisons among groups of patients and their respective interdisciplinary teams. Although all IDGs met Medicare Conditions of Participation standards, appreciable differences existed in all measured variables among the 7 community sites, leading to significant disparity in resultant costs associated with conducting IDG meetings across distinct communities served by this hospice agency. Significant increases in costs were not justified by commensurate improvements in clinical quality outcomes. In fact, the lowest-cost IDG also had as favorable or higher ratings on discrete clinical outcome measures as higher-cost IDGs. We conclude that IDGs differ substantially in performance, and through a comparative analysis, an optimal model was discerned, comprising lowest overall costs without compromising quality of care.


Objective: To find out the prevalence of patients with cleft lips and/or cleft palate and their association with risk factors. Study Design: Descriptive Cross-sectional study. Setting: Department of Plastic Surgery Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Center, Karachi. Period: March 2020 to October 2021. Material & Methods: The patients with any age group or gender, who had cleft lip and/or palate were included in the study. The demographic details, personal and family history and clinical examination of the patients were noted on a preformed proforma. The data was analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The p-value less than 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: The mean age and standard deviation of the study participants was 41 ± 54 months. Male gender was predominant. History of cousin marriages were positive among 92.1% of the cases and 11.1% were having positive family history with p-value ≤0.05. Majority of cases were having both deformities including cleft lip and cleft palate with frequency of 55.2% while 30.2% of the individuals were suffering from cleft lip deformity. The affected cases of cleft palate were 14.6%. Majority of the study participants were male which predominantly reported bilateral cleft lip in association with cleft palate, followed by deformity of left cleft lip and palate. Among females the cleft palate deformity was more common (10.4%) than their male counterpart but there was no significant association with gender. Conclusion: Cleft deformities are one of the most common congenital anomaly in which the cleft lip associated with cleft palate is more prevalent. Majority of the affected individuals are males and mostly their parents have cousin marriages. Family history is also one of the major contributing factor.


The entire D-loop region of the porcine mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was amplified from six pig breeds (Landrace, Duroc, Large White, Korean native pig, Berkshire, and Hampshire) using a primer set designed on the basis of reported porcine mtDNA sequences. From analyses through cloning, DNA sequencing and multiple sequence alignment, an 11-bp (TAAAACACTTA) duplication was observed after known tandem repetition in the D-loop region, which promoted hetroplasmy in mtDNA. Although the existence of the 11-bp duplication has been previously reported in Duroc and Japanese native pigs, there have not been any attempts to know the characteristics of this duplication in other breeds so far. A 150 bp fragment containing the 11-duplication was amplified and typed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). All Large Whites had two duplication units and Duroc showed heteromorphic patterns, 11.2% (9/80) of the animals had the 11-bp duplication in total. On the other hand, Landrace, Berkshire, Hampshire and Korean native pigs were non-duplicated. This result showed that the 11-bp duplication could be used as a breed-specific DNA marker for distinguishing pure Landrace and Large White breeds.


Nomenclatural confusion has existed within the Mylodontinae for several genera, and has resulted in the supposition that Paramylodon of North America is synonymous with Glossotherium of South America. A taxonomic revision of crania for Glossotherium and Paramylodon upholds their separation as distinct genera and provides a list of diagnostic characters that have been lacking. Assessment was made using principal components analysis for suites of cranial and mandibular measurements, evaluation of ratios and measurement distribution, and by examining qualitative characters. Results show the greatest characterization for the skull comes from differences relating to cranial length versus width, whereas the mandible is predominantly distinguished by qualitative characters of the predental spout. Examination of the Pliocene species Glossotherium chapadmalense from South America shows a combination of characters indicative of each genus, but exhibits more with Glossotherium and is tentatively retained under that genus. The mix of characters indicates that G. chapadmalense is the likely ancestor to Paramylodon, although when and where the transition took place is still unclear. During the evolutionary transition, Paramylodon crania emphasized an increase in length of the palate, whereas those of Glossotherium emphasized an increase in cranial width. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 155, 885–903.


Fluidic muscles have been the subject of research since the 1930s to the present day. McKibben's muscle is one of the most common ones. This type is the basis for fluidic muscles already being used commercially. The power-to-weight ratio is one of their main advantages. The disadvantage is difficult handling. The article describes experimental verification of static characteristics of fluidic muscles. During muscle contraction, a tensile force is developed which changes as the length of the muscle changes. This dependence is experimentally verified. A measuring equipment for testing fluidic muscles of various lengths and diameters is designed and assembled. The device consists of a pneumatic circuit, where the output drive is a loaded fluidic muscle. The load of muscle is generated by a hydraulic cylinder. The results will be further applicable to fluidic muscle simulations.


The role of Shockley-Read-Hall non-radiative recombination centers on electroluminescence (EL) efficiency in blue multi-quantum-well (MQW) 436 nm GaN/InGaN light emitting diodes (LEDs) was examined by controlled introduction of point defects through 6 MeV electron irradiation. The decrease in the EL efficiency in LEDs subjected to irradiation with fluences above 5 × 1015 cm−2 was closely correlated to the increase in concentration of Ec-0.7 eV electron traps in the active MQW region. This increase in trap density was accompanied by an increase in the both diode series resistance and ideality factor (from 1.4 before irradiation to 2.1 after irradiation), as well as the forward leakage current at low forward voltages that compromise the injection efficiency. Hole traps present in the blue LEDs do not have a significant effect on EL changes with radiation because of their low concentration.


Historically speaking, the trial of former Nazi Adolf Eichmann was an unavoidable spectacle of the 1960s. For some, it could have been seen as a farce due to its inherent impartiality as the accused was illegally kidnapped out of Argentina and the proceedings were held in the fledgling state of Israel. For others, it reopened unpleasant wounds and brought back the horrors of Nazi Germany. For the world, it was an educational opportunity that allowed a new generation to learn about the atrocities of the Holocaust. My paper examines Eichmann's role in the Holocaust, his trial and subsequent sentence, the question of the legitimacy of the proceedings, and the trial's significant impact on how society viewed the Holocaust. From public opinion on Israel to new philosophical ideas, the Eichmann trial challenged people to reevaluate everything that they had known about Nazi barbarities, specifically those committed against the Jews. The reason why the Israelis did not simply "shoot him and leave a little note" was because his trial would, in fact, serve a political purpose. Was Eichmann really that important? Was he as central to the Holocaust as Israel would like the world to believe? There is a substantial amount of evidence that indicates Eichmann was not quite so important and that, instead, his highly- publicized trial was used to further the belief that the Holocaust was a uniquely Jewish experience thus validating the existence of the newly-created state of Israel in the Middle East.


PERES, Zsuzsanna. Petty offences Related to Smoking and Alcohol Consumption in Hungary in the Period before 1848. The history of alcohol consumption in Hungary, like much of the rest of the world, dates back to the time before the state was founded. Smoking, on the other hand, became popular under Turkish influence in Hungary in the early modern period. Both vices were eventually regulated due to their wider detri-mental effects on society and the possibility of resultant accidents. Though neither alcohol consumption nor smoking in general was strictly prohibited, legislation attempted to raise awareness of their serious consequences by imposing restrictions and sometimes even fines on perpetrators. In the absence of state regulations, many of these rules were found only in county and city statutory decrees, which were the legal regulations most often applied by courts due to a lacking hierarchy of legal references. After a brief introduction to the struc-ture of Hungarian criminal law before 1848, the current article aims to provide insight into these alcohol and smoking regulations. In addition, a brief descrip-tion of the afterlife of such provisions, through codification attempts of the 19 th century and Act No. 5 of 1878, the first criminal code passed by the Hungarian Parliament, is provided in the conclusion.


This four–volume Companion to Shakespeare′s Works, compiled as a single entity, offers a uniquely comprehensive snapshot of current Shakespeare criticism. Brings together new essays from a mixture of younger and more established scholars from around the world – Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Examines each of Shakespeare s plays and major poems, using all the resources of contemporary criticism, from performance studies to feminist, historicist, and textual analysis. Volumes are organized in relation to generic categories: namely the histories, the tragedies, the romantic comedies, and the late plays, problem plays and poems. Each volume contains individual essays on all texts in the relevant category, as well as more general essays looking at critical issues and approaches more widely relevant to the genre. Offers a provocative roadmap to Shakespeare studies at the dawning of the twenty–first century. This companion to Shakespeare s poems, problem comedies and late plays contains original essays on Troilus and Cressida , Measure for Measure , All s Well That Ends Well , Venus and Adonis , The Rape of Lucrece , and The Sonnets , as well as Pericles , The Winter s Tale , Cymbeline , The Tempest , and The Two Noble Kinsmen .


Abstract : The utility of semantic knowledge, in the form of ontologies, is widely acknowledged. In particular, semantic knowledge facilitates integration, visualization, and maintenance of information from various sources. However, the majority of previous work in this field has tried to learn ontologies for relatively constrained domains. In other words, to date, there has been relatively little work on trying to construct ontologies for an open domain, where there are enormous needs for such ontologies. Moreover there have been few studies that empirically examine the value of text learning techniques to extract a set of candidate words for concept words in a domain ontology. The goal of this work is to examine the usefulness of existing feature selection methods for the extraction of a set of good candidate words for concept words in an ontology. From the experimental results, we found that the existing word feature selection methods are quite useful for ontology learning, in that there is a good overlap between the word sets identified by feature selection methods and the words in a manually built domain ontology. Finally, from our experience of working on this paper, we enumerate the desiderata for a domain ontology learning system.


As various types of geo-environmental monitoring image instrument are sprouting up, there are more and more materials based on infrared, visible light, dim light, remote sensing image, using various types of image data to improve detection accuracy and efficiency of the environment has become a focus for environmental technical personnels. From the perspective of information fusion, as well as comparing framelet and the traditional wavelet features, the environmental image fusion algorithm based on framelet transform is proposed, by choosing suitable integration rules in different directions, the amount of information is further improved. The experiments show that this algorithm has better effects for small target detection with infrared and visible light images.


Due to the increase in online education, organisations are now seeking to reach new levels of quality education by implementing learning management systems. There are various factors that these organisations must take into account. Some of these factors include costs, implementation, development and evaluation of the software. This report looks at various existing learning management systems and explores their strengths and weaknesses. A thorough evaluation showed that the Moodle Learning Management System offered the most benefits in terms of the services and features that it offers to its users. Moodle is an open source software solution that is entirely free to use. Since its inception thousands of Moodle sites have been registered and the software has been developing as open source. Because of its open source nature, Moodle has been improved by the addition of new modules to provide greater functionality. The addition of two such modules, one for enhanced tutorial management that addresses assignment hand in, mark management (etc.) and a second that provides interoperability with 3rd party courseware. In addition, this report documents modification of the Moodle LMS in terms of the requirements, design and integration of a tutorial and interoperability modules into the Moodle LMS.


We propose a novel method to pattern the charge recombination layer (CRL) with a low-temperature solution-processable ZnO layer (under 150 °C) for organic solar cell applications. Due to the optimal drying process and thermal annealing condition, ZnO sol-gel particles formed a three-Dimensional (3D) structure without using a high temperature or ramping method. The generated 3D nano-ripple pattern showed a height of around 120 nm, and a valley-to-valley distance of about 500 nm. Based on this newly developed ZnO nano-ripple patterning technique, it was possible to pattern the CRL without damaging the underneath layers in tandem structure. The use of nano-ripple patterned ZnO as the part of CRL, led to the concomitant improvement of the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of about 30%, compared with non-patterned CRL device.


We propose an emotional facial avatar that portrays the user's facial expressions with an emotional emphasis, while achieving visual and behavioral realism. This is achieved by unifying automatic analysis of facial expressions and animation of realistic 3D faces with details such as facial hair and hairstyles. To augment facial appearance according to the user's emotions, we use emotional templates representing typical emotions in an artistic way, which can be easily combined with the skin texture of the 3D face at runtime. Hence, our interface gives the user vision-based control over facial animation of the emotional avatar, easily changing its moods.


Vegetated coastal ecosystems sequester carbon rapidly relative to terrestrial ecosystems. Coastal wetlands are poorly represented in land surface models, but work is underway to improve process-based, predictive modeling of these ecosystems. Here, we identify guiding questions, potential simulations, and data needs to make progress in improving representation of vegetation in terrestrial-aquatic interfaces, with a focus on coastal and estuarine ecosystems. We synthesize relevant plant traits and environmental controls on vegetation that influence carbon cycling in coastal ecosystems. We propose that models include separate plant functional types for mangroves, graminoid salt marshes, and succulent salt marshes to adequately represent the variation in above- and below-ground productivity between common coastal wetland vegetation types. We also discuss the drivers and carbon storage consequences of shifts in dominant plant functional types. We suggest several potential approaches to represent the diversity in vegetation tolerance and adaptations to fluctuations in salinity and water level, which drive key gradients in coastal wetland ecosystems. Finally, we discuss data needs for parameterizing and evaluating model implementations of coastal wetland vegetation types and function.


The face is our primary focus of attention in social intercourse, playing a major role in conveying identity and emotion. We can recognize thousands of faces learned throughout our lifetime and identify familiar faces at a glance even after years of separation. This skill is quite robust, despite large changes in the visual stimulus due to viewing conditions, expression, aging, and distractions such as glasses, beards, changes in hairstyle. Though human faces are complex in shape, face recognition is not difficult for a human brain whereas for a computer this job is not easy. In this paper presents and analyzes the performance of Principle Component Analysis (PCA) based technique for face recognition. We consider recognition of human faces with two facial expressions: single and differential. The images that are captured previously constitute the training set. From these images eigenfaces are calculated. The image that is going to be recognized through our system is mapped to the same eigenspaces. Next I used classification technique namely distance based used to classify the images as recognized or non-recognized. Presently I got result for the single facial expression now I am working for different facial expression.


Since 2013, Bangladesh has repeatedly been in headline news across the world due to systematic and incessant targeted killings. In the mainstream media, both in South Asia and the West, the focus has been generally on high profile murders of secular and progressive bloggers. This includes the recent worldwide broad coverage on the tragic murder of Xulhaz Mannan, editor of Bangladesh's first LGBT rights magazine. However, not many know that these killings are only one part of the story. Secularists and bloggers are not the only community under attack in Bangladesh. Unless other pieces of the story are taken into account, the picture will remain incomplete and a meaningful resolution may remain evasive


In many animal species, females will benefit if they can secure their mate's help in raising their young. It has been suggested that they can achieve this by being coy (i.e. reluctant to mate) when courted, because this gives them time to assess a prospective mate's helpfulness and hence allows them to reject non-helpful males. According to this view, coyness should (i) reflect a trade-off between information gain and time lost on the part of the female, and (ii) be subject to an evolutionary feedback between optimal female coyness and male helping behaviour. Previous theory has considered each of these aspects in isolation. By contrast, here we present a comprehensive game theory model of this situation, leading to qualitatively new insights. We predict that a high degree of coyness should be associated with a high encounter rate during mate search, with an intermediate rate of information gain during mate inspection and with an intermediate dependence of reproduction on male help. Strongly biased sex ratios, however, preclude coyness. Due to the mutual feedback between coyness and helpfulness in our model, alternatively stable evolutionary outcomes (with or without coyness) are possible under broad conditions. We also discuss alternative interpretations of coyness.


Policies incentivizing store entry or store improvements are aimed at increasing access to healthy foods; however, findings about their effectiveness to improve diets are mixed. Similarly, little is known about whether food stores' presence affects consumers' perceived barriers to purchasing healthy foods, which reflect the subjective hardships experienced by shoppers to purchase and consume healthier foods. In this study, we assess the relationship between the two most widely studied perceived barriers to purchasing healthy foods (price and availability) and the local retail food environment using individual-level survey data collected across the northeastern US and census data on the numbers of grocery stores and warehouse clubs and supercenters. Our results indicate that unobserved heterogeneity plays an important role in determining the sign and magnitude of the relationship between store presence and perceptions. The likelihood that an individual cites price or availability as a perceived barrier depends upon the barrier considered, whether respondents live in the zip code where they shop, and the method of controlling for unobserved heterogeneity. Thus, policies focusing on improving access to a given store type may only mitigate some of the negative perceptions associated with one's food environment.


OBJECTIVES
To assess the clinical manifestations and pattern of congenital heart diseases (CHD) in infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs) and infants of non-diabetic mothers.

METHODS
A prospective cross sectional study was carried out at tertiary care center over a period of thirty months. All neonates were included in this study if CHD were identified by echocardiography within this study period. Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare between groups.

RESULT
Out of 62 neonates, IDMs and non-IDMs were equal in number, male and female ratio was 3 : 2, and majority were delivered by cesarean section (85.5%). Mean gestational age was 35 weeks, 62.3% were preterm, and 37.7% were term. Common clinical presentations were cardiac murmur (61%), and respiratory distress (43.5%). Less common presentations were low SaO2 (27.4%), tachycardia (24.2%), and cyanosis (24.2%). Common combination of presentations were murmur and tachypnea (38.7%); cyanosis and low SaO2 (24.19%); and low SaO2 and tachypnea 15(24.19). The common echocardiographic findings were atrial septal defect (ASD; 72.6%), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA; 45.2%), and ventricular septal defect (VSD; 25.8%). ASD (77.4% vs 67.7%) and VSD (35.5% vs 16.1%) were more in IDMs, and PDA (48.4% vs 41.9%) was more in non-IDMs. These differences were not significant between groups.

CONCLUSION
Clinical presentation and echocardiographic findings of CHD were similar in IDMs and non-IDMs.


In recent years, there was a great offer of patented additives (enzymes) to the road market as solution to soil stabilization. However, they are many times rejected because there are no theoretical foundation to prove such uses, and also because researches themselves don't see research opportunities. Anyway, these products has been marketed, and frequently municipalities and states waste resources by choosing for a solution that is not yet well studied. This study aims to present a methodology to solve the problems that affects the use of additives in laboratory, because his use in conventional tests do not shown efficient for these purposes. For this, it was used a portable traffic simulator, easy handling and common in pavement laboratories. It is a standardized equipment, used to assess the effect of compression and the strain characteristics of asphaltic coating layers. It was developed a set with several accessories to mold samples in the shape of tablets (380 x 50 x 10 mm), may be easily adapted to the equipment selected as simulator. The soils used for the production of the tested tablets were lateritic soils from Rio de Janeiro–RJ, and the enzymatic products were imported. A rigorous care was followed in the production of each tablet to ensure equality and, after, compare results each other. These tablets were molded and tested in order to obtain a series of experimental results, comparing the soil treated with enzymes with the soil without any kind of treatment. The study concludes, in principle, that the equipment used and the developed accessories are appropriate for this purpose and that the use of enzymes showed effective for some applications, but lacks more studies, including with the use of other types of soil to prove such effectiveness.


Sustainable indigenous agroforestry systems are mainstay of rural agrarian economy coupled with livestock rearing in mountains of Himalayas. A 2B4D6-watershed was selected in Central Himalayas to investigate economic returns from agriculture based agroforestry systems. A detailed structured analysis revealed four types of agriculture based agroforestry systems are prevalent in the 2B4D6-watershed of Indian Central Himalaya. These agroforestry systems are profitable to farmers and can obtain more than two-fold returns from agriculture based agroforestry systems. The net return from these systems decreased in the order: Agrihorticulture > Agrihortisilviculture > Agrisilvihorticulture > Agrisilviculture. The highest benefit cost ratio from agroforestry systems was obtained at higher elevation E5 and it decreased with decrease in elevations in the order: E4 > E3 > E2 > E1. Thus, we conclude that agroforestry systems are not only sustainable but also are imperative for livelihood security of local inhabitants of Indian Central Himalayas.


The ability to respond rapidly to changes in temperature is critical for insects and other ectotherms living in variable environments. In a physiological process termed rapid cold-hardening (RCH), exposure to nonlethal low temperature allows many insects to significantly increase their cold tolerance in a matter of minutes to hours. Additionally, there are rapid changes in gene expression and cell physiology during recovery from cold injury, and we hypothesize that RCH may modulate some of these processes during recovery. In this study, we used a combination of transcriptomics and metabolomics to examine the molecular mechanisms of RCH and cold shock recovery in the flesh fly, Sarcophaga bullata. Surprisingly, out of ∼15,000 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) measured, no transcripts were upregulated during RCH, and likewise RCH had a minimal effect on the transcript signature during recovery from cold shock. However, during recovery from cold shock, we observed differential expression of ∼1,400 ESTs, including a number of heat shock proteins, cytoskeletal components, and genes from several cell signaling pathways. In the metabolome, RCH had a slight yet significant effect on several metabolic pathways, while cold shock resulted in dramatic increases in gluconeogenesis, amino acid synthesis, and cryoprotective polyol synthesis. Several biochemical pathways showed congruence at both the transcript and metabolite levels, indicating that coordinated changes in gene expression and metabolism contribute to recovery from cold shock. Thus, while RCH had very minor effects on gene expression, recovery from cold shock elicits sweeping changes in gene expression and metabolism along numerous cell signaling and biochemical pathways.


Community health staff nurses confront a variety of significant ethical problems in practice that require focused attention in nursing education programs and in community nursing agencies. All community health nurses need to learn to identify ethical problems and to learn a process for resolving these problems that incorporates ethical perspectives. This is particularly critical because nursing colleagues depend on one another for help in dealing with ethical problems in practice. To ignore the ethical problems in community health nursing practice and to neglect to teach the knowledge and skills required to deal with them is to fail to provide nurses with essential skills for providing nursing and health care in community settings.


A volume of 3D seismic data has been used to study the interplay of Cenozoic structural deformation and its relationship to sediment deposition offshore South-West Nigeria. The 3D survey encompasses an area that includes sediments derived from both the Niger Delta in the east and the Benin Embayment to the north. Sediments derived from the Niger Delta are comprised of deep water sands and shales deposited in channel levee turbidites and hemipelagic sheets, whilst those from the Benin Embayment are primarily fine grained and encompass large scale levees.
The study area can be divided into two vertically separated tectonic domains, which are divided by a detachment interval. The vertical separation occurs at a level which is coincident with an apron of mass transport deposits which extends beyond the limits of the data, this complex is interpreted to have been deposited at the end of the Cretaceous.
The Cenozoic interval has been modified by gravity driven tectonic activity which has resulted in two structurally dissimilar regions, which are separated by a strike slip fault zone. To the west of this strike slip fault zone is a region of primarily compressional deformation, to the east the majority of the deformation is extensional. The structural styles recognised, extension, compression and strike slip motion have been analysed to establish the timing and the causes of the deformation.
The influence of the sediment dispersal upon the location and timing of the tectonic deformation has been inferred indicating that structural deformation in this region pre dates the onset of deposition from the Niger Delta. The deformation which occurred prior to the Niger Delta outbuilding was controlled by the sediment dispersal from the Benin Embayment and this earlier, sediment controlled deformation, has subsequently played a role in the modified gravity tectonics which has been observed.


Although 9% of people will experience a seizure during their lifetime, most do not have epilepsy. Following the first seizure, acute systemic or neurologic disease must be excluded, electroencephalography performed, and psychosocial impact (including driving) addressed. A history of focal seizure origin, neurologic deficit on examination, an abnormal electroencephalograph, or a specific cause (such as tumour) predicts an increased risk of seizure recurrence.


This guide explains capital gains tax for individuals who have sold their main residence, for individuals with complex capital gains tax obligations and for companies, trusts and funds. NAT 4151-6.2006.


On July 22, 2009, a five-member arbitral tribunal, operating under the Permanent Court of Arbitration's Optional Rules for Arbitrating Disputes Between Two Parties of Which Only One Is a State, rendered its 4-1 decision in the excess-of-mandate and boundary-delimitation case between the government of Sudan (Government) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A).1 The tribunal was asked (1) to determine whether the Abyei Boundaries Commission (ABC) Experts (Experts) had, in their final report2 (Report), exceeded their mandate, which was "to define and demarcate the area of the nine Ngok Dinka Chiefdoms transferred to Kordofan in 1905,"3 and, if so, (2) to delimit that region, known as the Abyei area (see map). The tribunal found that the Experts had not exceeded their mandate with respect to the southern boundary of the Abyei area, the northern limit of permanent N gok Dinka habitation, or the survival of established secondary (seasonal) rights on either side of the northern boundary. The tribunal did find, however, that the Experts had exceeded their man date with respect to the delimitation of the area of shared secondary rights in the north, and with respect to the delimitation of the northern, western, and eastern boundaries of the Abyei area for failing to state sufficient reasons for how they implemented their mandate. The tri bunal accepted the possibility of a partial nullity of the Experts' Report and set aside only those decisions in the Report that were rendered in excess of the Experts' mandate. In particular, the tribunal delimited new boundaries in the east and west, and ruled that, while the defined area


This paper explores the use of situationist theory as a specific form of cultural political psychology to address the war on terror. Initially, the paper will introduce situationist theory located within its historical context. Then I will apply the concepts of situationist theory to the events of September 11th and to the notion of 'the society of the spectacle'. The final section of the article will address the ethical and moral implications of the use of situationist theory in psychology and this paper aims to open up a debate in the discipline for its use as a particular type of psychology.


Background Periostin has shown to be involved in the many aspects of allergic inflammation, such as acceleration of allergen-induced eosinophil recruitment, development of a Th2 phenotype, increased expression of inflammatory mediators, and airway remodeling and fibrosis in bronchial asthma and that fibrosis is one factor that causes steroid resistance or hyporesponsiveness in bronchial asthma. Aim This study aimed to evaluate the possible role of serum periostin as a biomarker for airway inflammation, for predicting the patient's possible response to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) after its regular use and its correlation with disease severity and control compared with functional and radiological findings. Patients and methods Sixty nonsmoker, asthmatic patients of at least 20 years of age and 20 control healthy nonsmokers with matched age and sex were included. Patients were then subclassified into two: first, according to the asthma severity into mild, moderate, and severe and then according to asthma control (controlled, poorly controlled, and uncontrolled). Serum periostin, spirometry, and multidetector computed tomography were performed for all included populations. Results There was significant statistical direct relation with increased serum periostin level and wall area and bronchial wall thickening (BWT) with asthma severity and all showed high significant increase among patients with uncontrolled than those with controlled asthma. Highly significant statistical direct correlation was found between BWT and serum periostin level. There was highly statistically significant decreased serum periostin level and BWT among the steroid-treated group of patients than in steroid-naive asthma (nonsteroid treated group of patients) which were significantly decreased after regular daily use of ICS for 6 months and also among uncontrolled patients after being adequately controlled than their baseline states. Conclusion Serum periostin marker and BWT had a significant, sensitive, accurate clinically relevant indicative value (especially when combined) as regards asthma control and severity and probable adequate response to ICS. Serum periostin not only could be a reliable biomarker for eosinophilic inflammation but also may contribute to the development of airway remodeling as assessed by multidetector computed tomography.


"Flat Slab" is better understood as the slab without beams resting directly on supports (like columns & or walls).By virtue of that large Bending Moment & Shear Forces are developed close to the columns. Flat slabs system of construction is one in which the beams used in t he conventional methods of constructions are done away with. The slab directly rests on the column and load from the slab is directly transferred to the columns and then to the foundation. To support heavy loads the thickness of slab near the support with the column is increased and these are called drops, or columns are generally provided with enlarged heads called column heads or capitals.Absence of beam gives a plain ceiling, thus giving better architectural appearance and also less vulnerability in case of fire than in usual cases where beams are used. Plain ceiling diffuses light better, easier to construct and requires cheaper form work.As per local conditions and availability of materials different countries have adopted different me thods for design of flat slabs and given their guidelines in their respective codes.The Finite element analysis & Equivalent frame analysis is carried out by using software ETABS, The analysis & design is performed by Equivalent Frame Method with staggered column & without staggered column as prescribed in the different codes like IS 456-2000, ACI 318-08 are compared. In this process moments are distributed as column strip moments & middle strip moments.For carrying out this project an interior panel of a flat slab with dimensions 6.6 x 5.6 m and super imposed load 7.75 KN /m2 was designed using the codes given above.


The development of broadband wireless access technologies in recent years was the result of growing demand for mobile Internet and wireless multimedia applications. Mobile communication plays a most important role in telecommunications industry. Through a common wide-area radio-access technology and flexible network architecture WiMAX and LTE has enabled convergence of mobile and fixed broadband networks. Since January 2007, the IEEE 802.16 Working Group has been developing a new amendment of the IEEE802.16 standard (i.e., IEEE 802.16m) as an advanced air interface to meet the requirements of ITU-R/IMT-advanced for 4G systems as well as for the next-generation mobile network operators. Next fourth generation (4G) mobile technology, promises the full mobility with high speed data rates and high-capacity IP-based services and applications while maintaining full backward compatibility. This paper explores 4G wireless system, its features and technologies to fulfill its requirement.


Tolkien's Fall of Arthur has at its heart the theme of ofermod, a theme which appears throughout Tolkien's criticism and creative work. In his essay "The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son," he argues that the Anglo-Saxon word ofermod in the poem The Battle of Maldon condemns the warband's leader for an over-reaching pride which places his men in desperate straits. There has since been much ink spilled on the precise meaning of ofermod, with several scholars taking exception to Tolkien's interpretation of the word. In its survey of the critical debate, this paper conducts a study of the word and its derivatives in various Anglo-Saxon texts, taking the Microfiche Concordance to Old English as its starting point. After weighing in on the critical debate surrounding ofermod, I then trace Tolkien's creative use of the theme in both his tales of Middle-Earth and his pastiche of "The Battle of Maldon" to establish the patterns of its temptation, attraction, use, and effect in his work before analyzing these same patterns as driving motivations for the characters in The Fall of Arthur. The Neighbors in the Village: Frost's Debt to Dante, Longfellow, and James in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." (2016) Frost's much-anthologized and often-quoted "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" has received much critical attention for its formal characteristics and ambiguity. This paper, however, establishes its connections to Frost's first volume of poetry, A Boy's Will, and his interaction with Longfellow, Dante, and William James. The refrain to Longfellow's "My Lost Youth" providing the title, A Boy's Will exploits and complicates the images of roads, woods, and wind that Longfellow's poem employs. After discussing Longfellow's poem and Frost's further development of those images throughout A Boy's Will, this paper traces Frost's complicated interaction with Dante's images of stars in the same volume before weaving all of these threads together as they reappear in "Stopping By Woods on Snowy Evening." Finally, I explore how Frost's well-documented philosophical debt to William James is apparent in the formal and imagistic stasis of the poem's last verse.


The work presented here addresses the problem of target detection against spatially structured interference composed of jamming plus noise, where for practical reasons, the received target wavefront may also deviate from the traditional plane wave model. This detection problem arises in over-the-horizon (OTH) radar systems where spatially distributed targets often compete for detection against directional interference that is spread over the entire range-Doppler search space. Conventional detection processing schemes are compared with a recently proposed adaptive subspace detector (ASD) that takes both the spatial structure of the interference and the possibility of target wavefront distortions into account. Experimental array data recorded by the Jindalee sky-wave and Iluka surface-wave OTH radar systems, located in central and northern Australia respectively, is used to evaluate detection performance.


Traditionally, leadership was concerned with increasing the production and profits of the organization. But with the changing time, the traditional view of leadership is diminishing at a very fast pace. Most of the theorists of 21st Century are asserting that along with increasing the production and profit, a leader is also responsible for ensuring the standard of moral and ethical conduct. That means now a days a good leadership refers not only to competence of leaders, but also to ethical transformation of people. The leaders of this century are not only responsible for influencing their followers to perform an action, complete a task, or behave in a specific manner but also for influencing process, stimulating change in subordinate's attitudes and values, augmenting followers' self-efficacy beliefs, and fostering the internalization of the leaders' vision by utilizing strategies of empowerment. It is believed that the nurturing aspect of leaders can raise organizational cultures and employee values to high levels of ethical concern. Ethical leadership requires ethical leaders. If leaders are ethical, they can ensure that ethical practices are carried out throughout the organization. This paper has tried to raise the same issues and focused on how ethical leadership can contribute to the development of the organization.


Global indicators of state's performance have grown exponentially over the last three dec-ades. Issues such as economic freedom, competitiveness, property rights, business environment, credit-worthiness, democracy, governance, transparency and media freedom have become central topics of several global benchmarks focused on the evaluation of the state. The objective of this paper is to analyze the reasons behind this phenomenon, investigating the role of those global indicators in world politics and the shaping of an "ideal state". In the first section, the study emphasizes that the global diffusion of rankings and ratings is primarily linked to the rise of neoliberalism. Drawing on Michel Foucault's work on governmentality, global indicators are conceived as specific apparatuses of neoliberal rationality that help to conform states' polities and policies to the twin neoliberal principles of competitiveness and en-trepreneurship. The second section describes the often contradictory construction of the neoliberal com-petition state. Then the study analyzes how the neoliberal state is forged by global indicators. Specifically, the paper focuses on the Global Competitiveness Index by the World Economic Forum. The article ends with some concluding remarks on the power of global indicators and some suggestion for future research.


The NIFTi robot is equipped – among others – with a rotating laser scanner and an omnidirectional camera. This paper describes a practical approach for mutual calibration of the sensors. We make use of few publicly available packages and add few utilities for data conversion. A planar checker board pattern is shown at several 3D positions to the laser sensor and the camera simultaneously. Necessary correspondences between Lidar 3D points and images are assigned manually. The procedure yields a complete geometric calibration of the camera and transformation between the camera and the Lidar coordinate system.


As bulk-MOS technology is approaching its fundamental limit, non-classical devices such as multiple-gate (MG) and silicon-nanowire (SiNW) transistors emerge as promising candidates for future generation device building blocks. This trend poses new challenges to developing a compact model suitable for these new device structures and requires a paradigm shift in the core model structure. Conventional bulk-MOS models are based on four-terminal unipolar conduction in a doped channel with ideal symmetrical PN-junction source/drain contacts. In MG/NW MOSFETs, however, the device becomes three-terminal with undoped channel and possible bipolar conduction, and source/drain contacts become an integral part of intrinsic channel. Source/drain asymmetry, either intentional or unintentional, in a theoretically symmetric MOSFET also becomes important to be captured in a compact model, which is nontrivial in a model that depends on terminal source/drain swapping at the circuit level. This paper discusses these new challenges and demonstrates solutions based on the unified regional modeling (URM) approach.


Socio-emotional outcomes for children placed in care are more positive when foster parents have a secure state of mind regarding attachment and are able to think about the child's unique psychological perspective (Dozier, Stovall, Albus & Bates, 2001; Schofield & Beek, 2005a). One aspect of parents' thinking about the child has been conceptualised as mind-mindedness (Meins, 1998) and is measured by the proportion of mind-related comments made when a parent is asked to describe their child. The first study examines whether foster parent's mind-mindedness and attachment perceptions, amongst other child and foster parent characteristics, are positively associated with the foster parent-child relationship and the child's emotional and behavioural outcomes.  The study found that foster parents with higher mind-mindedness had foster children with fewer behaviour problems and this relationship was enhanced by foster parents having positive attachment perceptions. Moreover, foster parent mind-mindedness was not related to the quality of the parent-child relationship, except when parents had positive attachment perceptions. Regarding the child's placement characteristics, the number of previous placements the child had experienced predicted the child's emotional and behaviour problems and the age at which the child was placed predicted the quality of the foster parent-child relationship. The best placement predictors of both outcome variables considered together were the age at which the child was placed and short term placements.  Drawing on attachment theory, and guided by the findings of study one, the author developed a a training programme and a Relational Learning Framework (RLF) to assist foster parents and foster care practitioners to understand the child's psychological perspective. The second study employed a multiple- baseline design to evaluate the effectiveness of the RLF guided training programme. Statistically significant improvements were found regarding parents' reports of children's behaviour problems, parents' daily stress, the attachment relationship and children's overall functioning at post-test. However, at follow-up, only the children's overall functioning remained significantly improved, although increases in positive mind-mindedness became statistically significant, relative to post-test. Some foster parents showed decreases in wellbeing scores, relative to their scores at pre- and post-test.  The third study used a pre- post-test design to evaluate the effectiveness of the training programme to assist foster care practitioners to apply the RLF in their clinical practice and to deliver the training programme to foster parents. At post-test, practitioners' empathy and reflectiveness showed a statistically significant increase but no statistically significant increases were found in practitioners' mind-mindedness. The training was rated highly by participants and a thematic analysis of diary entries showed that they used the RLF in their practice, were able to help foster parents understand the child's perspective, and reported positive therapeutic gains from utilising these techniques.  The research provides preliminary evidence that foster parent mind-mindedness, in conjunction with attachment perceptions, is associated with the child's emotional and behaviour problems and the foster parent-child relationship. The results from the intervention study with foster parents showed initially promising gains, which were not maintained at follow-up, and the results from the foster care practitioners study indicated improvements in practitioners' empathy and reflectiveness, as well as positive outcomes of using the training material.


Most tropical mammal species are threatened or data-deficient. Data collection is impeded by traditional monitoring approaches which can be laborious, expensive and struggle to detect cryptic diversity. Monitoring approaches using mammal DNA derived from invertebrates, in particular blowfly-derived DNA, have recently been suggested as alternatives to traditional field methods. As a step towards development of blowfly-derived DNA as an effective method for mammal monitoring in Peninsular Malaysia, my research objectives are: (i) to determine the persistence period of amplifiable mammal mtDNA in blowfly guts; (ii) to design and test primers that can selectively amplify mammal COI DNA mini-barcodes in the presence of high concentrations of blowfly DNA; (iii) to determine the dispersal range of blowflies in forests; (iv) to calibrate the performance of blowfly-derived mammal DNA at generating species inventories and richness estimates against traditional methods: cage trapping, mist netting, hair trapping and scat collection in the field; (v) to calibrate the performance of blowfly-derived DNA at generating species inventories and richness estimates against the most popular method to assess megafaunal diversity - camera trapping in the field. The persistence period of amplifiable mammal DNA in blowfly guts was in the range of 24 h to 96 h post-feeding indicating the need for retrieving flies within 24 h of capture to detect mammal mtDNA in sufficient quantity and quality. A short (205 bp) mammal COI DNA mini-barcode, suitable for high-throughput sequencing, could distinguish most mammal species (including separating dark taxa). The daily dispersal range of Chrysomya spp. blowflies suggests that individuals contributing blowfly-derived DNA would have been within 3 km the location where blowflies were collected over 24 h period. The field study in Ulu Gombak Forest Reserve that calibrated the performance of blowfly-derived mammal DNA against traditional methods (cage traps, mist nets, hair traps, and scat collection) over 1,440 trap days revealed that blowfly traps and mist nets detected the joint highest number of wild mammal species (6 species), and only one species was detected by multiple methods. Compared to traditional field methods, blowfly-derived DNA detected both volant and non-volant species from wider body size ranges. In Tembat Forest Reserve with megafauna, calibration of blowfly-derived DNA against camera traps, the most popular method in megafaunal diversity assessment, blowfly-derived DNA detected more species (n=11) than camera traps (n=9) across 1,200 trap days, with only one species detected by both methods. With further calibration, blowfly-derived DNA may join the list of traditional field methods.


This paper studies the robustness of reinforcement learning algorithms to errors in the learning process. Specifically, we revisit the benchmark problem of discrete-time linear quadratic regulation (LQR) and study the long-standing open question: Under what conditions is the policy iteration method robustly stable from a dynamical systems perspective? Using advanced stability results in control theory, it is shown that policy iteration for LQR is inherently robust to small errors in the learning process and enjoys small-disturbance input-to-state stability: whenever the error in each iteration is bounded and small, the solutions of the policy iteration algorithm are also bounded, and, moreover, enter and stay in a small neighborhood of the optimal LQR solution. As an application, a novel off-policy optimistic least-squares policy iteration for the LQR problem is proposed, when the system dynamics are subjected to additive stochastic disturbances. The proposed new results in robust reinforcement learning are validated by a numerical example.


Calcium ion plays an important role in the hair cell's mechanoelectrical transduction process; in particular, Ca2+ controls adaptation to protracted mechanical stimuli. Because calmodulin is a ubiquitous intracellular receptor for Ca2+ and has been shown to accumulate at the tips of stereocilia, we determined its concentration and identified the proteins with which it interacts in the hair bundle. By performing quantitative immunoblot analysis on isolated bundles, we ascertained that the average concentration of calmodulin within each stereocilium is approximately 70 microM. Extraction experiments disclosed that, in the presence of 20 microM Ca2+, 50% of the calmodulin is bound to detergent-soluble receptors. To distinguish these receptors, we developed an assay that utilizes calmodulin crosslinked to alkaline phosphatase. This technique is approximately 100-fold more sensitive than calmodulin-binding assays that employ 125I- or biotin-labeled calmodulin. When used with chemiluminescence detection in a blot-overlay assay, the calmodulin-alkaline phosphatase conjugate identified hair-bundle proteins of molecular masses 25, 35, 145, 175, 240, and 350 kDa. We examined the subcellular distribution of these receptors; all but the 240-kDa molecule are soluble in a nonionic detergent. The relatively high concentration of calmodulin and the presence of several calmodulin-binding proteins provide evidence for a role of calmodulin in hair bundles.


Aeration effects on impact have been investigated by dropping a flat plate onto the water surface, in which the water is aerated to various degrees. An experimental study has been carried out in the newly commissioned Ocean Basin at Plymouth University's COAST Lab. The falling block comprises a rigid impact plate connected to two driver plates and its total mass can be varied between 32 kg and 52 kg. The impact plate is 0.25m long, 0.25 m wide and 0.012 m high. The impact velocity is varied between 4 m/s and 7 m/s. Preliminary results of the impact tests are presented here. Visualised results show that there are significant differences between jet formation after impact of the plate in pure water and in aerated water. There is significant reduction of the maximum pressures from those measured in pure water to those measured in aerated water.


In this study we attempt to deal with process planning, scheduling and preventive maintenance (PM) decisions, simultaneously. The objective is to minimize the total completion time of a set of jobs on a CNC machine. During the process planning, we decide on the processing times of the jobs which are controllable (i.e. they can be easily changed) on CNC machines. Using shorter processing times (higher production rates) would result in greater deterioration of the machine, and we would need to plan more frequent PM visits to the machine, during which it would not be available. Therefore, the selected processing times determine not only the completion times but also the PM visit times. We first provide optimality properties for the joint problem. We propose a new heuristic search algorithm to determine simultaneously the processing times of the jobs, their sequence and the PM schedule.


The purpose of this study is to examine whether gatekeepers influence technology transfer within the Higher Education Institute (HEI) sector. It is important to note that the higher education sector in Ireland is known as a binary system of education in that it consists of both universities and Institutes of Technology (IoTs). Both sectors are treated differently in funding allocation and research and innovation. This study chose to research the IoT sector as the majority of literature surrounding technology transfer is written and commented on from a university perspective.
A phenomenologist philosophy was employed using qualitative methods. Rice and Matthews (1993) and Duff (1994) stated that incubation centres, within an industry context, were the hub of technology transfer with incubator managers being gatekeepers of the technology transfer process. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to expect that campus incubation centres and their managers located in the 14 IoTs in Ireland would also be hubs of technology transfer. A sample was obtained of the 15 IoT campus incubation centres using a number of selection criteria. Data were collected for this study through semi-structured interviews with six incubation centre managers. The managers revealed that they did not consider themselves to be gatekeepers of technology transfer but instead identified 23 individuals who they believed were gatekeepers of technology transfer in the IoTs. The semi-structured interviews enabled the researcher to establish information regarding the gatekeepers' education qualifications, industry experience, network contacts and whether the skills gained had an influence on technology transfer within the IoTs. Based on the interviews with the gatekeepers the researcher decided to interview ten key government officials in various government funding agencies in Ireland as it became apparent that there were some issues regarding the Irish government's methods of allocating funding to HEIs.
A number of important findings emerged from this study. The research identified that individuals identified as gatekeepers in IoTs possessed all the capacities of organisational gatekeepers described by Allen (1977). Furthermore, the research findings confirmed that technology transfer is not just a step-by-step process running from invention disclosures to wealth. In fact, this research has found that the technology transfer process starts with gatekeepers gathering and disseminating knowledge and sharing this knowledge with the academic community. They in turn motivate and inspire academic faculty to file invention disclosures and engage in the technology transfer process. It was also discovered that gatekeepers believed that without their presence in the IoT, technology transfer would not occur. The gatekeepers also believed that the skills gained as a result of their previous experience influenced the technology transfer process. However, from the research findings it emerged that skills gained during their education actually provided gatekeepers with more knowledge transfer capacities than they acknowledged.
As mentioned previously Ireland possesses a binary education system consisting of seven universities and 14 IoTs. The university sector is traditionally more successful at obtaining research funding then IoTs. As a result of this, the research found that the allocation of funding by government funding agencies has caused dissatisfaction amongst the IoT sector in particular, towards the metrics used by Enterprise Ireland (EI) to measure technology transfer in HEIs. The gatekeepers believed the funding they received from EI was not adequate and that they were treated differently to universities regarding the level of support received for technology transfer. This research will add to the expanding body of literature on technology
ii
transfer as it was established that technology transfer required knowledge to be transferred in order to be effective and that knowledge transfer required the existence of individuals to disseminate knowledge in order to be effective. Finally, this study examined of the impact of policies enforced by government funding employees on gatekeepers' ability to encourage technology transfer in IoTs. Therefore, this study has implications for researchers, policy makers, higher education authorities, government funding agencies in Ireland and individuals engaged in technology transfer.


Pathogen transmission from a vertebrate animal to a human, also known as zoonotic spillover, represents a global public health burden, which while associated with multiple outbreaks, still remains a poorly understood phenomenon. Coronaviruses, like influenza viruses, circulate in nature in various animal species. Alpha-coronaviruses and beta-coronaviruses can infect mammals and gamma-coronaviruses and delta-coronaviruses tend to infect birds, but some of them can also be transmitted to mammals. Although still preliminary, current data suggest that bats are the most probable initial source of the current 2019 novel CoV (2019nCoV) outbreak, that begun on December 2019 in Wuhan, China, apparently spreading from a "wet market" to multiple cities and provinces in China. This epidemic of 2019nCoV, already reaching more than 6,000 cases to-day (end of January 2020) (>90% in China), will not be the last one linked to zoonotic spillover events.


Bacterial external ocular infection is a common health problem along with increase and spread of drug resistance in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to identify potential bacterial isolate of external ocular infections and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in patients attending eye clinic of the Hawassa University Teaching and Referral Hospital, from December 2012 to April 2013. A total of 281 consecutive, non-repetitive ocular specimens were collected among conjunctivitis cases (n=140), blepharitis cases (n=55), keratitis cases (n=31), dacryocystitis cases (n=19), and other cases (n=36). All samples were processed for culture and identification by standard methods. Susceptibility testing was done by Kirby-Bauer method as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guideline. Out of 281 ocular specimens submitted to culture, 137 (48.8%) specimen were positive. The most common bacterial isolates were Gram positive cocci (n=88; 61.5%). The predominant bacterial species isolated was Staphylococcus aureus (n=30; 21.0%) followed by coagulase negative Staphylococci (CoNS) (n=26; 18.2%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=20; 14.0%). In vitro ciprofloxacin was effective against 86% of isolated pathogen. Multi-drug resistance was observed in 69.9% of the bacterial isolates. Our study confirmed that S. aureus was the overall predominant isolated pathogen followed by CoNS, S. pneumoniae and Klebsiella spp. Gram positive isolates were more susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and vancomycin, whereas Gram negative isolates were more susceptible to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. Relatively, ciprofloxacin is effective against most isolated pathogen.

 Key words: External ocular infections, conjunctivitis, blepharitis, keratitis, dacryocystitis, susceptibility.


Abstract The Article discusses the democratic backsliding after 2010 in Hungary, and how it affected the state of human rights in the country, a Member State of the European Union. The main argument of the Article is that paradoxically the non-legitimate 1989 constitution provided full-fledged protection of fundamental rights, while the procedurally legitimate 2011 constitution-making resulted in curtailment of rights and their constitutional guarantees. The Article first describes the democratic transition that occurred in 1989–1990 as a rights revolution and the results of the 2011 "illiberal" constitution, called Fundamental Law, as counter-revolution. The second part of the Article illustrates the constitutional and statutory regulation of human rights protection after this "rule of law revolution," and the activist jurisprudence of the first Constitutional Court using the concept of an "invisible constitution" to protect human rights. The third part discusses the rights provisions of the new Fundamental Law and several statutes dismantling the guarantees of human rights, with special attention to the decreased possibilities of state institutions, such as the Constitutional Court, the ordinary judiciary and ombudsmen, as well as civil society organizations to effectively protect fundamental rights. The fourth part assesses the efforts of European institutions to force the Hungarian government to comply with the human rights standards laid down in the European Convention of Human Rights and in the Treaty of the European Union. The Article concludes that neither internal nor external challenges could prevent the development of a new authoritarian regime with no guaranteed human rights.


This study was motivated by practical issues we have encountered as second-semester calculus instructors, where students struggle to make sense of the various series convergence tests, including the divergence, integral, direct comparison, limit comparison, ratio, and root tests. To begin an exploration of how students might reason about these tests, we examined the visual imagery used by students when asked to describe what these tests are and why they provide the conclusions they do. It appeared that each test had certain types of visual imagery associated with it, which were at times productive and at times a hindrance. We describe how the visual imagery used by students seemed to impact their reasoning about the convergence tests.


ABSTRACT Understanding the status and distribution of species is fundamental for conservation. However, recent genetic work has challenged the known distributions of some unionid taxa. The recognized range of the Louisiana Fatmucket Lampsilis hydiana spans watersheds from east Texas northward to southern Arkansas and eastward to western Mississippi. Specimens with morphological similarities to L. hydiana have been observed in Illinois and were presumed to be Fatmucket Lampsilis siliquoidea based on known distributions of Lampsilis species in Illinois. We examined specimens from Illinois and completed comparative genetic analyses using the mitochondrial genes cox1 and nad1 for species resembling L. siliquoidea. Our results show two morphologically similar, yet genetically distinct, species in Illinois. One of these species was genetically similar to L. siliquoidea, and one of these species showed little-to-no genetic difference from topotypic L. hydiana. The confirmation of L. hydiana populations within Illinois is significant for documenting the faunal diversity of the state. The varying degree of phenotypic separation confirms the need for further morphological research within Lampsilis, as well as genetic research throughout the updated known range of L. hydiana.


Invasive species constitute a major economic and ecological threat. They produce billions of dollars in damages annually and are considered on of the top five factors causing the loss of biodiversity. Hence the prevention, control and elimination of invasive species are major objectives for government agencies. While ecological and biological research can identify effective treatment measures, the implementation of these methods is inevitably limited by fiscal constraints. Thus, ecological data needs to be incorporated into economic cost-minimization models to find the optimal balance of alternative approaches subject to budget limitations. We present a stochastic dynamic optimization model that analyzes the optimal choices for invasive species management: the optimal levels of search intensity to detect established species and the optimal degree of control of a detected species. The model illustrates how the optimal strategy for a single species depends on the interactions among three factors: the speed of the invasive species invasion, the distributions of random biological processes, and the specific parameters pertaining to that species.


It is not uncommon for a severe traumatic brachial plexus injury to involve all 5 roots, resulting in a flail upper limb. In such cases, surgical reconstruction is often palliative, providing only rudimentary function. Nerve transfers are the mainstay of reconstructive strategies due to the predominance of root avulsions. Consistent results are obtained only for restoration of shoulder stability and elbow flexion, whereas restoring useful hand function remains a challenge. The transfer of the contralateral C-7 (cC-7) is commonly used in an attempt to restore basic hand function, but results are notoriously unreliable and inconsistent. Shu-feng Wang and colleagues recently proposed a potentially more successful permutation of this procedure. They advocated direct approximation of the cC-7 to the lower trunk on the paralyzed side, thus avoiding the interposition of nerve grafts. This technique involves a lengthy dissection of the cC-7 transfer across the midline via a prespinal route, as well as extensive mobilization of the ipsilateral lower trunk by cutting a subset of its branches, adducting the arm, and (if necessary) shortening the humerus. Each of these steps is indispensable to achieve direct approximation of the nerve ends. Many surgeons have tried to emulate Wang's strategy. However, the technical difficulties involved have forced recourse to interposition of nerve grafts once again. The authors report their observations in the first 22 patients in whom they performed this procedure. Direct cC-7 repair via the prespinal route was performed in 12 patients. Shortening of the humerus was necessary in 9 of these 12 patients. In 10 patients, a direct repair was not feasible and nerve grafting was performed. The median follow-up period was 26 months for the direct coaptation group and 28.5 months for the nerve graft group. In the direct repair group, 10 of the 12 patients regained Medical Research Council Grade 3 flexion of the wrist and of the middle, ring, and little fingers, while the remaining 2 patients had Grade 2 function. Flexion appeared 12-14 months after the operation. At the latest follow-up, these patients could activate the wrist and hand without requiring significant augmentation maneuvers in the donor limb. In contrast, repair requiring interposition grafts resulted in Grade 3 strength in only 2 of 10 patients, while 7 had Grade 2 strength, and 1 experienced failure. In all grafted cases, the patient had to forcibly contract the contralateral pectoralis major and triceps muscles to produce the weak movements on the reconstructed side. In this small series, the authors demonstrated a distinct advantage associated with the avoidance of grafts when transferring the cC-7 to restore hand function. The authors conclude that efforts to achieve direct approximation of the donor C-7 and the recipient lower trunk are necessary and justified.


Background: Laparoscopic appendectomy is the gold standard for treatment of appendicitis. Stapled closure of the appendiceal stump is commonly performed and has several advantages. Few prior cases have demonstrated complications from free staples left within the abdomen after the stapler has been fired. Case report: A 29-year-old female underwent laparoscopic appendectomy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis during which the appendix and mesoappendix were divided using laparoscopic gastrointestinal anastomosis (GIA) staplers. Her initial recovery was uncomplicated. She returned on postoperative day 17 with sharp mid-abdominal pain, obstipation, and emesis. Her abdomen was distended, and she had a mild leukocytosis. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated twisted loops of dilated small bowel in the right lower quadrant with two transition points, suggestive of internal hernia with closed loop bowel obstruction. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed through the three prior appendectomy incisions. An adhesion between the Veil of Treves and the mesentery of the ileum caused by a solitary free closed staple, remote from the staple lines, had caused an internal hernia. The hernia was reduced, and the small bowel was noted to have early ischemic discoloration. The adhesion was lysed by removing the staple from both structures. The compromised loops of bowel began to show peristaltic movement and color returned to normal, and the procedure was concluded without resection. She was discharged home the following day. Conclusions: Gastrointestinal staplers are commonly used due to ease of use and low complication rate. It is not uncommon to leave free staples in the abdomen as retrieval can be difficult and time consuming. Our case is only the second in the literature reporting an internal hernia with closed loop bowel obstruction as a complication of retained staples. Choosing the most appropriate size staple load to reduce the number of extra staples, removing free staples, or the use of an endoloop can prevent potentially devastating complications.


Internationally accepted good practice in hydropower development requires a value to be defined by "triple conflicts", addressing the combination of environmental, social and economic benefits and energy generated by each project. The strategic role of hydro projects (HPs) needs to be defined at the country, basin, and regional levels. Project risks arise from the complexity and uncertainties of hydro projects, including limited hydrological data and analyses, climate change, uncertain geology, multi-disciplinary and cross-sectional project design, and construction management. But network of flow measurements and engineering hydrology knowledge have not been wide enough to meet the need of the hydrological data and construction in small hydro projects of Turkey. Therefore, the hydro projects have been planned with somehow inadequate data and limited engineering knowledge. This can affect project profitability, energy production efficiency, environmental protection measures as well as the application of the described operation rules. In this regard, the streams - veins of Anatolia - are under threat by hydro projects which are rerouting the natural way of life in the rural regions of Anatolia. In the name of production of electricity and privatization, the streams are being destructed from their cherished natural habitat. These projects will affect the natural habitat of Anatolia irreversibly. Hydro projects will be built in future as the demands for electricity, potable water and irrigation are increasing. The negative effects of hydro projects on flora, fauna and the local population, or the conflicts among energy, economy and environment, however, can be reduced by some measures, such as suitable selection of sites for construction and operation.


The performance and reliability comparison of two networks that have been proposed for use as high-speed metropolitan area networks (MANs)-the Manhattan street network (MS Net) and the distributed-queue dual-bus (DQDB) network-are compared. Both networks use slotted access protocols and have the same number of links, transmitters, and receivers per node. It is shown that the MS Net provides a much higher network throughput for a variety of traffic patterns, both uniform and nonuniform. It is shown that the MS Net can survive more failures than the DQDB network and that failures cause a lesser performance degradation in the MS Net. It is also shown that higher-level mechanisms are required in the DQDB network to recover from link failures, whereas deflection routing is sufficient in the MS Net.<<ETX>>


Background and purpose Thoracolumbar and sacral spinal epidural arteriovenous fistulas (SEDAVFs) are an increasingly recognized form of spinal vascular malformation. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of the demographics, clinical presentation and treatment results of thoracolumbar SEDAVFs. Materials and methods Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched from January 2000 to January 2018 for articles on treatment of SEDAVFs. Pooled data of individual patients were analyzed for demographic and clinical features of SEDAVFs as well as treatment outcomes. Results There were 125 patients from 11 studies included. Mean age was 63.5 years. There was a male sex predilection (69.6%). Sensory symptoms including pain or numbness were the most frequently presenting symptoms. Fistula location was the lumbosacral spine in 79.2% and the thoracic spine in 20.8%. Involvement of intradural venous drainage was more common than extradural venous drainage only (89.6% vs 10.4%). Of the 123 treated patients, endovascular therapy was performed in 67.5% of patients, microsurgery in 23.6%, and combined treatment in 8.9%. The overall complete obliteration rate was 83.5% and did not differ between groups. Clinical symptoms improved in 70.7% of patients, were stable in 25%, and worsened in 1.7% with no difference between treatment modalities. Conclusions Thoracic and lumbosacral SEDAVFs often present with symptoms secondary to congestive myelopathy or compressive symptoms. Both endovascular and microsurgical treatments were associated with high obliteration rates and good clinical outcomes.


We propose DEEPMEMORY, a novel deep architecture for sequence-to-sequence learning, which performs the task through a series of nonlinear transformations from the representation of the input sequence (e.g., a Chinese sentence) to the final output sequence (e.g., translation to English). Inspired by the recently proposed Neural Turing Machine (Graves et al., 2014), we store the intermediate representations in stacked layers of memories, and use read-write operations on the memories to realize the nonlinear transformations between the representations. The types of transformations are designed in advance but the parameters are learned from data. Through layer-by-layer transformations, DEEPMEMORY can model complicated relations between sequences necessary for applications such as machine translation between distant languages. The architecture can be trained with normal back-propagation on sequenceto-sequence data, and the learning can be easily scaled up to a large corpus. DEEPMEMORY is broad enough to subsume the state-of-the-art neural translation model in (Bahdanau et al., 2015) as its special case, while significantly improving upon the model with its deeper architecture. Remarkably, DEEPMEMORY, being purely neural network-based, can achieve performance comparable to the traditional phrase-based machine translation system Moses with a small vocabulary and a modest parameter size.


The outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in an "infodemic" that has encouraged the propagation of misinformation about COVID-19 and cure methods which, in turn, could negatively affect the adoption of recommended public health measures in the larger population. In this paper, we provide a new multimodal (consisting of images, text and temporal information) labeled dataset containing news articles and tweets on the COVID-19 vaccine. We collected 2,593 news articles from 80 publishers for one year between Feb 16th 2020 to May 8th 2021 and 24184 Twitter posts (collected between April 17th 2021 to May 8th 2021). We combine ratings from two news media ranking sites: Medias Bias Chart and Media Bias/Fact Check (MBFC) to classify the news dataset into two levels of credibility: reliable and unreliable. The combination of two filters allows for higher precision of labeling. We also propose a stance detection mechanism to annotate tweets into three levels of credibility: reliable, unreliable and inconclusive. We provide several statistics as well as other analytics like, publisher distribution, publication date distribution, topic analysis, etc. We also provide a novel architecture that classifies the news data into misinformation or truth to provide a baseline performance for this dataset. We find that the proposed architecture has an F-Score of 0.919 and accuracy of 0.882 for fake news detection. Furthermore, we provide benchmark performance for misinformation detection on tweet dataset. This new multimodal dataset can be used in research on COVID-19 vaccine, including misinformation detection, influence of fake COVID-19 vaccine information, etc.


Amidst growing reports of abuses and rights violations in immigration detention, the Trump administration has sought to expand the use of immigration detention to facilitate its deportation policy. This study offers the first comprehensive empirical analysis of U.S. immigration detention at the national level. Drawing on administrative records and geocoded data pertaining to all noncitizens who were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in fiscal year 2015, we examine who the detainees are, where they were held, and what happened to them. The bulk of the detained population consisted of men (79 percent) and individuals from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (together, 89 percent). Over 59,000, or about 17 percent, of the detainees were juveniles under the age of eighteen. All states in the United States had one or more facility, with Texas and California having the highest number of facilities and detainees. Detention in privately operated facilities and in remote locations was common. We analyze three key detention outcomes: detention length, inter-facility transfers, and facility-related grievances. The average detention length for adults released in fiscal year 2015 was 38 days, though tens of thousands were detained for many months or years. A majority of these detainees experienced one or more inter-facility transfers, many involving movements across cities, states, and federal judicial circuits. In fiscal year 2015, the Detention Reporting and Information Line received over 48,800 facility-related grievances, a majority of which concerned issues pertaining to access to legal counsel and basic immigration case information. We find that detention outcomes vary significantly across facility operator types (private versus non private) and facility locations (within or outside of major urban areas). Specifically, our multivariate regression analyses show that confinement in privately operated facilities is associated with significantly longer detention and a higher number of grievances. We find a similar pattern of results for confinement in facilities located outside of major urban areas. On the other hand, confinement in privately operated facilities, and confinement in facilities located outside of major urban areas, respectively, are associated with lower risks of inter-facility transfers. These findings provide an important foundation for ongoing public discourse and policy discussions on the expanded use of detention as an immigration enforcement strategy.


We estimate hedonic price functions for premium wine from Australia and New Zealand, differentiating implicit prices for sensory quality ratings, wine varieties, and regional as well as brand reputations over the vintages 1992 to 1998. For Australia, the results suggest regional reputations in general are becoming increasingly significant through time, indicating an intensifying regional quality differentiation. As well, some specific cool-climate regions (e.g. Adelaide Hills, Tasmania) are becoming increasingly preferred over other regions. Price premiums based on brand reputation also are shown to be significant. For New Zealand, regional quality differentiation is considerably less significant than is the case in Australia, which raises the question as to why. (Is there scope for more regional promotion there?) In both countries, price premiums for James Halliday's sensory quality ratings are highly significant and have remained so over time.


Comert investigates the relationship between overnight interest rates and the long-term rates in the US from 1983q1 to 2007q3. He presents evidence supporting the argument that there was a gradual decoupling between the Fed interest rate and long-term interest rates even before the recent crisis. In other words, the Fed was gradually losing its control over long-term interest rates. As opposed to many economists' claims, the period after 2001 was a continuation of a process which has surfaced since the end of the 1980s. Both descriptive statistics and different econometric techniques robustly support the argument that the decoupling began way earlier than 2001. Furthermore, the purchase of the US assets by foreigners might have played some role in this process although the findings related to this are not very robust.


Primary Parkinson syndrome is mostly treated by dopaminergic drugs, while the progression of the disease is not altered. Some non-dopaminergic are available, which are administered only after the Parkinsonian symptoms get worse.The objective of this review is to give basic results in order to compare a dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic pharmacotherapy in Parkinson's disease and to control whether the add-on pharmacotherapy with non-dopaminergic drugs can inhibit the progression of the disease.In primary Parkinson syndrome, the altered activity of classical neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in the extrapyramidal system is summarized and up-dated. Anatomical studies on neural networks in the basal ganglia are mentioned. The direct, motor facilitatory pathway (D1 dopaminergic neurons) from the substantia nigra to the thalamus, via the internal globus pallidus, and the indirect, motor inhibitory pathway via D2 dopaminergic neurons have been considered. These established anatomical pathways have been brought in line with the neural interactions derived from neurotransmitter balances or imbalances. Besides, preclinical and clinical studies of effective non-dopaminergic anti-Parkinsonian drugs are reviewed.It can be hypothesized that glutamatergic neurons enhance dopamine deficiency in the substantia nigra and putamen through an increased presynaptic inhibition mediated by NMDA receptors. In the putamen, 5-HT2A serotonergic neurons counteract D2 dopaminergic neurons and A2A adenosine neurons antagonize D2 dopaminergic neurons by activating glutamatergic neurons, which presynaptically inhibit via subtype 5 of metabotropic glutamatergic receptors, D2 dopaminergic neurons. In the extrapyramidal system, an up-dated neural network, which harmonizes established anatomical pathways with derived neural interactions, is presented. In Parkinson's disease, a question should be answered, whether a combination of dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic drugs can promote an increased motor and non-motor functioning.A mono-target pharmacotherapy (using only dopaminergic drugs) and a multi-target pharmacotherapy (i.e. by combining dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic drugs) are compared. The alternate administration of dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic anti-Parkinsonian drugs, administered at different times during the day, must be tested in order to inhibit the progression of the disease. Assessment tools can be used to evaluate motor and cognitive functions. Moreover, imaging examination techniques can be also applied to control the course of the disease.


This article investigates consumer preferences for Delacata catfish, a relatively new fillet of grade-A catfish, by conducting in-person choice experiments with tasting sessions. Panels were held at three white-tablecloth restaurants across the United States, featuring sample entrees of Delacata catfish along with sample entrees of other species of mild-tasting, white-fleshed fish. Results suggest that Delacata catfish may fare well in terms of search and experience attributes such as taste and texture, across all locations, but may face labeling challenges in certain locations. This study provides willingness-to-pay estimates and discusses possible marketing strategies to further increase market potential for the US fish industry.


Having grown from lectures which Moltmann has given in predominantly secular institutions, this text covers theology and politics, theology and the changing values of the modern world, and theology and religion. This book has grown from lectures which Jurgen Moltmann has given in predominantly secular institutions. Its main sections cover theology and politics, theology and the changing values of the modern world, and theology and religion. Many important issues are discussed: political theology and liberation theology, ecology and human rights, globalism and individualism, the market and human dignity. There are also chapters on Jewish and Christian theology after Auschwitz, Protestantism, liberalism and fundamentalism, dialogue and mission, and theology in the church and the university. At a time when theology in many quarters has become narrow and introspective, here is a theologian who is not afraid to address his words, both positive and critical, to the widest possible audience. Until his retirement, Jurgen Moltmann was Professor of Systematic Theology in the Protestant Faculty of the University of Tubingen.


A defining feature of modern economic growth is the systematic application of science to advance technology. However, despite continuous progress in scientific knowledge, recent productivity growth in the U.S. has been disappointing. We review major changes in the American innovation ecosystem over the past century and note that the past three decades have been marked by a growing division of labor between universities focusing on research and large corporations focusing on development. Knowledge produced by universities is not often in forms that can be readily digested and turned into new goods and services by companies, especially as large companies themselves withdraw from research. Small firms and university technology transfer offices cannot fully substitute for corporate research, which integrated multiple disciplines and components at the scale required to solve significant technical problems. Therefore, whereas the division of innovative labor may have raised the volume of science by universities, it also slowed, at least for a period of time, the transformation of that knowledge into novel products and processes. ∗Duke University, Fuqua School of Business and NBER †Duke University, Fuqua School of Business and NBER ‡University of East Anglia §Duke University, Fuqua School of Business


Renal transplantation is the preferred treatment of patients suffering from end stage renal disease. Because of challenges in performing surgical vascular anastomosis in variant renal anatomy, knowledge on renal vascular anatomy is very important in the pre surgical workup of potential kidney donors. These anatomical variations differ geographically and ethnically. In Kenya there has been scanty statistics on prevalence of extra-renal branching of arteries but also the clear knowledge in the understanding of the relation between renal sizes, their main arterial diameters in predicting the presence of accessory arteries without invasive diagnostic methods. This study was designed to add into the body of literature more information about the dimensions of renal vascular anatomy of adult African population in Kenya and transmit this knowledge to enrich the renal surgery practice in the region and beyond. Therefore the aim of this study was to determining the relationship between kidney size, main renal arterial caliber and how they relate in the presence or absence of accessory arteries. The study was a three-year crosssectional descriptive study conducted at Kenyatta National Hospital from June 2008 to June 2011. A total of 204 cases including 103 (50.5%) females and 101 (49.5%) males were recruited for CTA. Most normal sized kidneys with accessory arteries had smaller main renal arterial diameters. Extra renal branching occurred in 14.7% of cases. It is concluded that the presence of accessory arteries cannot be determined by the study of kidney sizes alone. The current value of Renal CTA cannot be easily replaced by simplified noninvasive modalities for indirect and accurate study of renal vascular anatomy of potential kidney donors.


– The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of configuration on supply network capability. It was believed that a configuration perspective might provide new insights on the capability and performance of supply networks, a gap in the literature, and provide a basis for the development of tools to aid their analysis and design., – The methodology involved the development of a configuration definition and mapping approach extending established strategic and firm level constructs to the network operational level. The resulting tools were tested and refined in a series of case studies across a range of sectors and value chain models. Supply network capability assessments, from the perspective of the focal firm, were then compared with their configuration profiles., – The configuration mapping tools were found to give new insights into the structure of supply networks and allow comparisons to be made across sectors and business models through the use of consistent and quantitative methods and common presentation. They provide the foundations for linking configuration to capability and performance, and contribute to supply network design and development by highlighting the intrinsic capabilities associated with different configurations., – Although multiple case networks have been investigated, the configuration exemplars remain suggestive models. The research suggests that a re‐evaluation of operational process excellence models is needed, where the link between process maturity and performance may require a configuration context., – Advantages of particular configurations have been identified with implications for supply network development and industrial policy., – The paper seeks to develop established strategic management configuration concepts to the analysis and design of supply networks by providing a robust operational definition of supply network configuration and novel tools for their mapping and assessment.


The change of distance between individual graphene oxide sheets due to swelling is the key parameter to explain and predict permeation of multilayered graphene oxide (GO) membranes by various solvents and solutions. In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction study shows that swelling properties of GO membranes are distinctly different compared to precursor graphite oxide powder samples. Intercalation of liquid dioxolane, acetonitrile, acetone, and chloroform into the GO membrane structure occurs with maximum one monolayer insertion (Type I), in contrast with insertion of 2-3 layers of these solvents into the graphite oxide structure. However, the structure of GO membranes expands in liquid DMSO and DMF solvents similarly to precursor graphite oxide (Type II). It can be expected that Type II solvents will permeate GO membranes significantly faster compared to Type I solvents. The membranes are found to be stable in aqueous solutions of acidic and neutral salts, but dissolve slowly in some basic solutions of certain concentrations, e.g. in NaOH, NaHCO3 and LiF. Some larger organic molecules, alkylamines and alkylammonium cations are found to intercalate and expand the lattice of GO membranes significantly, e.g. up to ∼35 Å in octadecylamine/methanol solution. Intercalation of solutes into the GO structure is one of the limiting factors for nano-filtration of certain molecules but it also allows modification of the inter-layer distance of GO membranes and tuning of their permeation properties. For example, GO membranes functionalized with alkylammonium cations are hydrophobized and they swell in non-polar solvents.