Using job-evaluation schemes for women means we must begin by recognizing that most women do work that is different from that of most men. Women's work requires different kinds of skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions within different kinds of organizational structures. Unlike most male jobs, much of women's work involves switching from one level of task to another level and from person to person, often in ways that involve different methods of communication. It usually involves the provision of comfort, emotional support, and care. It frequently involves coordination and cooperation with others, under conditions where women have little formal authority. In many cases, precisely because it is women who do the work, the actual responsibility is very different from what is formally defined.... Existing schemes do not, and most cannot, capture these aspects of women's work.(1) INTRODUCTION In the 1970s, feminist and labor advocates won substantial victories around the world by obtaining legislation that guaranteed women the right to earn pay equal to that of their male counterparts.(2) During this initial phase of the pay equity movement, employers, prompted by the threat of lawsuits, sought to ensure that women and men performing essentially the same jobs or "like work" were receiving the same wages. By the mid 1980s, several factors, including the persistence of the gap between male and female earnings, created pressure to adopt a concept of pay equity known as "comparable worth,"(3) prompting litigation in several countries to broaden the scope of employer liability for gendered pay inequities. Although several years have passed, judicial and legislative involvement in the pay equity area shows no signs of abating, leaving employers' obligations under pay equity laws around the world in a state of considerable flux.(4) As a result, multinational corporations find themselves subject to widely divergent and occasionally incomprehensible sets of obligations that they must resolve to comply with the pay equity laws of the countries in which they operate. The purpose of this Note is to describe and analyze practical examples of the types of legal pay equity regimes currently in force. In particular, this Note has chosen to focus on the pay equity regimes of Ontario, Great Britain and the United States. Although employers in each of these regions are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of gender in the wages paid to their employees, the principle of pay equity varies greatly among the three legal systems, creating substantial compliance burdens for multinational corporations. Specifically, this Note focuses on the role of job evaluation in determining whether pay equity has been achieved under each of these regimes. From the perspective of the employer as well as the pay equity advocate, the role of job evaluation in a pay equity regime is extremely important for two reasons. First, job evaluation is the primary mechanism for comparing the values of jobs with different work requirements. Therefore, to the extent that a legal system permits women to claim pay equity with men who are not performing identical jobs, job evaluation is the mechanism for comparing the relative worth of these jobs and whether they deserve equal compensation. Second, job evaluation has great potential for reducing the wage gap between women and men precisely because the inequity is so pervasive. Throughout Ontario, Great Britain, and the United States, job evaluation is one of the principle tools used by employers and unions to provide the raw data upon which wage determinations are based.(5) As a result, job evaluation has become a central issue in both the delineation of female employees' rights to pay equity as well as employer defenses to liability. Ontario's Pay Equity Act,(6) which requires substantive administrative and judicial review of mandatory job evaluation schemes for evidence of gender bias (i. …


SUMMARY Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are developmental disorders with impairments in three broad domains: social interaction, communication and stereotypic movements and repetitive behavior. Their symptoms are complex, bizarre and most of them persistent, causing maladaptive and poor psychosocial adjustment. Early detection and diagnosis is a priority in ASD, parents are the first to notice early autism symptoms: 50% observe signs in the first 12 months of age. Despite initial observations of atypical development, there are significant delays in seeking proper medical attention and correct diagnosis; less than 38% of families receive their diagnosis through health services. Educational and health primary care providers need training in developmental milestones with focus on language and socio-communicative domains. Health policy planners should facilitate rationale referral when key symptoms such as language alterations are detected. The use of valid instruments and surveillance approaches versus awareness through red flag symptoms is discussed. Psychosocial interventions are the most important treatment, with ABA and TEACHH techniques recommended; pharmacological treatment (atypical antipsychotics, antidepressants, drugs for hyperactivity, sleep problems and anxiety) must be directed to treat comorbid conditions and combined with behavioral interventions.


OBJECTIVE
Stressful life events are associated with increased pain severity and chronicity. However, the mechanism underlying this association remains disputed. Recent animal studies suggest that chronic stress increases pain sensitivity and persistence by enhancing peripheral and central sensitization mechanisms. To test this hypothesis in humans, the authors examined whether sensitization is enhanced in healthy women reporting more stressful life events using the topical capsaicin test.

METHODS
Thirty-two healthy young women reporting varying levels of stressful life events were invited for laboratory pain testing. Capsaicin was applied topically to the volar forearm. Measurements included capsaicin-induced spontaneous pain and area of secondary hyperalgesia in the region surrounding capsaicin application. Physiological (heart rate and skin conductance) and self-reported affective (emotional valence and arousal) states were also measured.

RESULTS
The results indicate that more stressful life events predicted a linear increase in the area of secondary hyperalgesia (β = 0.40, p = 0.023, R2 = 0.16), but not the intensity of secondary hyperalgesia nor capsaicin-induced spontaneous pain. These findings suggest that life stressors may be associated with heightened central sensitization manifested by an increased area of secondary hyperalgesia. Additionally, life stressors were related to greater sympathetic cardiac, but not to affective responses to capsaicin-induced pain.

CONCLUSION
This study shows that women reporting more stressful life events show a larger area of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia. These preliminary findings suggest that life stressors may facilitate pain processing by enhancing central sensitization.


The immune system protects organisms from pathogens. The immune cells, in particular T- and B-lymphocytes, develop and acquire effector functions in specialized tissues called the lymphoid organs. The lymphoid organs exhibit lower oxygen tensions than the blood or the atmosphere. Furthermore, inflammatory and tumor environments where lymphocytes execute effector functions also have very low oxygen tensions. These findings led to the hypothesis that lymphocytes may have evolved adaptive mechanisms to function under hypoxic conditions. Cellular responses to hypoxia are triggered by the hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha). In this paper we review the development and function of T- and B-lymphocytes in the absence HIF-1 alpha. Our studies suggest that HIF-1 alpha deficiency depresses the function of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and blocks B-cell development in the bone marrow. B1 lymphocytes of fetal origin, on the other hand, accumulate and may produce auto-antibodies and autoimmunity.


We studied the long-term changes in the flora in the archipelago of SW Finland by comparing historic plant species lists from 331 islands surveyed in the 1930s to 1940s, to lists compiled in 1996-2004. We used plants as indicators to indirectly detect changes in the environment based on changes in species frequencies. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) was used to examine if there was a change in species composition during this 60-70 yr period. More species increased in frequency (180, 31.1%) than decreased (77, 13.6%). The number of species occurrences increased by 10.6%. Species of shores, mires, wetlands, and woods increased, while species of shore meadows, pastures, and heaths decreased. For the non-shore species the interpretation of the DCA and the comparisons of plant indicator values between the old and the new data indicate lower cultural impact, decreased light conditions, a higher level of moisture and nitrogen, and a higher proportion of perennials on the new data islands. The shore plants indicate that productivity has increased over the study period, probably reflecting the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea.


With sales reaching $4.4 billion dollars in the first half of 2006 in the United States alone, and an estimated 80% of the world receiving coverage for their wireless phones in that year, interest in these devices as more than mere communicators has greatly increased. In the mid-to-late 1990s, digital cameras began to be incorporated into cellphones, followed shortly thereafter by Global Positioning System (GPS) hardware allowing location-based services to be offered to customers. Since then the use of mobile phone hardware for non-communication purposes has continued to expand. Some models, such as the Motorola V3M, have been specifically geared toward the storage and display of music and visual media, as well as receiving Internet broadcasts.
It is perhaps surprising, therefore, that relatively little has been done from an academic standpoint to provide a qualitative and comprehensive method of evaluating the performance of mobile phones regarding their ability to function as computing devices. While some manuals do offer comparisons of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that aid in the development of cellphone applications, little documentation exists to provide objective measurements of performance parameters.
This dissertation proposes a framework for evaluating the performance of mobile phones from a computational angle, focusing on three criteria: the processing power of the Central Processing Unit (CPU), data transfer capabilities, and the performance of the phone's GPS functionality for the appropriation of geographic location data.
Power consumption has always been a major source of interest in the study of computer systems, and the limited hardware resources of mobile devices such as laptop computers, Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) and cellular telephones makes this a key concern. The power consumption factors associated with operation are therefore considered alongside the three core criteria being studied in this framework.
In addition to framework design, software tools for the evaluation of cellphones were also developed, and these were applied to a test case of the Sanyo SCP-7050 model. This provides an example of the utility of the framework in evaluating existing phone models and a foundation for the assessment of new models as they are released.


The thermal dynamic behaviors of terahertz quantum cascade lasers are investigated using a spectrally matching terahertz quantum-well photodetector. The THz output power of a lasing device under a pulse excitation is found to decrease with time, which is attributed to the increase of active-region temperature. The measurements show that the duration of output lasing pulse ranges from a few microseconds up to 77 ¿s, depending on device bias and heat-sink temperature. A theoretical analysis based on a two-dimensional heat diffusion model is presented. The model calculates lasing quenching time based on an ¿average active-region temperature¿ criterion as well as a ¿reserve of gain¿ criterion. The best fit for quenching time is found when the vertical thermal conductivity in the quantum well region is two orders of magnitude lower than that of substrate. The measured lasing quenching time is in very good agreement with theoretical modeling calculated using both criteria.


The change of the von Neumann entropy of a set of harmonic oscillators initially in thermal equilibrium and interacting linearly with an externally driven quantum system is computed by adapting the Feynman–Vernon influence functional formalism. This quantum entropy production has the form of the expectation value of three functionals of the forward and backward paths describing the system history in the Feynman–Vernon theory. In the classical limit of Kramers–Langevin dynamics (Caldeira–Leggett model) these functionals combine to three terms, where the first is the entropy production functional of stochastic thermodynamics, the classical work done by the system on the environment in units of kBT, and the second and the third other functionals which have no analogue in stochastic thermodynamics.


Microstrip antenna is an essential choice for Ultra Wide Band (UWB) applications of its light weight, low profile and easy to form antenna arrays. However, the design of microstrip patch antenna bandwidth is greatly affects by the dielectric substrate material (FR4). In this research, the bandwidth enhancement of MPA was designed by minimizing the dimension of Defected GP (DGP) in GP for Ultra Wide Band wireless applications. But, the antenna design complexity increases with the number of an operating frequency band. In this research, the MPA was designed as small as size of 10×13×1.6 mm and operates on frequency band between 3.1GHz to 10.6GHz for VSWR less than 2. The microstrip patch antenna was designed at 3.1GHz to 10.6GHz using High-Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) software. The simulation result shows that the proposed microstrip patch antenna obtained <-10dB of return loss from 3.1GHz to 10.6GHz throughout the frequency range. The measured result proves that the proposed microstrip patch antenna has better characteristics to fulfill the requirements of UWB applications.


Normal cardiac function relies on highly coordinated intracellular events, such as calcium cycling and contraction, with adequate mitochondrial energy metabolism. However, mitochondrial respiration unavoidably produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) as electrons leak from the electron transport chain (ETC). Complex I of the ETC is believed to be the major site for ROS generation in the mitochondria. However, suppression of Complex I activity by chemical inhibitors leads to oxidative cell damage. In this study, we used a genetic model of Complex I deficiency, in which a key component of Complex I, Ndufs4, was deleted in the heart, to determine the causal role of Complex I in ischemia-reperfusion-induced oxidative stress in adult cardiac myocytes. Germline deletion of Ndufs4 in the heart (Ndufs4H-/-) leads to a ~75% decline of Complex I activity in cardiac mitochondria without obvious disease phenotype in the mice. As predicted, the mitochondrial respiration-coupled superoxide production events, superoxide flashes, were significantly decreased at baseline in the Ndufs4H-/- myocytes. Respiration substrate (pyruvate, 20 mM) failed to stimulate mitochondrial superoxide flash production in Ndufs4H-/- myocytes. This is accompanied by the slightly decreased steady state intracellular and mitochondrial ROS levels determined by the targeted H2O2 indicator, Hyper. The intracellular redox homeostasis is also tilted toward more reduced state, since the NADH/NAD ratio increased 67%. Surprisingly, ischemia reperfusion mimetic treatment of the myocytes caused dramatic increase in mitochondrial ROS production in Ndufs4H-/- groups, which contributed to the elevated overall cellular oxidative status. Overexpression of catalase in the mitochondria prevented these effects. Mechanistically, increased reducing equivalent (NADH) contributed to the dramatic ROS production during ischemia and reperfusion in Ndufs4H-/- myocytes. In summary, mitochondrial Complex I plays a critical role in controlling mitochondrial and cytosolic ROS homeostasis under normal conditions, and compromised Complex I function leads to accumulation of electron donors that paradoxically promote ROS production during ischemia reperfusion.


Graphene (GN), a single layer two-dimensional structure nanomaterial, exhibits exceptional physical, electrical and chemical properties that lead to many applications from electronics to biomedicine. The unique parameters of GN, notably its considerable electron mobility, thermal conductivity, high surface area and electrical conductivity, are bringing heightened attention into biomedical applications. This study assesses the recent advances in GN-based biosensors and its derivatives in different areas to focus on glucose sensing, DNA sensing, drug and gene delivery, cancer therapy and other related biomedical applications (electrochemical sensors, tissue engineering, haemoglobin and cholesterol sensing), together with a brief discussion on challenges and future perspectives in this rapidly developing field.


The results of an experimental/numerical campaign aimed to develop progressive damage analysis (PDA) tools for predicting the strength of a composite bonded joint under tensile loads are presented. The PDA is based on continuum damage mechanics (CDM) to account for intralaminar damage, and cohesive laws to account for interlaminar and adhesive damage. The adhesive response is characterized using standard fracture specimens and digital image correlation (DIC). The displacement fields measured by DIC are used to calculate the J-integrals, from which the associated cohesive laws of the structural adhesive can be derived. A finite element model of a sandwich conventional splice joint (CSJ) under tensile loads was developed. The simulations, in agreement with experimental tests, indicate that the model is capable of predicting the interactions of damage modes that lead to the failure of the joint.


CdMnTe(CMT) is a promising alternative material for use as a room-temperature radiation detector. Frisch-grid detectors have a simple configuration and outstanding spectral performance compared with other single-carrier collection techniques. The energy resolution of large-volume virtual Frisch-grid CMT detectors was tested by using several isotopes such as 57Co, 22 Na, 133Ba, and 137Cs together or separately. Energy resolutions of 6.7% and 2.1% were obtained for 122-keV 57Co and 662-keV 137Cs gamma rays, respectively, without using any additional signal processing techniques. Also, a 12-mm-thick CMT detector detected the 511-keV and 1.277-MeV gamma peaks of 22Na with values of the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 2.7% and 1.5%, respectively. In addition, multiple low- and high-energy gamma peaks of 133Ba were well separated. The mobilitylifetime product calculated from the shift of the 662-keV photo-peak vs. bias by using Hecht's equation was 7 × 10 −3 cm2/V. These results show the possibility of using CMT detectors in response to various requirements for gamma-ray detection at room-temperature.


Lipid in the intestine initiates feedback inhibition of proximal gastrointestinal function and food intake. In rats and humans, inhibition of gastric emptying is mediated, at least in part, by cholecystokinin (CCK)-A receptors, and in rats there is evidence for involvement of an intestinal vagal afferent pathway. The mechanism by which luminal lipid acts to release CCK or activate vagal afferent nerve terminals is unclear. The role of chylomicron formation in this sensory transduction pathway has been investigated using the hydrophobic surfactant Pluronic L-81 that inhibits chylomicron formation. Gastric emptying of liquids was measured in awake rats fitted with a Thomas gastric fistula and a duodenal cannula. Intestinal perfusion of lipid induced a dose-dependent inhibition of gastric emptying (6, 12, and 39% inhibition for 25, 50, and 100 mg lipid, respectively). Perfusion of lipid with Pluronic L-81 (2.8% wt/vol) reversed the lipid-induced inhibition of gastric emptying. Pluronic L-63, a chemically similar surfactant that has no effect on chylomicron formation, had no effect on lipid-induced inhibition of gastric emptying. Perfusion of the intestine with lipid (100 mg) increased plasma levels of CCK from 1.9 +/- 0.8 to 6. 5 +/- 1 pM. This increase was blocked by Pluronic L-81 but unaffected by L-63. These results provide evidence that chylomicron formation is important in the signaling of lipid in the intestinal lumen to CCK endocrine cells and to producing feedback inhibition of gastric emptying.


Background Scrub typhus in an emerging vector-borne zoonosis, caused by Orientia spp. and transmitted by larvae of trombiculid mites, called chiggers. It mainly occurs within a certain region of the Asia-Pacific, called tsutsugamushi triangle, where rodents are known as the most relevant hosts for the trombiculid vector. The disease has recently been discovered on Chiloé Island in southern Chile. Still, the reservoir(s) and vector(s) of the scrub typhus outside Asia-Pacific are unknown. The aim of the present work was to study the prevalence of chiggers on different rodent species captured in sites identified as probably hot spots of scrub typhus on Chiloé Island in southern Chile. Methodology/Principal Findings During austral summer 2018, rodents were live-trapped in six sites and examined for chigger infestation. During a total of 4,713 trap-nights, 244 rodents of seven species were captured: the most abundant was Abrothrix olivacea. All study sites were rural areas on Chiloé Island, previously identified as localities of probable human infection with scrub typhus. Chiggers were detected on all seven rodent species with a 55% prevalence rate. Chiggers showed low host specificity and varied according to site specific host abundance. We identified trombiculids of three genera. Colicus was the most abundant chigger (93%), prevalent in five of six sites, followed by Quadraseta (7%) and Paratrombicula (7%), which were in only one site. Infestation rates showed site specific differences, which were statistically different using a GLM model with binomial errors. Conclusions/Significance This study firstly reports the presence of different rodent-associated chigger mites in a region with endemic scrub typhus in southern Chile. Colicus and two other genera of mites were found with high infestation rates in sites previously identified as hot spots of scrub typhus, suggesting their role as vectors and reservoirs of this emerging zoonosis in South America. Author Summary Scrub typhus is a chigger-transmitted zoonotic infection, which is endemic in the tsutsugamushi triangle in Asia-Pacific. Recently, a first focus of scrub typhus in South America has been confirmed on Chiloé Island in southern Chile. Still, the vectors of scrub typhus in this region remain unknown. We undertook a survey to study the prevalence of chiggers on different rodent species in areas identified as probable hot spots of scrub typhus on Chiloé Island. The study showed that 55% of rodents were infested by trombiculids. Three chigger genera were identified, of which Colicus was the most abundant. Chiggers showed low host specificity, but spatial differences. This first demonstration of rodent-associated chigger mites in hot spots of scrub typhus suggests their possible role as vectors of this infection in Chile.


A certain non-linear non-local substitution is shown to transform the action of the self-interacting quantum field to the free one. The functional integrals in both theories are equal to each other. However, the integrations are performed over different functional spaces. The classical action and the classical limit of the corresponding quantum theory turn out to be different. And the symmetry originally broken in the classical theory is restored in the classical limit of the quantum theory.


BACKGROUND
 The effectiveness of peer learning in clinical skill development is well recognized and researched, given the many benefits gained such as enhanced learning, alleviation of the burden on faculty, and early development of teaching skills for future doctors. However, little is known in terms of its effectiveness as an assessment tool and the extent to which peer assessment can be relied upon in the absence of faculty support.

 OBJECTIVE
 This study was conducted to assess medical students' perception toward peer learning, which is based on self-regulated learning as a tool of assessment, and to compare peer evaluation with faculty evaluation of clinical skill performance.

 METHODS
 A cohort of 36 third-year medical students were exposed to peer learning (same-level) in clinical skills education for 3 months. A convergent mixed methods approach was adapted to collect data from 3 sources, namely, students' perception of peer learning, performance scores, and reflective observational analysis. A 5-point Likert-type scale was used to assess students' (n=28) perception on the value of peer learning. The students were asked to assess their peers by using a preset checklist on clinical skill performance, and scores were compared to faculty assessment scores. Reflective observational data were collected from observing video recordings of some of the peer learning sessions. The findings from all 3 sources were integrated using joint display analysis.

 RESULTS
 Out of 28 students, 25 students completed the survey and 20 students perceived peer learning as valuable in clinical skills education. The mean score of peer assessment was higher than that of faculty assessment. There was a significant difference in student performance between supervised teaching and peer learning groups (P=.003). Most students focused on the mastery of skill with little attention to the technique's quality. Further, students were unable to appreciate the relevance of the potential clinical findings of physical examination.

 CONCLUSIONS
 Peer learning in clinical skills education, based on self-regulated learning, empowers students to develop a more responsible approach toward their education. However, peer assessment is insufficient to evaluate clinical skill performance in the absence of faculty support. Therefore, we recommend that peer learning activities be preceded by supervised faculty-taught sessions.


General Importance of the Data The importance of the study of the volume, composition, and weight of rocks was the theme of the presidential address of C. C. Moore 2 before the Liverpool Geological Society. The specific weight of a rock, as ordinarily given in textbooks or determined by chemists, is not the weight of the rock, but the weight of the rock powder. In a rock there are always pores, which may be filled with air, gas, oil, or water, and thus it is only in the compact rocks, like granite, where the porosity is very low, that the two expressions, "sp. gr." and "weight of rock per unit volume," accompanying chemical analyses, are nearly equivalent, if the latter is given in tons (metric) per cubic meter. I use these units in tables, but in the text, to avoid decimals, I refer to thousands of ounces per cubic foot, assuming . . .


Candidatus Microthrix is one of the most common bulking filamentous microorganisms found in activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across the globe. One species, Ca. M. parvicella, is frequently observed, but global genus diversity, as well as important aspects of its ecology and physiology, are still unknown. Here, we use the MiDAS ecosystem-specific 16S rRNA gene database in combination with amplicon sequencing of Danish and global WWTPs to investigate Ca. Microthrix spp. diversity, distribution, and factors affecting their global presence. Only two species were abundant across the world confirming low diversity of the genus: the dominant Ca. M. parvicella and an unknown species typically present along with Ca. M. parvicella, although usually in lower abundances. Both species were mostly found in Europe at low-to-moderate temperatures and their growth was favored in municipal WWTPs with advanced process designs. As no isolate is available for the novel species, we propose the name "Candidatus Microthrix subdominans." Ten high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes recovered from Danish WWTPs, including 6 representing the novel Ca. M. subdominans, demonstrated high genetic similarity between the two species with a likely preference for lipids, a putative capability to reduce nitrate and nitrite, and the potential to store lipids and poly-P. Ca. M. subdominans had a potentially more versatile metabolism including additional sugar transporters, higher oxygen tolerance, and the potential to use carbon monoxide as energy source. Newly designed fluorescence in situ hybridization probes revealed similar filamentous morphology for both species. Raman microspectroscopy was used to quantify the in situ levels of intracellular poly-P. Despite the observed similarities in their physiology (both by genomes and in situ), the two species showed different seasonal dynamics in Danish WWTPs through a 13-years survey, possibly indicating occupation of slightly different niches. The genomic information provides the basis for future research into in situ gene expression and regulation, while the new FISH probes provide a useful tool for further characterization in situ. This study is an important step toward understanding the ecology of Ca. Microthrix in WWTPs, which may eventually lead to optimization of control strategies for its growth in this ecosystem.


It was shortly before the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, when a young Polish woman by the name of Maria Czaplicka organized the predominantly female Yenisei Expedition. Czaplicka had been trained in anthropology at Oxford and was the author of the book Aboriginal Siberia, which summarized contemporary scholarship on the area (mostly Russian and Polish). Her book became a compendium for the English-speaking public interested in the region and students of shamanism. The monograph of Czaplicka's own fieldwork was never completed, but she managed to write the interesting travelogue My Siberian Year and several articles. Apart from all her success, she was also a tragic figure, struggling with personal problems and the lack of a secure academic appointment. In 1921, at the age of 37, she committed suicide. This paper presents the results of thorough archival research which throws light on Czaplicka's background, intellectual inspirations, and other biographical details that were previously unknown. It also offers a critical overview of her work.


Reaction of Ni(OTf)2 with the bisbidentate quaterpyridine ligand L results in the self-assembly of a tetrahedral, paramagnetic cage [NiII4L6]8+. By selectively exchanging the bound triflate from [OTf⊂NiII4L6](OTf)7 (1), we have been able to prepare a series of host–guest complexes that feature an encapsulated paramagnetic tetrahalometallate ion inside this paramagnetic host giving [MIIX4⊂NiII4L6](OTf)6, where MIIX42− = MnCl42− (2), CoCl42− (5), CoBr42− (6), NiCl42− (7), and CuBr42− (8) or [MIIIX4⊂NiII4L6](OTf)7, where MIIIX4− = FeCl4− (3) and FeBr4− (4). Triflate-to-tetrahalometallate exchange occurs in solution and can also be accomplished through single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformations. Host–guest complexes 1–8 all crystallise as homochiral racemates in monoclinic space groups, wherein the four {NiN6} vertexes within a single Ni4L6 unit possess the same Δ or Λ stereochemistry. Magnetic susceptibility and magnetisation data show that the magnetic exchange between metal ions in the host [NiII4] complex, and between the host and the MX4n− guest, are of comparable magnitude and antiferromagnetic in nature. Theoretically derived values for the magnetic exchange are in close agreement with experiment, revealing that large spin densities on the electronegative X-atoms of particular MX4n− guest molecules lead to stronger host–guest magnetic exchange interactions.


Introduction. We report on the experiences of a group of people as they become Wikipedia editors. We test Benkler's (2002) theory that commons-based production processes accelerate the creation of capital, questioning what knowledge production processes do people engage in as they become editors? The analysis positions the development of editing expertise within broader social contexts to explore how the act of editing supports other types of commons-based production that foster and support and counteract issues of empowerment, equality and social justice.

Method. Nine editathon participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview transcript.

Analysis. In a first round of analysis, data was coded into content areas. Then thematic coding examined: (1) the actions of participants as they became Wikipedia editors and the values and sentiments they ascribed to the role; (2) the emerging beliefs and emotions around becoming an editor and the agency and actions triggered by perceived responsibilities.

Results. The study surfaced a range of emotions and beliefs editors developed as they took on editing responsibilities, ascribed different values to their new role. These distinct values and beliefs perceived led editors to engage in distinctive forms of action. Some participants developed a sense of empowerment to shape societal agendas, viewing editing as a form of continued activism.

Conclusion. The findings pinpoint actions people engage in as they move into the editing role, highlighting the values they ascribe to editing. The study also surfaced the perceived responsibilities associated with editing as well as the emotions and beliefs associated with these obligations.


— One-way functions are functions that are easy to compute but hard to invert. Their existence is an open conjecture; it would imply the existence of intractable problems (i.e. NP -problems which are not in the P complexity class). If true, the existence of one-way functions would have an impact on the theoretical framework of physics, in particularly, quantum mechanics. Such aspect of one-way functions has never been shown before. In the present work, we put forward the following. We can calculate the microscopic state (say, the particle spin in the z direction) of a macroscopic system (a measuring apparatus registering the particle z -spin) by the system macroscopic state (the apparatus output); let us call this association the function F . The question is: can we compute the function F in the inverse direction? In other words, can we compute the macroscopic state of the system through its microscopic state (the preimage F -1 )? In the paper, we assume that the function F is a one-way function. The assumption implies that at the macroscopic level the Schrödinger equation becomes unfeasible to compute. This unfeasibility plays a role of limit of the validity of the linear Schrödinger equation.


1. At relative humidities of 65 and 100% the mean length of life of virgin or mated females of Nasonia vitripennis is greater than that of the males under similar conditions.

2. The sexes showed no significant difference in their respiratory rates, as measured by Warburg manometer or Macfadyen's continuous recording respirometer.

3. An examination of the organs of fed and starved individuals of both sexes showed that the only major change in the organs of starved individuals which can have any bearing on the length of life is the marked reduction in length of the ovaries resulting from resorption of the mature eggs.

4. It is suggested that the resorbed eggs supply the female with the nutriment which enables it to outlive the male when both are starved.


Laminate veneers are now used as conservative aesthetic alternatives to full coverage restorations in some cases, especially in young adults and children. With the development of improved restorative resin systems and the acid etch technique, thin preformed plastic laminate veneers were bonded to the labial surfaces of discolored, developmentally deformed or fractured teeth. However, aesthetic failure due to color instability, staining and wear happened. Now, with bonded porcelain veneers it is possible to achieve both an aesthetic result and a veneer preparation while restoring the function of anterior teeth. They are also used to restore fractured incisors. Ceramic veneers hold advantages over composite resin veneers in color stability, were resistance and lifelike aesthetics.


The linear model is commonly utilized in hashing methods owing to its efficiency. To obtain better accuracy, linear-based hashing methods focus on designing a generalized linear objective function with different constraints or penalty terms that consider neighborhood information. In this study, we propose a novel generalized framework called Model Boost (MoBoost), which can achieve the self-improvement of the linear-based hashing. The proposed MoBoost is used to improve model parameter optimization for linear-based hashing methods without adding new constraints or penalty terms. In the proposed MoBoost, given a linear-based hashing method, we first execute the method several times to get several different hash codes for training samples, and then combine these different hash codes into one set utilizing one novel fusion strategy. Based on this set of hash codes, we learn some new parameters for the linear hash function that can significantly improve accuracy. The proposed MoBoost can be generally adopted in existing linear-based hashing methods, achieving more precise and stable performance compared to the original methods while imposing negligible added expenditure in terms of time and space. Extensive experiments are performed based on three benchmark datasets, and the results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed framework.


Swaraj Bandyopadhyay Swapan De Arup Dastidar This paper attempts to provide an insight into the rates of mortality and viability of industries which came into existence and died out during the period 1959-1970 in the different districts of West Bengal The paper is part of a larger study and the data used were collected for a countrywide entrepreneurial research project ENTREPRENEURIAL activity and its development in West Bengal is now receiving top priority with state planners. Various feedbacks and encouragement programmes have been introduced by various government agencies to direct and motivate entrepreneurs in the state. Few recent researches [UNESCO Publication (1962); H Banerjee (1964); etc] into these trends have revealed valuable information in this regard, and much has yet to be stated about the vyide gap between the projections and desires of the planners and the reality of industrial development in this state.


Summary form only given. Generation of electricity using wind power has received considerable attention worldwide in recent years. In order to investigate the impacts of the integration of wind farm into utilities' network various windmill models is developed. One such impact is related to the critical clearing time (CCT) of the wind power based embedded generators (WPBEGs). The work in this paper shows that oversimplification of the modelling of windmill mechanical drive train could introduce significant error in the value of the CCT that defines the stability limit of an integrated wind farm. This paper also reports investigation into the factors that influence the dynamic behaviour of the WPBEGs following network fault conditions. It is shown that wind farm CCT can be affected by various factors contributed by the host network. Results obtained from several case studies are presented and discussed. This investigation is conducted on a simulated grid-connected wind farm using EMTP.


The relationship between tree height (h) and tree diameter at breast height (dbh) is an important element describing forest stands. In addition, h often is a required variable in volume and biomass models. Measurements of h are, however, more time consuming compared to those of dbh, and visual obstructions, rounded crown forms, leaning trees and terrain slopes represent additional error sources for h measurements. The aim of this study was therefore to develop h–dbh relationship models for natural tropical forest in Tanzania. Both general forest type specific models and models for tree species groups were developed. A comprehensive data set with 2 623 trees from 410 different tree species collected from a total of 1 191 plots and 38 sites covering the four main forest types of miombo woodland, acacia savanna, montane forest and lowland forests was applied. Tree species groups were constructed by using a k-means clustering procedure based on the h–dbh allometry, and a number of different non-linear model forms were tested. When considering the complexity of natural tropical forests in general and in particular variations of h–dbh relationships due to high species diversity in such forests, the model fit and performance were considered to be appropriate. Results also indicate that tree species group models perform better than forest type models. Despite the fact that the residual errors level associated with the models were relatively high, the models are still considered to be applicable for large parts of Tanzanian forests with an appropriate level of reliability.


The vertebrate fauna of the upper Ringold Formation at the White Bluffs, south-central Washington, has been the subject of several short papers since its discovery in the late 19th century. Additional information from more recent collections, which include remains of many small mammals, expands the knowledge of this White Bluffs local fauna. A rhinoceros mandible from the lowest exposures provides evidence of a second, distinctly earlier fauna, the River Road local fauna. Fossiliferous localities can be correlated by reference to two key beds, the White Bluffs tuff and the Taylor Flat conglomerate, both of which are widely exposed. Vertebrate fossils are most commonly preserved in stream channel conglomerates and less frequently in silt deposits. The White Bluffs local fauna includes three genera of fresh-water snails, two genera of fish (]ctalurus and Archoplites), unidentified anuran amphibians and small reptiles, two or three genera of turtles ( Clemmys, Chrysemys?, and possibly Testudo), and 25 genera of mammals. Among the mammalian genera are a mole (Scapanus), two leporids (Hypolagus and Nekrolagus), nine rodents (Paenemarmota or Marmota, Spermophilus?, Ammospermophilus, Thomomys, Castor, Dipoides, Peromyscus, Neotoma, and Ophiomys), an edentate (Megalonyx), six carnivores ( Canis, Borophagus, Ursus, Trigonictis, F elis, and a machairodont), a proboscidean (Mammut), an equid (Equus), and four artiodactyls (Platygonus , Megatylopus, Hemiauchenia, and Bretzia). New species are: Hypolagus ringoldensis, a leporid probably derived from H. oregonensis Shotwell; Spermophilus? russelli, a large ground squirrel of uncertain affinities; Ammospermophilus hanfordi, a large antelope ground squirrel; Peromyscus nosher, a deer mouse; Ophiomys mcknighti, a microtine closely related to 0. magilli Hibbard from the Sand Draw local fauna of Nebraska but more primitive than the latter; and Megalonyx rohrmanni, a small ground sloth similar in form to specimens from Hagerman, Idaho. The White Bluffs local fauna is early Blancan (Pliocene) in age. The faunal assemblage is most similar to that of the Hagerman local fauna of Idaho but is probably slightly older. The predominance of browsing forms among the large mammals (particularly Bretzia, Megalonyx, and Platygonus) indicates that the Ringold flood plain supported considerable riparian forest and open woodland, environments extremely restricted in eastern Washington today. Savanna or open grassland, suggested by the presence of Equus and possibly by Megatylopus, may have been important away from the streams, but the absence so far of antilocaprids suggests that these habitats were not important near areas of stream deposition. The River Road local fauna, containing T eleoceras and ? M egatylopus, is probably late Hemphillian in age.


Purpose Hemoglobin mass (Hbmass) is commonly assessed using the CO re-breathing method with the subject in the seated position. This may lead to an underestimation of Hbmass as blood in lower extremity veins while seated may not be tagged with carbon monoxide (CO) during the rebreathing period. Methods To test this hypothesis, CO re-breathing was performed on four occasions in nine male subjects, twice in the seated position and twice in combination with light cycle ergometer exercise (1 W/kg body-weight) intending to accelerate blood circulation and thereby potentially allowing for a better distribution of CO throughout the circulation as compared to in the seated position. Blood samples were drawn from an antecubital vein and the saphenous magna vein following the re-breathing procedure. Results In the seated position, CO re-breathing increased the percent carboxyhemoglobin (%HbCO) in the antecubital vein to 8.9 % (7.8–10.7) [median (min–max)], but less (P = 0.017) in the saphenous magna vein [7.8 % (5.0–9.9)]. With exercise, no differences in %HbCO were observed between sampling sites. As a result, CO rebreathing in combination with exercise revealed a *3 % higher (P = 0.008) Hbmass, i.e., 936 g (757–1,018) as compared to 908 g (718–940) at seated rest. Conclusion This study suggests an uneven distribution of CO in the circulation if the CO re-breathing procedure is performed at rest in the seated position and therefore can underestimate Hbmass.


We present a novel communication and evaluation scenario for user interaction with a communication device (television). To improve user experience with communication services, we merge three domains: social signal processing, human action recognition and human-computer interaction. Our scenario includes applied and theoretical solutions about user interaction with a communication device. We declared the atom actions, which are represented by unique hand gestures and replace functions on the remote controller. On the other hand, we include some social signals like agreement and disagreement, which can represent a user's reaction to currently played content. The advantage of our solution is the hierarchical communication scenario that allows the user to quit the procedure at any step. On the other hand, the computation time of low-level features within a recognition step represents the biggest drawback. The use of our method allows the user to control the communication device using hand gestures. Likewise, the use of social signals in interaction can improves the user experience with the communication device.


In this general equilibrium framework, the transportation sector is modeled as a distinct sector with increasing returns. A more advanced technology has a higher fixed cost but a lower marginal cost of production. Even with both manufacturing firms and transportation firms engaged in oligopolistic competition and optimally choosing their technologies, the model is tractable and results are derived analytically. Technology adoptions in the manufacturing sector and transportation sector are reinforcing, and multiple equilibria may exist. Firms choose more advanced technologies and the prices decrease when the size of the population is larger.


A grapevine accession of cv. Mavro from Cyprus showing mild leafroll symptoms and containing closterovirus- like virus particles failed to react with commercial antisera to Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1, - 2, -3, -5 and -7. The virus, denoted GLRaV-Cyp1, was not mechanically transmissible to herbaceous hosts but was successfully transferred by chip-bud grafting and through Planococcus ficus to healthy rooted cutting of cv. Cabernet sauvignon in which it induced leafroll symptoms as mild as those seen in the mother vine. Three different fragments of the viral genome, corresponding to the heat shock protein 70 homologue (HSP70h), major coat protein (CP) and p23 genes were amplified using degenerate and specific primers, cloned and sequenced. In a comparative analysis, GLRaV-Cyp1 showed amino acid sequence identity never higher than 86% with the HSP70h and 70% with CP and p23 genes of other GLRaVs species and strains, with the exception of a GLRaV isolate from a Greek grapevine, with which it showed 94% identity. In phylogenetic trees constructed with sequences of HSP70h, CP and p23 genes, GLRaV-Cyp1 consistently grouped in a cluster comprising sequences of the "type strains" of GLRaV-4, -5, -6, and -9 and of several other viral isolates regarded as molecular variants of one or more of the above species. This supports the notion that GLRaV-Cyp1 may not be a new ampelovirus species. In a small-scale survey carried out by PCR on a collection of vines from ten Mediterranean countries, GLRaVCyp1 was detected in 5 out of 121 vines tested.


Jewish-Israeli settlements built over the State of Israel's internationally-recognised territorial borders are sites of contestation. The focus of this thesis is upon conflicts and contestations which have developed between the State of Israel and some of its own subjects, Jewish settlers, over the evacuation of settlement-communities and structures, and other perceived threats to settlement. From 2008, a new form of violence has been enacted by individuals in the settler community. Self-declared as Price-Tag violence, the attacks take different forms. These include vandalising Palestinian properties and spraying provocative graffiti, and throwing Molotov cocktails at properties. Whilst the attacks are predominantly perpetrated upon Palestinian targets, the attacks are directed at the State of Israel. Price-Tag attacks have also occurred directly on Israeli targets, such as Israeli military vehicles. Since 2011, mosques, churches and monasteries have been defiled with incendiary graffiti and have been torched. Such attacks reflect a heightened radicalism. A number of figures, including high-ranking Israeli security and military individuals, have warned of stark dangers which Price-Tag violence poses and classified it as acts of terror. The aim of this thesis is to trace a genealogy of Price-Tag violence and to critically ask why conflicts between the State and some settlers have developed. Politically and etiologically, I will analyse the origins of conflicts by identifying tensions in 'Zionism,' different meanings within the Jewish State of Israel's (re)creation, and different projects within settlement. I will then focus on two key historic events which the Jewish State took against settlement: the Gaza Disengagement (2005) and the Amona outpost evacuation (2006). Situating these as significant disjunctive moments, I will assess (re)actions to these acts and their impacts on State-settler relations. With increased disjuncture in some State-settler relations, I will trace a taboo-breaking trajectory of the increased acceptability of violence to safeguard settlement, Land, and perceived security. The thesis will culminate in directly assessing the self-declared 'new era' of Price-Tag violence, uncovering its foundations, motivations and significance. Drawing on key concepts from Critical Security Studies and Political Geography, this thesis will make contributions to these sub-disciplines by showing central interactions between the State, space and (in)security throughout, and different natures of space, impacts of spatial practices, and different meanings of (in)security.


Optical Imaging (OI) for rheumatoid arthritis is a novel imaging modality. With the high number of people affected by this disease, especially in western countries, the availability of OI as an early diagnostic imaging method is clinically highly relevant. In this article we describe the current techniques of OI and discuss potential future applications of this promising technology. Overall, we demonstrate that OI is a fast, inexpensive, noninvasive, nonionizing and accurate imaging modality. Furthermore, OI is a clinically applicable tool allowing for the early detection of inflammation and potentially facilitating the monitoring of therapy.


Large cultural events are often catalysts for the development of the cultural economy. This paper examines the extent to which being a European capital of culture influenced inter-industrial and intra-industrial knowledge spillovers in cultural production. The main focus is on the event's ability to strengthen the involved organizations' capabilities for innovation. The location for the study is the Stavanger region on the west coast of Norway, the European capital of culture in 2008. The results indicate that being a European capital of culture affected inter-industrial and intra-industrial knowledge spillovers, however only for a limited part of the cultural and creative sector.


Flamingos Phoenicopteridae sp. are gregarious birds that travel long distances between breeding and feeding sites. Here we describe the diet and feeding selectivity of two flamingo species, the Andean Flamingo Phoenicoparrus andinus and Chilean Flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis, which coexist in a lowland area of Argentina. Environmental characteristics and available food resources were assessed at twelve lakes where feeding flocks of both species of flamingos occurred. Food items found in faeces (16S rRNA for bacteria and archaea) and microscopic analyses (for Cyanobacteria, microalgae and microinvertebrates) were analysed, and the birds' feeding selectivity and niche overlap were estimated. Results showed that the lakes were of eutrophic to hypereutrophic status, and with hypohaline to mesohaline salinity levels. Predominant microorganisms belonged to the Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia, Chloroflexi, Euryarchaeota, Cyanobacteria, Bacillariophyta and Copepoda phyla. Euryarchaeota and Firmicutes were the main phyla found in the faeces, with Chloroflexi and Planctomycetes also present in smaller quantities. Proteobacteria were well represented in Andean Flamingo faeces, but Verrucomicrobia were scarce in both species. Cyanobacteria, Bacillariophyta, Copepoda, Cladocera, and Rotifera were abundant in Chilean Flamingo faeces, and larger organisms belonging to Ostracoda, Nematoda, and Diptera were also found. The most consumed taxa were in the intermediate to large size range (104 to 2×105 μm3, and 108 to 2×108 μm3). Andean Flamingo faeces were composed mainly of microalgae, especially diatoms. Cladocera and Copepoda species were found to a lesser extent, showing the flamingos' preference for intermediate prey sizes (104 to 2×105 μm3). Food selection was probably dependent on the spatial variability in prey availability, as both positive selectivity (for Bacillariophyceae) and avoidance (for Copepoda) were observed in Chilean Flamingos. In contrast, Andean Flamingos showed a high positive selection for diatoms, and strong negative selection for microinvertebrates. Both flamingo species can apparently coexist whilst feeding on a wide spectrum of microorganisms, but trophic niches differed in the amounts of Cyanobacteria, microalgae and microinvertebrates taken. Such a low niche overlap probably contributes to the coexistence of both sympatric species in similar waters.


Study of 13 oolite samples from Great Salt Lake, Utah by means of X-ray analysis, staining for aragonite with Feigl's solution, and the use of scanning and petrographic microscopes show that aragonite makes up all or more than 90% of the carbonate mineralogy of the samples. This new evidence, combined with the high degree of allochem recrystallization, indicates that the aragonite in the allochems typically undergoes recrystallization to aragonite and not to calcite as interpreted by Eardley (1938) and Carozzi (1962). Failure to take note that the original grain orientation in the rim of Great Salt Lake ooids is radial (Eardley, 1938), along with confusion about the meaning of the term structure as applied to ooids, has conceivably retarded a better understanding of ooid genesis and diagenesis. Radial grain orientation is demonstrably not developed in many initially aragonitic Pleistocene marine ooids as a result of their partial to complete conversion to calcite. Many ooids in marine limestone probably formed initially with an entirely radial grain orientation in their rims under a variety of environmental conditions. This hypothesis provides an alternative to the popularly accepted hypotheses that all ooids in marine limestone were initially like those that occur today in the Bahamas and Persian Gulf, and that radial grain orientation in ooids is invariably a product of diagenesis.


The Ecballium elaterium L. which grows in the Mediterranean region is considered one of the well known plants in folk medicine in treating liver diseases, especially jaundice. Recent studies have indicated its effectiveness in this area in addition to its valid use in the treatment of Enfluenza, Analgesic and antipyretic and Anti-in flammation. Its fruit is usually used due to the high percentage of the active ingredients and the ease of extraction without ruining or damaging these active ingredients. This extraction contains a set of tri-terpene compounds responsible for the pharmaceutical effectiveness of the plant. These compounds are called Cucurbitacins and they have several types. The study aims at conducting a series of tests and chemical assay in order to determine the juice content of chemical components and calibrate Cucurbitacins existed in the plant using the available ways (HPLC). The plant fruit was collected from the coastal region and identified by morphological characteristics of sex and gender. Afterwards, it was manually squeezed, purified, and properly tested to detect and calculate the concentrations of Cucurbitacins especially Cuc I and Cuc E. HPLC Examination of the intense methanolic juice, conducted on the waves (230 nm, 254 nm), has confirmed the presence of Cuc I and Cuc E (concentration of Cuc E was greater than that of Cuc I).


Next-generation space telescopes will allow us to characterize terrestrial exoplanets. To do so effectively it will be crucial to make use of all available data. We investigate which atmospheric properties can, and cannot, be inferred from the broadband thermal phase curve of a dry and tidally locked terrestrial planet. First, we use dimensional analysis to show that phase curves are controlled by six nondimensional parameters. Second, we use an idealized general circulation model to explore the relative sensitivity of phase curves to these parameters. We find that the feature of phase curves most sensitive to atmospheric parameters is the peak-to-trough amplitude. Moreover, except for hot and rapidly rotating planets, the phase amplitude is primarily sensitive to only two nondimensional parameters: (1) the ratio of dynamical to radiative timescales and (2) the longwave optical depth at the surface. As an application of this technique, we show how phase curve measurements can be combined with transit or emission spectroscopy to yield a new constraint for the surface pressure and atmospheric mass of terrestrial planets. We estimate that a single broadband phase curve, measured over half an orbit with the James Webb Space Telescope, could meaningfully constrain the atmospheric mass of a nearby super-Earth. Such constraints will be important for studying the atmospheric evolution of terrestrial exoplanets as well as characterizing the surface conditions on potentially habitable planets.


SIR,-I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. D. Murray Shaw's (30 July, p. 262) and your leading article's (30 July, p. 253) plea to psychiatrists and clinicians alike to look beyond the daily routine and to further our knowledge about the interrelation of body and mind by appropriate metabolic and biochemical studies of affective disorders. Having observed that emotional disturbances of varying nature and degree are prevalent with hypothalamic disorders, I tried to establish, more than 30 years ago,' how far clinical and metabolic abnormalities referable to hypothalamic malfunction are found in affective disorders. For the latter purpose the basal metabolic rate, carbohydrate tolerance, and water and salt metabolism were studied chiefly in manic-depressive psychoses, and later also in obsessive psychoneuroses2 On the strength of my studies the descriptive term " mental diencephalopathy " was suggested for those disease entities which comprised variable combinations of psychoneurotic disowith organic morbid phenomena of pitu tary-hypothalamic origin.' Although my investigations with regard to water and salt metabolism were done with much less refined techniques than were at Dr. Shaw's disposal, I arrived at very similar results, inasmuch as I often found a pronounced retention of water and salt which tended to regress along with improvement of the mental state. The following Table may serve as an example.


Mathematical models are developed for the prediction of heat transfer from hot water pipes buried in the soil. Heat transfer in the absence of moisture transfer is described as a function of the difference between the temperature of the pipe and the temperature of the soil surface. The energy balance is used to determine the longitudinal temperature distribution of the water. The method is extended to describe a system of equally spaced, parallel buried pipes. Soil temperature profiles around the pipes are presented. The model is used to calculate the land area that can be heated by an underground piping system carrying cooling water from the condensers of a 1000 MW nuclear-electric plant. A new development of the phenomenological equations for coupled heat and moisture flow, based on the theory of Irreversible Thermodynamics, is presented. Solutions of the equations for boundary conditions representative of buried piping systems designed for simultaneous soil heating and irrigation are presented.


The need of prospective studies on prevalence, clinical features and treatment of mild primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) has been emphasised. Population-based screening was performed in 5 202 women attending screening mammography at 55-75 years of age. HPT was diagnosed in 2.1% of the women, and almost one third of them were normocalcemic. The demonstration of parathyroid pathology in 60 of 61 cases treated surgically suggested underestimation of the prevalence of HPT. Examination of the operatively excised parathyroid tissue showed quantitative rather than qualitative discrepancies between normocaldemic and hypercalcemic HPT, and that the hypercalcemic phase of the disorder may be preceded by a period of normocalcemia.Cases and matched controls from the screened population underwent extensive biochemical analyses, bone mass determination, and questionnaires on symptoms, illnesses and medications, and background variables. Despite that the cases were unaware of their biochemically mild HPT and appeared to be asymptomatic, the disorder was coupled to significant psychic complaints, bone loss, and several risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Case-control analysis on sick leave before the diagnosis of HPT revealed an increased requirement of sickness benefits due mainly to cardiovascular diseases. These findings contradict suggestions on the innocuous nature of mild,asymptomatic HPT, and the generally rare indication for active treatment of the disease in the elderly.Treatment with parathyroid surgery, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), HRT combined with surgery, and conservative surveillance was evaluated prospectively during five years. Surgery was found to be the only treatment that normalised the investigated indices of the calcium homeostasis and made the cases and controls indistinguishable in this respect. Further analysis on the recorded symptoms and signs of HPT will display any clinically relevant benefits from this normalisation.


This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of vermicompost, pistachio kernel and shrimp shell on the immobilization and availability of Cd, Pb and Zn in corn in polluted soils. Treatments consisted of two levels of pistachio kernel, shrimp shell and vermicompost (5 and 10 % w/w). In control treatment, no amendment was added to the soil. The experiment was carried out as a completely randomized design with 3 replications. Plants grew for two months in the greenhouse. Then, all the plants were harvested and their shoots and roots were separated, washed with distilled water and oven dried at 65 °C to a constant mass. The measured characteristics were dry weight of shoots and roots, leaf area, greenness index, chlorophyll fluorescence, maximal quantum yield of PS photochemistry (Fv/Fm), performance index (PI), and total concentrations of Cd , Pb and Zn in shoots and roots. Results showed that plant growth parameters (dry weight of shoots and roots, leaf area) and photosynthetic characteristics (chlorophyll fluorescence, Fv/Fm, and PI) were higher in plants grown in vermicompost and pistachio kernel treatments as compared to those grown in control. Plants died in shrimp shell treatment after two weeks. The concentration of Cd, Zn and Pb in shoots and roots of plants grown in vermicompost and pistachio kernel treatments were lower than those grown in control.


Active hemorrhage with consecutive urinary bladder tamponade arising from bladder wall injury can be life-threatening and necessitates immediate hemostatic intervention. In rare presentations, patients demonstrate symptoms of coexisting hemorrhagic shock due to severe blood loss. Extravasation of intravenously injected contrast medium indicates active bleeding from large and small vessels. Contrast extravasation is well recognized as a sign of bleeding when using angiography and computed tomography (CT). Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is based on the ability of microbubbles containing gases to produce real-time contrast-related gray scale images. This technique has been largely used in the evaluation of focal lesions in solid organs, which improves the lesion-to-parenchyma conspicuity. Some studies reported that CEUS could be used to reveal solid organ injury (M. Valentino et. al. Am J Roentgenol 2006; 186: 1361 – 1367), active posttraumatic intraparenchymal bleeding (F. Lv et al. Radiol Med. 2011; 116: 1076 – 1082) appearing as a hyperechoic jet that tends to pool dependently or to detect active bleeding in injured femoral arteries (W. Luo et. al. J Ultrasound Med 2006; 25: 1169– 1177). In this report, we present a case of CEUS diagnosis of active bleeding into the urinary bladder in a patient with urinary bladder tamponade and clinical signs of hemorrhagic shock. CEUS successfully identified the bleeding site and can be regarded as an effective tool for detecting active bleeding into the urinary bladder in an emergency. CT and repeated cystoscopy subsequently confirmed the diagnosis of active bleeding.


Compression of images is of great interest in applications where efficiency with respect to data storage or transmission bandwidth is sought.The rapid growth of social media and digital networks have given rise to huge amount of image data being accessed and exchanged daily. However, the larger the image size, the longer it takes to transmit and archive. In other words, high quality images require huge amount of transmission bandwidth and storage space. Suitable image compression can help in reducing the image size and improving transmission speed. Lossless image compression is especially crucial in fields such as remote sensing healthcare network, security and military applications as the quality of images needs to be maintained to avoid any errors during analysis or diagnosis. In this paper, a hybrid prediction lossless image compression algorithm is proposed to address these issues. The algorithm is achieved by combining predictive Differential Pulse Code Modulation (DPCM) and Integer Wavelet Transform (IWT). Entropy and compression ratio calculation are used to analyze the performance of the designed coding. The analysis shows that the best hybrid predictive algorithm is the sequence of DPCM-IWT-Huffman which has bits sizes reduced by 36%, 48%, 34% and 13% for tested images of Lena, Cameraman, Pepper and Baboon, respectively.


Background: Rodent hearts can regenerate myocardium lost to apical resection or myocardial infarction for up to 7 days after birth, but whether a similar window for myocardial regeneration also exists in large mammals is unknown. Methods: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was surgically induced in neonatal pigs on postnatal days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 (ie, the P1, P2, P3, P7, and P14 groups, respectively). Cardiac systolic function was evaluated before AMI and at 30 days post-AMI via transthoracic echocardiography. Cardiomyocyte cell cycle activity was assessed via immunostaining for proliferation and mitosis markers, infarct size was evaluated histologically, and telomerase activity was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: Systolic function at day 30 post-AMI was largely restored in P1 animals and partially restored in P2 animals, but significantly impaired when AMI was induced on postnatal day 3 or later. Hearts of P1 animals showed little evidence of scar formation or wall thinning on day 30 after AMI, with increased measures of cell-cycle activity seen 6 days after AMI (ie, postnatal day 7) compared with postnatal day 7 in noninfarcted hearts. Conclusions: The neonatal porcine heart is capable of regeneration after AMI during the first 2 days of life. This phenomenon is associated with induction of cardiomyocyte proliferation and is lost when cardiomyocytes exit the cell cycle shortly after birth.


Large Eddy Simulation (LES) modelers must begin to answer the question of how to better incorporate large datasets into simulations. This question is important because, at a given location, the diurnal, seasonal, and day-to-day variations of atmospheric stability have significant consequences for the power generated by wind turbines. The following study provides a methodology to obtain discrete values of surface flux, inversion height and geostrophic wind for LES using field data over multiple diurnal cycles (averaged over a month) at 12 Local Time (LT) (during the convective ABL). The methodology will allow the discrete LES to quantify the day-to-day variations over multiple diurnal cycles.The study tests the hypothesis that LES can capture the mean velocity and TKE profiles from the averaged variations in surface heat flux at 12 LT measured in the field (mean, +1 standard deviation, and -1 standard deviation). The discrete LES from the mean, +1 standard deviation, and -1 standard deviation surface heat flux represent the variations in the ABL due to the day-to-day variations in surface heat flux. The method calculates the surface heat flux for the NREL NWTC M5 dataset. The field data were used to generate Probability Density Functions (PDFs) of surface heat flux for the January and July 12 LT. The PDFs are used to select the surface heat fluxes as inputs into the discrete LES.A correlation function between the surface heat flux and the boundary layer height was determined to select the initial inversion height, and the geostrophic departure function was used to determine the geostrophic wind for each surface heat flux. The LES profiles matched the averaged velocity profiles from the field data to 4% and the averaged TKE profiles to 6% and, therefore, validated the methodology. The method allows for further quantification of day-to-day stability variations using LES.


Active shortening of respiratory muscle L2B from the crab Carcinus maenas results in contractile deactivation, seen as (1) a decline of force during the course of isovelocity shortening, (2) a reduction in the rate of force redevelopment following shortening, (3) a depression of the level of isometric force reached following shortening, and (4) an accelerated relaxation at the end of stimulation. The degree of deactivation increases with increasing distance of shortening, decreases with increasing shortening velocity, and is approximately linearly related to the work done during shortening. Deactivation lasts many seconds if stimulation is maintained, but is largely although not completely removed if the stimulation is temporarily interrupted so that the force drops towards the resting level. Deactivation for a given distance and velocity of shortening increases with increasing muscle length above the optimum length for force production. Stimulating muscle L2B at suboptimal frequencies gives tetanic contractions that are fully fused but of less than maximal amplitude. The depression of force following shortening, relative to the force during an isometric contraction, is independent of the stimulus frequency used to activate the muscle, indicating that deactivation is not a function of the background level of stimulus-controlled muscle activation upon which it occurs. Deactivation reduces the work required to restretch a muscle after it has shortened, but it also lowers the force and therefore the work done during shortening. The net effect of deactivation on work output over a full shortening/lengthening cycle is unknown.


Alcohol consumption at college football games concerns stadium and university administrators because of the risk of alcohol-related crime, injury, and other potential problems. The purpose of this study was to determine how many of the 120 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision athletic department Web sites posted their stadium alcohol policies, what their alcohol policies contained, and how they differed. An analysis of information about the availability of alcohol, restrictions on alcohol consumption, and the enforcement of the policies on their official university-sponsored athletic department stadium Web sites was conducted. Results of the study suggested that alcohol policy information is often unavailable or difficult to locate. College athletic department Web sites are typically filled with varying information about their sport teams, but because of the layout and busy nature of such sites, it is often difficult to find certain information on them.


Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood mental health disorder. Treatment has shown to improve both short and long-term prognosis. Hence, study of factors leading to nonadherence is undertaken. Objective: The objective was to know the rate of nonadherence and factors affecting nonadherence. Setting and Design: Cross-sectional follow-up study at child guidance clinic in a tertiary health care facility. Materials and Methods: Forty children with a diagnosis of ADHD initiated on treatment either combined or nonpharmacological were followed-up and checked for nonadherence. Factors leading on to nonadherence were assessed. Statistics: By SPSS 16.0 and Epi info. Results: Rate of nonadherence was 62.5%. 75.7% of nonadherence contributed by social factors. Delivery by caesarean predicted nonadherence. Age of diagnosis and baseline severity did not have an effect on adherence. Conclusion: Rate of nonadherence to treatment was low compared to other Indian studies. Social factors mainly implicated for nonadherence. An effort for education and information of the society about ADHD is needed.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of iron deficiency on the thyroidal function and hormone T3 and T4 concentration in piglets before weaning. We used 40 Landrace × Czech Large White piglets before weaning in this trial. They were divided into two groups. The control group was supplemented with iron after birth, the experimental group was without iron supplementation after birth. Iron, T 3 and T 4 and haematology indicators were observed. Piglets in the experimental group developed serious anaemia. The iron serum concentration in the experimental group was significantly lower than in the control group. Significant difference in T3 and T4 hormone concentration was found between the experimental and the control group. At the age of 17 and 25 days we found the negative effect of iron deficiency on the thyroid hormone production. Haematology, anaemia, supplementation, T 3 , T 4


Most people have a clear sense of body ownership, preserving them from physical harm. However, perceptual body illusions - famously the rubber hand illusion (RHI) - can be elicited experimentally in healthy individuals. We hypothesize that the amygdala, a core component of neural circuits of threat processing, is involved in protective mechanisms against disturbed body perceptions. To test this hypothesis, we started by investigating two monozygotic human twin sisters with focal bilateral amygdala damage due to Urbach–Wiethe disease. Relative to 20 healthy women, the twins exhibited, on two occasions 1 year apart, augmented RHI responses in form of faster illusion onset and increased vividness ratings. Following up on these findings, we conducted a volumetric brain morphometry study involving an independent, gender-mixed sample of 57 healthy human volunteers (36 female, 21 male). Our results revealed a positive correlation between amygdala volume and RHI onset, i.e., the smaller the amygdala, the less time it took the RHI to emerge. This raised the question of whether a similar phenotype would result from experimental amygdala inhibition. To dampen amygdala reactivity, we intranasally administered the peptide hormone oxytocin to the same 57 individuals in a randomized trial before conducting the RHI. Compared with placebo, oxytocin treatment yielded enhanced RHI responses, again evident in accelerated illusion onset and increased vividness ratings. Together, the present series of experiments provides converging evidence for the amygdala's unprecedented role in reducing susceptibility to the RHI, thus protecting the organism from the potentially fatal threats of a distorted bodily self. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Compelling evidence indicates that the amygdala is of vital importance for danger detection and fear processing. However, lethal threats can arise not only from menacing external stimuli but also from distortions in bodily self-perception. Intriguingly, the amygdala's modulatory role in such illusory body perceptions is still elusive. To probe the amygdala's involvement in illusory body experiences, we conducted a multi-methodological series of experiments in a rare human amygdala lesion model, complemented by a morphological and pharmaco-modulatory experiment in healthy volunteers. Our findings convergently suggest that the amygdala's integrity is indispensable for maintaining an unbiased, precise perception of our bodily self. Hence, the amygdala might shield us against distortions in self-perception and the resultant loss of behavioral control of our organism.


Petrologic study of the Twin Sisters dunite, an alpine-type ultramafic body about 90 km 2 , has led to the establishment of three broad stages in the recrystallization of the body. The first stage is represented by "primary," now highly strained, large olivine crystals, which were subsequently partly recrystallized and/or mylonitized in the upper mantle. The development of chromite pods and lenses occurred in this first stage. The second stage, separated from the first by deformation, is manifest by the segregation, probably also in the upper mantle, of at least two generations of olivine-bearing orthopyroxenite and clinopyroxenite veins. The third stage is represented by the generation of metamorphic minerals exemplified by the following reactions: enstatite + diopside + H 2 O = forsterite + tremolite; enstatite + H 2 O = talc + forsterite; chromite + forsterite + enstatite + H 2 O = ferritchromite + chlorite. Electron microprobe study of coexisting minerals indicates that olivine, orthopyroxenes, and clinopyroxenes are remarkably homogeneous. Minor but systematic variations in mineral compositions do exist. Olivine in chromite pods and lenses is more forsteritic and contains nearly twice as much NiO than olivine in the main dunite and pyroxenite veins. Chromite compositions show two distinct but parallel trends — one for chromite present in the main dunite and in veins and the other for chromite in pods and lenses. As in olivine, X Mg in chromite pods and lenses is higher than that in chromite from the main dunite. Unlike the trends for the Kilauean chromites, total Fe increases with increasing Cr 2 O 3 content, whereas Al 2 O 3 and MgO decrease. Calcic amphiboles are heterogeneous, and important end members in different samples are pargasite, edenite, and tremolite. Anthophyllite coexists with calciferous amphiboles. Magnesian cummingtonite was also found. A consistent apparent equilibration temperature of 1100 to 1200 °C, derived from the olivine-chromite geothermometer, is 138 to 333 °C higher than that derived from the Ca content of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene pairs. Temperature of unmixing in pyroxenes is about 115 °C lower than that indicated by their bulk composition.


Improved planting methods and foliar application of glycinebetaine (GB) and salicylic acid (SA) can improve the water productivity in field crops under limited water supply conditions. A 2-year field study was conducted to evaluate the possible role of different planting methods and foliar applications of GB and SA in improving the yield, quality and water productivity of hybrid sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). The crop was planted by flat sowing (75 cm spaced rows) and ridge sowing (75 cm spaced ridges), with GB and SA applied exogenously at 100 and 0.724 mm, respectively, at both budding and flowering stages, while control plots received distilled water. Ridge sowing, rather than flat sowing, improved the biological yield, oil yield, leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), plant height, water-use efficiency and final achene yield during both the years. Foliar applications of GB and SA at both the stages improved the achene yield, although foliar application of GB at flowering was the most effective. Neither the planting methods nor the foliar application of GB and SA altered the achene oil contents during both the years. Foliar application of GB and SA increased the free proline content of the leaf and GB contents at flowering but reduced the achene protein contents, whereas planting method had no effect on these attributes across the years. Of the foliar applied chemicals, GB was more effective in improving sunflower growth and yield and water productivity than SA. To conclude, ridge sowing coupled with foliar application of GB at flowering stage could be beneficial for achieving maximum yields of hybrid sunflower under relatively water limited conditions in the field.


The application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis for the thermal design of electronic systems has the potential to enable accurate solutions to be generated and quickly assessed. With the use of validated numerical models, numerical analysis can also be used to provide useful insights into heat transfer processes which could otherwise be difficult to characterize experimentally. However, the capabilities of the CFD tool need to be carefully evaluated so as to provide a degree of confidence in prediction accuracy, thereby minimizing the need to qualify thermal designs. Such an evaluation is presented in this paper, which represents the culmination of a benchmark study by Rodgers et al. [1999]. This overall study assesses the predictive accuracy of a commercial CFD code for both natural and forced convection heat transfer of single- and multicomponent printed circuit boards (PCBs). Benchmark criteria were based on both component junction temperature and component-PCB surface temperature profiles. In the context of the overall study, this paper brings these analyses together to provide a more comprehensive assessment of CFD predictive accuracy for component junction temperature. Additionally the validated numerical models are used to further investigate the sensitivity of component heat transfer to convective environment, both natural and forced, component position relative to the PCBs leading edge, impact of upstream aerodynamic disturbance, and the representation of PCB FR4 thermal conductivity. The significance of the listed variables is quantified by analyzing predicted component energy balances. Qualitative descriptions of the fluid flow fields obtained using a novel paint film evaporation technique are also provided in this study. Both analyses yield new insights of the heat transfer processes involved and sources of numerical error.


Institutional investors are increasing their ownership in corporations and therefore their influence on financial markets is expanding. The Swedish public pension funds are one of Sweden's largest institutional investors, holding capital for pension savers that amount to 1 123 billion Swedish Kronor. Media and non-governmental organizations' attention on institutional investors' corporate engagement have put pressure on their work with socially responsible investments. The Swedish public pension funds are no exception. Recent reports reveal that the pension funds are still owners in fossil fuel intensive corporations as well as firms connected with human rights violations. The aim of this study is to identify factors that influence pension funds' view on socially responsible investments. Particular focus is directed towards the funds' view on corporations that are highly involved in fossil fuel emissions. The study is presented as a case study in which a comparison of management between two of Sweden´s public pension funds is made in order to define how the attitude towards socially responsible investments affect the choices of instruments of influence that are used in corporate engagement. The findings of the study argue that the two funds use similar instruments of influence in their corporate engagement. However, differences in how the instruments are applied exist and the study reveals that the two funds' approaches to corporations that are highly involved in fossil fuel emissions are different. Conclusions from the study are that the funds' work with socially responsible investments is based on the mandate to serve the Swedish citizens and manage their retirement money in a desirable way. The study argues that the funds' view on socially responsible investments is based on their role as representatives for the majority of individuals in Sweden and that the funds actions, consequently, should reflect the majority opinion of the Swedish society.


On 25 July 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ or the Court) rendered its judgment in the DPAS1 case, in which it examined the concept of 'transaction concerning payments or transfers' and the VAT exemption applicable thereto.  While VAT exemptions have existed since the inception of VAT in the Union3 and the scope of VAT exemptions – in particular, that applicable to transactions concerning payments or transfers – has been explored by the ECJ on many occasions,4 this referral shows that doubts linger. With the advent of the Revised Payment Services Directive,5 new service providers, especially financial technology (FinTech) businesses, operating outside the banking system render services connected to transfer and payment; and make this case a timely one. This case note identifies and reflects upon the criterion used by the Court to reject the classification as 'transaction concerning payments or transfers' within the meaning of the VAT exemption provided by the VAT Directive. It also highlights significant points (some which were ignored by the ECJ) and evaluates these findings, thereby calling into question the correctness of the conclusion reached by the ECJ.


Objectives:Since blood selenium levels decrease after ischemia and reperfusion injury, and low blood selenium correlates with negative outcome, we designed and performed experiments to determine how selenium distribution is affected by ischemia reperfusion injury. Furthermore, we tested whether different chemical forms of selenium would affect outcome after ischemia and reperfusion injury. We also examined the metabolic effects of selenide administration. Design:Laboratory investigation. Setting:Animal research laboratory. Subjects:Adult male C57BL/6 mice. Interventions:To determine selenium localization, we administered tracer doses of radioactive selenium 75 in the form of selenite or selenide and measured blood and tissue selenium levels after ischemia and reperfusion injury. Anesthetized mice were subjected to myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (coronary artery occlusion for 60 min followed by 5 min of reperfusion after occlusion was removed) or hindlimb ischemia reperfusion injury (left leg tourniquet for 90 min followed by 5 min reperfusion after tourniquet removal). To determine whether exogenous selenium administration could reduce ischemia reperfusion injury, we synthesized and administered sodium hydroselenide and sodium selenite solutions (0.05–2.4 mg/kg). Solutions were administered at the end of coronary artery occlusion but before reperfusion. In order to determine the metabolic effects of selenide administration, we exposed mice to hydrogen selenide gas (0–5 ppm) mixed into air (20.95% oxygen) for up to 3 hours. Measurements and Main Results:In targeting assays, we measured blood and tissue selenium levels. We observed that blood selenium decreases after myocardial ischemia reperfusion and displays an inverse correlation with injury severity; selenium accumulation in heart correlates directly with injury severity. We also measured whether oxidized selenium, selenite, and reduced selenium, selenide, would target to injured heart tissue in myocardial ischemia reperfusion and injured leg muscle in a hindlimb model of ischemia reperfusion. Only selenide targets to injured tissue. We also measured damage after myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury using morphometry, neutrophil accumulation, blood cardiac troponin levels, and echocardiography and observed in all assays that selenide reduced damage to the heart; selenite was not effective. And finally, to assay metabolism, we measured oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, and body core temperature before, during, and after hydrogen selenide administration. All measurements indicate that selenide decreases metabolism. Conclusions:Selenide targets to reperfusing tissue and reduces reperfusion injury perhaps by affecting oxygen metabolism.


Water stress is the single most important factor limiting yield in plants. The effects of water stress on the micrometeorology and physiology of sugarcane were investigated using the rainshel ter facilities provided at the South African Sugar Association Experiment Station, Mount Edgecombe. Sugarcane variety NCo37 6 was stressed at the age of seven months during the first ratoon crop. Plant extension rate (PER) together with microclimatie measurements including radiation interception, and leaf and canopy temperature were measured continuously. Photosynthesis and leaf water potential were also measured on a daily basis together with the volumetric soil water content. Among the yield-determining processes, plant extension rate was the first to be significantly affected 10 days after onset of water stress. The leaf water potential ('I'Llmeasured at this stage was -0.7 MPa. Leaf area index and radiation interception were the next processes to be affected. A significant decrease in photosynthetic rate occurred 19 days after onset of water stress when the 'I'Lwas at -1.0 MPa. More than 50% reduction in radiation use efficiency occurred 24 days after imposing water stress and the 'I'Lmeasured at this stage was -1.5 MPa. Recovery from the first stress as far as plant extension rate and photosynthesis were concerned, occurred within 3 to 4 days after irrigation was resumed. When the same sugarcane plants were stressed for a second time, it took fewer days for plant extension rate and photosynthesis to be severely affected as compared to the stress imposed during the first time.


Opposition to the government's reforms of the NHS reached a crescendo in the second half of December as doctors, politicians, and health policy analysts all went on the offensive.

The wisdom of the changes—to replace primary care trusts with GP led commissioning consortiums and to have the new bodies operating by April 2013—was questioned by numerous diverse sources. The criticisms came in the same week that the government published its response to the consultation on its white paper Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS by declaring that the reforms would go ahead with minimal change.

More than 200 clinicians signed a joint letter published in the Times on 13 December warning that the government's plans would "destroy" the NHS ( BMJ 2010;341:c7224, doi:10.1136/bmj.c7224).

The letter, signed by 206 medical professionals, said that the desire of England's health secretary, Andrew Lansley, to put patients at the heart of care and involve clinicians in decisions about service provision could be achieved without the "massive structural upheaval" …


Digital ischemic loss is a cause of significant morbidity in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Microvascular disease with intimal proliferation and luminal narrowing of small digital arteries, as well as macrovascular disease with narrowing or occlusion of larger digital arteries, contribute to the perfusion defects involved in digital ischemic loss. Immediate clinical evaluation and treatment are mandatory at the onset of critical digital ischemia to prevent digital loss. Hospitalization for medical therapies including intravenous prostacyclin therapy should be considered for all SSc patients who present with critical digital ischemia. Surgical interventions are typically reserved for patients who fail medical therapies and for those with late stage, necrotic tissue. This paper summarizes the current knowledge regarding the risk factors, pathogenesis, evaluation, and treatment of digital ischemic loss in SSc.


An ultrasensitive ammonia gas sensor based on hydrothermally synthesized rGO/WO3 nanocomposite with interdigitated chromium electrode has been fabricated. Device properties such as structural, morphological, optical, and electrical were analyzed and reported. A correlation between stability and performance of the device with electrical properties has been established. Sensor shows excellent selectivity and sensitivity towards ammonia detection, even at lower gas concentration and low operating temperature. At room temperature, the sensor depicts the sensing response 4.35 with 13/20 sec response/recovery time for 10 PPM NH3 gas concentration. Although the best sensing performance has been obtained for 150 °C operating temperature. For 10 PPM and 100 PPM NH3 gas concentration, we found sensor response 10.89 and 27.7 with 11/17 and 7/19 sec response/recovery time. The sensor has been tested for different period/interval of time and found that the proposed nanocomposite has excellent stability and reproducibility thus can be utilized for various gas sensing applications.


Return migration is an important phenomenon that involves a large share of all migrants, and has great potential for the enhancement of economic development, for instance through remittances and investments by migrants who are still abroad, and "brain gain" when migrants return with working experience from their former host countries. This paper deals with return migration, by refugee immigrants as well as labor migrants and retirees, with reference to empirical evidence from Sweden. Return migration from Sweden, as well as from other western societies, has decreased considerably over the last decades, primarily due to a change in the composition of immigrant populations. Labor migrants, who dominated immigration prior to the recruitment halt in the early 1970s, generally display high rates of return migration, frequently higher than 50 percent. Refugees, on the other hand, who have dominated immigration from the 1970s onwards, have displayed low rates of return migration, primarily due to the security situation in their home countries. Analyses of Swedish population register data shows that return migrants tend to be positively selected in terms of income and education, which is beneficial for origin countries. However, migration tends to be positively selected in general and therefore, temporary migration has high potential for enhancing economic development, in origin countries as well as in destination countries. Destination countries benefit from a positively selected immigration, whereas origin countries benefit from positively selected return migration. Future labor migration flows, such as labor migration from new to old member states of the EU, are therefore expected to be positively selected, both when it comes to immigration and return migration, and return migration rates will probably be relatively high. Refugee crises in the 1990s led to a change in the direction of policy discussions, from an emphasis on permanent residence rights for refugees to a focus on temporary protection and repatriation. The Swedish experience shows that political improvements in refugee source countries cannot be expected to result in large-scale return migration, unless the changes are accompanied by economic stability. The difference between Chileans and Poles, regarding their migratory response to democratization at home, can be attributed to large difference in economic opportunities for return migrants in Chile relative to Poland in the years after 1990. Positive income selectivity among return migrants indicates that return migration is resource demanding and thus, marginalized immigrants will have worse opportunities for return migration. Institutional arrangements regarding refugee reception and measures for economic integration of refugees are therefore crucial for societies that want to encourage return migration to former refugee sources. Temporary residence models are inefficient when it comes to economic integration of immigrants and may undermine their own purpose, i.e. return migration by refugees. Permanent residence models, in contrast, allow migrants to be more efficient regarding host country-specific investments and, as a result, such models are more likely to provide economic integration of immigrants and increase opportunities for return migration. (Less)