Duplex stainless steels (d2s) are intended to present a microstructure composed of similar volume fractions of austenite and ferrite; this is the phase composition leading to the best compromise of mechanical and corrosion properties. To stabilize the austenite phase, nitrogen is added as an alloying element in the so-called second generation d2s; nitrogen is a cheap element (compared to nickel, the most common austenite stabilizer) that simultaneously increases the strength by a solid solution hardening effect; usually nitrogen contents in the second generation d2s vary from 0.15 to 0.25 weight %. The effect of a 0.14 % nitrogen addition to a cast d2s with a nominal composition corresponding to EN 10283 has been studied to evaluate its austenite stabilizing effect and its influence on the partition intensity of the elements contributing to the pitting corrosion resistance (chromium and molybdenum) between the two phases composing the microstructure. Two cast d2s have been prepared for this study: one without any nitrogen addition and another with 0.14% nitrogen; both had the same nominal composition. Specimens of the two cast d2s have been heat treated in a range of temperatures from 1050 to 1400°C, every 50°C; after a 2 hour soaking the specimens have been cooled in water. It is known that increasing the solution temperature increases the volume fraction of ferrite in the cast d2s microstructure. Both the volume fraction of each constitutional phase (austenite and ferrite) and the respective chromium and molybdenum content have been measured. The results of the volume fraction measurements showed an intense austenite stabilizing effect of the nitrogen. The results of the microanalysis of chromium and molybdenum showed that both elements present an ability to concentrate in the ferrite, although the molybdenum partition is clearly more intense than the chromium partition.


We investigate business cycle dynamics for 26 countries, estimating a set of nonlinear models for real GDP where appropriate. We find a great deal of heterogeneity in the dynamics of real output growth across countries. At the same time, a common feature is the asymmetric response of real GDP to shocks and the tendency for negative real GDP shocks to be less persistent than positive real GDP shocks.


Objective The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the exact location distribution in patients with osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs) using a 9-grid scheme. The secondary aim is to match lesion location to lesion size, arthroscopic or open operation, and trauma occurrence. Methods A systematic review was performed in the databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane. Search terms consisted of "talus" and "osteochondral lesion." Two independent reviewers evaluated search results and conducted the quality assessment using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS). Primary outcome measure was OLT location in the 9 zone-grid. Secondary outcome measures were OLT size in 9-zones, preoperative radiological modality use, demographic lesion size variables as well as open or arthroscopic treatment. Results Fifty-one articles with 2,087 OLTs were included. Heterogeneity concerning methodological nature was observed and methodological quality was low. The posteromedial (28%) and centromedial (31%) zones combined as one location was the location with the highest incidence of OLTs with a rate of 59%. Individual OLT size was reported for only 153 lesions (7%). Preoperative combination of X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and/or computed tomography (CT) was reported in 20 studies (43%). Trauma was reported in 78% of patients. Furthermore, 67% was treated arthroscopically and 76% received primary OLT treatment. Conclusion The majority of OLTs are located in the posteromedial and centromedial zone, while the largest OLTs were reported in the centrocentral zone. Further research is required to identify the prognostic impact of location occurrence on the outcomes following OLT treatment.


Movement is thought to be a primary agent eliciting basic responses in the vertebrate body, such as the proper development of the musculoskeletal system. Embryos do not passively await hatching or birth but rather begin active movement very early on in their development. Most studies dealing with embryonic responses to changes in mobility have been performed in chickens or mammals. Herein, we investigate for the first time whether the embryos of organisms that are free‐living during development demonstrate the same morphological responses to reduced mobility as embryos that undergo development in controlled environments such as in utero or in a shelled egg. We changed the viscosity of the environment in which free‐living anuran tadpoles grow by rearing them in an agar medium. We thus increased the viscosity of the growth medium resulting in a decrease in larval movement. We predicted that a substantial increase in viscosity of the medium in which the larvae were reared would have at least two consequences: (1) a reduction of tadpole mobility and (2) a delayed onset of skeletogenesis thus producing shorter long bones. Our predictions were upheld and tadpoles reared in an agar medium remain immobile longer and showed a delayed onset of skeletogenesis compared with controls. We propose that the developmental responses to the same stimulus are similar throughout tetrapods, regardless of their developmental context (i.e., intrauterine, within an egg, or free‐living). Anat Rec, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


In our previous research (Benner, Nelson, Sanders, & Ralston, 2012), elementary schools were randomly assigned to either a primary-level behavior intervention directed at externalizing behavior (treatment, n = 7 schools) or to business-as-usual condition (control, n = 6 schools). A screening procedure was used to identify K through 3-grade students who exhibited externalizing behavior. The results showed that treatment students (n = 44) exhibited lower levels of problem behavior (ES = -0.99) and higher rates of on-task behavior (ES = 0.61) compared to controls (n = 26). The results also suggested that individual baseline behavior and school context as measured by free and reduced-priced meal rates moderated the findings. Given this latter finding, our interest in the current study was to test whether individual and school aggregate baseline behavior levels moderate students' response to two years of the behavior intervention. Schools originally assigned to treatment continued to implement the intervention during the subsequent academic year; schools in the control condition continued with their business-as-usual behavior management approaches. During the winter of the second year, students who remained in their schools were re-assessed on their behavior (n = 35 and n = 19 in treatment and control conditions, respectively). Analyses involving multilevel context modeling showed that students with relatively high initial baseline behavior levels (pretreatment) were more responsive to the intervention if they were in schools with higher school aggregate baseline behavior levels. Conversely, students tended to be less responsive to intervention if they were in schools with lower school aggregate baseline behavior levels. Limitations and practical implications are discussed.


This study occurred in 2009 and questioned how Ontario secondary school principals perceived their role had changed, over a 7 year period, in response to the increased demands of data-driven school environments. Specifically, it sought to identify principals' perceptions on how high-stakes testing and data-driven environments had affected their role, tasks, and accountability responsibilities. This study contextualized the emergence of the Education Quality and Accountability Offices (EQAO) as a central influence in the creation of data-driven school environments, and conceptualized the role of the principal as using data to inform and persuade a shift in thinking about the use of ,( data to improve instruction and student achievement. The findings of the study suggest that data-driven environments had helped principals reclaim their positional power as instructional leaders, using data as an avenue back into the classroom. The use of data shifted the responsibilities of the principal to persuade teachers to work collaboratively to improve classroom instruction in order to demonstrate accountability.


Abstract The crustally-guided shear wave, Lg , is typically the strongest phase at regional distances. Lg phases are analyzed often for estimation of magnitudes of regional events. The variation of Lg in regions with both continental and oceanic environments has been rarely investigated. We investigate Lg attenuation in a plate-margin area around Korea and Japan that is encompassed by seas and oceans. The mean quality factor of Lg at 1 Hz ( Q 0 ) is 498. The geometrical-spreading exponent term is estimated as 0.75. These observations characterize the study region as a high attenuation region compared to typical intraplate continental regions. Low- Q regions are widely developed over the Japanese islands, with some spotted high- Q regions. Relatively high Q is observed in most regions of the Korean Peninsula except a southeastern part where a Cretaceous volcanic-sediment basin exists. The high- Q values are close to the typical Q value in continental crust. Significantly low Q of 100 or less is observed in most oceanic regions including the East Sea (Sea of Japan), the Pacific Ocean, and the South China Sea. The high attenuation of Lg in oceanic regions suggests possible underestimation of magnitudes of oceanic events. Thus, it appears that proper correction of Lg amplitude is highly desired for accurate estimation of magnitudes of regional oceanic events.


Can science explain romantic love, morality, and religious belief? We documented intuitive beliefs about the limits of science in explaining the human mind. We considered both epistemic evaluations (concerning whether science could possibly fully explain a given psychological phenomenon) and nonepistemic judgments (concerning whether scientific explanations for a given phenomenon would generate discomfort), and we identified factors that characterize phenomena judged to fall beyond the scope of science. Across six studies, we found that participants were more likely to judge scientific explanations for psychological phenomena to be impossible and uncomfortable when, among other factors, they support first-person, introspective access (e.g., feeling empathetic as opposed to reaching for objects), contribute to making humans exceptional (e.g., appreciating music as opposed to forgetfulness), and involve conscious will (e.g., acting immorally as opposed to having headaches). These judgments about the scope of science have implications for science education, policy, and the public reception of psychological science.


We propose a simple global computing framework, whose main concern is code
migration. Systems are structured in sites, and each site is divided into two
parts: a computing body, and a membrane, which regulates the interactions
between the computing body and the external environment. More precisely,
membranes are filters which control access to the associated site, and they
also rely on the well-established notion of trust between sites. We develop a
basic theory to express and enforce security policies via membranes. Initially,
these only control the actions incoming agents intend to perform locally. We
then adapt the basic theory to encompass more sophisticated policies, where the
number of actions an agent wants to perform, and also their order, are
considered.


We report on the rheology and morphology of a hydrophobically modified alkali-swellable emulsion (HASE) polymer solubilized in alkaline media containing nonionic surfactants. The HASE polymer consists of complex alkylaryl hydrophobes composed of oligomeric nonylphenol condensates attached to a poly(ethyl acrylate-co-methacrylic acid) backbone. The complex linear viscoelastic response of the polymer in alkaline solution suggests an unentangled network with an appreciable fraction of microgel. The concentration and hydrophile−lipophile balance (HLB) of nonionic surfactants profoundly affect the solution rheology. A surfactant of high HLB inhibits the dynamic network connectivity of the HASE polymer, as demonstrated by reductions of both the steady-shear viscosity and the dynamic storage modulus. The shear-induced structuring previously reported for this polymer is also progressively diminished as the surfactant concentration is increased. In contrast, the addition of a low-HLB surfactant promotes system structuring, as evidenced by (i) increases in the shear viscosity and the high-frequency plateau modulus and (ii) retention of the ability to undergo shear-induced structuring. We also employ cryofracture-replication transmission electron microscopy for the first time with regard to HASE associative polymers to examine the morphological characteristics of selected systems. The morphology of the HASE polymer in both latex and solubilized form appears more complex than previously anticipated, and a reasonable interpretation of these new data is provided.


Contemporary Issues in Women's Cancers addresses the incidence, prevalence, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of cancers specific to women-in particular, gynecological cancers. This new resource provides nurses with a comprehensive, up to date, ready reference that will enhance their clinical practice, and help them treat their patients amidst not only the changing healthcare system in US, but also the changing ways in which cancer is diagnosed and treated. Expert authors, all member of the SGNO, offer their expertise in exploring the psychological issues associated with having cancer, and offer insight on providing assistance and resources to the individuals and families facing this disease. Every health care provider who uses this text will grow and expand their knowledge, their care and their service to their patients


Hypermethylation of the glutathione S-transferase π 1 (GSTP1) gene promoter region has been reported to be a potential biomarker to distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from other liver diseases. However, reports regarding how specific a marker it is have ranged from 100% to 0%. We hypothesized that, to a large extent, the variation of specificity depends on the location of the CpG sites analyzed. To test this hypothesis, we compared the methylation status of the GSTP1 promoter region of the DNA isolated from HCC, cirrhosis, hepatitis, and normal liver tissues by bisulfite–PCR sequencing. We found that the 5′ region of the position −48 nt from the transcription start site of the GSTP1 gene is selectively methylated in HCC, whereas the 3′ region is methylated in all liver tissues examined, including normal liver and the HCC tissue. Interestingly, when DNA derived from fetal liver and 11 nonhepatic normal tissue was also examined by bisulfite-PCR sequencing, we found that methylation of the 3′ region of the promoter appeared to be liver-specific. A methylation-specific PCR assay targeting the 5′ region of the promoter was developed and used to quantify the methylated GSTP1 gene in various diseased liver tissues including HCC. When we used an assay targeting the 3′ region, we found that the methylation of the 5′-end of the GSTP1 promoter was significantly more specific than that of the 3′-end (97.1% vs. 60%, p<0.0001 by Fisher's exact test) for distinguishing HCC (n = 120) from hepatitis (n = 35) and cirrhosis (n = 35). Encouragingly, 33.8% of the AFP-negative HCC contained the methylated GSTP1 gene. This study clearly demonstrates the importance of the location of CpG site methylation for HCC specificity and how liver-specific DNA methylation should be considered when an epigenetic DNA marker is studied for detection of HCC.


The purpose of this research is to develop an instrument for testing students' mathematical understanding (Study I), to search whether there is a correlation between middle school students' mathematical understanding and their attitudes towards mathematics and to present the correlation by analyzing it according to various variables (Study II). The reliability and validity studies which were conducted within the scope of Study I showed that the scale have practicable features. The Study II was carried out with 341 students who are studying in various grades of a middle school. 'Determining the Mathematical Understanding Levels Scale (DMULS)' and 'Mathematics Attitude Scale (MAS)' was used as data collection instruments. According to the results of the study; it was appeared that there was a positive and significant correlation at a high level between mathematical understandings of students and their attitudes towards mathematics and there was a positive and significant correlation at middle level between mathematical understandings of students and sub-dimension scores of mathematics attitudes scale. Besides, it was determined that the mathematical understanding of the students differed by gender but the attitudes of students towards mathematics did not differ by their genders and both mathematical understandings and attitudes of students differed significantly according to their grade levels.


This paper reports four priming experiments, in which resultative, processual, and delimitative Russian verbs were tested. The experiments were based on the semantic decision task: the participants had to decide whether the target denoted an event / situation with a clear outcome. To assess the impact of morphological cues on the decision latencies, verbs of different morphological complexity (prefixed and unprefixed perfectives) were used. The results obtained suggest that the aspectual feature of resultativity is consistently exploited in semantic priming (processual targets were primed in two experiments), and that the morphological cues facilitate the identification of resultative targets (prefixed perfectives exhibited faster decision latencies than unprefixed perfectives). As far as the delimitative forms are concerned, a category-induction experiment was designed to investigate the subjects' tendency to group them with resultatives or with processuals, since the delimitatives represent an in-between category. The proportion of yes/no answers confirmed that the speakers place the delimitatives between these two domains, but much closer to the processuals than to the resultatives. These findings support the distinction of boundedness vs. telicity from both the theoretical and the behavioural perspective. The fact that the resultative interpretation of the delimitatives was not ruled out completely for most verbs suggests that, when certain conditions are met (when no cognate resultative form is readily available and when the delimitative is frequent enough), the delimitative can be conceptualized as the perfective counterpart of the basic imperfective, thus taking on the prototypical perfective role (resultativity).


— The modernization of computer technology and commercial computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation has given better detailed results as compared to experimental investigation techniques. CFD techniques are widely used in different field due to its flexibility and performance. Evaluation of pipeline erosion is complex phenomenon to solve by numerical arithmetic technique, whereas CFD simulation is an easy tool to resolve that type of problem. Erosion wear behaviour due to solid–liquid mixture in the slurry pipeline has been investigated using commercial CFD code in FLUENT. Multi-phase Euler-Lagrange model was adopted to predict the solid particle erosion wear in 22.5° pipe bend for the flow of bottom ash-water suspension. The present study addresses erosion prediction in three dimensional 22.5° pipe bend for two-phase (solid and liquid) flow using finite volume method with standard k- ε turbulence, discrete phase model and evaluation of erosion wear rate with varying velocity 2-4 m/s. The result shows that velocity of solid-liquid mixture found to be highly dominating parameter as compared to solid concentration, density, and particle size. At low velocity, settling takes place in the pipe bend due to low inertia and gravitational effect on solid particulate which leads to high erosion at bottom side of pipeline.


Aim: The aim of the thesis was to study prognostic and predictive factors in patients treated for colorectal cancer (CRC). Method: In paper I, a retrospective comparison was m de between the patients treated in 1999 (n=180) with those treated in 2004 (n=175). During the period, a multidisciplinary team conference and an improved cooperation with the pat hologists had been initiated. The focus of interest was the lymph node assessment, its' dev elopment and how this affected clinical staging and treatment. In paper II, the lymph node diagnostics were studied in patients with stage III colon cancer 1999-2003 (n=265). Prognosti c markers were evaluated along with the use of the lymph node ratio as a prognostic indicat or to differentiate the risk assessment within the stage group. In paper III, single nucleo tide pair (SNP) gene analyses was made for the metylentetrahydrofolate reduktase (MTHFR) gene polymorphism C677T in patients treated for colorectal cancer 1999-2006 (n=544). Th e functional polymorphisms were then correlated to pathology, stage, outcome and side ef fects of chemotherapy. Comparisons of genotype prevalence were made against a cohort of 2 99 blood donors as well as the pathology data of the other 1256 patients treated during this period. In paper IV, the presence of cyclin E in both tumour and mucosa was studied in 114 patien ts with stage I/II colon cancer treated 2003-2007. The expression was analyzed in both tumo ur and adjacent mucosa and the results were correlated to pathology, staging and prognosis . Results: In paper I, an improved lymph node assessm nt was shown to lead to stage migration and thus an increase of patients with stage III dis ease. A highly variable outcome in stage II associated to an inadequate assessment was also fou nd. In paper II, stage III disease was found to have heterogeneous survival prognosis and the lymph node ratio was a significant marker for the outcome (p<0.001). In paper III, no c rrelations between polymorphism genotype and the risk of cancer or cancer stage wer e found. There was a significant correlation to the risk of suffering side-effects ( p<0,05) and to the outcome in stage III colon cancer (p<0,003). In paper IV, cyclin E was found t o be expressed in both full length form and shorter isoform in both tumour and adjacent muc osa. A high total expression of cyclin E correlated significantly to the risk of tumour recu rrence (p<0,0063). Conclusion: The lymph node assessment is a key fact or in CRC pathology and of importance for both clinics and research. Additional prognosti c information can be gained in stage III colon cancer by use of the lymph node ratio. The fu nction of the folic acid metabolism can affect the risks associated with 5-fluorouracil tre a ment and also the outcome in stage III colon cancer. Cyclin E is expressed in both tumour and mucosa and could be an independent prognostic factor in stage I/II colon cancer.


Introduction:
This article considers the investigative powers of the European Ombudsman. Despite the increasing intensity of focus and diversity of approach, issues pertaining to the Ombudsman?s investigative toolkit persistently remain a relatively under-explored subject of study in the relevant legal and political literature. The multitude and complexity of the doctrinal challenges and practical questions that these issues are capable of raising are highlighted by the Ombudsman?s current attempt to capitalize on his growing institutional stature and strengthen his investigative capacity.
The analysis begins by placing the discussion in its proper historical perspective and political context. The normative foundations of the Ombudsman?s investigative regime are then explored, and followed by an empirical examination of the Ombudsman?s investigative tools. An overall assessment of the emerging picture is then carried out and the inquiry concludes with some brief reflections.


Navigation and localisation of AUVs are challenging in underwater or under-ice environments due to the unavoidable growth of navigational drift in inertial navigation systems and Doppler velocity logs, especially in long-range under-ice missions where surfacing is not possible. Similarly, acoustic transponders are time consuming and difficult to deploy. Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) and Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) based technologies are emerging as promising solutions as they require neither deploying sensors nor the calculation of distance travelled from a reference point in order to determine the location. These techniques require robust detection of the features present in sonar images and matching them with known images. The key challenge of under-ice image based localisation comes from the unstructured nature of the seabed terrain and lack of significant features. This issue has motivated the research project presented in this thesis. The research has developed technologies for the robust detection and matching of the available features in such environments.
In aiming to address this issue, there are number of feature detectors and descriptors that have been proposed in the literature. These include Harris corner, Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT), Binary Robust Invariant Scalable Keypoints (BRISK), Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF), Smallest Univalue Segment Assimilating Nucleus (SUSAN), Features from Accelerated Segment Test (FAST), Binary Robust Independent Elementary Features (BRIEF) and Fast Retina Keypoints (FREAK). While these methods work well in land and aerial complex environments, their application in under-ice environments have not been well explored. Therefore, this research has investigated the possibility of using these detector and descriptor algorithms in underwater environments. According to the test carried out with side-scan sonar images, the SURF and Harris algorithms were found to be better in repeatability while the FAST algorithm was found to be the fastest in feature detection. The Harris algorithm was the best for localisation accuracy. BRISK shows better immunity noise compared to BRIEF. SURF, BRISK and FREAK are the best in terms of robustness. These detector and descriptor algorithms are used for a wide range of varying substrates in underwater environments such as clutter, mud, sand, stones, lack of features and effects on the sonar images such as scaling, rotation and non-uniform intensity and backscatter with filtering effect. This thesis presents a comprehensive performance comparison of feature detection and matching of the SURF, Harris, FAST, BRISK and FREAK algorithms, with filtering effects. However, these detectors and descriptors have reduced efficiency in underwater environments lacking features. Therefore, this research further addressed this problem by developing new advanced algorithms named the 'SURF-Harris' algorithm, which combined Harris interest points with the SURF descriptor, and the 'SURF-Harris-SURF' algorithm which combined Harris and SURF interest points with the SURF descriptor, using the most significant factor of each detector and descriptor to give better performance, especially in feature mapping.
The major conclusion drawn from this research is that the 'SURF-Harris-SURF' algorithm outperforms all the other methods in feature matching with filtering even in the presence of scaling and rotation differences in image intensity. The results of this research have proved that new algorithms perform well in comparison to the conventional feature detectors and descriptors such as SURF, Harris, FAST, BRISK and FREAK. Furthermore, SURF works well in all the disciplines with higher percentage matching even though it produces fewer keypoints, thus demonstrating its robustness among all the conventional detectors and descriptors. Even if there are a large number of features in a cluttered environment, it produces less matching compared to features that are distributed. Another conclusion to be derived from these results is that the feature detection and matching algorithms performed well in environments where features are clearly separated. Based on these findings, the comprehensive performance of combined feature detector and descriptor is discussed in the thesis. This is a novel contribution in underwater environments with sonar images. Moreover, this thesis outlines the importance of having a new advanced feature detector and mapping algorithm especially for sonar images to work in underwater or under-ice environments.


Abstract In 1979, a graduate school with a hitherto unusual name opened its doors at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, the 'Graduate School of Simultaneous Interpretation', as the school GSIT, HUFS was called at that time. Up to then, translation and interpreting had not been considered as proper occupations in Korea. It was actually not known which people with what kind of qualifications performed translation or interpreting. It was therefore a completely novel idea that translators and interpreters should be trained at a higher education institution. Yet, GSIT proved to be a huge success. GSIT attracted a great deal of public attention and many talented young people. The hitherto accumulated T&I needs in society and the trend of globalization played their part in GSIT's popularity. As the only educational institution for T&I for the first 18 years and beyond, GSIT has written key chapters in the history of T&I in modern Korea. This paper summarizes GSIT's footsteps in order to discuss the developments of the past four decades in Korea in T&I education and studies, in the T&I profession and the economic and socio-cultural aspects of those developments. Based on the results of the discussion, the current situation of T&I in Korea is observed with a focus on 'professionality' so as to identify tasks for the future.


This book has won the 2014 Qualitative Book Award. In the context of debates about U.S. immigration, this book gives a voice to undocumented Americans of Mexican origin - specifically, involuntary immigrants born in Mexico but brought to the United States by their parents as minors. They are indistinguishable from other Americans, yet in the media and their everyday lives they encounter racism, discrimination, ostracism, and castigation on a regular basis. This book is about their stories and how, against the odds, they offer resistance as they navigate across ideological, historical, socio-economic, institutional and educational borders, in an effort to carve out a life in U.S. society. In constructing an evocative and powerful counter-narrative the authors show how they ultimately worked with artists of Mexican origin and community organizations to bring the undocumented issue to performative and political life.


Distant radio communication at high frequencies is difficult because the transmission medium, the earth ionosphere duct, is time variable, noisy, and shows dispersive or multipath transmission with consequent fading of the received signal. Because most of these factors are random and not under design control, one can treat the ionospheric communication problem only on a statistical basis in terms, for example, of such things as the probability that a transmitted pulse or bit of information will be received correctly. On this basis it is shown that, by a purely numerical experiment wherein random number tables are used to simulate fading and noise, it is possible to appraise various telegraph transmission systems without the costly process of building them and then testing their performance. An approximate, but simple, analysis is given of receiver signal detection, by which is meant generation of dc for operation of an output printing device. It is shown that the important parameter here is the average or expectation of the difference in dc between a received space and mark signal, divided by the square root of the variance of this difference. Incoherent square law detection is compared with coherent detection using the matched filter or, what is the same thing, correlation. The use of diversity transmission to overcome signal fading at the receiver is considered. The important statistical data regarding time-varying ionospheric transmission are obtained from the auto- and cross-correlation functions of the received signal envelopes for the various diversities. For the correlated fading of signal s in two transmission channels, a simple de sign formula is shown which predicts the improvement in the use of diversity. A brief description is also given of a simple acoustic ionosphere analog simulating time-varying multipath transmission.


Mangrove ecosystem is the ecosystems that has an important role not only for the life of flora and fauna, but also for the society around the ecosystem. This ecosystem needs to be considered for its sustainability as an effort to utilize the ecosystem. Cilamaya Wetan Sub-district is one of the sub-districts in Karawang Regency which has a very wide mangrove forest that reaches 1,019 ha. Biophysical condition and water quality, and also location factors for accessibility and its distance from the settlement need to consider, in which to develop mangrove ecosystem into tourism. Biophysical variables were analyzed using the suitability of mangroves for tourism, then water quality variables were analyzed using Pollution Index (PI), and location aspects were analyzed spatially using buffer method. The results of the potential of mangrove ecosystems for coastal tourism based on biophysical conditions and water quality obtained three zones that suitable to develop into tourism. Those zones are Maryamah-Tunut zone, Tarsip-Ci lamaya zone, and Cilamaya zone. Then based on spatial analysis using locational factors based on accessibility and distance from settlements, Tarsip-Ci lamaya zone and Ci Lamaya zone have the potential to be used as mangrove marine tourism. Besides those 2 zones area are suitable based on the biophysical conditions and water quality, the accessibility is quite good due to the main road is provided towards the ecosystem and also the distance from the settlement is in ideal distance, so that the ecosystem can be kept in good condition. Good accessibility and suitability mangrove ecosystem can increase the potential of the ecosystem to be used as coastal tourism.


Influencing others and negotiating for what you need are vital components of the information professional's toolbox. Following a series of workshops on negotiating and influencing skills which I was involved in delivering at various conferences and universities a few years ago, I've become much more aware of the value of these skills in action. As a lifelong people-watcher, I find it fascinating to have an insight into the reasons behind the success, or otherwise, of someone's tactics and the vital messages they communicate by what they say and how they say it. I've enjoyed working out how to deploy the skills myself and have sharpened my awareness of the effect the techniques have on what I'm trying to achieve. This article will introduce these influencing skills, identify when they're used and why they're important and share some ideas of useful approaches and phrases.


Various adaptation methods, such as LoRA, prompts, and adapters, have been proposed to enhance the performance of pre-trained vision-language models in specific domains. The robustness of these adaptation methods against distribution shifts have not been studied. In this study, we assess the robustness of 11 widely-used adaptation methods across 4 vision-language datasets under multimodal corruptions. Concretely, we introduce 7 benchmark datasets, including 96 visual and 87 textual corruptions, to investigate the robustness of different adaptation methods, the impact of available adaptation examples, and the influence of trainable parameter size during adaptation. Our analysis reveals that: 1) Adaptation methods are more sensitive to text corruptions than visual corruptions. 2) Full fine-tuning does not consistently provide the highest robustness; instead, adapters can achieve better robustness with comparable clean performance. 3) Contrary to expectations, our findings indicate that increasing the number of adaptation data and parameters does not guarantee enhanced robustness; instead it results in even lower robustness. We hope this study could benefit future research in the development of robust multimodal adaptation methods. The benchmark, code, and dataset used in this study can be accessed at https://adarobustness.github.io .


The development of the art of a people is closely inter-woven with the history and society of that group; the histories and societies of communities are very nearly parallel in the steps of human progress - even taking into consideration the complex cumulative character of progress and the subsequent advantages of later civilizations over old; so that, viewed as a whole or in sections, each normal development of art goes through fundamental states true alike in every other normal art-development. Art reflects in its development the society which produces it. For example, the evolution of art in the state of Missouri reflects the society which produced it, subject, of course, to the influence of previous art-evolution and the contemporary art with which it has had contacts. World art reflects the society of mankind throughout the ages. Each civilization, or segment thereof, in its turn - or simultaneously with another - produces and offers to the world its art. Through its art a civilization gives of its individuality and, if another art in its evolution has reached a point at which it can be sensitive to it, the essence of that individuality given may act upon that art which may, as a result, be enriched.


There is still a high burden of protein–energy malnutrition in Nigeria. The severe forms of the disease are usually associated with high level of mortality even in the tertiary health facilities. To review the cost-effective health promotional strategies at community levels that could aid prevention, early detection, and prompt treatment of protein–energy malnutrition. The strategy used for locating articles used for this review was to search databases like Google, Google scholar, relevant electronic journals from the universities' libraries, including PubMed and Scirus, Medline, Cochrane library and WHO's Hinari. We believe that strategies beyond the health care setting have potential of significantly reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with protein–energy malnutrition in Nigeria.


With the publication of the results of the United Kingdom's decennial Census questions on religion it is important to situate this data within the wider social and religious contexts that led to the inclusion of these questions in the Census. This includes engagement with some of the issues likely to affect both the data itself and the uses to which it might be put. The varied forms of the questions on religion as asked in different parts of the UK are outlined within the context of a discussion of the scholarly taxonomy of religions. The questions are also explored in the light of the interplay between the varied categories of religions and the official 'recognition' implied by their use within the Census. Finally, the place of religious statistics within the 'politics of identity' as well as their potential contribution to the development of a communalist 'identity politics' are critically explored.


Background and ObjectiveaaNocturia is one of the common causes of sleep disturbance in adults, often associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between nocturia and OSA, and their effects on quality of sleep in adults. MethodsaaThis study included 107 patients who visited the urology outpatient due to lower urinary tract symptoms with or without sleep-related symptoms, assessed by using either the International Prostate Symptom Score in men or the Overactive Bladder symptoms in women. Based on these questionnaires, subjects were divided into nocturia and nocturia-free groups. In addition, all subjects completed detailed sleep questionnaires including the Global Sleep Assessment Questionnaire (GSAQ) and the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ), and provided details of voiding volumes and times. Night polysomnography (PSG) was performed in subjects with high risk of OSA, as indicated by the BQ. ResultsaaAmong the 107 study subjects (43 males, 64 females, mean age 59.2 ± 11.2 years), nocturia was present in 54.2% (58/107), self-reported sleep disturbance in 26.2% (28/107), and a high risk of OSA, with BQ > 10 points, was present in 29.0% (31/107) of subjects. The nocturia group had a significantly higher mean GSAQ total score than the nocturia-free group, indicating poorer sleep quality (p = 0.004). Nocturia was more frequent in patients with moderate or severe OSA than in patients with mild OSA (p = 0.006) based on PSG. ConclusionsaaNocturia was a clinically significant sleep disturbing factor, and it was more frequent in patients with more severe OSA. Sleep Med Res 2015;6(1):28-34


Molecular imaging tools, both equipment and agents, continue to improve and evolve, offering multimodality imaging with greater sensitivity and high-resolution of biological processes in real time. This review summarizes some of these recent developments in preclinical hardware, wetware and software, and their impact on drug development. The focus is on the advances in non-invasive small animal imaging such as positron emission tomography (PET), computed tomography (CT) and solid state detectors in single photon emission tomography (SPECT), which, when combined with labeled tracers serving as biomarkers and functional probes in vivo, are demonstrating the potential to accelerate our understanding of disease and help select drug candidates for development.


ABSTRACT The treatment of soils contaminated with organic compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), by attrition produced large amounts of highly concentrated attrition sludge (PAH – attrition concentrate – PAC). This paper studied the performance of an oxidation process using potassium permanganate (KMnO4) to degrade PAHs that were initially present in attrition concentrates. The influence of operating conditions (temperature, concentration of KMnO4 and reaction time) was studied, and these parameters were optimized using a response surface methodology (RSM). The results showed that the temperature and the reaction time had a significant and positive effect on the degradation of PAHs for the experimental domain studied (temperature between 20 and 60°C and reaction time between 1 and 7 h). The interaction between the temperature and the concentration of KMnO4 significantly influenced the degradation of the PAHs. The temperature and the concentration of KMnO4 were the main parameters that influenced the degradation of both phenanthrene (Phe) and benzo [a] pyrene (BaP). For benzo [a] anthracene (BaA), the temperature was the most influential factor. According to our results, the optimal conditions were defined as [KMnO4] = 0.4 M for 5.5 h at 60°C. These optimal conditions led to degradations of 42.9%, 40.8%, 41.0% and 46.0% of the total PAHs, Phe, BaA and BaP, respectively.


The FTIR andUV spectra of the series of 2- and 6-substituted nicotinic acids were determined and the electronic effect of the present substituents and the applied solvents was studied. In order to analyze substituent influence, the FTIR absorption frequencies corresponding to the carbonyl group of the examined compounds were correlated with Hammett equation i® = i²i³ + h, where i³ is the matching substituent constants for the absorption band of a carbonyl group of the specific compound, and i² represents the sensitivity of the examined band to substituent effect. Furthermore,UVspectrawere recorded in different solvent and again the absorption frequencies corresponding to the carbonyl group solwere analyzed, this time by Kamlet-Taft equation, in order to quantitatively present solvent influence. The Kamlet-Taft equation is given in the formi®max= i®0 + si°* + aii+ bi¢ where i®max is the absorption frequency, i°* is a measure of the solvent polarity, ii represents the scale of solvent hydrogen bond donor acidities and i¢ represents the scale of solvent hydrogen bond acceptor basicities.


The 1919 ratification of the 48-hour working week by the Organization Internationale du Travail [International Labor Organization], created by the signatory countries of the Treaty of Versailles, raises a new challenge to industrialized society: the organization of workers' free time. Divided the day into "three eights" — eight hours of work, eight hours of rest and eight hours of sleep — the social framework of leisure is understood as a moral duty of the state. This issue takes on a never before considered dimension with the attention given to the instrumental use of popular recreation by European totalitarian regimes and its centralization in organisms of a political and ideological character. Leisure, in this context, would work as a privileged area of indoctrination and diffusion of the nationalist rhetoric that supports the construction of fascist dictatorships. But the recognition of the necessity to organize leisure was not restricted to totalitarian states, nor was it an exclusively political and/or social issue.


We have used the ASCA and ROSAT X-ray satellites to probe the coronae of a sample of nine solar-like G stars. These stars are all ostensibly single with ages ranging from 70 Myr to 9 Gyr and have X-ray luminosities ranging from 1 to 500 times that of the quiet Sun. Specifically, we investigate the dependence of the coronal temperature and emission measure structure of these stars on age and rotation period. In the younger stars, a considerable portion of the volume emission measure resides at very high temperatures, reaching up to ~20-30 MK in EK Dra. Such temperatures are comparable to temperatures that are achieved on the Sun during short flaring episodes. In two-temperature fits to ROSAT data, the higher temperature decays rapidly within the first few 100 Myr; the decay may be described by an inverse power law, Thot ∝ age-0.3. We also find a power-law dependence between the total X-ray luminosity and the higher temperature LX ∝ T. We interpret this as evidence of a decrease in the efficiency of high-temperature coronal heating as a solar-like star ages and its rotation slows down. A reconstruction of the coronal differential emission measure (DEM) distribution in three of the stars using ASCA data indicates a bimodal distribution in temperature, with the hotter plasma at 12-30 MK and the cooler plasma below 10 MK. We infer, for the first time, a consistent evolution of the DEM structure in a solar-type star. The emission measure of the hotter component rapidly decreases with age and becomes unimportant at ages beyond ~500 Myr. The emitted X-ray emission of the young Sun thus rapidly softened, which had important implications for the young planetary atmospheres. We suggest that the high-temperature component is the result of superimposed but temporally unresolved flaring events and support this picture by reconstructing the time-integrated (average) emission measure distribution of a typical solar X-ray flare. Radio observations of active stars fit well into this picture and suggest that the presence of nonthermal electrons in coronae is linked to the presence of hot ( > 10 MK) plasma, very much the same situation as in solar flares. We find, however, that radio emission saturates, if at all, at smaller rotation periods than does X-ray emission.


A methodology of analyzing well logs to identify residual oil zones (ROZs) was developed as part of a carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) and storage resource assessment of the Cypress Sandstone in the Illinois Basin. The methodology uses a combination of Archie's oil saturation, the moveable hydrocarbon index, bulk volume water, and apparent water resistivity to pick the top and base of the main pay zone (MPZ) (if present) and ROZ. The methodology was developed to identify and characterize brownfield and greenfield ROZs; however, the lack of data availability requires unique considerations for use in greenfield ROZs. The application of the methodology to the Cypress Sandstone across the Illinois Basin identified 25 brownfield ROZs within oil fields. The resistivity of the formation water (Rw), base of the ROZ, and Archie's cementation exponent were statistically analyzed to assess their variability within each field and across the basin. Results of well log analyses of MPZs were checked against historical records (i.e. drill stem tests, oil shows, producing MPZ perforations, and core analysis reports) to validate that they contained mobile oil. Rw was derived from historical brine samples and used to calibrate Archie's cementation exponent. Modifications were required to apply the methodology to greenfields. Well log parameters from data-rich brownfields were used in nearby wells (i.e. outside of the brownfield) to search for associated greenfield ROZs. Regional geologic characterization and interpreted fluid flow pathways were used to estimate rock (volume of shale, cementation exponent) and fluid (Rw) properties for analyses of wells suspected to be a greenfield. Regional maps of these rock and fluid properties were created to ensure that trends were geologically explainable and to support the use of well log parameters in the greenfield wells. The estimates of residual oil saturations from well log analyses of the greenfields were compared to those from the brownfields to ensure that the methodology modifications were effective. The results demonstrate that well log analyses can be used to detect and quantify low oil saturations found in siliciclastic ROZs when validated with historical data and highlights the challenges of identifying ROZs on the basin scale.


Most surgeons are only peripherally involved with the intricacies of cancer chemotherapy and are even less knowledgeable about the often-muted problems of anticancer drug toxicities, when these drugs are taken either straight or in a seemingly ever-changing cocktail. When one of our patients with cancer receiving such treatment subsequently develops an acute surgical condition, we become perplexed. This book, edited by Alan Turnbull, who is in charge of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at the Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York, is designed to suggest what might happen and to give practical suggestions on handling the emergency. Twenty-five of the 27 authors are from the MSKCC staff. Most are surgeons and they all know whereof they speak. Several of the chapters use the MSKCC experience over a five-year period as the database for their remarks. Each chapter is well referenced and written in a formal, scholarly manner. The


May 2012 corn futures have traded in a range of about $1.00 per bushel since last fall. Since late January, the trading range has been about $.40 per bushel and the current price is near the top of that range. The narrowing of the trading range for old-crop corn prices may point to a breakout from the long standing sideways trend. The central question for the direction of old-crop prices is whether consumption has slowed enough to ensure a minimum level of year ending stocks. The USDA currently projects 2011-12 marketing year ending stocks of corn at 801 million bushels. A minimum level of carryover is about 650 million bushels, assuming normal timing of the new-crop harvest. Some had expected the USDA to increase the projection of marketing year exports in last week's WASDE report, but that did not happen. There were also rumors late last week that China purchased large quantities of U.S. corn, but those purchases had not been confirmed as of this writing. With the corn marketing year just passing the mid-point, export shipments need to average about 32.1 million bushels per week to reach the USDA projection of 1.7 billion bushels for the year. That compares to the average pace to date of 32.9 million bushels and the average pace of 37.1 million bushels per week during the last half of the 2010-11 marketing year. As of March 1, unshipped export sales of U.S. corn stood at 405 million bushels, 100 million less than on the same date a year earlier. New sales need to average about 17 million bushels per week in order for export commitments to reach 1.7 billion bushels. It appears that exports could still exceed the current USDA projection by a small margin. For the year, the USDA projects corn use for the production of ethanol and co-products at 5 billion bushels, just below the record 5.021 billion bushels of last year. Through the first half of the 2011-12 marketing year, ethanol production exceeded that of a year ago by about 3.0 percent. To reach the USDA projection of corn use for the year, ethanol production during the last half of the marketing year needs to be 3.8 percent below the level of production during the last half of the 2010-11 marketing year. During the week ended March 2, ethanol production was 2.6 percent larger than in the same week last


This paper was given as a public lecture to open the 2007 Conference of Greek Studies. It discusses some themes in ancient Greek thought concerning the origins of the cosmos, and differentiates Greek philosophical cosmogony from the creation tales that preceded it, in other contemporary cultures and in Greek religion and literature. It discusses some of the principal problems formulated by Greek cosmogonists and the types of solution they suggested, and draws some parallels with similar problems in the origins of life and the elements for the Greeks, and compares some ancient and modern formulations of these problems and their solutions. This paper also draws some contrasts between Greek philosophical cosmogony and early Christian thinking about the origins of the world.


The absence of success factors focusing on the Industrialised Building System (IBS) process of project implementation initiates this study. Therefore, the aim of this research is to establish the success factors within the initial works of the IBS process of project implementation. Comprehensive literature review revealed that success factors are; the management, the government policies and initiatives, the coordination between design and construction, and the technical aspects of project deliverables. Questionnaire survey distributed amongst G7, IBS contractors unanimously agreed on these as success factors for the initial works of the IBS process of project implementation.
Keywords: Management Factors; Industrialised Building System; Successful Project Implementation; IBS Processes.
eISSN 2514-751X © 2018. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/aje-bs.v3i9.305


The interaction between the coat protein of the group I bacteriophage fr with its translational operator site is compared with the previously studied R17 interaction. The sequence of the two RNA binding sites differ by 2 of 20 nucleotides and two coat proteins by 17 of 129 amino acids. An analysis of the binding of fr coat protein to 24 operator variants revealed that the two proteins recognize operator sequences in virtually the same way. However, fr coat protein binds to nearly every RNA 6 to 14-fold tighter than R17 coat protein. Since the fr operator is a weaker binding variant and the fr coat protein shows a different temperature dependence of binding, it is unlikely that the two systems have different Kas in vivo. RNA fragments containing the operator sequences can initiate the capsid assembly with both fr and R17 coat protein. Surprisingly, the two coat proteins can form a mixed capsid in vitro.


Much slag occupied the land resources and caused severe damage to the ecological environment. A lot of work has been done on the reclaimation and utilization of slag. The composition, type and characteristics of slag were similar in some way to glass ceramics, which are architectural decoration materials or wearable and corrosion-proof materials with high quality and low price. In this paper, glass ceramics was prepared using hematite slag, which has not been cooled down in order to save energy. The optimum processing condition determined by orthogenesis test to prepare glass ceramics was hematite78.16%, CaF23.91%, CaO7.77%, coke10.16%.The smelting temperature is 1550 for 60 min and the crystallization time is 90 min. Microstructure analysis was studied by SEM. The microcrystalline structure was many petals, which was diopside crystal proved by X-ray analysis.


The characteristics of the turbulence field in wakes produced by horizontal-axis wind turbines under a uniform inflow are studied. To this aim, LES simulations of a rotor subjected to different types of inflow are performed with OpenFOAM. Two different Actuator Disk (AD) models for the rotor are implemented with the goal of assessing their capabilities to reproduce the turbulence characteristics of the wake: a uniformly loaded rotor and an AD model based on the blade element theory that employs tabulated airfoil data to calculate the distribution of forces over the disk as well as the geometry and other physical parameters from a conceptual 5 MW offshore wind turbine. The latter AD implementation makes use of a control system to adjust the rotational velocity of the rotor to the conditions of the wind flow.The turbulent wakes produced by the two AD models are analyzed over three different inflow conditions: laminar and two turbulent inflows of intensities 3.2 % and 6.7 % measured at the location of the rotor when the turbine is not present. The turbulence is pre-generated using the Mann model, that produces turbulent fields with the same second order statistics of the atmospheric turbulence. The turbulence is introduced in the computational domain at a position ahead of the rotor instead of at the inlet, to minimize its decay as it is convected downstream in the domain.A study of the turbulence evolution in the absence of the rotor reveals a discrepancy between the values of the turbulence intensity of the pre-generated field when it is measured before and after it has been introduced in the computational domain. This in turn suggests a numerical issue caused by imposing a turbulent velocity field in the flow. However, once the turbulence is introduced, it is found to exhibit a very small decay as the flow moves downstream.The simulations of the turbulent wake show differences in the turbulence characteristics of the near wake of each AD model. We also observe a dissimilar behaviour of the turbulence intensity along the wake for the different inflow conditions which difficult the task of determining a conclusive trend. Nonetheless, the results show that the turbulence characteristics in the far wake are nearly independent of the AD model or the inflow turbulence characteristics.This new implementation of the AD techniques and the use of the Mann method in OpenFOAM can be also proved useful in the future when comparing with the results of similar studies for which other CFD platforms are used.


Conidia (spores) of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, a fungal plant pathogen causing bean anthracnose, adhere to the aerial parts of host plants to initiate the infection process. These spores possess a fibrillar 'spore coat' as well as a cell wall. In a previous study a mAb, UB20, was raised that recognized glycoproteins on the spore surface. In this study UB20 was used to localize and characterize these glycoproteins and to investigate their possible role in adhesion. Glycoproteins recognized by UB20 were concentrated on the outer surface of the spore coat and, to a lesser extent, at the plasma membrane/cell wall interface. Extraction of spores with hot water or 0.2% SDS resulted in removal of the spore coat. Western blotting with UB20 showed that a relatively small number of glycoproteins were extracted by these procedures, including a major component at 110 kDa. Biotinylation of carbohydrate moieties, together with cell fractionation, confirmed that these glycoproteins were exposed at the surface of the spores. In adhesion assays, > 90% of ungerminated conidia attached to polystyrene Petri dishes within 30 min. UB20 IgG at low concentrations inhibited attachment in an antigen-specific manner. This suggests that the glycoproteins recognized by this mAb may function in the initial rapid attachment of conidia to hydrophobic substrata. Polystyrene microspheres bound selectively to the 110 kDa glycoprotein in Western blots, providing further evidence that this component could mediate interactions with hydrophobic substrata.


Gravitational wave (GW) constraints have recently been used to significantly restrict models of dark energy and modified gravity. New bounds arising from GW decay and GW-induced dark energy instabilities are particularly powerful in this context, complementing bounds from the observed speed of GWs. We discuss the associated linear cosmology for Horndeski gravity models surviving these combined bounds and compute the corresponding cosmological parameter constraints, using CMB, redshift space distortion, matter power spectrum and BAO measurements from the Planck, SDSS/BOSS and 6dF surveys. The surviving theories are strongly constrained, tightening previous bounds on cosmological deviations from $\Lambda{}$CDM by over an order of magnitude. We also comment on general cosmological stability constraints and the nature of screening for the surviving theories, pointing out that a raised strong coupling scale can ensure compatibility with gravitational wave constraints, while maintaining a functional Vainshtein screening mechanism on solar system scales. Finally, we discuss the quasi-static limit as well as (constraints on) related observables for near-future surveys.


This paper addresses factors which have prompted the need for further revision of banking regulation, with particular reference to the Capital Requirements Directive. The Capital Requirements Directive (CRD), which comprises the 2006/48/EC Directive on the taking up and pursuit of the business of credit institutions and the 2006/49/EC Directive on the capital adequacy of investment firms and credit institutions, implemented the revised framework for the International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards (Basel II) within EU member states. Pro cyclicality has attracted a lot of attention – particularly with regards to the recent financial crisis, owing to concerns arising from increased sensitivity to credit risk under Basel II. This paper not only considers whether such concerns are well-founded, but also the beneficial and not so beneficial consequences emanating from Basel II's increased sensitivity to credit risk (as illustrated by the Internal Ratings Based approaches). In so doing it considers the effects of Pillar 2 of Basel II, namely, supervisory review, with particular reference to buffer levels, and whether banks' actual capital ratios can be expected to correspond with Basel capital requirements given the fact that they are expected to hold certain capital buffers under Pillar 2. Furthermore, it considers how regulators can respond to prevent systemic risks to the financial system during periods when firms which are highly leveraged become reluctant to lend. In deciding to cut back on lending activities, are the decisions of such firms justified in situations where such firms' credit risk models are extremely and unduly sensitive - hence the level of capital being retained is actually much higher than minimum regulatory Basel capital requirements ?


Superfine wool surface texture changed after the processing with biochemistry technology. Its fiber thinness and friction effect reduce, the itchy feeling caused by wool is rid of, and the contraction of carpets diminishes so that it lives up to the standard of machine washing and anti-pilling. Meanwhile, the chemical groups of fiber surface of the superfine wool changes as well, which produces a material of which the physical and chemical structure of the surface differs from the nano-interface of the original fiber. If supplemented by functional stuff and combined in the form of chemical bonds, it would equally distribute and functions everlasting, thus achieving a comprehensive effect of the superfine wool-smoothness glutinosity, brightness, as well as anti-virus. Boiled under high temperature, it is still capable of retaining all the styles prior to the dyeing with no apparent reduction of the feel.


Charlottesville, VA-Use of molecular analysis for the uroplakin II (UPII) gene may potentially be a more sensitive method than conventional histopathology for identifying lymph node metastasis in patients with urothelial bladder cancer, according to a joint University of Virginia/University of Western Ontario study appearing in Clinical Cancer Research (2001; 7:1516-22).


The pursuit of entrepreneurship is often characterized by high levels of struggle and adversity, and even those who ultimately succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavors routinely experience failures and setbacks along the way. Therefore, it is likely that individuals who are more skilled at coping with, and conquering, such obstacles in their quest for success are more apt to enter, and be successful at, entrepreneurial careers. While several factors contribute to an individual's ability to persevere through adversity and to continue to work to accomplish long-term goals, individual grit has garnered an increasing level of attention as a key element in such persistence, particularly in entrepreneurial contexts. Grit, conceptualized as an individual's passion and perseverance in the pursuit of accomplishing long-term goals, can play several roles in the entrepreneurial process. While grit is a potential outcome of entrepreneurial passion, it also has important associations with several key entrepreneurial outcomes. For instance, given that entrepreneurship is linked with risk-taking, grit is an asset for individuals who chase entrepreneurial opportunities. Higher levels of risk incur a greater likelihood of failure, and the ability to persist with entrepreneurial initiatives in the face of failures is potentially bolstered by high levels of grit. Furthermore, persistence against adversity can often translate into improved venture performance as a result of entrepreneurs' continued, focused efforts at developing and improving their new venture. Furthermore, grit may play an even more important role for individuals who face heightened levels of adversity during their entrepreneurial careers. Women and younger individuals often experience unique challenges that their counterparts who are men or older do not have to face. Therefore, having high levels of grit may be an advantage in women and youth. While the relationship between grit and entrepreneurship has gained considerable momentum as a topic of scholarly interest, there are important avenues available for future research to further develop understanding of the topic.


p19INK4d promotes survival of several cell lines after UV irradiation due to enhanced DNA repair, independently of CDK4 inhibition. To further understand the action of p19INK4d in the cellular response to DNA damage, we aimed to elucidate whether this novel regulator plays a role only in mechanisms triggered by UV or participates in diverse mechanisms initiated by different genotoxics. We found that p19INK4d is induced in cells injured with cisplatin or -amyloid peptide as robustly as with UV. The mentioned genotoxics transcriptionally activate p19INK4d expression as demonstrated by run-on assay without influencing its mRNA stability and with partial requirement of protein synthesis. It is not currently known whether DNA damage-inducible genes are turned on by the DNA damage itself or by the consequences of that damage. Experiments carried out in cells transfected with distinct damaged DNA structures revealed that the damage itself is not responsible for the observed up-regulation. It is also not enotoxic stress known whether the increased expression of DNA-damage-inducible genes is related to immediate protective responses such as DNA repair or to more delayed responses such as cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. We found that ectopic expression of p19INK4d improves DNA repair ability and protects neuroblastoma cells from apoptosis caused by cisplatin or -amyloid peptide. Using clonal cell lines where p19INK4d levels can be modified at will, we show that p19INK4d expression correlates with increased survival and clonogenicity. The results presented here, prompted us to suggest that p19INK4d displays an important ellula role in an early stage of c


This paper describes a 14-bit 20MSPS switched-capacitor pipelined ADC designed in a complementary SiGe/SOI bipolar process. It features an input-to-output class A/B operational amplifier designed to drive large sampling capacitors of 10pF without consuming excessive power. Prototype implementation exhibits measured INL of +/- 2.0 LSB, DNL of +/- 0.5 LSB, SNR of 73 dB and SFDR of 85 dB with a 2MHz input signal. Analog power dissipation at lowest amplifier bias setting is 390mW with 5V supply.


Topoisomerase inhibitors represent a novel class of compounds that have been used as stand-alone anticancer agents, and their incorporation into antibody conjugates adds a targeting element to the development of more selective chemotherapy. Topoisomerases are nuclear enzymes involved in relaxing DNA strands for replication and transcription, and inhibitors of these enzymes act by stabilizing DNA–topoisomerase complexes, leading to double-strand breaks. SN-38, the active drug form of the cancer drug irinotecan is a topoisomerase I (TOP1) inhibitor that has been employed in various formulations to improve bioavailability. However, antibody conjugates of SN-38 represent a new approach for improving cancer chemotherapy. This review focuses on the design of antibody–SN-38 conjugates and on the current clinical results obtained for a number of cancers. A more potent form of a TOP1-inhibiting camptothecin derivative, exatecan mesylate, is currently being examined clinically in the antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) format, and DS-8201a, an ADC targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) cancers, has shown promising Phase I clinical results in breast and gastric cancers. These ADCs also lend themselves to combination therapy with poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors for potentially improving clinical outcomes.


The present possibilities and limitations of psychiatric expertising (supplementary or main) by the Public Health services are explained taking the proband group of public servants as an example. The need, preconditions, planning, designing, interaction, methods, amount of work and cost involved in such expertising are described in detail and illustrated by brief case reports, including psychodynamic aspects and definition and outlining of various phases of the relevant examinations. A guiding thesis is proposed: Successful psychiatric assessment of an individual is always also a crisis intervention with therapeutic changes and effects―even if this aim has not been consciously aimed at, but better still if performed with this purpose in mind


This position paper addresses the field of cities, mobility, and climate change. We claim that the challenge is no longer just only individual interfaces for individual cars or mobility providers, but rather an overhaul of overall mobility systems and approaches, and of integrated interfaces to these new complex systems, with a focus on sustainability and emission reduction. There are a number of open questions around this. The exact approach to deal with them is not yet clear, except that we will have to meet this mobility-related, and also societal change. We provide background and example to present our open questions and challenges.


In this paper, results from an experimental study on power losses of planetary gear sets are presented. The experimental set-up includes a specialized test apparatus to operate a planetary gear set under tightly-controlled speed, load and oil temperature conditions, and instrumentation for an accurate measurement of power losses. The test matrix consisted of gear sets having 3 to 6 planets under loaded and unloaded conditions in order to separate load independent (spin) and load dependent (mechanical) power losses. The test matrix also included tests with planet gears having two levels of tooth surface roughness amplitudes as well as tests at varying oil inlet temperature. The results clearly indicate that spin power loss decreases with both reduction of number of planets and increase in oil temperature. Meanwhile, the mechanical power loss decreases with a decrease in oil temperature and reduction in gear surface roughnesses. Results also indicate that mechanical losses can be described by the power transmitted and lost by each planet branch.Copyright © 2011 by ASME and General Motors


A fundamental study was carried out in a lotic ecosystem loaded with brewery effluent and other oxygen-demanding wastes from non-point sources to ascertain the pollutant level and its potential hazardousness to aquatic live and human health in the environment studied. Samples of waste water and river water which were taken at predetermined points, on different days, in the neighbourhood of the point source, were subjected to laboratory chemical analysis to determine the concentration of effluent parameters namely: BOD, COD, DO, and pH. Differential calculus and statistical models adapted for the analysis proved to be successful in predicting the contaminant distribution in the river thereby making the research result relevant for surface water pollution control. Keywords : Brewery effluent, pollutants, lotic ecosystem, water pollution, river, oxygen-sag-curve


Gravity was the first force to be described mathematically, yet it is the only fundamental force not well understood. The Standard Model of quantum mechanics describes interactions between the fundamental strong, weak and electromagnetic forces while Einstein's theory of General Relativity (GR) describes the fundamental force of gravity. There is yet to be a theory that unifies inconsistencies between GR and quantum mechanics. Scenarios of String Theory predicting more than three spatial dimensions also predict physical effects of gravity at sub-millimeter levels that would alter the gravitational inverse-square law. The Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP), a central feature of GR, states that all objects are accelerated at the same rate in a gravitational field independent of their composition. A violation of the WEP at any length would be evidence that current models of gravity are incorrect. At the Humboldt State University Gravitational Research Laboratory, an experiment is being developed to observe gravitational interactions below the 50-micron distance scale. The experiment measures the twist of a parallel-plate torsion pendulum as an attractor mass is oscillated within 50 microns of the pendulum, providing time varying gravitational torque on the pendulum. The size and distance dependence of the torque amplitude provide means to determine deviations from accepted models of gravity on untested distance scales. To observe the twist of the parallel-plate pendulum inside the vacuum chamber, an optical system with nanoradian precision is required.


Introduction: Chemical or electrical cardioversion are utilized for acute atrial fibrillation or flutter (AFF) management in the emergency department (ED). Procainamide is a common chemical agent used in Canada; however, there are substantial practice variations.
Method: Systematic search of five databases and grey literature completed. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective controlled cohort studies including adults with acute AFF comparing procainamide with other cardioversion strategies were eligible. Two independent reviewers performed study selection and data extraction. Relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019142080).
Results: From 3847 potential citations, 6 studies were included (four RCTs and two cohort studies). Procainamide was less effective in achieving conversion to normal sinus rhythm (NSR) at 1st attempt compared to other chemical (RR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.65 to 0.90) and electrical (RR 0.72; 95% CI: 0.56 to 0.92) options. Procainamide in a drug-shock approach was as effective as electrical cardioversion alone in restoring NSR (RR 1.04; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.08). The occurrence of hypotension was higher in patients receiving procainamide compared to electrical cardioversion (RR 1.87; 95% CI: 1.14 to 3.06). Deaths and strokes were not well-reported.
Conclusion: Procainamide is less effective than other chemical options and electrical cardioversion strategies to restore NSR. The efficacy of procainamide in a drug-shock approach is similar to electrical alone at restoring NSR. The evidence shows that hypotension is a common procainamide adverse effect suggesting that electrical cardioversion as a first approach is preferable.


We have developed techniques called mobile group dynamics (MGDs), which help groups of people to work together while they travel around large-scale virtual environments. MGDs explicitly showed the groups that people had formed themselves into, and helped people move around together and communicate over extended distances. The techniques were evaluated in the context of an urban planning application, by providing one batch of participants with MGDs and another with an interface based on conventional collaborative virtual environments (CVEs). Participants with MGDs spent nearly twice as much time in close proximity (within 10m of their nearest neighbor), communicated seven times more than participants with a conventional interface, and exhibited real-world patterns of behavior such as staying together over an extended period of time and regrouping after periods of separation. The study has implications for CVE designers, because it shows how MGDs improves groupwork in CVEs.


Department of Hematology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, People's Republic of China Introduction: Treatment of bortezomib (BTZ) improves the clinical outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). However, primary resistance and acquired resistance to BTZ frequently develop in patients with MM. PH domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase (PHLPP) plays an important role in chemoresistance in a number of cancers. However, the role of PHLPP on MM remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of PHLPP in BTZ-resistant MM cells. Methods: BrdU assays, immunoprecipitation, flow cytometry analyses, and immunofluorescence assays were performed. Results: PHLPP and lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2) levels were downregulated in BTZ-resistant MM cells compared with BTZ-sensitive MM cells, accompanied by inactivation of autophagy pathway evaluated by a reduction in Beclin1, Atg5 and LC3B and increase in p62. Gainand loss-of-function experiments revealed that PHLPP partially re-sensitized MM cells to BTZ. In addition, PHLPP overexpression increased whereas PHLPP knockdown reduced LAMP2 expression, subsequently regulating the autophagy pathway in MM cells. Further findings demonstrated that LAMP2 knockdown reversed PHLPP-mediated cell apoptosis and autophagy activation in MM cells. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that PHLPP is a potential strategy for overcoming BTZ resistance in patients with MM.


Abstract The aim of this study was to define the conditions for improving broiler leg health, thus ultimately promoting broiler welfare and greater economic efficiency of production, by investigating the effects of litter type, lighting program, or genetic predisposition on the incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis and hock burns. The study was conducted on broiler genotypes (G) Hubbard Classic and Ross 308. Litter (L) was either chopped straw or wood shavings. Lighting programs (LP) were applied when broilers were eight days old. One lighting program (LP1) was designed so that chicks between 8 to 39 days of age were exposed to 16L:4D:2L:2D, and received 23L:1D between 40 to 42 days of age. The other lighting program (LP2) was a gradual extension of photoperiod after restrictions in the second week: 16L:8D (8-14 days), 16L:3D:2L:3D (15-21 days), 16L:2D:4L:2D (22-28 days), 16L:1D:6L:1D (29-35 days) and 23L:1D (36-42 days). Evaluations of footpad lesions and hock burn, according to the method described by Thomas et al. (2004), were carried out individually for each bird, on days 21 and 42. Based on the average score and the frequency of the worst forms of footpad dermatitis, better growing conditions for broilers were found when wood shavings were used as litter material rather than the chopped straw (P<0.01), and when a lighting program with gradual lengthening of photoperiod and with intermittent light/ dark periods (LP2) was applied, compared to a moderate-constant photoperiod lighting program (LP1) (P<0.01). The Ross 308 broiler genotype, despite its lower body weight, showed a greater tendency to develop footpad dermatitis and hock burns. Hock burns developed more slowly than footpad dermatitis, and thereby, would be likely to exhibit a smaller adverse effect on broiler welfare and quality of chicken feet.


In this paper, a unified computational framework is presented for facilitating edge detection both in untextured as well as textured two-dimensional (2-D) images. The framework is based on a complete set of difference operators which are easily configurable from a set of orthogonal polynomials. The widely known Roberts, Sobel, Prewitt, and Marr's LOG edge operators can easily be represented in terms of these operators. For detection of untextured or textured edges, the proposed operators are employed to separate out the responses toward edge or texture and noise. Untextured edges are detected by maximizing signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or identifying the zero crossings in the second directional derivatives. Textured edges are detected in two stages. First, the significance of responses toward texture is computed statistically in order to test the presence of microtexture and compute a local descriptor called "pronum" for its representation. Finally, a global descriptor for texture called "prospectrum" is obtained by observing the frequency of occurrence of pronums. The textured edges are detected at the second stage by applying the methods of detection of untextured edges on these prospectrums. The results are encouraging.


This study aimed to measure the effects of Ebola outbreak on antenatal care attendance and malaria management in pregnant women in Guinea. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in two rural malaria-endemic health districts: on the epicentre of the West African Ebola outbreak (Gueckedou) and the other spared by Ebola (Koubia). Data were compared over similar periods of high malaria transmission before, during and after the Ebola outbreak. There were substantial declines in antenatal care visits in Gueckedou, from a monthly average number of 7,208 before the outbreak to 3,151 (57% decrease) during and 2,843 visits (61% decrease) after it while this indicator increased across the same periods in Koubia. In Gueckedou, the number of SP first doses provided dropped from 2,566 before the outbreak to 1,263 (51% decrease) during and 1,010 (61% decrease) after the Ebola outbreak (P < 0.001) while in Koubia, the decline was by 13% and 24% during and after the outbreak from an average number of 499 doses before it (P < 0.001). Fever cases increased by 43% and 38% during and after the outbreak respectively in Gueckedou and by 28% during and 11% after the outbreak in Koubia. Untreated malaria cases represented 11% and 12% of confirmed malaria cases during and after the outbreak respectively compared to 3% before it in Gueckedou, while in Koubia no untreated case was seen across these periods. There is need to uphold malaria services during future outbreaks.


The incompressible limit of a compressible fluid, when the Mach number tends to zero, is a singular limit due to the fact that the governing equations change their type. The propagation rate of the pressure waves become infinite. Based on asymptotic results the multiple pressure variables (MPV-) method is reviewed as it may be used for the construction of numerical methods in this low Mach number regime. The MPVschemes formally converge to incompressible methods, if the Mach number tends to zero. The insight into the behavior in the incompressible limit is used to introduce a perturbation method to calculate the noise generation and propagation in the flow region. In this approach the fluid flow is calculated by an incompressible method. The introduction of a perturbation about this incompressible solution leads to a system describing the generation and propagation of the compressible corrections to the incompressible flow field. The wave propagation model are the linearized Euler equations and the noise generation is given by source terms for these equations. This relates very well to the EIF-approach (Expansion about Incompressible Flow) as proposed by Hardin and Pope. The new part is a scaling motivated by the MPV-method and M = 0 limit. By that a linearization is introduced and the most important terms in the sources can easily be identified. For a simple one-dimensional problem with compression from the boundary the perturbation method is validated. Numerical results are also presented for the noise generation by a rotating vortex pair and for the applied problem of the noise generation of a plane jet.


The paper evaluates the power of best-first search over AND/OR search spaces for solving the Most Probable Explanation (MPE) task in Bayesian networks. The main virtue of the AND/OR representation of the search space is its sensitivity to the structure of the problem, which can translate into significant time savings. In recent years depth-first AND/OR Branch-and-Bound algorithms were shown to be very effective when exploring such search spaces, especially when using caching. Since best-first strategies are known to be superior to depth-first when memory is utilized, exploring the best-first control strategy is called for. The main contribution of this paper is in showing that a recent extension of AND/OR search algorithms from depth-first Branch-and-Bound to best-first is indeed very effective for computing the MPE in Bayesian networks. We demonstrate empirically the superiority of the best-first search approach on various probabilistic networks.


Despite being ranked highly, the 2012 PISA result shows that the M-shape distribution of Taiwanese students is top of the 65 participating countries. This shows that the gap between high and low achievers in Taiwanese schools is the biggest. This paper aims at exploring Taipei's responses to this M-shape phenomenon. It starts from mapping out the context of education reform in Taiwan and introducing measures of helping to ensure equity in education in order to close the gap between high and low achievers. Following this, the data collection process is described and the researcher's reflections are provided. The discussion then moves to recent initiatives on reshaping school culture such as through school-based programs, establishing the Curriculum Development Circle, and on reclaiming teacher professionalism and cultivating the passion for learning among learners at senior high schools in Taipei. This paper offers international readers insights into attempts to strike an equilibrium between maintaining high performance and striving for equity in Taipei.


This study investigated the antibacterial resistance profiles of E. coli pathotypes isolated from children under five years and drinking water samples collected from the North West Province of South Africa and ascertained the clonality of the isolates. Two hundred and forty-one E. coli isolates were recovered from stool samples of diarrhoeic and non-diarrhoeic children under five years old, and drinking water, using the Colilert-18® Quanti-tray/2000 and Eosin methylene blue agar. The presence of enteropathogenic (eaeA), enterohaemorrhagic (eaeA,stx1, stx2 and flicH7), enteroaggregative (eagg), enteroinvasive (ipaH) and enterotoxigenic (ST and LT) E. coli pathotypes were also investigated using PCR. Antibiotic susceptibility was carried out through the disk diffusion method. The presence of blaCTX-M, blaSHV, blaCMY, and blaDHA genes that code for β-lactamases was investigated using real-time PCR. Similarities between human and water isolates were tested using ERIC-PCR. Overall, EHEC (35.8%), EPEC/EHEC (22%), ETEC (21.6%) and EIEC (20.2%) were detected. The highest antibiotic resistance was detected to Clarithromycin (100%) and Erythromycin (100%) while the lowest resistance was against Gentamicin (0.4%). Also, 100% sensitivity was recorded to imipenem and meropenem. Multi-antibiotic resistance was observed in all the pathotypes, and the ESBL genes were detected in 71.6% of the pathotypes. ERICPCR indicated 100% similarities in some water and human samples. Pathogenic E. coli is amongst the diarrhoea-causing agents in the North West Province with EHEC being the most identified pathotype. The clonal relatedness of the human and water isolates suggests that domestic water might be a route


Analysing of material flows within the boundaries of the production system it is possible to conclude that the sources and sinks of those material flows are storages. In those storages in the function of the kind and the type numerous processes are implemented. These storage processes along with the material handling processes are responsible for quantitative and dynamic balancing of material flows and as such have a significant impact on the total cost and productivity of the production system. Due to the above reasons, the design of storage is an important task which needs to be adequately accessed. Regardless of the kind and the type and the associated processes within storage one of the main activities in the design phase of storage is to define its location, with special emphasis on interaction with other elements of the production system (production and processing equipment, material handling equipment and devices, etc.). Namely, selection of the right location, among other things ensuring the necessary conditions which will make the process of storage to meet the technical and technological, economic, organizational, IT and other requirements upon it.


This paper presents a modular robot called RBT-6T/S01SM. This robot composed of 6 basic modules which could composed 5 kinds of robot. Each module owns one rotational degree of freedom. The total combined robot RBT-6T/S01SM features an easy-to-build mechanical structure. A formulation of this robot is educed based on Denevit and Hartenberg in this paper.The kinematics is studied and inverse kinematics is obtained based on algebraic method. The kinematics simulation of RBT-6T/S01SM is presented based on Matlab. The effectiveness of kinematics equations is verified by the simulation results.


Abstract Context: Several studies have investigated the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) operations; however, there is little information regarding the effect of OMT in the postoperative recovery of patients undergoing CABG operations. Methods: Patients scheduled to undergo a CABG operation were voluntarily enrolled and randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 treatment protocols after their surgical procedure: standardized daily OMT and conventional postoperative care (the OMT group), daily time-matched placebo OMT and conventional postoperative care (the placebo group), or conventional postoperative care only (the control group). Specific OMT techniques used were thoracic inlet myofascial release, standard rib raising (with paraspinal muscle stretch to the L2 vertebral level), and soft tissue cervical paraspinal muscle stretch (with suboccipital muscle release). Primary outcome measures included time to discharge, time to postoperative bowel movement, and FIM functional assessment scores. Results: Fifty-three patients completed the study protocol: 17 in the OMT group, 18 in the placebo group, and 18 in the control group. After surgical procedures, patients were discharged to home at a mean (standard deviation [SD]) rate of 6.1 (1.4), 6.3 (1.5), and 6.7 (3.0) days for the OMT group, placebo group, and control group, respectively. Patients in the OMT group were discharged 0.55 days earlier than those in the control group and 0.16 days earlier than those in the placebo group. The mean (SD) number of days to first postoperative bowel movement was 3.5 (0.9), 4.0 (0.8), and 4.0 (0.9) for the OMT group, the placebo group, and the control group, respectively. On day 3 after surgery, the mean (SD) total score on the FIM was 19.3 (6.7), 15.4 (7.3), and 18.6 (6.5) for the OMT, the placebo, and the control group, respectively; total score for the OMT group was 0.81 greater than that of the control group and 3.87 greater than that of the placebo group. None of the differences achieved statistical significance (P<.05) Conclusion: A daily postoperative OMT protocol improved functional recovery of patients who underwent a CABG operation.


Background: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a genetic retinal disorder that leads to progressive visual impairment. Early symptoms are night blindness, followed by the loss of peripheral vision and constricted visual fields. The symptoms and signs worsen as time goes. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of RP among Sudanese students of Al-Neelain University College of Optometry and Visual Science from March to May 2017. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional observational hospital-based study, which was conducted at Al-Neelain University Eye Hospital, Gabrah, Khartoum, Sudan, in 3-month period, from March to May 2017, by a consecutive sampling technique, 193 Sudanese students from Al-Neelain University College of Optometry and Visual Science were examined for the presence of RP. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS. Results: Females were 154 (79.8%) and males were 39 (20.2%). Their mean age was 21.76 years ± 2.5 years (range: 16–25 years). One hundred and forty-five (75.1%) students were between 21 and 25 years and 48 (24.9%) students were between 16 and 20 years. The majority (99.5%) reported negative symptoms of night blindness, and few (0.5%) reported definite positive symptoms of night blindness. Only 2 (1.0%) students out of the whole study group disclosed family history of RP. Sixty-one (31.6%) participants revealed consanguinity; 2 (1%) of them were of first-degree and one (0.5%) of second-degree consanguinity. One hundred and forty-three (74.1%) participants were emmetropic while fifty (25.9%) with minor degrees of ammetropia (±0.5–0.75 diopter). Overall, 188 (97.4%) scored 6/6 best-corrected visual acuity. None of the partinsepants students reviled any degree of color defect. Intraocular pressure in all students was within normal limits. No single student revealed fundus appearance of RP in all 193 candidates and even in those with symptoms of night blindness or family history of RP. Conclusion: No single RP case with typical fundus appearance and visual functional loss was reported in 193 male and female Sudanese students of Al-Neelain University College of Optometry and Visual Science.


Following up on Turner's argument on the dominance of textual and discursive analyses in celebrity studies, this article argues for more focus on celebrity culture's agents and their social practices, particularly by conducting interviews with celebrities, which is rare in literature. While this opens up several theoretical opportunities, it also raises methodological challenges, especially regarding access and data quality. Access to celebrities is limited because they are already 'over-interviewed' by journalists, and thus might not be motivated to engage in academic studies. This article suggests ways to deal with or even surpass cultural intermediaries, such as managers, who control the celebrity's agenda. Regarding data quality, the article also discusses ways for interviewers to get beyond the sound bite and generate in-depth understanding, while also trying to manage or recognise which celebrity persona is speaking. While these methodological considerations apply to celebrity, they might also be relevant for elite studies more generally.