The rapid change on economic environment highly requires organizations to control the risks related to the financial and operative purposes. Furthermore, monitoring is also crucial for the management and the board of directors in providing them significant information related to the performance and the effectiveness of internal control systems. Internal audit as a part of internal control system has helped organizations manage and mitigate the risk as well as understanding the position where their risks are. In the effort of achieving the objective, COSO framework gives a concrete alternative for organizations to mitigate the risks related to the validity of financial reporting. This study is aimed at understanding the internal control implemented in Jumhouria and Sahara banks in Libya according to the top managements' perspectives based on COSO framework. This study is qualitative descriptive research. Data was collected through questionnaire that was distributed by E-mail. Furthermore, an interview was also done to gain deep information done by e-mail as well. The findings of this study revealed that control environment has not been well implemented by the Jumhouria and Sahara banks although the integrity and ethical value are communicated effectively throughout the organization. However, there is no consistency between the works done by the management of operating units with the senior management. Furthermore, it is believed that COSO Framework brings some benefits for the banks although the implementation of its components has not been recognized. A good internal control is important, because it may give the bank an idea of how it is performing.


variety of religious expression in Ancient Israel as represented through the history of and by different parts of the community. It is more appropriate to speak of the &dquo;The Religions of Israel&dquo; than to attempt to synthesize &dquo;The Faith of Israel.&dquo; Also, to discuss the religious experience of Israel as distinct from the history and literature is to suggest a false separation. Ancient Israel did not function with the idea of separation of &dquo;Church and State.&dquo;


For over a decade, incoherent scatter radar observations of the mid and auroral-latitude ionosphere combined with ground based GPS observations of total electron content (TEC) have been used to study the intense storm enhanced density (SED) plumes that form over the Americas during major geomagnetic storms [1]. Magnetic field mapping of the ionospheric observations to magnetospheric heights revealed close correspondence between the SED and plasmasphere erosion plumes observed from space in EUV imagery by the IMAGE satellite [2]. During the current solar cycle the global distribution of GPS receivers used in creating the TEC maps and movies has increased significantly providing near-continuous two-dimensional coverage of TEC morphology and dynamics over much the northern hemisphere mid and high-latitude region. The dynamics and structure of the outer reaches of the plasmasphere, the plasmasphere boundary layer, are driven by coupling to overlying magnetospheric processes. To first order, cold plasma redistribution proceeds such that plasma parcels at ionospheric heights and at the apex of a magnetic field line move together in the E × B direction maintaining their magnetic field alignment. In this sense the TEC structure and dynamics imaged in the ionosphere projects along the magnetic field providing an image of the plasmaspheric configuration. The recently launched Van Allen Probes twin satellites (RBSP-A & RBSP-B) are in near-equatorial orbits well suited for studies of phenomena at the apex of field lines threading the plasmasphere boundary layer. The RBSP instrumentation includes in situ electric field, density, ion composition, magnetic field, plasma wave, and full particle pitch angle and energy spectral information from <;1 eV to 10s of MeV for ions and electrons. We use ground based TEC mapping to create 2-D images of the plasmasphere during transits of the RBSP and Themis spacecraft. We intercompare the dynamic changes in the plasmasphere configuration with the detailed in situ observations. We image and observe the transition from quiet plasmasphere, to erosion plume formation and development, to recovery. The RBSP spacecraft provide quantitative measurements of ion composition and erosion flux within the plume and the mapping between low and high altitudes facilitates intercomparisons between ionospheric and magnetospheric characteristics and phenomena.


Recent developments in understanding the pathophysiology of disordered motor control in cerebral palsy are reviewed. In spastic cerebral palsy, evidence for abnormal segmental as well as supraspinal control of motor neuron output exists. Impaired Ia inhibition of antagonist muscles has been suggested but recently contested. Evidence also supports the role of decreased presynaptic inhibition of Ia afferents and decreased nonreciprocal Ib inhibition. Furthermore, early cerebral injury results in reorganization of supraspinal (corticospinal) inputs to motor neuron pools. In extrapyramidal cerebral palsy, injury of basal ganglia or thalamus has been demonstrated. A scheme for understanding the neurochemical circuitry of the extrapyramidal system is discussed. Animal models and certain specific human diseases provide examples of how this circuitry may be disturbed, thereby resulting in an imbalance between the direct and indirect striatal output systems and in impaired motor control. Future studies employing postmortem neurochemical analysis, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomographic scanning may foster progress in this area. (J Child Neurol 1996;11(Suppl 1):S5-S 12).


The rheo-diecasting (RDC) process, a novel semi-solid processing technology, was used to produce cast components with high integrity, fine and uniform microstructure, and therefore enhanced performance. AZ91D samples with 1-3 mass%Gd were solidified by RDC process. It was found that under intensive forced convection, the primary α-Mg phase produced inside the twin-screw slurry maker had fine particle size, spherical morphology and uniform distribution throughout the samples. Microstructure observations showed that Gd addition resulted in the formation of Al2Gd which dispersed in the α-Mg matrix. The size and amount of β-Mg17Al12 phase was reduced and its continuity was broken, which was the main reason for improving mechanical properties of the AZ91D alloy at high temperatures. The amount of Al2Gd particles increased with increasing Gd addition. From EPMA quantitative analysis, almost all Gd reacted with Al, leading to the low concentration of Gd in the α-Mg matrix. The Vickers hardness increased monotonously from HV=50.4 to HV=67.3 with increasing amount of Gd. This improvement was attributed to the consummation of aluminum in melt by precipitation of the Al2Gd phases.


Abstract : In this paper, we present an analysis of a phase-averaged wind-wave model using a hindcast simulation of a moderate wave growth event that occurred during the SandyDuck '97 field experiment. We observe the activity of various source/sink terms in the model, with special attention to the deep-water dissipation term. We note shortcomings with this term and discuss possible improvements.


It has been known for over 100 years that cancers have individual karyotypes and arise only years to decades after initiating carcinogens. However, there is still no coherent theory to explain these definitive characteristics of cancer. The prevailing mutation theory holds that cancers are late because the primary cell must accumulate 3–8 causative mutations to become carcinogenic and that mutations, which induce chromosomal instability (CIN), generate the individual karyotypes of cancers. However, since there is still no proven set of mutations that transforms a normal to a cancer cell, we have recently advanced the theory that carcinogenesis is a form of speciation. This theory predicts carcinogens initiate cancer by inducing aneuploidy, which automatically unbalances thousands of genes and thus catalyzes chain-reactions of progressive aneuploidizations. Over time, these aneuploidizations have two endpoints, either non-viable karyotypes or very rarely karyotypes of new autonomous and immortal cancers. Cancer karyotypes are immortalized despite destabilizing congenital aneuploidy by clonal selections for autonomy—similar to those of conventional species. This theory predicts that the very low probability of converting the karyotype of a normal cell to that of a new autonomous cancer species by random aneuploidizations is the reason for the karyotypic individuality of new cancers and for the long latencies from carcinogens to cancers. In testing this theory, we observed: (1) Addition of mutagenic and non-mutagenic carcinogens to normal human and rat cells generated progressive aneuploidizations months before neoplastic transformation. (2) Sub-cloning of a neoplastic rat clone revealed heritable individual karyotypes, rather than the non-heritable karyotypes predicted by the CIN theory. (3) Analyses of neoplastic and preneoplastic karyotypes unexpectedly identified karyotypes with sets of 3–12 new marker chromosomes without detectable intermediates, consistent with single-step origins. We conclude that the speciation theory explains logically the long latencies from carcinogen exposure and the individuality of cancers. In addition, the theory supports the single-step origins of cancers, because karyotypic autonomy is all-or-nothing. Accordingly, we propose that preneoplastic aneuploidy and clonal neoplastic karyotypes provide more reliable therapeutic indications than current analyses of thousands of mutations.


2-Propynyldiarylacetylenes undergo thermal intramolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition to give benzo[b]fluorene derivatives in good yields. The hybridization of the tether connecting the reacting alkynes has a pronounced effect on the course of the reaction. Theoretical calculations and isotopic labeling studies support a mechanism which involves the generation of a cyclic allene intermediate that evolves to the final benzo[b]fluorene.


Binderless fiberboards were made from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) empty fruit bunches with two treatments: steam explosion and Fenton reagent oxidation. Fiberboards were prepared with a targeted density of 1.20 g/cm3 and a thickness of 4 mm. A factorial experimental design 22 with two center repetitions and one repetition was applied for each treatment. The oil palm waste was oxidized with Fenton reagent using a H2O2/Fe2+ ratio of 2%/0.2% to 4%/0.4% and a pressing temperature of 170 to 190 °C. Steam explosion was carried out at a severity factor of 3.5 to 4.0 at the same pressing temperature. Both treatments were examined under two major response variables: mechanical properties (modulus of rupture, MOR, and modulus of elasticity, MOE) and physical properties (thickness swelling, TS, and water absorption, WA). Steam-exploded samples developed better physico-mechanical properties than those that underwent Fenton reagent oxidation. The best results were obtained from fiberboards treated with the highest steam explosion design conditions (severity 4 and pressing temperature 190 °C) to give optimum values of MOE 3100.09 MPa, MOR 28.49 MPa, TS 11.80%, and WA 22.74%. Binderless fiberboards made from steam explosion-treated pulp satisfied favorably well the Colombian Standard NTC 2261.


The Web has evolved into a huge mine of knowledge carved in different forms, the predominant one still being the free-text document. This motivates the need for Intelligent Web-reading Agents: hypothetically, they would skim through disparate Web sources corpora and generate meaningful structured assertions to fuel Knowledge Bases (KBs).
Ultimately, comprehensive KBs, like Wikidata and DBpedia, play a fundamental role to cope with the issue of information overload. On account of such vision, this thesis depicts a set of systems based on Natural Language Processing (NLP), which take as input unstructured or semi-structured information sources and produce machine-readable statements for a target KB. We implement four main research contributions: (1) a one-step methodology for crowdsourcing the Frame Semantics annotation; (2) a NLP technique implementing the above contribution to perform N-ary Relation Extraction from Wikipedia, thus enriching the target KB with properties; (3) a taxonomy learning strategy to produce an intuitive and exhaustive class hierarchy from the Wikipedia category graph, thus augmenting the target KB with classes; (4) a recommender system that leverages a KB network to yield atypical suggestions with detailed explanations, serving as a proof of work for real-world end users. The outcomes are incorporated into the Italian DBpedia chapter, can be queried through its public endpoint, and/or downloaded as standalone data dumps.


This article presents an ethnographic study of control and resistance in a small professional service firm in the port transport industry. We argue that informal interaction between the owner-managers and their employees at a site beyond the organizational boundary, namely the local public house, provided the setting for rituals of resistance in which the participants achieved a modicum of role distance. These rituals, in turn, fulfilled a latent 'tension-release function' (Goffman, 1990:241) that served subtly to reinforce and reproduce order in the firm. On the basis of this argument, our article makes a twofold contribution to small firm research. First, the specific combination of functionalist and interactionist approaches provides fresh 'insights into how the complex and contested dynamics of interpersonal relations in small enterprises are handled' (Ram, 1 999b: I 5). Second, our analysis suggests ethnographic research has considerable methodological potential to deepen the understanding of small firm employee relations.


What is the role of the principle of sufficient reason in Baruch Spinoza's ontological proof for God's existence? Is this role identical within Spinoza's early work on method, the Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect, and his magnum opus, the Ethics? This paper argues affirmatively that the methodology employed within the Ethics is consonant with that method found within the Treatise, and this claim is substantiated through an engagement with the influential works of Don Garrett and Aaron Garrett. It is also demonstrated through an original reconstruction of the Treatise itself. In this reconstruction, basic premises are identified which can validly prove Spinoza's intended conclusion of substance monism. It is finally determined that what the Treatise and the Ethics share, specifically, is a methodology which begins with non-nominal definitions that denote the real, sufficient causes of their respective objects. However, at certain junctures, this methodology is expressed with greater consistency within the Treatise as opposed to within the Ethics. Evidence for this will be provided from the primary texts themselves and from the subsequent analyses of Don Garrett and Aaron Garret as well.


BACKGROUND
MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small non-coding molecules that play a significant regulatory role in several allergic diseases. However, their role in allergic rhinitis is still not clearly understood. The aim of this study was to identify the candidate miRNAs that can discriminate between different forms of allergic rhinitis and also differ in and out of the allergen season.

METHODS
The study included 20 healthy children, 20 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR), 20 non-atopic asthmatics (NA-A), and 12 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR). Patients with SAR were evaluated comparatively in and outside the allergen season. The changes in the expressions of selected miRNAs (miR- 125b, miR-126, miR-133b, miR-181a, and miR-206) that were found related to the allergic diseases according to the literature were determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS
In the SAR group, expression levels of miR-125b (p=0.040) and miR181a (p=0.014) were lower than in the controls outside of the allergen season. Expression levels of miR-181a were different between patients with SAR and NA-A (p=0.003), also between the SAR and PAR (p=0.001) groups in multiple comparisons. In contrast, the expression of miR-206 was found to be decreased in patients with NA-A and PAR compared with the controls (p=0.005 and p=0.024, respectively). In correlation analysis, expression levels of miR-125b and peak expiratory flow (PEF) values were found to be negatively correlated in the SAR (p=0.013) and PAR (p=0.029) groups. The expression level of miR-206 was positively correlated with total IgE levels in PAR (p=0.007). Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that miR-125b and miR-181a predicted the risk of SAR (p=0.040 and p=0.014, respectively), and miR-206 for NA-A and PAR (p=0.005 and p=0.024, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
Our study showed that expression levels of miRNAs were different according to the type of allergic diseases and the presence of allergens. miR-181a and miR-125b can be candidate biomarkers for SAR, and miR-206 for NA-A and PAR.


Uroporphyrinogen-III decarboxylase from Nicotiana tabacum is a plastidial enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of chlorophyll and haem. Sedimentation equilibrium with protein producing diffracting crystals clearly indicates that the enzyme is a homodimer under similar ionic strength conditions to those found in the chloroplast stroma. Additionally, dynamic light scattering reveals an ionic strength dependence for this oligomerization state. Crystals were obtained in the hexagonal space group P622 with one molecule per asymmetric unit and diffracted to 2.3 A resolution using synchrotron radiation.


This thesis examines the disclosure practices of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and the impact of reform programmes in the SOE sector on such practices. The study stems from evidence of poor performance of SOEs attributed to the dearth of information disclosure, hence, the introduction of reform programmes to address these problems. Based on multiple case design with data gathered from three large SOEs and key policy makers in the SOE sector of Ghana, the findings show that the disclosure relationships, objectives, and media are generally the same across all SOEs. There are however some notable variations from the both within-case and cross-case analyses, with respect to the generic sections, volume and disclosure types in their respective annual reports. There are also differences in relation to the processes of producing their disclosure media.

With regards to the impact of reform programmes, the study found both sector-wide and industry specific reform programmes, driven and underpinned by institutional forces and tenets of agency theory. These programmes have among other things, increased the numbers of disclosure media, stakeholders or principals that SOEs must disclose to, expanded the nature of disclosure (managerial, program, procedures, and financial) and types of disclosure relationships (diagonal).


This paper is devoted to basic scheduling problems in which the scheduling cost of a job is not a function of its completion time. Instead, the cost is derived from the integration of a cost function over the time intervals on which the job is processed. This criterion is specially meaningful when job preemption is allowed. Polynomial algorithms are presented to solve some special cases including a one-machine problem with a common due date and a two-machine problem with linear nondecreasing cost functions.


BACKGROUND
The identification of a population cohort of workers exposed to asbestos is important because it facilitates health surveillance, allowing us to fulfil the ethical obligation of recognizing the occupational origin of the illness and contributing to the development of scientific research. The goal of this study is to identify the asbestos exposed workers in Navarre and the success of the health surveillance offer.

METHODS
The register of asbestos exposed workers was created in 1999. It includes companies and workers from the national register, the records of the regional institution of occupational health and the data of the occupational health services and the inspectorate of sick leave. The health programme deals with occupational and post-occupational workers.

RESULTS
The cohort consists of 2,294 workers, from 33 companies, 40% of whom are active, half work manufacturing motor vehicles, 91% are exposed to chrysotile, 25% exposed to high concentrations (0.20 fibers /cm3 or more for chrysotile or 0.10 fibers /cm3 for others). The 1970s and 1990s were when most workers began to be exposed. Workers who began in the 1940s and 1950s have longer exposure times. Medical surveillance is accepted by 72%, with higher acceptance among those who are active.

CONCLUSIONS
The follow-up has allowed us to recognize three times as many cases of pathology for asbestos, in comparison with those declared spontaneously in the eleven years prior to the program, which reflects its importance. The level of acceptance of the surveillance is adapted, given the methodology of the programme.


Abstract The conditions and factors of development of the vine landscapes in Crimea and their evolution are considered for the ancient, medieval, imperial, Soviet (first and second halves of the 20th century), and post-Soviet periods. The characteristics of the vineyard landscape zones (South Coast, Foothills and Steppe) are presented. Having reached their maximum areas in the period 1955-1970, the area of the vineyards in Crimea decreased steadily until 2017. The main causes of degradation were the spread of phylloxera, the campaign against alcoholism in 1985, the deterioration of sales after the collapse of the USSR, and the ineffective system of cultivation technology. The current ways of reviving grape landscapes – the introduction of innovative methods of farming, greening and cluster forms of viticulture and winemaking – are addressed.


Aims. Our aim is to confirm the interstellar detection of cyanic acid, HOCN, in the Galactic center clouds. It has previously been tentatively detected only in Sgr B2(OH). Methods. We used a complete line survey of the hot cores Sgr B2(N) and (M) in the 3 mm range, complemented by additional observations carried out with the IRAM 30 m telescope at selected frequencies in the 2 mm band and towards four additional positions in the Sgr B2 cloud complex in the 2 and 3 mm bands. The spectral survey was analysed in the local thermodynamical equilibrium approximation (LTE) by modeling the emission of all identified molecules simultaneously. This allowed us to distinguish weak features of HOCN from the rich line spectrum observed in Sgr B2(N) and (M). Lines of the more stable (by 1.1 eV) isomer isocyanic acid, HNCO, in these sources, as well as those of HOCN and HNCO towards the other positions, were analysed in the LTE approximation as well. Results. Four transitions of HOCN were detected in a quiescent molecular cloud in the Galactic center at a position offset in (RA, Dec) by (20 �� , 100 �� ) from the hot core source Sgr B2(M), confirming its previous tentative interstellar detection. Up to four transitions were detected toward five other positions in the Sgr B2 complex, including the hot cores Sgr B2(M), (S), and (N). A fairly constant abundance ratio of ∼0.3−0.8% for HOCN relative to HNCO was derived for the extended gas components, suggesting a common formation process of these isomers.


The actual/virtual distinction is used to give an alternative account of quantum interference by way of a new theory of probability. The new theory is obtained by changing one of the axioms of the canonical theory of probability while keeping the other axioms fixed. It is used to give an alternative account of constructive quantum interference in the two-slit experiment. The account crucially involves a distinction between actual and virtual probabilities. Although actual probabilities are operational and virtual probabilities are not, there is a substantial connection between them. Virtual probabilities may be obtained indirectly from actual probabilities. In showing this, interpretive considerations are brought to bear including some having to do with quantum non-locality. Directions for future research are discussed in closing.


A challenge in studying organogenesis is the ability to identify progenitor cell populations. To address this problem, we characterized the expression patterns of cell cycle proteins during mouse retinal development and used flow cytometry to determine the expression profiles in the cell cycle. We found that MCM6 and PCNA are expressed in essentially all retinal progenitor cells throughout the proliferative period and these proteins are readily detectable in all cell cycle phases. Furthermore, their expression levels are downregulated as cells exit the cell cycle and differentiate. We also analyzed the expression of Cyclins D1, A2, and B1, and phosphorylated Histone H3 and found unexpected expression patterns and cell cycle profiles. The combined utilization of the markers tested and the use of flow cytometry should further facilitate the study of stem and progenitor cell behavior during development and in adult tissues. Developmental Dynamics 237:672–682, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm, and malignant cases are extremely rare. A case of malignant PEComa arising in the colon is described herein. The patient was a 43‐year‐old Japanese woman without a history of tuberous sclerosis complex. The tumor occurred in the abdominal cavity attached to the serosal side of the descending colon. Histologically, the tumor consisted of sheets or closely packed nests of epithelioid cells with clear or eosinophilic cytoplasms. The tumor cells were positive for HMB‐45 but negative for S‐100 protein and cytokeratins by immunohistochemical staining. Ki‐67 labeling index was 2.9%. Peritoneal dissemination of tumor occurred at 20 months and the patient died of tumor at 38 months after the initial operation. This was considered to be a case of malignant PEComa, based on the histological and clinical features. Tumor cells showed overexpression of cyclin D1 but lacked the loss of heterozygosity of the TSC1 and TSC2 genes. The result suggests that the overexpression of cyclin D1 may play an important role in the tumorigenesis of PEComa. Because PEComas can behave in an aggressive manner, careful follow up is warranted.


THE EFFECT OF ANNEALING AND COLD FORGING ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND HARDNESS PROPERTIES OF AL-SIC COMPOSITE: A PRELIMINARY STUDY. Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites (AMMCs) are one of the exciting materials that have an extensive function in various applications. By utilizing reinforcement in the fabrication process, Al composites can produce superior properties such as high strength, good fracture resistance, and of course, lightweight. Therefore, many studies are interested in revealing the characteristics of Al composite materials through various methods and variations of reinforcement. This research is a preliminary study with a scope of work, including observing the effects of annealing and cold forging processes on the microstructure morphology and hardness properties of SiC nano-ceramic reinforced Al composites. The aluminium used in this study is a 7xxx series aluminium alloy. The fabrication process was carried out by stir-squeeze casting method. Microstructure analysis was conducted by optical microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) equipped with Emission Dispersion Spectroscopy (EDS). The hardness properties of the Al-SiC composite were examined by micro Vickers hardness testing. This research reported that the annealing process influences the grain refinement and hardness properties of the Al-SiC composite. The sample experienced to cold forging has to improve the hardness value. Increasing hardness by forging after anneal may introduce due to the grain compression effect of the dislocation mechanism. Comprehensive research is required to find out other potentials of Al-SiC composite materials. Keywords: Al-SiC composite, annealing temperature, cold forging, hardness, microstructure.


Mannheimia haemolytica is the principal bacterial pathogen associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD). As an opportunistic pathogen, M. haemolytica is also frequently isolated from the respiratory tract of healthy cattle. This study examined the characteristics of M. haemolytica collected using deep nasal swabs from healthy cattle (n = 49) and cattle diagnosed with BRD (n = 41). Isolates were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), serotyped, and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to screen isolates for virulence [leukotoxin C (lktC), putative adhesin (ahs), outer-membrane lipoprotein (gs60), O-sialoglycoprotease (gcp), transferring-binding protein B (tbpB) and UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine-2-epimerase (nmaA)] and antimicrobial resistance [tet(H), bla ROB-1, erm(X), erm(42), msr(E)-mph(E) and aphA-1] genes. Isolates were genetically diverse but in three instances, M. haemolytica with the same pulsotype, resistance phenotype, and genotype were collected from cattle with BRD. This occurred once between cattle located in two different feedlots, once between cattle in the same feedlot, but in different pens, and once among cattle from the same feedlot in the same pen. Isolates from healthy cattle were primarily serotype 2 (75.5%) while those from individuals with BRD were serotype 1 (70.7%) or 6 (19.5%). Resistance to at least one antibiotic occurred more frequently (P < 0.001) in M. haemolytica collected from cattle with BRD (37%) compared with those that were healthy (2%). Overall, tetracycline resistance (18%) was the most prevalent resistant phenotype. All tetracycline-resistant M. haemolytica encoded tet(H). Ampicillin resistance (6%) and neomycin resistance (15%) were detected and corresponded to the presence of the bla ROB-1 and aphA-1 genes, respectively. Tilmicosin resistance (6%) was also detected, but the resistance genes responsible were not identified. The virulence genes lktC, ahs, gs60, and gcp were present in all isolates examined, while tbpB and nmaA were only detected in serotype 1 and serotype 6 isolates indicating they may be potential targets for serotype-specific identification or vaccine development. These results provide the first reported evidence of transmission and spread of antimicrobial-resistant M. haemolytica that have contributed to bovine respiratory disease in western Canadian feedlots.


The present research examined the effects of egocentric motivations on individuals' explanations for how their automatic racial prejudices came into being. The majority of participants reported experiencing biased thoughts, feelings, and gut reactions toward minorities which they found difficult to consciously control, and they attributed such biases to cultural socialization. Of particular interest, ego-threatened participants were significantly more likely to attribute their automatic racial biases to their culture and significantly less likely to attribute such biases to themselves. Results suggest that attributing one's racial biases to cultural socialization can be a defensive, motivated process aimed at diminishing personal responsibility.


A very basic problem of open material flows resulting in accumulation of pollution is not adequately addressed in present societies. Developed countries with expensive water-related infrastructure still contribute to local and global pollution. Developing countries to a great extent lack water treatment facilities and environmentally sound water management. Large scale end-of-pipe wastewater treatment is one of the spectacular examples of technologies that must change in order to provide a sustainable solution. In order to start the way towards a solution of increasing worldwide pollution problems, a new holistic approach to resource management must be applied. The final goal of such an approach is to close the cycles of residuals that damage the environment, and recover resources lost in residuals emitted from all human activities. Water management should be integrated with management of other activities such as waste handling, industrial production, transportation, energy production, etc. The most important action is to apply pollution prevention strategy, i.e. to prevent pollution formation at the source during all human activities. Different kinds of effluents should be separated instead of mixed together. Recycling of water, nutrients and solid residuals should be arranged on a lowest possible level of human settlements. Technologies exist that can solve the problem of pollution from wastewater on a very basic level of a single house or residential area. Stormwater flows with different origin can be separated and disposed locally or re-used in a single house. Industries should modify technologies so that, eventually, wastewater is not produced at all, instead all fluid, solid and gaseous residuals are recovered and recycled. Tools for implementation of such solutions are: legislation and administrative actions coupled with education programmes on all societal levels, increasing public awareness, competition rules of the market economy based on long-term profits. The goal is sustainability of the society by resource recovery and re-use. Demonstration projects, in which the rules of preventive approach and novel technology is applied may constitute a practical way of implementing such an approach.


CONTEXT
We and others have previously shown that standardized psychosocial stress significantly increases salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), but it remains unclear whether sAA reflects autonomic nervous system activation.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess cardiovascular effects and sAA and catecholamine secretion after iv injection of yohimbine.

DESIGN AND SETTING
We conducted a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study at an academic research unit.

PARTICIPANTS
Thirteen healthy males (aged 20-28 yr) were examined.

INTERVENTION
Participants received iv injection of yohimbine (0.4 microg/kg) or placebo (0.9% NaCl).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Eight saliva and blood samples were taken before and after injection for the assessment of salivary flow rate and sAA and catecholamine concentrations. In addition, blood pressure, mood, and anxiety were assessed repeatedly.

RESULTS
Yohimbine induced increases of sAA activity and output in comparison to placebo (P = 0.034). Blood pressure (P < 0.001), salivary flow rate (P = 0.007), and catecholamines (P < 0.001) were also significantly increased. No significant correlations between alpha-amylase parameters and catecholamines were observed.

CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that yohimbine administration activates not only autonomic parameters but also sAA via adrenergic mechanisms, suggesting that sAA might be an indirect indicator of the central sympathetic system.


Recently, we reported on the design of a multimodal peptide conjugate useful as delivery platform for targeting hypoxic cells. A nitroimidazole (2‐(2‐nitroimidazol‐1‐yl)acetic acid, NIA) moiety, which is selectively entrapped in hypoxic cells, was coupled to a cell‐penetrating peptide serving as the transporter. Furthermore, attachment of a bifunctional linker allowed the introduction of a diagnostic or therapeutic radiometal. However, although selective tumor accumulation could be detected in vivo, a fast renal clearance of the compound was observed. The present study aims to improve the system by using the more proteolytically stable all‐d version of the peptide carrier (DsC18), by attaching two NIA moieties instead of one (DsC18(NIA)2) to enhance the tumor uptake, and by incorporating the bifunctional chelator NODAGA instead of DOTA (NODAGA‐DsC18(NIA)2) to optimize labeling chemistry. First, we characterized in vitro the novel all‐d peptide compared with its parent l‐version. Then, in order to investigate and compare the pharmacological profiles of the peptides, these were radiolabeled with 64CuII and 68GaIII, and the biodistribution and kinetics were evaluated in vivo. Our results show the versatility of the d‐peptide as cell‐penetrating peptide and transporter. However, attaching two NIA groups modified the system in such a way that no selective tumor uptake could be observed compared with the peptide without NIA moieties. Still, this work highlights new pharmacokinetic data on the biodistribution of such compounds in vivo. Copyright © 2017 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The size of the informal sector is commonly associated with low per capita GDP and a poor business environment. Recent episodes of reform and growth in several African countries appear to contradict this pattern. From the mid 1980's onward, Ghana underwent dramatic liberalization and achieved steady growth, yet average firm size in the manufacturing sector fell from 19 to just 9 employees between 1987 and 2003. I use a new panel of Ghanaian firms, spanning 17 years immediately post-reform, to model firm dynamics that differ markedly from well-established 'stylized facts' in the empirical literature from other regions. In contrast with American and European firms, entry of new firms and selection on observable characteristics, rather than within-firm growth, dominates industrial evolution in Ghana.


New Rb–Sr isotope data on fine-grained sediments from the Long Mynd, west of the Church Stretton Fault in Shropshire, indicate a much younger age for these rocks than has been assumed in recent literature. Well-defined isochrons, one of which corresponds to an age of 529 ± 6 m.y. with an initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.7061 ± 0.0001, put the depositional age of the Stretton Series (the stratigraphically lowest part of the sequence) at a maximum of 600 m.y.


Celebrities and fans have been researched by scholars throughout the years, with differing opinions regarding their characteristics and relationships. Prior to the development of the internet, fans were characterized by scholars as deranged, hysterical and passive. Their relationships with celebrities were seen as exclusively one-sided and parasocial. Conversely, since the development of the internet fans have been characterized more favourably as active participants. In this paper, I perform a textual analysis of Twitter conversations between bands/artists and fans in an attempt to better understand if and how celebrity-fan interactions have changed from early scholarly interpretations. I argue that Twitter is changing celebrity-fan interactions, not only by encouraging reciprocal interactions but also by enabling more personal, intimate conversations. Twitter is allowing bands and fans to interact in a number of different ways that simultaneously build relationships and serve commercial functions such as promotion. Fans have become more actively involved in content production and powerful in influencing the way bands promote themselves. Used properly, Twitter can be a valuable tool for bands and artists to market themselves.


The sources of error in the application of the ponderal ratios in flame photometry were calculated from the results of the analysis of solutions containing copper and zinc Deviations during calculations cause differences in the equations of the correction curves. These differences permit deriving equations for calculating variation of the correction factors and calculated concentrations. The deviations found in the calculated concentrations by the ponderal ratios method are much smaller than those usually found in flame-photometric work.


Background Despite a demonstrated superiority of interleukin-6 over tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blockade when used as monotherapy, the choice of the first biologic agent (bDMARD) for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in combination with methotrexate (MTX) is still a challenge for rheumatologist. Objectives To retrospectively evaluate in a multicentre observational cohort of Northern Italy (the LORHEN registry) the 6- and 12-month comparative drug survival and remission rate of tocilizumab (TCZ) and TNF inhibitors (TNFis) used as first bDMARD in combination with MTX. Methods All RA patients treated with TCZ or a TNFi as first-line bDMARD with at least 12-month follow-up were selected from the LORHEN registry. The analysis was limited to the period from January 2009 to May 2016 and to patients receiving either TCZ or TNFi in combination with MTX, excluding bDMARD monotherapy. Six- and 12-month clinical remission rate was defined as achievement of disease activity score 28 calculated by using erythrosedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) <2.6. Drug persistence was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. The comparison between treatment subgroups was performed by a chi-square test for remission data and by a log-rank test for drug survival. Moreover, DAS28-ESR remission rate has been corrected for drug discontinuation by using the LUNDEX formula (1). Results The overall study population included 591 patients (female 77.3%, mean age [± standard deviation, SD] 54.2±13.2 years, mean disease duration [±SD] 7.4±7.7 years, positive rheumatoid factor 67.5%, positive anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies 77.6%, mean baseline DAS28-ESR 5.1±1.2) treated with TCZ (n=61) or TNFis (n=530; infliximab 43, adalimumab 163, etanercept 195, golimumab 60, certolizumab pegol 69). Baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups, with the exception of mean age (TCZ 58.2 vs TNFis 53.7 years; p=0.021). No significant differences (p=0.361) emerged in the 6- (TCZ 88% vs TNFis 84.3%; p=0.752) and 12-month (TCZ 76.4% vs TNFis 71.5%;) retention rate. Clinical remission was achieved in overall 35.7% patients at 6 months (TCZ 59% vs TNFis 33%; p<0.001) and in 36.8% patients at 12 months (TCZ 58.8% vs TNFis 34.5%; p<0.001). Similar trends were observed after correction by LUNDEX formula at 6 (TCZ 51.9% vs TNFis 27.8%) and 12 months (TCZ 44.9% vs TNFis 24.6%). Conclusions Despite a similar 1-year retention rate, the proportion of patients achieving DAS28-ESR remission was significantly higher in TCZ+MTX treated group compared with TNFis+MTX, suggesting a deeper clinical response in patients receiving IL6 blockade. References Kristensen LE, et al. Arthritis Rheum 2006;54:600–6. Disclosure of Interest None declared


The humoral immune system responds to antigenic challenge by
producing a diversity of antibodies specific for antigenic
determinants being presented by the foreign body, as is the case when a human becomes infected with the HIV virus. A large diversity of antibodies is produced against two primary epitopes of the HIV surface antigen, gp120, namely the V3 loop and the CD4-binding site. A better understanding of this, and other similar responses, has important implications for combating many diseases, including AIDS. However, the diversity of the immune response, coupled with the problems associated with producing human antibodies, has made it very difficult to study.

Phage display libraries provide a means of producing a large number of antibodies from a single individual, thereby facilitating the investigation of a complete immune response. These libraries have been utilised to study antibodies specific for the CD4-binding site of gp120, and, in conjunction with a binary plasmid system, the relative contributions of the heavy and light chains to specificity and function of the antibody were demonstrated.

Finally, Fab fragments specific for both metal ions and gp120 were produced, in an attempt to catalyse the peptide cleavage of gp120. This work has led to an increased understanding of antibody-antigen interactions, with specific reference to neutralising the HIV virus, and has further investigated the possibility of constructing catalytic metallo-antibodies.


Good collaboration plays an important role in effective supply chain management. The main obstacle to collaboration within a supply chain is a conflict between each enterprise' s local optimization and the chain' s global optimization. We show that in addition to relationships , trust, contract and other social factors, sharing and reallocation of payoff are critical to align the objective of each member enterprise from local optimization to global optimization. We propose collaboration systems, which take advantage of information technology in the digital economy, to set up payoff reallocation and information sharing mechanism. These systems can be used to foster solid collaboration relationships within one supply chain. We identify the system requirements and outline the Web-based systems schema. The collaboration systems have four indivisible components: measuring performance; monitoring performance and payoff re-allocation; global optimization algorithm, and reconfiguration: planning, forecasting and recommendation. The challenges, impediments and enablers to implement the proposed collaboration systems are also discussed in the paper.


Individuals and groups engage discursively in relationships and negotiations as they try to structure and influence the social space where they live. This engagement further constructs the social space through the use of concepts, objects and subject positions. This study examines the representation and construction of failed refugee claimants by the Canadian newsprint media. Through the use of the moral panic as envisioned by Stephen Cohen and others, the study employs critical discourse analysis to reveal complex struggles in the Canadian refugee system through the discursive activity of the government, nonprofit agencies and social networks. The study concludes that a moral panic has occurred in the Canadian refugee system and has resulted in the enactment of a new Canadian refugee system through the passing of the Balanced Refugee Reform Act Bill C-11), Protecting Canada's Immigration Act (Bill C-31) and the Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act (Bill C-43).


Analysis of Bay of Bengal tropical cyclone (TC) track data for the months of May–June during 1979–2014 reveals a meridional dipole in TC intensification: TC intensification rates increased significantly in the northern region and decreased in the southern region. The dipole is consistent with changes in the large‐scale TC environment estimated using the Genesis Potential Index (GPI) for the same period. While an increase in lower troposphere cyclonic vorticity and midtroposphere humidity in the northern Bay of Bengal made the environment more favorable for TC intensification, enhanced vertical wind shear in the southern Bay of Bengal tended to reduce TC development. These environmental changes were associated with a strengthening of the monsoon circulation for the months of May–June, driven by a La Niña‐like shift in tropical Pacific SSTs and associated tropical wave dynamics. Finally, analysis of a suite of climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 archive shows that most models correctly reproduce the link between ENSO and premonsoon Bay of Bengal TC activity at interannual timescales, demonstrating the robustness of our main conclusions.


Software development project schedule estimation has long been a difficult problem. The Standish CHAOS Report indicates that only 20 percent of projects finish on time relative to their original plan. Conventional wisdom proposes that estimation gets better as a project progresses. This concept is sometimes called the cone of uncertainty, a term popularized by Steve McConnell (1996). The idea that uncertainty decreases significantly as one obtains new knowledge seems intuitive. Metrics collected from Landmark's projects show that the estimation accuracy of project duration followed a lognormal distribution, and the uncertainty range was nearly identical throughout the project, in conflict with popular interpretation of the "cone of uncertainty"


Abstract Background Physician's white coats are frequently contaminated, but seldom cleaned. Therefore, in the UK, a "bare below the elbows" dress code policy includes a recommendation that personnel wear short sleeves. However, it has not been demonstrated that wearing short sleeves reduces the likelihood of pathogen transmission. Methods We conducted a randomized, cross-over trial involving simulated patient care interactions to test the hypothesis that transmission of pathogens occurs less frequently when personnel wear short- vs long-sleeved coats. Healthcare personnel were randomized to wear either long- or short-sleeved white coats while examining a mannequin contaminated with cauliflower mosaic virus DNA followed by examination of an uncontaminated mannequin. We compared the frequency of transfer of the DNA marker with the sleeves and/or wrists and with the uncontaminated mannequin. During work rounds, physicians were observed to determine how often the sleeves of white coats contacted patients or the environment. Results During work rounds and simulated examinations, the sleeve cuff of long-sleeved coats frequently contacted the patient/mannequin or environment. Contamination with the DNA marker was detected significantly more often on the sleeves and/or wrists when personnel wore long- vs short-sleeved coats (5 of 20, 25% vs 0 of 20, 0%; P = 0.02). In one of five (20%) instances of sleeve and/or wrist contamination, the DNA marker was transferred to the second mannequin. It was also observed that healthcare personnel were less likely to include their wrist in handwashing between simulations if they were wearing long-sleeved coats. Conclusion During simulations of patient care, the sleeve cuff of long-sleeved white coats frequently became contaminated with a viral DNA marker that could be transferred. These results provide support for the recommendation that healthcare personnel wear short sleeves to reduce the risk for pathogen transmission. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


Evidence of declines in insect populations has recently received considerable scientific and societal attention. However, the lack of long‐term insect monitoring makes it difficult to assess whether declines are geographically widespread. By contrast, bird populations are well monitored and often used as indicators of environmental change. We compared the population trends of European insectivorous birds with those of other birds to assess whether patterns in bird population trends were consistent with declines of insects. We further examined whether declines were evident for insectivores with different habitats, foraging strata, and other ecological preferences. Bird population trends were estimated for Europe (1990–2015) and Denmark (1990–2016). On average, insectivores declined over the study period (13% across Europe and 28% in Denmark), whereas omnivores had stable populations. Seedeaters also declined (28% across Europe; 34% in Denmark), but this assessment was based on fewer species than for other groups. The effects of insectivory were stronger for farmland species (especially grassland species), for ground feeders, and for cold‐adapted species. Insectivory was associated with long‐distance migration, which was also linked to population declines. However, many insectivores had stable populations, especially habitat generalists. Our findings suggest that the decline of insectivores is primarily associated with agricultural intensification and loss of grassland habitat. The loss of both seed and insect specialists indicates an overall trend toward bird communities dominated by diet generalists.


The aim of this work is to identify the true nature of the transient EUV brightenings, called blinkers. Co-spatial and co-temporal multi-instrument data, including imaging (EUVI/STEREO, XRT and SOT/Hinode), spectroscopic (CDS/SoHO and EIS/Hinode) and magnetogram (SOT/Hinode) data, of an isolated equatorial coronal hole were used. An automatic program for identifying transient brightenings in CDS O V 629 A and EUVI 171 A was applied. We identified 28 blinker groups in the CDS O V 629 A raster images. All CDS O V 629 A blinkers showed counterparts in EUVI 171 A and 304 A images. We classified these blinkers into two categories, one associated with coronal counterparts and other with no coronal counterparts as seen in XRT images and EIS Fe XII 195.12 A raster images. Around two-thirds of the blinkers show coronal counterparts and correspond to various events like EUV/X-ray jets, brightenings in coronal bright points or foot-point brightenings of larger loops. These brightenings occur repetitively and have a lifetime of around 40 min at transition region temperatures. The remaining blinker groups with no coronal counterpart in XRT and EIS Fe XII 195.12 A appear as point-like brightenings and have chromospheric/transition region origin. They take place only once and have a lifetime of around 20 minutes. In general, lifetimes of blinkers are different at different wavelengths, i.e. different temperatures, decreasing from the chromosphere to the corona. This work shows that the term blinker covers a range of phenomena. Blinkers are the EUV response of various transient events originating at coronal, transition region and chromospheric heights. Hence, events associated with blinkers contribute to the formation and maintenance of the temperature gradient in the transition region and the corona.


Objectives
To date, no real-world pricing intervention has simultaneously increased prices of unhealthy foods and decreased prices of healthy foods in a retail food store or has attempted to assess the relative change in prices needed to increase healthier food purchases. This study aims to test different pricing manipulation strategies for healthy and unhealthy foods in a community grocery store.

Methods
A nine-month price manipulation intervention will be conducted in a community grocery store in Baltimore City, DMG Foods. We will select multiple products representing healthy and unhealthy versions of the same food type (e.g., 2 brands of 100% whole wheat bread and 2 brands of white bread) for over 100 foods and beverages, and randomize versions to receive the pricing manipulation. Monthly itemized sales data from DMG Foods will be used to evaluate the extent of pricing changes on sales. Difference in difference analyses will be used to assess the difference in the change of sales between price manipulated foods and similar non-manipulated foods from baseline to end of each intervention period. Customer purchasing data (n = 100) will be collected using the DMG Foods electronic loyalty card system. Healthy Eating Index and FAST (Food Assortment Scoring Tool) scores will be calculated to assess healthfulness of food purchases by consumers. Paired t-tests will be used to assess statistically significant changes in healthfulness scores pre- and post-interventions.

Results
The impact of pricing interventions on store sales will be evaluated through the number, caloric content, and healthiness/unhealthiness of items sold, revenue, and gross profit. Ideal pricing strategies that will lead to substitution of healthier choices for less healthy choices will be identified. Changes in nutritional quality of total food purchased by consumers, ratio of healthy/unhealthy foods purchased, and substitution of promoted/discouraged items by the intervention will be assessed.

Conclusions
This will be the first study to examine the impact of simultaneous increases and decreases of pricing on retail food store sales and customer purchasing of healthy/unhealthy foods. The results of this study will be used to inform national programs and policies aimed at improving diet and prevention of obesity and chronic disease.

Funding Sources
Johns Hopkins Department of International Health.


We present a set of XML language extensions that bring notions from functional programming to web authors, extending the power of declarative modelling for the web. Our previous work discussed expressions and user-defined events. In this paper, we discuss how one may extend XML by adding definitions and parameterization; complex data and data types; and reactivity, events and continuous "behaviours". We consider these extensions in the light of World Wide Web Consortium standards, and illustrate their utility by a variety of use cases.


The phenomenon of Arno Nadel (1878–1943) is presupposed by his extremely diverse activities in art, scholarship, and musical journalism. A music arranger, musicologist, music journalist and collector, composer, choirmaster, pianist and organist, as well as a poet, playwright, painter and translator, Arno Nadel was born in a religious Jewish family in Vilnius and spent his first twelve years there. Having lived and studied in Königsberg for five years, in 1895 Nadel settled in Berlin, one of the largest centres of German Jewish cultural life before the National Socialists came to power in 1933. Nadel was murdered in Auschwitz in 1943. So far, his creative legacy has not been studied in Lithuania. The aim of this article is to bring Nadel back on the horizon of multinational Lithuanian cultural history and to review his contribution to the formation of modern German-Jewish identity in the context of Nadel's Vilnius origins and his diverse musical activities. Nadel's original compositions, arrangements of traditional Jewish liturgical music and folk songs, research in and texts about Jewish music contributed to a new approach towards cultural connections between the Jews of Eastern Europe and Germany, and were important for the development of German Jewish music in the first half of the twentieth century, as well as for the documentation and renewal of Jewish liturgical music. Although Arno Nadel composed music in a variety of genres himself, it was his work as a scholar and arranger of Jewish music and as a musicologist that received the most attention among his contemporaries and in the articles written after the Second World War.


In this study, we compared the organization of orientation preference in visual areas V1, V2, and V3. Within these visual areas, we also quantified the relationship between orientation preference and cytochrome oxidase (CO) staining patterns. V1 maps of orientation preference contained both pinwheels and linear zones. The location of CO blobs did not relate in a systematic way to maps of orientation; although, as in other primates, there were approximately twice as many pinwheels as CO blobs. V2 contained bands of high and low orientation selectivity. The bands of high orientation selectivity were organized into pinwheels and linear zones, but iso-orientation domains were twice as large as those in V1. Quantitative comparisons between bands containing high or low orientation selectivity and CO dark and light bands suggested that at least four functional compartments exist in V2, CO dense bands with either high or low orientation selectivity, and CO light bands with either high or low selectivity. We also demonstrated that two functional compartments exist in V3, with zones of high orientation selectivity corresponding to CO dense areas and zones of low orientation selectivity corresponding to CO pale areas. Together with previous findings, these results suggest that the modular organization of V1 is similar across primates and indeed across most mammals. V2 organization in owl monkeys also appears similar to that of other simians but different from that of prosimians and other mammals. Finally, V3 of owl monkeys shows a compartmental organization for orientation selectivity that remains to be demonstrated in other primates.


Fatty acid is the main substance in food diet and constitutes the major energy source. The absorption and metabolism of fatty acids provide the energy supply for biological activities in the human body. Mathematical models may be used to describe the absorption and metabolism processes of fatty acids in different organs in the human body.

One of the main challenges in computational biology is to build a suitable macro-scale mathematical model for fatty acids concentrations in the blood stream. In this thesis, several models in the literature are modified by considering the transport in the absorption process and the metabolism in the blood of substances. An absorption delay is included in an interactive system of insulin-glucose-fatty acids model in Chapter 3. Data from existing literature was used in determining parameters, such as transfer rate, related to these models using inverse problem technique.

A significant process in the triglyceride absorption is the hydrolysis reaction which releases fatty acids molecules for human activities. Modelling the hydrolysis process is difficult due to the complex reaction in the digestive system. In this study a general form of compartment model is presented and one specific example is provided through the use of a "regulator" built into the compartment model. A multi-objective optimisation problem is resulted from this study and various parameters solved along with a set of in vitro data as demonstrated in Chapter 4.

In the absorption process, the substance needs to be transported through absorptive epithelial cells into the blood vessel. The diffusion and reaction at the cellular level have uncertainties unknown to the biologists. In this thesis, the transport of fatty acids in the absorptive epithelial cell is modelled by a reaction-diffusion system at the cellular model in Chapter 5 and the missing information on the membrane of the epithelial cell is treated as uncertainty in the model. The Monte Carlo method is used to study these uncertainties.

Numerical experiments demonstrated the use of three models, with suitable parameters, may describe the absorption and metabolism of fatty acids in different organs in the human body.


Nuclear matrix (NM) and intermediate filament (IF) scaffold in primitive eukaryote Crypthecodinium cohnii were shown using selective extraction together with embedment-free electron microscopy, whole mount cell preparation and immunoblot techniques. There exists a delicate NM-IF network spreading over cytoplasm and nucleus in dinoflagellate cells, however, nuclear lamina is undeveloped. The diameter of NM fiber is about 3-5 nm and IF is 10 nm. Chromosomes are connected with NM filament network. Immunoblot analysis showed that dinoflagellate contained keratin-like polypeptides (63 kD and 67 kD) while mammalian lamin antibodies did not crossreact with dinoflagellate total protein. Our experiment results demonstrated that a framework similar to NM-IF scaffold in mammalian cell appeared in primitive eukaryote. We propose that: (1) NM-IF scaffold is not restrict to vertebrate cell, and it may be originated from early stages of eukaryote evolution; (2) Keratin is probably very conservative; (3) Compared with IF, lamina might appear late in evolution, and some of primitive characteristics of dinoflagellate nucleus may be related to the lack of lamina.


Education is "upstream" in the development of quality human beings, both provincial scale such as in South Kalimantan and national scale that is Indonesia. Education has a "Downstream" many branches with positive benefits for men and women. For that purpose the formulation of this paper is how the role of formal education in releasing women from child marriage traps in South Kalimantan in 2012. Data Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey (SDKI) Year 2012 became a secondary data source in this study, using the method of analysis secondary data. In accordance with the purpose of this study, this study uses the question module of married women aged 15-49 years in the Province of South Kalimantan 2012. The analysis is done by simple statistics in the form of cross-tabs displayed in the form of tables and bar charts. In order for the discussion to be more comprehensive, analysis is also conducted to find out the independent variable is the level of formal education of women who most contribute in releasing women from the trap of child marriage. The statistic test used is linear logistic regression with the first dummy mating age variable that is the first marriage age under 18 years and above 18 years, using SPSS software aid. Based on the results of the research is known that from the three levels of formal education, formal education at the level of primary education has the greatest contribution seen from the coefficient of determination that women who do not complete the level of primary education or equivalent to junior high education / equal 23.6 percent lead to marriage of children. This means that the higher level of formal education that can be achieved by women in South Kalimantan Province in 2012, the more women are able to escape from the marriage of children.
Keywords: formal education, women, traps, child marriage


Background: Hepatotoxicity ultimately leads to liver failure. Conventional treatment options for hepatotoxicity are limited and not safe. Objective: Formulation AHPL/AYTAB/0613 is developed to provide safer and effective hepatoprotective drug of natural origin. A study was conducted to evaluate hepatoprotective activity of AHPL/AYTAB/0613 (three dosages) in comparison with marketed formulations in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), ethanol, and paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar albino rats. Materials and Methods: Three separate studies were conducted in models of CCl4, ethanol, and paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity. Seven groups of animals were studied comparatively to evaluate the efficacy of AHPL/AYTAB/0613 in low, medium, and high dosage in comparison with silymarin and a marketed polyherbal formulation. The drugs were orally administered to rats for 10 days in CCl4 model and for 14 days in ethanol and paracetamol models. Animals were weighed periodically. After the study period, blood was tested for serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin, and total protein levels. Liver tissue of sacrificed animals was examined histopathologically. Results: All the test formulations including all three dosages of AHPL/AYTAB/0613, significantly reduced levels of SGOT, SGPT, ALP, total bilirubin, in CCl4, ethanol, and paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity models. There was significant increase in total protein level in all the tested formulations. All the test formulations effectively preserved the structural integrity of the hepatocellular membrane and liver cell architecture damaged by CCl4, ethanol, and paracetamol. When compared between groups, no statistically significant difference was observed. It can be concluded that AHPL/AYTAB/0613 possesses hepatoprotective activity in CCl4, ethanol, and paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Conclusion: AHPL/AYTAB/0613 can be effectively used as a hepatoprotective agent in the management of hepatitis caused due to various toxins.


Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) are characterized by a tight coupling between the physical and the computational worlds. As system complexity and heterogeneity increase, it is becoming more difficult to perform design space exploration at the system level and analyses between the system architecture and control algorithms. Often, designers are expected to solve combinatorial problems over a large discrete variable space that is coupled to a continuous space, where expensive, high-fidelity simulations must be run to achieve the desired accuracy. In this thesis, I build upon a design methodology, based on the principles of Platform Based Design, to address the challenges associated with next generation CPS. The CPS design methodology is a series of three steps including: Architecture Selection, Control Synthesis and Verification/Optimization. I extend Architecture Selection to support a mixed discrete and continuous design space. The proposed approach is an iterative process, where a discrete architecture SELECTION engine is placed in a loop with a continuous SIZING engine. First, the SELECTION engine proposes a candidate architecture to the SIZING engine. Then, the SIZING engine attempts to optimize continuous parameters subject to formalized design requirements, which are monitored using simulation. If the SIZING engine cannot find a feasible solution, the SELECTION engine is queried for another candidate architecture and the process repeats. I illustrate the methodology on an industrial case study, namely an aircraft Environmental Control System. Finally, I show how balance equations and conservation laws can be used to prune the discrete search space and reduce the number of simulations. In my experiments, I obtain more than an order of magnitude reduction in design runtime.


BACKGROUND
Friendship and sibling relationships differ in that there is an element of choice in friendships, whilst the latter represent a fixed and given relationship. The present study set out to investigate the temperamental correlates of friendships and sibling relationships, as well as to examine their genetic and environmental components.

METHOD
Two hundred and twelve same-sex twin-pairs (102 MZ and 110 DZ; 104 male pairs and 108 female pairs) aged between 12 and 15, together with their parents, comprised the sample. The twins themselves reported on both negative and positive aspects of the two relationships, and all family members provided reports of the twins' temperament (mothers, fathers, and adolescent self-reports).

RESULTS
Analyses revealed that negative aspects of both the sibling relationship and friendship were related to emotionality, while the positive aspects of these relationships were associated with sociability and activity. Genetic influences and the shared environment accounted for variance seen in the sibling relationship. In addition, nonshared environment accounted for a moderate amount of the sibling relationship variability and explained most of the variance for the friendship components. Finally, bivariate analyses of the covariance between temperament and close relationships highlighted the importance of nonshared environmental influences during adolescence.

CONCLUSION
Three themes emerged. First, congruent temperamental expressions were seen across these two relationships' contexts. Second, friendship and the sibling relationship have distinct etiological profiles, indicating the child-specific character of adolescent friendships versus the reciprocal nature of the sibling relationship. Finally, the common influences to temperament and relationship quality provided evidence for the validity of adolescents' unique, nonshared experiences.


The Chinese historical tradition has long associated the Mosuo and the Naxi of Southwest China under the single ethnic title of Mo-so, and Post-Liberation, both peoples were formally identified as members of the Naxi Nationality. In the 1980s, however, the Mosuo were contesting their nationality status on the grounds that they are not Naxi, and that among other things, evidence of this claim rests with the fact that they are matrilineal and the N axi are patrilineal. Chinese social science, however, explains that the socio-cultural differences between the Mosuo and the N axi are accidents of history. The Mosuo have remained at an earlier matrilineal stage, whilst the N axi reached the patrilineal stage during the Tang period and continued to progress under the influence of Han civilization. In the 'West', ethnohistorical reconstructions have attempted to make historical sense of what were until 1949, unique Naxi socio-cultural characteristic - a high rate of ritual love suicide and pictographic manuscripts - in reason of a matrilineal and common past with the Mosuo, and the devastation of the Confucian impact. Naxi society would have been matrilineal like Mosuo society until the annexation of 1723 when it was brought under direct imperial rule.

The thesis holds that the history of Naxi customs does not lie with a common Mosuo and Naxi ethnic origin, but with the feudalization of Lijiang and the establishment of the Naxi overlords as 'divine kings'. On the basis of an ethnohistorical method which takes into account broader comparative studies in Tibeto-Burman, Chinese and Tibetan ethnography, mythology, political and civilisational histories, the thesis argues that the Naxi Dongba tradition originates in a Bon inspired ritual which sustained not only the Naxi folk tradition, but the apparatus of the Mu feudal state and 'royal' house. It also argues that the pictographs were inspired from the local rock art and Naxi Naga cults, and that the diffusion of the Dongba manuscripts had to do with the conquest of the tribal peripheries during Ming times. The love suicide custom, for its part, played a juridical role in Naxi marriage institutions, including the institution of preferential patrilateral cross-cousin marriage. Preferential patrilateral cross-cousin marriage seems to be evidenced in the royal genealogy from 1400 and may have contributed to the transformation of Naxi tribal relations into feudal ones while at a later date, it perhaps played a role in integrating Han-Naxi intermarriages. The dissertation also argues that the Naxi and the Mosuo share some common ancestors, but that matrilineality is specifically relevant to the Mosuo whose aristocracy appears to have historical connections to a Tang dynasty queendom, the Dong Nu Guo. The thesis concludes that Mosuo and Naxi ethnic identities were shaped through the ritual and kinship adjustments which the history of imperial frontier politics and feudalisation instituted as local custom.


The Brolga (Antigone rubicunda) is a large Australian crane species with a broad distribution spanning from the tropical north to the south-eastern regions of the continent. Brolga populations throughout New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia have been in decline since the early twentieth century, with the species being listed as vulnerable in each state. To aid future conservation of the species, its taxonomic status needs to be validated, and patterns of gene flow and population connectivity across the species distribution need to be understood. To assist future genetic studies, we developed a suite of polymorphic microsatellite markers and the complete mitochondrial genome sequence by next-generation sequencing. A total of 18 polymorphic loci were characterised using DNA extractions from 47 individuals, comprising 30 and 17 individuals from Victoria and northern Australia, respectively. We observed moderate genetic variation across loci with only a single locus deviating significantly from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. De novo and reference-based genome assemblies were used to assemble the A. rubicunda mitochondrial genome sequence, which consists of 16,700 base pairs, and a typical metazoan mitochondrial gene content and arrangement. We test these new markers by conducting a preliminary analysis of genetic structure between south-eastern and northern Australian Brolga populations. Mitochondrial analyses provided evidence of shared haplotypes across the species range supporting the conspecific status of extant populations, while microsatellite markers indicated weak but significant genetic differentiation suggesting gene flow is limited. We discuss the implications of these findings and the benefits that these genetic markers will provide for future population genetic research on this iconic Australian bird species.


Purple loosestrife is an herbaceous perennial weed that is native to Eurasia and probably arrived in eastern North America with early maritime traffic. The spread of this alien by 1900 (Fig. 1) was closely associated with canal and waterway traffic. By 1985 (Fig. 2), this aggressive weed had spread into all of the contiguous States north of the 35th parallel except Montana; similarly, all of the southern provinces of Canada had been invaded. In the last 20 years, loosestrife has become well established in reclamation projects and riparian wetlands in the West and Northwest. It has also invaded estuarine marshes in British Columbia. The impact of this weed on North American wetland habitats has been disastrous. In many areas, purple loosestrife makes up more than 50% of the biomass of emergent vegetation. Moreover, these displacements are seemingly permanent, as seen in the Northeast, where many purple loosestrife stands have maintained themselves for more than 20 years. The effects of these changes have not been well studied but biologists believe that serious reductions in productivity of waterbirds and aquatic furbearers have resulted. Platformnesting species cannot use the stiff loosestrife stems for nest construction, nor are stems or rootstocks palatable to muskrats. In addition, dense, closely-spaced clumps do not provide brood cover or foraging areas. Although white-tailed deer and livestock will readily graze on young, succulent plants, palatability declines by late June and the forage value of wetland pastures that have been invaded by purple loosestrife is seriously reduced.


Carbon capture and storage (CCS) by solid adsorbents is currently attracting a great deal of attention. In this study, a new direction in the treatment of activateable carbon-containing precursors generated a family of mesoporous carbons that possess extremely high mesopore
volume and hardly any microporosity. The mesoporous carbons, with up to 95% mesoporosity, have ultra-high surface area (2800 – 4000 m2g-1) and pore volume (2.5 – 3.6
cm3g-1). The porosity of the carbons, i.e., mesopores of size 25 - 50 A and hardly any micropores, is favourable for CO2 uptake under conditions that are relevant to pre
combustion CCS, i.e., 25 oC and pressure of 20 to 50 bar. The best performing carbons have near total absence of micropores; our findings suggest that the presence of microporosity is a limiting factor in the CO2 uptake capacity especially at high pressure (30 – 50 bar). The
gravimetric (mmol g-1) CO2 uptake capacity of the mesoporous carbons is impressive; up to 28 (20 bar), 37 (30 bar), 46 (40 bar) and 55 (50 bar), which is equivalent to 2.42 g of CO2 per g of carbon. Furthermore, due to their packing density (0.25 – 0.4 g cm-3), the mesoporous carbons exhibit colossal volumetric CO2 uptake (in g l-1) of up to 480 (20 bar), 640 (30 bar), 780 (40 bar) and 930 (50 bar). The performance of the mesoporous carbons is such that, at 30 bar, they can hold more than 10 times the CO2 in a pressurized cylinder, and at 50 bar can store up to 470 cm3 cm-3. The all-round pre combustion CCS performance of
the mesoporous carbons is significantly higher than that of the best carbons to date, and outperforms that of benchmark materials such as metal organic frameworks (MOFs). The
carbons are highly suited, in terms of their CO2 adsorption capacity and CO2 selectivity over H2, as materials for hydrogen purification under syngas flow conditions.


The measurement of intradiscal stress has been primarily limited to nucleus pulposus pressure. Intradiscal stress profilometry is a technique that measures stress in both the nucleus pulposus (hydrostatic) and annulus fibrosus (compression). Evidence from animal studies suggests that distraction may affect disc physiology and promote repair. A study was performed to determine the reliability of intradiscal stress profilometry measurements in the anterior, posterior, and nucleus regions of cadaveric lumbar discs. Four fresh-frozen human lumbar motion segments were prepared and tested. Five profiles were obtained during two conditions of compression and three conditions of distraction. Discs were then graded for degenerative change. Reliability was judged by within-specimen coefficients of variation. The coefficients of variation were smaller (more reliable) for compression conditions than for distraction conditions. Within-specimen coefficients during compression ranged from 1.58% to 37.2% in the nucleus, 3.9% to 67.4% in the anterior annulus, and 2.3% to 25.5% in the posterior annulus. The reliability of intradiscal stress profilometry is acceptable for repeated measures studies evaluating within-specimen changes, but the sample size will vary depending on the test conditions used and the disc region of interest.


Vitelliform macular dystrophy is a genetic eye disorder that can cause progressive vision loss. This disorder affects the retina, the specialized light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye. Specifically, vitelliform macular dystrophy disrupts cells in a small area near the center of the retina called the macula. The macula is responsible for sharp central vision, which is needed for detailed tasks such as reading, driving, and recognizing faces.


This study examines the prevalence of home-based child care providers who report serving at least one child whom they identify as having a disability. Although many families choose home-based child care, researchers know very little about how many home-based providers care for young children with disabilities. Through secondary analysis of the National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) data about home-based child care providers, we examined the prevalence and predictors of serving children with provider-reported disabilities among listed and unlisted home-based providers. Descriptive analyses showed that 21.7% of listed providers, 20.5% of unlisted paid providers, and 10.1% of unlisted unpaid providers reported serving at least one child whom they identified as having a disability. These providers reported relatively low rates of connecting families to outside resources and utilizing outside resources to support them in their work with children. Providers who reported higher enrollment and who received child care subsidies were more likely to report serving a child with a disability.


Mesangial cell proliferation is a general characteristic of a variety of glomerular diseases. Therefore, an understanding of the regulatory mechanism is important for treatment of glomerular diseases. The present review shows that the growth arrest gene 6 (Gas 6) is a new autocrine growth factor of mesangial cells and that warfarin inhibits mesangial cell proliferation by inhibiting the gamma-carboxylation of Gas 6 in vitro and in vivo. The present findings also show that a vitamin D analog (22-oxa-calcitriol) is a new growth regulator of mesangial cells in vitro and in vivo. These findings indicate that these compounds have considerable potential for therapeutic use in the treatment of progressive glomerular disease.


Abstract Background: Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regression is a popular statistical method used in kidney disease research to evaluate associations between biomarkers collected serially over time with progression to kidney failure. Typically, biomarkers of interest are considered time-dependent covariates being updated at each new measurement using last observation carried forward (LOCF). Recently, joint modeling has emerged as a flexible alternative for multivariate longitudinal and time-to-event data. This study describes and demonstrates multivariate joint modeling using as an example the association of serial biomarkers (plasma oxalate [POX] and urinary oxalate [UOX]) and kidney function among patients with primary hyperoxaluria in the Rare Kidney Stone Consortium Registry. Methods: Time-to-kidney failure was regressed on serially measured biomarkers in two ways: time-dependent LOCF Cox proportional hazards regression and multivariate joint models. Results: In time-dependent LOCF Cox regression, higher POX was associated with increased risk of kidney failure (HR = 2.20 per doubling, 95% CI = [1.38-3.51], p < 0.001) whereas UOX was not (HR = 1.08 per doubling, [0.66–1.77], p = 0.77). In multivariate joint models, estimates suggest higher UOX may be associated with lower risk of kidney failure (HR = 0.42 per doubling [0.15–1.04], p = 0.066), though not statistically significant, since impaired urinary excretion of oxalate may reflect worsening kidney function. Conclusions: Multivariate joint modeling is more flexible than LOCF and may better reflect biological plausibility since biomarkers are not steady-state values between measurements. While LOCF is preferred to naïve methods not accounting for changes in biomarkers over time, results may not accurately reflect flexible relationships that can be captured with multivariate joint modeling.


Natural Esters (NEs) with a high proportion of Unsaturated Fatty Acids (UFAs) were used in this research. A Superior Insulating Fluid (SIF) is prepared by blending NEs like Baobab Oil (BAO) and Mongongo Oil (MGO) with a pure dielectric like Kerosene (KER) and subjected to ultrasonic wave treatment at 30 kHz. Then, accelerated heating of SIF is carried out in the presence of Kraft Paper (KP) and Copper Plate (CP) for 10 hours a day at 90 °C for 30 successive days. The deterioration of the dielectric characteristics of SIF, KP, and CP was measured as per IEC and ASTM standards before and after the schemes of stressing. The failure rate of SIF, KP and CP was compared to understand the influence of KER in NEs. The KER addition at 5% proportion protects the oil from dielectric weakening, copper from ageing and likewise, the viscosity remains at the original level. The use of KER in NEs have thin the oils and protects the copper from oxidation, thus preserving the quality of oils for several years. The extrapolation of data is done using a polynomial function and for 90 days, where the selected SIFs show 7% of ageing rate when compared to MO that shows 50% ageing rate. This affirms that SIFs are a suitable substitute for Mineral Oil (MO) and reclamation SIFs are achieved using natural reclamation/filtration techniques using Activated Bentonite and Activated Carbon. Hence spilling and reusing the SIFs does not harm the environment as that of Mineral Oil (MO).


Abstract Detailed facies characterization of the Middle Devonian Geneseo Formation in the Northern Appalachian Basin (NAB) shows a rich assembly of sedimentary features and textures that suggest shelfal mud deposition in a storm-dominated, shallow epeiric sea. At the time of deposition, Acadian uplift supplied fine-grained detritus from the east and stimulated delta growth. As sediment was shed from the hinterland, distribution of mudstone facies was controlled by a combination of autogenic processes and a general rise in sea level. The vertical and lateral distribution of nine mudstone facies observed in this succession indicates an overall shallowing-upwards trend (westward progradation of Catskill delta) with multiple modes of sediment transport and deposition. The water column became more oxygenated upsection as indicated by an increase in benthic fauna diversity (e.g., Leiorhynchus and Orbiculoidea), increasing bioturbation diversity (e.g., Chondrites, Palaeophycus, Planolites, Teichichnus, Thalassinoides, and Zoophycos), and a decline of organic-carbon content (via oxidation and consumption). Physical and biological attributes of this mudstone-dominated succession are used to reconstruct sedimentary processes and depositional conditions. Although a stratified-basin model has previously been proposed for the Geneseo Formation, observations made in this study do not support that interpretation. Collectively, our observations indicate shelfal mud deposition above storm-wave base, in a relatively energetic environment with persistent lateral transport and advection by oscillatory flow, wave-induced currents, river-flood, and storm-wave generated offshore-directed underflows, as well as storm setup-relaxation flows.


Admission Control is of great interest in computer, communication and production network applications. As systems become more complex or need to make decision based on multiple objectives or require to satisfy several constraints, Fuzzy Logic Control (FLC) is a natural tool to handle admission problems. This paper discusses the framework of a tool developed for easily integrating fuzzy logic admission control into Arena simulation models. The tool is implemented as a "drop-in" model block that performs admission control. The block can be configured to perform simple or priority-based admission, as well as multiple queue selection. The FLC "rules" are set through a design-time user interface and stored in an MS Access database. Because multiple FLC blocks may be included in a model, almost any possible admission scenario (multiple entry points, parallel lines, etc) may be modeled. A case study is used to demonstrate the developed framework.


With an increasing number of service providers in the cloud market, the competition between these is also increasing. Each provider attempts to attract customers by providing a high quality service with lowest possible cost and at the same time trying to make profit. Often, cloud resources are advertised and brokered in a spot market style, i.e., traded for immediate delivery. This paper proposes an architecture for a brokerage model specifically for multi-cloud resource spot markets that integrates the resource brokerage function across several cloud providers. We use a tuple space architecture to facilitate coordination. This architecture supports specifically multiple cloud providers selling unused resources in the spot market. To support the matching process by finding the best match between customer requirements and providers, offers are matched with regard the lowest possible cost available for the customer in the market at the time of the request. The key role of this architecture is to provide the coordination techniques built on a tuple space, adapted to the cloud spot market.


Additive manufacturing has proved to be effective compared to conventional processes in terms of
manufacturing of complex parts with good surface integrity in less lead time and cost. Among the
various AM processes, weld based AM is a technique in which weld beads are deposited in layer
by layer trend to fabricate the �nal product. In this process, the melting of consumable electrode
wire deposits the material to realize the part. Weld based deposition process is ideally suited for
manufacturing of large-scale components compared to other AM processes.
Gas Metal Arc welding (GMAW) based weld deposition process gives leverage over other powder
deposition processes, due to high metal deposition rate, good mechanical properties, time and
cost-effective components. However, the high heat involved and the non-uniform heat distribution
resulting in the Residual Stress (RS) and Distortion may a�ect the geometrical accuracy of the
fabricated part. Different factors or parameters are identified based on the literature survey, which
is responsible for Residual Stress and Distortion. The experiments are conducted in two stages. The
first stage of experiments is performed by the different combination and variation of the selected
process parameters to study their effect on RS and Distortion. The chosen parameters are current,
torch speed, geometry, continuous or delay in the deposition and cooling arrangement. The experimental
result suggests that torch speed, geometry, and current, torch speed, continuous or delay
in the deposition are solely responsible for residual stress and distortion respectively. The hardness
analysis of the samples proposes that hardness is nearly constant along the width, but varies along
the height. The Buy to Fly ratio (BTF) and SurfaceWaviness (SW) analysis of the samples proposes
that continuous deposition gives better surface integrity.
In the second stage, six di�erent set of experiments and FEA simulations are conducted by three
of them by providing insulation at the bottom of the base plate and rest three to study the e�ect
of sti�ness of the base plate on distortion. The analysis of results proposes that heating the base
plate minimizes the RS and distortion in comparison to change in current across height and with
the normal insulation condition. However, the hardness, BTF, and SW are nearly uniform for all
the three cases. The experimental results for the change in the sti�ness of the base plate indicate
that reducing the sti�ness results in more distortion. A comprehensive comparison between the �rst
and second stage work suggest that the BTF, SW, Residual stress and Distortion are minimal with
continuous deposition and heating the base plate.


An analysis of the intermodulation distortion(IMD) behavior of LDMOS transistor amplifiers is presented. It is shown that the turn-on region abruptness compared to most other devices is important for explaining measured IMD behavior such as sweet-spots. The analysis is validated using two-tone measurements at low frequency for different classes of operation. A 1.9 GHz LDMOS power amplifier is designed and characterized to investigate the DID behavior also at higher frequency.


Most countries, including Botswana, have established Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to provide oversight of research involving human beings. Although much has been published on the structure and function of IRBs around the world, there is less literature that empirically describes the perspectives of stakeholders in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings regarding IRB processes. In this study, we employed primarily quantitative methods to examine the perceptions of researchers at the University of Botswana (UB) about the review of research protocols by local IRBs. Data were collected using a web-based survey (SurveyMonkey1). This was a preliminary effort to document some of the emerging experiences of researchers with ethics review in a context where both research and research oversight are relatively new. Findings from 85 researchers indicate that researchers recognized the need for an IRB to review all human research protocols, expressed the need for research ethics training, experienced high rates of approval at government ministries and UB, and generally believed that ethics review processes can help researchers themselves better understand and appreciate research ethics in general. Though only about one-quarter of respondents reported a more positive view of research ethics after interacting with the UB IRB, 56.5 percent reported no change. In contexts where IRBs have recently been established, it can be particularly important to document the perspectives of researchers in order to align expectations with capabilities, and identify areas where IRBs can improve operations. Future efforts to advance research ethics and ethical review in Botswana should include establishing research ethics training requirements and courses for researchers, increasing investment in IRBs and their training, further developing institutional and national research ethics policies, and formalizing agreements between IRBs and others involved in research oversight in the country to support coordinated review.


Atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) is a chronic allergic eye disease. Although the pathogenesis is not fully understood, some impairment in cell-mediated immunity was suggested by histopathological findings in conjunctival specimens obtained from affected individuals. T-cell infiltration and an enhanced T-helper/T-suppressor cell ratio in conjunctival biopsy specimens were observed previously by immunofluorescence procedures. We analyzed the cells in tears of patients with AKC using flow cytometry (FCM) and compared the results to those of normal subjects to identify the role of T lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of the disease. The tear samples of the patients and normal subjects were collected with capillary tubes, and the surface receptors of cells were detected with FCM. Statistical analyses were performed with Student's t test. The percentages of T cells, activated B cells, and T-helper/T-suppressor cell ratios were found to be higher in the tears of patients with AKC than in controls. We propose that a decreased T-suppressor cell concentration in tears may enhance immunoglobulin-E production of B cells, and the signs and symptoms are provoked by inflammatory mediators liberated from mast cell degranulation.


The typical engineering design process can be decomposed into several phases: creative exploration of ideas, testing soundness of proposed concepts, refining concepts to realizable solutions, optimizing viable solutions with respect to performance/cost. Powerful computer algorithms have been developed for many of these tasks. Often these modules are rigid, allowing for little intervention by the designer, and the management of the interactions of these tasks mostly relies on human intelligence. Better user interfaces are required to integrate more fully human ingenuity and the assistance of the computer into the overall design process. The most powerful CAD systems should combine the power of programming, graphical visualization, and interactive adjustment of crucial design parameters.


This ar cle examines Finnish L2 learners' interactional practices of flagging trouble in pronouncing words when reading aloud texts in English. Using conversation analysis, it describes how students employ three repair initiaon techniques – direct requests, trying out, and aborting the reading – as methods through which they mobilize teachers' help in the form of a model pronunciation of the target word. By describing the sequential and temporal unfolding of read-aloud, the article presents an empirical way of tracing those classroom practices that students employ to develop their pronunciation skills of English in Finland. CA-based methodology that focuses on the interactional details of how classroom activities are organized provides new insights on what happens in classroom interaction in terms of pronuncia on instruction. The findings not only have local relevance to teachers' pedagogical training in Finland, but also more broadly in showing L2 teachers how classroom activities can be organized to promote practicing of pronunciation skills.


The aim of this article is to discuss the use and usefulness of psychological theory and psychological methods in the study of religious violence. My analysis of previous research revealed an imbalance between data, method and theory. There are few psychological studies on religious terrorism based on first-hand empirical data. The analysis also showed that psychological explanations of religious terrorism are, in general, not sensitive to cultural factors. Religious terrorism is a culturally constituted phenomenon. It is therefore important that research on religious violence is based on theoretical and empirical approaches sensitive to the cultural construction of violence. This means that psychologists of religion must be willing to use novel and creative methods sensitive to the unique cultural context where the violent behaviour is acted out and interpreted by the actors of the violent drama, for example, discourse analysis or narrative research. In the self-corrective and growth-inducing feedback process between these methods and primary data it would be possible to develop valid psychological explanations of religious violence.