Introduction Despite what adolescent health practitioners may assume, multiple studies have found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) girls are more likely than heterosexual girls to have unprotected penile-vaginal sex, engage in penile-anal sex, have multiple sexual partners, have high risk sexual partners, and to get pregnant. In the face of these disparities, it is unknown if LGB girls are getting tested for STIs. Methods Ninety-one 14–18 year old cisgender females who identified as sexual minority (i.e., had a sexual identity other than exclusively heterosexual) and lived in the United States were recruited through Facebook and surveyed online in July 2016. Results Twenty-nine percent of respondents estimated they lived in a lower than average income household. Seventy-five percent were White race; 11% were Hispanic ethnicity. Two in five respondents (42%) lived in a suburban area, one in four (27%) lived in an urban area, and just under one in three (30%) lived in a small town or rural area.LGB girls reported rates of lifetime STI testing (21%) similar to rates of HIV testing (19%). Four percent said they had ever tested positive for an STI; none reported a positive HIV test.Compared to 6% of LGB girls who have only had sex with girls, 30% of LGB girls who have only had sex with guys, and 46% of girls who have had sex with guys and girls have ever been tested for an STI (p=0.01).Although not statistically significant, LGB girls who did not use a condom at last penile-vaginal sex (62%) were more likely than those who did (35%) to have ever been tested for STIs (p=0.15). Conclusion It may be that LGB girls who have male partners, either exclusively or while also having female partners, are aware of the STI risk that penile-vaginal sex may confer and are testing accordingly. The higher rates of STI testing in the face of lower condom use however, may suggest that some LGB teens who are having sex with guys are using testing instead of condoms as a form of STI prevention.


Aeronautical Ad hoc NETworks (AANET) have been proposed in previous studies as an alternative to cellular or satellite transmissions for "datalink" communications between commercial aviation aircraft in flight and air traffic services on the ground. After an introduction on the specificities of civil aviation communications, we present the channel access and routing challenges for AANETs. We finally propose an innovative communication architecture for AANETs.


The importance of offshore renewable energy from wind is expected to increase in the future. Most offshore wind turbines are currently installed in shallow water up to 50 meter water depth on bottom mounted substructures. To harvest more wind energy at deeper waters, offshore floating support structures are needed. Semi-submersible floating wind turbine is one of the proposed floating concepts. Under simultaneous wind and wave loads, fatigue might be an important design consideration. Study of fatigue for such structures is thought to contribute to a better understanding of offshore wind turbines. A local part of a semi-submersible wind turbine was studied. The column-brace connection, or joint, connected a wind turbine tower to a triangular semi-submersible floater. Design, stress concentration factors and fatigue damage of the part were the main topics. To calculate stress concentration factors and fatigue damage, dynamic response analyses and finite element modelling were performed. Only the fatigue limit state was considered. Three different column-brace connection designs were analysed. For the initial design, the stress concentration factors generally were way too large - especially for out-of-plane action. For the third design a horizontal bulkhead at the brace centreline was added. This modification decreased the stress concentrations by a maximum of over 90% for out-of-plane action. The modification was only carried out for brace 1. A long-term fatigue approximation with distribution of mean wind speed in the northern North Sea was considered, while the expected significant wave height and spectral peak period for a given mean wind speed were used, to reduce the simulation effort. The critical fatigue damage was observed for brace 2, with a life time of less than a year. For brace 1 the lowest life time was several hundred years, meaning a conservative design. By reducing and optimizing the brace thickness, one could reduce such conservatism. The critical hot-spot-stresses were found at the crown toe and heel for both brace 1 and brace 2. All fatigue calculations included a design fatigue factor of 3. The modification of brace 1 with horizontal bulkheads as additional stiffening reduced the stress concentrations significantly, and increased the fatigue life considerably. Brace 2 still needs to be modified to decrease the stress concentrations, and thus increase the fatigue life.


Aim. To study the role of acute phase proteins for 10-year survival rate in men aged 60 and older with IHD. Materials and Methods. 167 men aged 60 and older (mean age – 76.0 ± 0.5) with confirmed IHD were under observation. The study did not include patients after revascularization and reconstructive surgery of coronary arteries. All participants were subkected to the complex assessment of clinical-functional state of the cardiovascular system and biochemical and immunologic examination. 10-year prospective study considering death records was performed. Statistical analysis was carried out using statistical programs STATISTICA 6.0 and SPSS 13.0. Results. The results of 10-year death probability analysis in men aged 60 and older with IHD have shown that risk of death is higher at the increased concentration of acute phase proteins – Creactive protein, fibrinogen, increased concentration of beta-globulin protein fraction bearing atherogenic lipid fractions, and gamma-globulin fraction reflecting the stimulated production of antibodies participating in formation of atherogenic lipoprotein complexes – immunoglobulins G. Conclusion. 10-year death rate in men aged 60 and older with IHD is higher at the increased concentration of acute phase protein – C-reactive protein, which makes it possible to use this indicator for fatal risk stratification in men aged 60 and older with IHD.


Title of dissertation: PHASE TRANSITIONS IN ENGINEERED ULTRACOLD QUANTUM SYSTEMS Ryan M. Price, Doctor of Philosophy, 2016 Dissertation directed by: Dr. Ian Spielman Department of Physics The study of quantum degenerate gases has many applications in topics such as condensed matter dynamics, precision measurements and quantum phase transitions. We built an apparatus to create 87Rb Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) and generated, via optical and magnetic interactions, novel quantum systems in which we studied the contained phase transitions. For our first experiment we quenched multi-spin component BECs from a miscible to dynamically unstable immiscible state. The transition rapidly drives any spin fluctuations with a coherent growth process driving the formation of numerous spin polarized domains. At much longer times these domains coarsen as the system approaches equilibrium. For our second experiment we explored the magnetic phases present in a spin-1 spin-orbit coupled BEC and the contained quantum phase transitions. We observed ferromagnetic and unpolarized phases which are stabilized by the spin-orbit couplings explicit locking between spin and motion. These two phases are separated by a critical curve containing both first-order and second-order transitions joined at a critical point. The narrow first-order transition gives rise to long-lived metastable states. For our third experiment we prepared independent BECs in a double-well potential, with an artificial magnetic field between the BECs. We transitioned to a single BEC by lowering the barrier while expanding the region of artificial field to cover the resulting single BEC. We compared the vortex distribution nucleated via conventional dynamics to those produced by our procedure, showing our dynamical process populates vortices much more rapidly and in larger number than conventional nucleation. PHASE TRANSITIONS IN ENGINEERED ULTRACOLD QUANTUM SYSTEMS


This study investigates the composition of maximum expected utility portfolio, considering stocks, bonds, gold, dollar and agricultural futures contract, between August of 1994 and December of 2007. From the optimal combinations of risk-return (calculated by Markowitz algorithm) and the use of a quadratic utility function (with different levels of risk aversion), were obtained portfolios that maximizes expected utility. The commodity futures were not present in the maximum expected utility portfolios for the complete period, 1994-2000. However, with division of sample in two and three periods, the commodity futures were included in these portfolios during the 2000s. Furthermore, in general, with the risk aversion increase, the participation of these papers in the portfolio had fall.


This study aimed to compare the entrepreneurial intention's Tourism Vocational high-school students in Indonesia and Malaysia. The survey design method was used and the Bird's Contexts of Entrepreneurial intentionality model was adopted in the application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. A total of 228 students from Malaysia (n= 114) and Indonesia (n=114) were recruited as the respondents. Statistical test analysis results using the independent sample t-test showed that there is a statistically significant difference in the average scores of students who come from Indonesia and Malaysia (p< .05) with Malaysian students having higher scores. Also, belief and self-efficacy are found to be the most dominant components associated with the entrepreneurial intentions among students coming from both countries. In conclusion, tourism vocational high school students from Malaysia have stronger entrepreneurial intentions while self-efficacy and belief ply a big role in influencing intention.


This paper applies spatial econometrics to hamburger price data to assess the degree of substitutability of products and locations of spatially dispersed franchised chains. First, while intrachain price variation exists, I find that hamburger prices at neighboring outlets of different chains are spatially uncorrelated. I conclude that their products are not close substitutes, which provides an explanation for why price promotions have not raised market share. I do find spatial price correlation, however, among proximate outlets of separate franchisees within the same chain. This finding implies that customers view proximate locations of a chain as substitutes. Copyright (c) 2003 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


Hypertension associated with tachycardia, elevated filling pressures and increased systemic vascular resistance occurs in 30-60% of patients recovering from coronary artery surgery (1,2). It is usually present when the patients arrive from the operating room in the intensive care unit (ICU), or develops in the first two hours postoperatively. Traditionally sodium nitroprusside (S) is the drug of first choice for the i.v. treatment and prevention of hypertension and increased filling pressures developing after coronary artery surgery (CAS). Its major disadvantage is reflex tachycardia associated with increased myocardial oxygen consumption. Urapidil (U) has both peripheral alpha-1-adrenoreceptor blocking activity and a central antihypertensive effect at the level of the 5HT-1A serotonergic receptor, resulting in enhanced peripheral sympathetic inhibition (3,4). Informed consent and institutional approval for the study were obtained. When mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) increased above 90 mmHg within the first 2 hours after CAS, 53 patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups. 25 patients received U (bolus of 25 mg; initial infusion rate of 15-85 micrograms/kg/min; maintenance infusion rate of 2-7 micrograms/kg/min) and 28 patients received S (initial infusion rate of 1-2 micrograms/kg/min; maintenance infusion rate of max. 5 micrograms/kg/min). The infusion rate was then adjusted to maintain MAP between 80 and 90. Measuring points were: 1. baseline; 2. 30 min after starting the infusion; 3. 60 min after starting the infusion; and at 2 hour intervals thereafter until the next morning.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Ectopic calcification and dysregulated extracellular matrix remodeling are prominent hallmarks of the complex heterogenous pathobiochemistry of pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE). The disease arises from mutations in ABCC6, an ATP-binding cassette transporter expressed predominantly in the liver. Neither its substrate nor the mechanisms by which it contributes to PXE are completely understood. The fibroblasts isolated from PXE patients and Abcc6−/− mice were subjected to RNA sequencing. A group of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) clustering on human chromosome 11q21-23, respectively, murine chromosome 9, was found to be overexpressed. A real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescent staining confirmed these findings. The induction of calcification by CaCl2 resulted in the elevated expression of selected MMPs. On this basis, the influence of the MMP inhibitor Marimastat (BB-2516) on calcification was assessed. PXE fibroblasts (PXEFs) exhibited a pro-calcification phenotype basally. PXEF and normal human dermal fibroblasts responded with calcium deposit accumulation and the induced expression of osteopontin to the addition of Marimastat to the calcifying medium. The raised MMP expression in PXEFs and during cultivation with calcium indicates a correlation of ECM remodeling and ectopic calcification in PXE pathobiochemistry. We assume that MMPs make elastic fibers accessible to controlled, potentially osteopontin-dependent calcium deposition under calcifying conditions.


Cervical cancer is one of the most common types of malignancy in the cervix. This case is found in many developing countries, include in Indonesia. The incidence of cervical cancer in Indonesia is still needs prevention. If cervical cancer found early, it can be given therapy immediately so the recovery level can be maximized. Women with young sexual intercourse age are at risk for cervical cancer. The purpose of this study is to find out the relationship between the  age of marriage and the pap smear test results. This research used an analytical observational using cross sectional design to find the relationship between the  age of married with the pap smear test in 200 respondents in PMB Dian Sukmawati, SST., M.Kes. The results showed that respondents who were married at  35 years mostly had the results of grade I pap smear examinations which were as many as 4 respondents (2%). Chi Square analysis found p value 0.002 (< 0.05). It can be concluded that there is a relationship between the  age of marriage and the pap smear test results.


Background: Significant Heterogeneity of Clinical Presentation and Disease Progression exists within COPD. The Goal of Phenotyping is to identify patient groups with unique Prognostic or Therapeutic Characteristics.Quantitative HRCT (QHRCT) provides unique COPD Phenotyping information. Objective: We hypothesized that QHRCT-defined Emphysema and Airway Abnormalities influence BODE index. Methods: 106 COPD subjects meeting Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2 criteria for COPD with QHRCT analysis were included. Total lung emphysema was measured using the Density Mask Technique with a −950 Hounsfield unit threshold. An visual Semi-Automated Quantification of Mean Wall Thickness (WT), Wall Area Percentage (WA%) in 6 Segmental Bronchi. Multivariate Modeling compared Emphysema severity and Airway Abnormality on Body-Mass Index, Airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea and Exercise Capacity Index measure. Results: 1 unit SD increase Emphysema Percentage more strongly influenced BODE (range 1.23-fold increase, p Conclusion: QHRCT is complimentary tool to evaluate progression of COPD. Emphysema and Airway disease both relate to clinically important parameters. Emphysema is a stronger predictor of BODE and Its systemic components MMRC, 6MWT, and BMI than Airway Abnormalities. Reference: 1-Clinical analysis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease phenotypes classified using high-resolution computed tomography K Fujimoto, Y Kitaguchi, K Kubo, - Respirology, 2006 2- GOLD Definition 2016 www.goldcopd.com.


A detailed quantitative study of flows of nitrogen and phosphorus in all organic waste in Turku was made to evaluate the potential of recycling of nutrients. Both inputs and outputs in all municipal and private sewerage, nutrient-containing fluent and solid waste flows were estimated. These included municipal and private sewerage, municipal solid waste, and municipal as well as private composting. The volume or weight of each of these was measured as well as their content of N and P either measured or estimated using reference values from literature. The total flows for the 170,000 inhabitants and their animals were found to be 3,074 kg of N and 583 kg of P per day. 64% of the inputs were found in the municipal wastewater, 11% in private sewarage, 10% in solid organic waste sent to incineration and 7% in organic waste sent to landfill. The major flows of output nitrogen included 53% (1,647 kg/day) to surface waters and 23% (765 kg/day), to sludge, while for phosphorus 15% (90 kg/day) went to surface waters and 61% (368 kg/day) to sludge. Only 1% of the nutrients were recycled for new agricultural production. If separate sorting of biowaste is achieved (planned for 2005) this figure will increase to 7% and with maximum recycling amount to 15-16%.


Cork stoppers may taint as many as one in 33 bottles of all domestic US wines. Yet, because tradition is thought to play such an important role in shaping expectations regarding acceptable premium wine packaging, marketers have felt little need to test whether cork closures are indeed a critical consumer expectation. This paper serves as a guide toward understanding the obstacles which must first be overcome by those producers who wish to adopt cork substitutes for fine wines. This paper also offers insight into grappling with the implementation of problem solutions; shows why desirable solutions may not always be practical; and provides insight into why conflicting intrafirm departmental viewpoints, consumer expectations, and the competitive environment in which the firm or industry operates, can combine to lead the marketer to reject money‐saving superior product innovations. Preliminary work indicates that consumers reject label message conditions as a means of achieving acceptance of cork alternatives. The main objective of future research should therefore be to provide specific findings on how much positive and negative impact is likely to occur by changing the product design.


Study: Retrospective study of 33 patients with multiple VSD during March 2009 to March 2014. Technique: The defects were located by injecting the cardioplegia solution into left atrium after occluding the pulmonary artery. Through right atrial approach, the large ventricular septal defects were closed by pericardial patch. The smaller ventricular septal defects were closed directly. Results: Out of 33 patients, 20 patients were multiple ventricular septal defects, 5 patients were atrioventricular canal defect with multiple ventricular septal defects and 8 patients were transposition of great arteries with multiple ventricular septal defects. All the patients had severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. The mean age and body weight at repair was 4.51 months and 5.41 kg respectively. Failure to locate additional ventricular septal defects happened in 1 patient where the pulmonary artery banding was done. Six patients had residual ventricular septal defect after surgery, and no significant left to right shunted. One patient had permanent pacemaker implanted in the postoperative period due to the heart block. There was no early and late mortality. Conclusion: Management of multiple ventricular septal defects is quite complex. Right atrial approach of ventricular septal defects closure is safe, simple and effective in closure of multiple ventricular septal defects.


Traditionally, the wood household furniture industry has accounted for a sizeable portion of total hardwood lumber use in the United States. However, for more than a decade, imports have gained an increasing share of the hardwood furniture market, and lumber consumption by this industry has declined dramatically in the last 5 years. We used a case study methodology to investigate the impacts of this decline on the hardwood lumber supply chain. Eleven companies within the hardwood lumber supply chain were chosen as cases: 3 furniture manufacturers, 5 primary producers, and 3 components manufacturers. Seven core questions were asked during each interview and primary producers were asked two additional questions. Questions ranged from the impact of lean manufacturing techniques to the effects "green" certification may have on the industry. Furniture manufacturers appeared to be more optimistic regarding the future of the domestic furniture industry compared to the primary and components manufacturers. Furniture market declines have been quickly replaced by the cabinet and solid wood flooring sectors; however, the supply chain must continue to strategically develop new markets in the event of a housing sector slow down.


Confucianism conceives of persons as being necessarily interdependent, defining personhood in terms of the various roles one embodies and that are established by the relationships basic to one's life. By way of contrast, the Western philosophical tradition has predominantly defined persons in terms of intrinsic characteristics not thought to depend on others. This more strictly and explicitly individualistic concept of personhood contrasts with the Confucian idea that one becomes a person because of others; where one is never a person independently or in and of oneself but develops into one only in community. This article surveys some differences between Confucian and Western ideas of self and their connection to ethics mainly in light of the relational self of the Confucian Analects and Mencius. A Philosophy Compass article called Confucianism and Ethics in the Western Philosophical Tradition: A Comparative Analysis of Personhood (CEWII) will follow, that examines how the more individualistic way of conceiving of personhood in the West has had moral and political implications that differ, and even conflict, with those of Confucianism. [Correction added after online publication 31 May 2010: Sentence changed.]


Following up previous research concerning low frequency electromagnetic emission from a grounding system [Nekhoul et al., 1995], the authors suggest a methodology which allows a complete electromagnetic study by finite element method (FEM) of a grounding system in the significant frequential spectrum of a stroke of lightning or a short circuit (f/spl les/1 MHz). In this study as well as calculating the electromagnetic field at any point in space (ground and air), we pay particular attention to variation with frequency of the impedance of a grounding system. Suggested modelling takes into account eddy currents in buried conductors and ground and non-linear phenomena (ionization of the ground) around the buried conductors when high currents flow via the earth. It also deals with displacement currents when their effect becomes noticeable in the earth for high frequency. The interest of this work lies in data needed to implement an optimal grounding system in non-homogeneous media. All the results of calculations are compared with measurements made by the French Electricity Board (E.D.F., France).


The body wall epithelium of starfish gastrulae change the barrier property of the septate junction against large molecules in response to hypertonic environment caused by small molecules such as glycine, arabinose, urea, and NaCl. Ultrastructural obesrveations reveal that the septal portion of the junction either becomes diffuse or disappears altogether while the opposing junctional membranes remain unaltered. Under such conditions, Molecules as large as IgG and IgM can penetrate the body wall without causing morphological abnormalities to the embryo. We have devised a method to detect the paracellular permeation by applying fluorescein-labeled IgG into the stimulation medium and monitoring the fluorescence which penetrated into the blastocoel. Micropreciptiates of LaCl3 were found, in thin sections of embryos treated with glycine, to lie along the intercelluar spaces, showing, although indirectly, that macromolecules flow through this pathway instead of a transcellular one.

The possible role of the septal plates in the barrier function of the septate junction is discussed. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.


type="main"> Nearly every conceivable aspect of the old poor law in England appears to have been studied. Yet some fundamental questions about parish-level provisioning remain hard to answer. These include the amount that people received from the parish, from all sources, each week; how the balance between types of payments shifted over the period, and (correspondingly) within the individual life-course; the range of services or supplements that such individuals received, from the parish, over the course of their lives; and how this spectrum of relief adjusted to the massive macro-level changes that we know occurred in the poor relief system between the 1760s and 1834. This study attempts to answer these questions in new depth, by employing a dataset that encompasses all payments to named individuals within the Essex parish of Terling between 1762 and 1834, totalling 143,801 payments to 1,508 recipients. Analysis of this dataset provides new insights into the size, scope, changes, and significance of poor relief in labouring families' lives in southern England in this period.


This study applies cointegration and error correction approaches to determine the effect of macroeconomic determinants on household debt in the United States of America. Cointegration analysis provides an effective framework used for estimating and modelling relationships from time series data. Short-run and long-run cointegration models explaining the relationships between the US household debt and related macroeconomic factors are estimated. The data used covers a period of 1990 Q1 to 2013 Q1 and is sourced from the electronic data delivery system of the OECD, USA Federal Housing Finance Agency and the USA Department of the Treasury among others. SAS 9.3 version was used to obtain the results. The sample and variables were meritorious according to KMO and Cronbach's alpha. Unit root test results provided enough evidence to conclude that the series were stationary after first differencing. Further data analysis was carried out with the first lag chosen by the AIC and SBC. Three cointegrating vectors were identified and were later standardised to correctly provide parameter estimates of the vector error correction model of household debts. The model revealed some short and long-run relationships. Revealed by the model is that 1.5 % of long-run equilibrium was corrected per quarter. The results of the current study are crucial to households and policy makers. Researchers may also refer to these results.


Imaging abnormalities of the splenium of the corpus callosum (SCC) are uncommon but have been described in various clinical conditions such as Marchiafava-Bignami disease, trauma, infectious diseases, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, epilepsy, altitude sickness, hypoglycaemia, electrolyte abnormalities, leukodystrophy, and infarction, and following radiation therapy and chemotherapy.1,2 We have detected a diffuse lesion in the SCC of two patients with methyl bromide intoxication.

The first case involved a previously healthy 31 year old man. He had worked in a fumigating plant spraying strawberries for 1 month prior to admission. Strawberries were fumigated with methyl bromide for 2 h in an enclosed room. After fumigation, the room was ventilated for 10 min with electric fans. Thereafter, the subject transferred the fumigated fruits to a warehouse. He worked for 3 h every other day. The subject reported experiencing intermittent nausea, dizziness, and ambulatory difficulty. On the day of hospital admission, the patient complained of general weakness, developed paraesthesia in the hands and feet, and was unable to recall daily events. He was admitted to the nearest hospital. The patient exhibited urinary incontinence, talked to himself, and was unable to walk unaided. He was transferred to our hospital 2 days later. Upon examination, all of the patient's vital signs proved normal. However, he attempted to grab phantom objects in the air, sucked his fingers, and had difficulty …


Sexually mature male and female spiny damselfish, Acanthochromis polyacanthus (Pomacentridae) were introduced to resident fish of both sexes in paired encounter trials and the effect on activity, agonistic behaviour and plasma levels of testosterone (T) and 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) in males, and T and 17β-estradiol (E2) in females, and cortisol in both sexes was determined. Introduced males showed suppressed levels of T in the presence of both resident males and females, whereas resident males showed elevated T in response to introduced males but not females. Plasma 11-KT levels were unchanged in either resident or introduced males. Resident males showed increased activity in the presence of males but not females. Resident females showed an increase in activity when paired with introduced females and greater aggressive behaviour towards females than males. There were no differences in plasma hormone levels in either resident or introduced female fish. Plasma cortisol levels were low in all fish and stress effects did not appear to account for differences in T levels in males. The results of the present study show that elevations in plasma T levels in resident male spiny damselfish are associated only with male presence but that suppression of T in introduced fish occurs irrespective of the sex of the resident. In contrast resident females, which show stronger evidence of aggressive behaviour do not show changes in plasma androgen levels. This suggests that aggressive behaviour in male and female fishes may be mediated by different endocrine pathways.


Accurate detection of objects in 3D point clouds is a central problem for autonomous navigation. Most existing methods use techniques of hand-crafted features representation or multi-sensor approaches prone to sensor failure. Approaches like PointNet that directly operate on sparse point data have shown good accuracy in the classification of single 3D objects. However, LiDAR sensors on Autonomous Vehicles generate a large scale point cloud. Real-time object detection in such a cluttered environment still remains a challenge. In this study, we propose Attentional PointNet, which is a novel end-to-end trainable deep architecture for object detection in point clouds. We extend the theory of visual attention mechanisms to 3D point clouds and introduce a new recurrent 3D Localization Network module. Rather than processing the whole point cloud, the network learns where to look (finding regions of interest), which significantly reduces the number of points to be processed and inference time. Evaluation on KITTI car detection benchmark shows that our Attentional PointNet achieves comparable results with the state-of-the-art LiDAR-based 3D detection methods in detection and speed.


Although there is an emerging trend to reduce blood transfusions, there is still very little randomized data outside of the critical care setting that identifies the risks and benefits of transfusion support. Many clinicians base the decision to transfuse primarily on the hemoglobin (Hb) level independent of symptoms. Little is known about the clinical consequences of profound anemia although there is concern that withholding transfusion support will result in adverse outcomes in those with advanced age or underlying cardiovascular conditions. Prior studies have reported a significant mortality rate with Hb levels under 5 g/dL. This in part has led to the use of extreme measures such as hyperbaric chambers, ventilation or paralysis for profound anemia and the establishment of specialized Centers for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery to care for individuals refusing blood products. A retrospective chart review of 128 patients declining blood transfusions with Hb values under 7 g/dL from January 2002 until August 2005 was performed. This population included a broad range of medical, surgical and obstetrical cases with a mean age, Hb and length of stay of 52 years, 5.4 g/dL and 11 days respectively. Table 1 summarizes the survival rates based on the severity of anemia. Our nonblood approach included simultaneous interventions to stimulate erythropoiesis, control bleeding, enhance hemostasis, minimize iatrogenic blood loss and maintain hemodynamic stability. All patients received erythropoietin and iron with antifibrinolytic agents added for any active bleeding. To keep laboratory sampling at a minimum, physicians were required to rely on their basic clinical assessment skills to manage patients. The need for critical care monitoring, volume resuscitation and oxygen support was determined based on changes in blood pressure, heart rate, urine output, and cognitive function. Patients experienced slower recovery times with more frequent cardiac monitoring and increased length of hospital stays. This series demonstrates that the majority of individuals can survive with Hb levels as low as 2.5 g/dL utilizing simple nonblood strategies. The low mortality rate supports the elimination of any predetermined transfusion trigger. Survival Rates in Patients with Profound Anemia


On December 25, 1951, approximately fifty Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers brutally beat seven young men in their custody, including five Mexican Americans. The ensuing controversy became known
 as Bloody Christmas. Mexican American activists demanded investigations into allegations of police brutality and LAPD accountability to civilian control. The LAPD9s new chief, William Parker, however, had
 just launched a reform campaign based on the police professionalism model, which stressed police autonomy, particularly about internal discipline. Parker and his allies in city government stifled external
 investigations into department matters, vilified LAPD critics, and even ignored perjury by officers. They thus helped create an organizational culture that valued LAPD independence above the rule of law
 and led to the LAPD9s estrangement from Mexican American and other minority communities.


Illustrates some of the challenges that electronic commerce practitioners and researchers face. A theoretical framework for Web users' behaviour is developed. Research themes or questions concerning relationships between cross‐national differences, demographics, perceived threats and Web use; assessment of on‐line information for different categories of product; influence of people's technology resistance on attitudes toward, and behaviours regarding, online shopping; and how these factors affect people's attempt to externalize costs (e.g. transaction costs) are outlined. The article analyses different decisional contexts for Web shopping, comparing commodity products to products that require engineering support; while the hype is generally on the first, customized and specialty products may be more attractive from a business perspective. Internet commerce of technical products, in the context of corporate purchasing, has been largely ignored. After reviewing the existing literature, the article concludes by presenting future research challenges and practical implications for organizations willing to take advantage of the opportunities the Web offers.


In this paper, the large sample properties of the sepa- rable nonlinear least squares algorithm are investigated. Unlike the previous results in the literature, the data are assumed to be com- plex valued, and the whiteness assumption on the measurement noise sequence has been relaxed. Convergence properties of the parameter estimates are established. Asymptotic accuracy anal- ysis has been carried out, in which the assumptions used are rel- atively weaker than the assumptions in the previous related works. It is shown under quite general conditions that the parameter esti- mates are asymptotically circular. Conditions for asymptotic com- plex normality are also established. Next, a bound on the deviation of the asymptotic covariance matrix from the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) is derived. Finally, a sufficient condition for the nonlinear least squares estimate to achieve the Cramer-Rao lower bound is established. The results presented in this paper are general and can be applied to any specific application where separable nonlinear least squares is employed.


We introduce the notion of continuous orbit equivalence for partial dynamical systems, and give an equivalent characterization in terms of Cartan-isomorphisms for partial C*crossed products. Both graph C*-algebras and semigroup C*-algebras can be described as C*algebras attached to partial dynamical systems. As applications, for graphs, we generalize and explain a result of Matsumoto and Matui relating orbit equivalence and Cartan-isomorphism, and for semigroups, we strengthen several structural results for semigroup C*-algebras concerning amenability, nuclearity as well as simplicity of boundary quotients. We also discuss pure infiniteness for partial transformation groupoids arising from graphs and semigroups.


We used lymphotropic therapy in addition to standard treatment in 116 of 232 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. The effect was evaluated in the course of treatment and followed up for a year. Improvement in general condition of the patients, symptoms of infravesical obstruction, size of the prostate, urinary flow rate demonstrated high efficacy of lymphotropic therapy leading to a higher rate of persistent remission and higher quality of life.


Today, the ability to communicate in English is a need brought about by the globalization process encompassing developments in many fields such as science and technology. To address this need, English language teaching programs in Turkey (henceforth ELTP) underwent substantial changes within the larger curriculum reform movements taking place in 1997, 2006 and 2013, the last of which is also called the 4+4+4 education system. In these ELTPs, major differences were based on primary school English language teaching and learning.  However, there is a growing claim that these ELTPs did not achieve the intensions in equipping primary school students with the necessary communicative skills in English. Thus, this integrative literature review study aims to explore the results of the evaluation studies so as to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each ELTP regarding such program components as aims and outcomes, content, materials, and testing and assessment. In line with this, studies conducted to evaluate the 1997, 2006 and 2013 ELTPs were examined thoroughly, and their findings were identified for the analysis. The analysis of the studies showed that problems with the ELTPs under evaluation included not carefully written aims and outcomes failing to include all domains. It also reveals problems with the selection and design of the content and materials which failed to be adequate and effective. Lastly, reliance on paper-based assessment even failing to include productive skills is seen to be another problem. All these issues seem to be persistent over all the ELTPs, thus they call for careful consideration and action for the improvement of further program changes.


1
 H, 13C and 15N NMR chemical shift calculations on RNAs were performed using the automated fragmentation quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (AF-QM/MM) approach. Systematic investigation was carried out to examine the influence of density functionals, force fields, ensemble average and explicit solvent molecules on NMR chemical shift calculations. By comparing the performance of a series of density functionals, the results demonstrate that the mPW1PW91 functional is one of the best functionals for predicting RNA 1H and 13C chemical shifts. This study also shows that the performance of the force fields in describing H-bond strength can be validated by AF-QM/MM calculated imino proton chemical shifts. The polarized nucleic acid-specific charge (PNC) model significantly improves the accuracy of imino hydrogen and nitrogen NMR chemical shift prediction as compared to the FF10 force field, which underscores that the electrostatic polarization effect is critical to stabilizing the hydrogen bonds between base pairs in RNAs. Furthermore, the accuracy of the chemical shift of amino proton can be improved by adding explicit water molecules.


Large-scale integration of new renewables requires substantial increases of transmission capacity on existing transmission corridors. To limit land use, overhead transmission lines have been widely built as multicircuit lines. On these, changing one ac circuit to dc to increase transmission capacity leads to lines with hybrid ac/dc towers. Since practically no operational experience with such hybrid lines exists to date, questions such as superimposed ac and dc fields intensified by corona-generated space charges arise. In this paper, a method to simulate these ion-flow fields using the discontinuous Galerkin method is for the first time applied to hybrid towers. Ways to considerably reduce the computational effort of the problem are discussed. The results indicate that hybrid lines are feasible in reference to space-charge-related problems. Shielding the ground is possible at the expense of increased coupling between the ac and dc circuits.


During the last years there has been a significant worldwide increase in the number of wind farms. This kind of energy can have negative impacts, such as the direct mortality or lethal injury of birds and bats caused by collision with wind turbines. In order to evaluate bird (or bat) mortality regarding wind power generation facilities, strict monitoring protocols are required which must take into account the possibility of carcass removal by scavenging animals or decomposition before the monitoring session. For this purpose, carcass removal trials with 180 carcasses representing three size classes (small, medium and large) were conducted in two seasons (Spring and Autumn) at three wind farms located in the central region of Portugal. No significant differences were found between removal rates of different wind farms or size classes contrarily to seasons, which presented an average carcass removal time of 3.9 and 4.6 days, respectively for Spring and Autumn. The results of the present study showed the importance of trials to estimate the carcass removal rates, which influences the survey effort management and consequently the monitoring protocols. The experimental design for future trials in the same region should account for season effect and be conducted using daily checks of the carcasses for, at least, 15 days.


This LibGuide will provide you with basic information about Business Office Administration.

Use the tabs to the left to get information on finding books, finding articles from magazines and journals, and locating recommended websites with useful inform


Skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are increasingly in demand. Theoretical knowledge and formulas alone are frequently not sufficient to understand complex phenomena. Simulations are a valuable tool to support the conceptual understanding by visualizing invisible processes. The constant interaction with the learning material is an essential factor when learning with simulations and virtual worlds. Virtual reality (VR) technologies enable interaction with the virtual environment with a high intensity of immersion. Maroon is a VR platform for teaching physics and has been in development for over five years. Previous results with Maroon have already demonstrated the potential of virtual reality for learners and teachers, but also highlighted a list of potential challenges in terms of VR experience design, usability, and pedagogical concepts. Over the past six months, we have conducted user studies with a total of 85 participants, both student teachers (n = 26) and pupils (n = 59) at high schools and teacher training institutions. In this paper, we want to facilitate the difficult task of designing educational VR platforms by describing the expectations of educators and pupils.


Deformation of the flange in the deep drawing of box-shaped parts was studied. The forming of box-shaped parts was simulated through numerical simulation software DYNAFORM, and hardness of box-shaped parts was measured with a hardness tester. The results shows that, the sheet thickness near the midpoint of straight edge is more lager than near the corner, and flow stress is small, indicating that plastic deformation is not sufficient. Sheet thickness of box-shaped parts of large aspect ratio is relatively large, and sheet flow is difficult, which is not conducive to forming. In the experiment, the hardness of rounded corner part is significantly greater than two adjacent straight edges at the same height, which shows that material flow of the rounded corner part is good and hardening phenomenon is obvious, and the maximum hardness is near the entrance to the die corner. The flange deformation of box-shaped parts of the experimental and numerical simulation is the same.


The Arabian rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes agamemnon arabicus (Burmeister, 1847), is an invasive species, introduced to Tunisia from the United Arab Emirates and causing serious damage to date palm trees in southern Tunisia. Considering the economic importance of this pest, it is necessary to understand the genetic diversity within and among its populations and investigate its dispersal mode. In the present study, the mitochondrial gene encoding the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) was used to analyse the extent of genetic variation between samples of O. agamemnon arabicus, collected from geographically distant locations in Tunisia. A 505 bp DNA fragment, resulting from PCR amplification, was sequenced. Representative sequences were aligned, revealing nine polymorphic sites that identified eight haplotypes. Haplotype diversity (Hd) and Tajima's D neutral test were 0.707 and -0.043, respectively, indicating a low level of mtDNA variability. The calculated gene flow value was Nm = 0.47, indicating a high amount of gene flow occurring between populations from Tozeur and those from Kebili, although both departments are separated by the Chott-El-Jerid salt lake. The presence of common haplotypes between Tozeur and Kebili as well as the clustering pattern obtained by the NJ method confirmed this result. Based on these facts and considering the limited flight of O. agamemnon arabicus and its slow reproduction, it is likely that its expansion in Tunisia was facilitated mainly by human transportation of infected offshoots.


Patients with co-existing substance use and mental disorder (dual diagnosis) have complex and challenging care needs especially in acute psychiatric inpatient settings. Acute psychiatric care plays a vital role in mental health service delivery and there is evidence that nurses working in these settings often have unmet learning needs regarding dual diagnosis care, posing a challenge to nursing practice. The purpose of this project was to develop an educational module which will equip nurses with the skills and knowledge required to deliver evidence-based dual diagnosis care in acute psychiatric settings. A survey of 74 acute psychiatric nurses was initially completed to identify their learning needs and challenges. This was followed by a comprehensive review of evidence from literature to identify knowledge, skills and competencies needed to deliver dual diagnosis care. Content for the educational module was then validated by a panel of experts. In all, 35 items within 13 content areas were identified and validated to be used in an educational module for acute psychiatric nurses delivering dual diagnosis care. This project translates evidence into practice, contributes to the body of knowledge on dual diagnosis care and provides nurses with knowledge that will improve their confidence and competency in delivering


After the discovery of zinc deficiency in the 1960s, it soon became clear that zinc is essential for the function of the immune system. Zinc ions are involved in regulating intracellular signaling pathways in innate and adaptive immune cells. Zinc homeostasis is largely controlled via the expression and action of zinc "importers" (ZIP 1–14), zinc "exporters" (ZnT 1–10), and zinc-binding proteins. Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of zinc have long been documented, however, underlying mechanisms are still not entirely clear. Here, we report molecular mechanisms underlying the development of a pro-inflammatory phenotype during zinc deficiency. Furthermore, we describe links between altered zinc homeostasis and disease development. Consequently, the benefits of zinc supplementation for a malfunctioning immune system become clear. This article will focus on underlying mechanisms responsible for the regulation of cellular signaling by alterations in zinc homeostasis. Effects of fast zinc flux, intermediate "zinc waves", and late homeostatic zinc signals will be discriminated. Description of zinc homeostasis-related effects on the activation of key signaling molecules, as well as on epigenetic modifications, are included to emphasize the role of zinc as a gatekeeper of immune function.


This paper addresses the challenges related to the role and function of audiovisual archive institutions as the environment in which they operate becomes increasingly digital and networked. The context is the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision (Sound and Vision), a leading audiovisual archive that successfully transitioned to the digital domain. Its ever-growing collections today comprise more than a million hours of audiovisual content, ranging from film to television and radio broadcasts, music recording and web videos. For eight years now, born-digital assets from various sources have been incorporated in a state-of-the-art digital archive. Most of the analogue holdings have been digitised through a national digitisation programme that ended in 2015. Operating in such a new, post-analogue context has profound implications for institutes, The fundamental challenge is how the public mission of archives (ie, supporting a myriad of users to utilise collections to learn, experience and create) can be achieved in a digital context. 'Creative technology' plays an important role in building the audiovisual archive of the future. To manage the transition, Sound and Vision launched a process of internal review and assessment. On the course of this two-year process, it drafted a new mission statement, defined a new strategic plan and built a new organisational structure from the ground up.


Thermal hydraulic behavior in the upper plenum of pool-type sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) is a major concern, as many design challenges are concentrated in this region. As SFR designs aim for licensing and commercialization, it is important to accurately analyze and predict the thermal-hydraulic behavior in this region during accident scenarios, specifically thermal stratification.
 Thermal stratification models are currently a major source of uncertainty in most system codes for all types of power plants. Most system codes, including SAS4A/SASSYS-1, a system level code developed by Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne), use very coarse meshes that cannot capture the complexities of the stratification phenomena. While the commonly employed lumped-volume based models for thermal stratification are able to run in a matter of seconds, they result in approximate results and can only handle simple cases. Other 2-D and 3-D methods, such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models, can analyze simple configurations with higher fidelity, but come with a relatively large computational expense. Finding a modeling solution that is both accurate and computationally efficient has proven difficult.
 This paper provides details of a review and gap analysis of the various modeling approaches proposed to date and explores a path forward for future thermal stratification modeling efforts, with a focus on developing new models for the SAS4A/SASSYS-1 system code.


A pioneering anthology of contemporary text artists and poets.

THE DARK WOULD gathers work by over 100 contributors including some of the most noted artists and poets alive today: Rosmarie Waldrop, Ron Silliman, Caroline Bergvall, Christian Bok, Vanessa Place, Kenny Goldsmith, Lawrence Weiner, Susan Hiller, Tsang Kin-Wah, Charles Bernstein, Robert Grenier, Tacita Dean, Tom Phillips, Tom Raworth, and many, many more.

This is a moment in time when poets and many artists share the same primary material: language. Conceptual art, vispo, text art, outsider art, conceptual poetry, flarf, concrete poetry, live art, L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E, sound scores... THE DARK WOULD is a compelling document, alchemising text into art into text.

The anthology is split between two volumes - paper and virtual. Many of the works here are in two parts, speaking to one another across the paper/virtual divide, as a metaphor of dis/embodiment, considering time, mortality and human traces in the natural world. (The second volume - provided electronically - is included in the price of the first.)


von Willebrand disease (VWD) is recognised as the most common congenital bleeding disorder, and an acquired form named von Willebrand syndrome (AVWS) may arise in a variety of disease states. Thus, laboratory testing for VWD and AVWS represents a key diagnostic activity of hematology facilities performing advanced hemostasis diagnostics. VWD and AVWS arise due to deficiency and/or defect(s) in the adhesive plasma protein called von Willebrand factor (VWF). VWF represents a key element of primary hemostasis, and also contributes to secondary hemostasis. Thus, deficiency and/or defects in VWF, either congenital or acquired, leads to a bleeding diathesis in affected individuals. A wide variety of laboratory tests may be performed to investigate, diagnose or exclude VWD/AVWS, including screening assays, more complex functional assays, and also molecular analysis. Thus, VWD testing now incorporates a variety of processes, and potential methodologies. Internal quality control (IQC) and external quality assessment (EQA) is critical to ensure the quality of laboratory testing, but is made difficult in VWD diagnostics by the nature and variety of the tests available, and the heterogeneity of VWD/AVWS. The current review looks at laboratory testing for VWD/AVWS from the perspective of IQC and EQA, and considers some novel approaches to ensure the accuracy and quality of this activity in the future diagnostics landscape.


Interview with Rena Pederson, a former journalist in Dallas, Texas. The interview includes biographical information about her life growing up, her educational background, her career with The Dallas Morning News and other newspapers, the books she has written, and her work in communications and public affairs.


A randomized controlled trial of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) was conducted in an area of high malaria transmission in Tanzania in order to assess the effects of ITNs on infection and anaemia. One hundred and twenty-two children, aged 5 to 24 months, were randomly allocated to 2 groups, one of which received ITNs. Outcome measures were assessed in 6 consecutive months with monthly cross-sectional surveys. These measures were haemoglobin values, Plasmodium falciparum prevalence and density, and multiplicity of infection determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR-RFLP) of the msp2 locus. There was a significant increase in mean heamoglobin values and a significant decrease of 16.4% in microscopically determined P. falciparum prevalence in children in the ITN group six months after the start of the trial. Both effects were more pronounced in younger children. However, no significant difference was observed in parasite density or multiplicity of infection among infected children. Comparison with PCR results indicated that microscopically subpatent parasitaemia was more frequently found in children in the ITN group. This, together with the observed similar multiplicity in the 2 groups, suggests that infections are maintained despite ITN use, owing to the chronicity of infections. This study shows that ITNs reduce the risk of anaemia in highly exposed young children. The virtually unchanged multiplicity of infection indicates that the potentially protective concomitant immunity is not compromised.


This study examined devolution which was introduced in Kenya at the beginning of 2013 with a view to establishing whether it was helping to reduce poverty as provided for in the Republic of Kenya Constitution (RoK, 2010). As is the case in other African countries, the majority of Kenyans are poor. We gathered data through desk reviews of relevant books, journal articles and reports and interviews with senior staff of Kakamega, Kisumu and Kajiado counties. It was evident that after abolishing Kenya's independence (1963) devolved constitution termed "Majimbo" and establishing a highly centralized governance system, Kenya implemented several deconcentration measures which included the District Focus for Rural Development, Rural Development Grants and Rural Works Program aimed at facilitating decision making and allocation and use of resources in communities. These various efforts did not lead to improvement in the country's poverty situation which stood at 56 per cent in the 1980s and 1990s. With the introduction of devolved funds such as the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the Local Authority Transfer Fund (LATIF) in 2003, the poverty situation had reduced gradually to 46 per cent at present. We have also shown that devolution which was introduced recently with more decision-making powers and resources had potential to ensure further reduction of poverty, especially at the county and household levels.


In 1873, John Thomas Baines joined the retinue of Theophilus Shepstone, then Secretary for Native Affairs in the colony of Natal, travelling into Zululand to 'crown' Cetshwayo as Zulu king. We argue that this was Baines's 'Last Hurrah': it was his last adventure and he died two years later. The life and work of Baines—artist, explorer, and diarist—have been well recorded by scholars, but here we highlight two aspects of his final expedition that have not previously been given detailed attention. As assigned Special Correspondent to the Natal Mercury, Baines wrote comprehensive descriptions of the events in which he took part, and here we subject these to close literary critique and scrutiny. Moreover, Baines's participation in the 'coronation' encouraged him to produce a detailed map of Zululand, now housed in the Royal Geographical Society in London. This too has not been published or closely examined, and our analysis sheds light on the geopolitical state of the subcontinent, as well as on the biography of Baines.KEY WORDS: John Thomas Baines, history of Natal, KwaZulu-Natal, Zulu history, history of cartography, Natal Mercury.


Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is an important member of the Solanaceae family. It is mainly used as food and cash crop globally. Tomato also serves as an ornamental plant in some parts of the world. In urban areas, this crop is included in the foodscaping systems where it is grown in hanging baskets, growing pots and aquaponics for aesthetic and food purposes. Tomato production is mainly done for fresh and processing market niches. Most developed countries process a larger portion of tomato than is offered in fresh form. Cultivation of tomato is practiced on the open field and inside greenhouses. Greenhouse production has gained popularity recently. Determinate varieties are produced outdoor while indeterminate ones are produced in greenhouses and tunnels. Due to good adaptability, heirloom tomato varieties are becoming popular especially where farmers practice tomato grafting using the indigenous varieties as rootstocks. High cost of inputs, pest and diseases, postharvest losses and marketing are the major challenges facing tomato production globally. Organic tomato production is an emerging market niche. This is due to the increased consumer awareness, environmental conservation requirements and globalization. Thus, farmers have been making strides towards compliance to organic and other sustainable standards. These standards require adoption of the requisite practices, documentation, verification and certification by a third party. Value addition in tomato is an important aspect in addressing the postharvest challenges, product diversification and ultimately profitability. This review paper is expected to provide the requisite information in tomato value chain to ensure sustainable production of tomato globally.


Flaviviruses are among the most important emerging viruses known to man. Most are arboviruses (arthropod-borne) being transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks. They derived from a common ancestor 10-20000 years ago and are evolving rapidly to fill new ecological niches. Many are spreading to new geographical areas and causing increased numbers of infections. Traditionally, three clinical syndromes are recognized: fever-arthralgia-rash, viral haemorrhagic fever, and neurological disease, though for some flaviviruses the disease pattern is changing. Dengue, the most important flavivirus, is transmitted between humans by Aedes mosquitoes. Recent work is elucidating the pathogenesis of its most severe form, dengue haemorrhagic fever. Yellow fever, which has epidemiological similarities to dengue, was under control in the mid-20th century, but is once again increasing. Japanese encephalitis virus is numerically the most important cause of epidemic encephalitis; its geographical area is expanding despite the availability of vaccines. Other mosquito-borne neurotropic flaviviruses with clinical and epidemiological similarities are found across the globe. These include St Louis encephalitis virus, Murray Valley encephalitis virus, and West Nile virus, which recently reached the Americas for the first time. In cooler northern climates ticks are more important vectors. Tick-borne encephalitis virus occurs across large parts of Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent states. The tick-borne haemorrhagic flaviviruses, Omsk haemorrhagic fever and Kyasanur Forrest disease are localized in small areas.


Loss of nutrient supply to the human intervertebral disc (IVD) cells is thought to be a major cause of disc degeneration in humans. To address this issue, transport of molecules of different size have been analyzed by a combination of experimental and modeling studies. Solute transport has been compared for steady-state and transient diffusion of several different solutes with molecular masses in the range 3–70 kDa, injected into parts of the disc where degeneration is thought most likely to occur first and into the blood supply to the disc. Diffusion coefficients of fluorescently tagged dextran molecules of different molecular weights have been measured in vitro using the concentration gradient technique in thin specimens of disc outer annulus and nucleus pulposus. Diffusion coefficients were found to decrease with molecular weight following a nonlinear relationship. Diffusion coefficients changed more rapidly for solutes with molecular masses less than 10 kDa. Although unrealistic or painful, solutes injected directly into the disc achieve the largest disc coverage with concentrations that would be high enough to be of practical use. Although more practical, solutes injected into the blood supply do not penetrate to the central regions of the disc and their concentrations dissipate more rapidly. Injection into the disc would be the best method to get drugs or growth factors to regions of degeneration in IVDs quickly; else concentrations of solute must be kept at a high value for several hours in the blood supply to the discs.


BACKGROUND
Vertebral malformations contribute substantially to the pathophysiology of kyphosis and scoliosis, common health problems associated with back and neck pain, disability, cosmetic disfigurement and functional distress.

OBJECTIVE
To provide an overview of the current understanding of vertebral malformations, at both the clinical level and the molecular level, and factors that contribute to their occurrence.

METHODS
The literature related to the following was reviewed: recent advances in the understanding of the molecular embryology underlying vertebral development and relevance to elucidation of etiologies of several known human vertebral malformation syndromes; outcomes of molecular studies elucidating genetic contributions to congenital and sporadic vertebral malformations; and complex interrelationships between genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of isolated syndromic and non-syndromic congenital vertebral malformations.

RESULTS/CONCLUSION
Expert opinions extend to discussion of the importance of establishing improved classification systems for vertebral malformation, future directions in molecular and genetic research approaches to vertebral malformation and translational value of research efforts to clinical management and genetic counseling of affected individuals and their families.


Online social networks like Instagram are places for communication. Also, these media produce rich metadata which are useful for further analysis in many fields including health and cognitive science. Many researchers are using these metadata like hashtags, images, etc. to detect patterns of user activities. However, there are several serious ambiguities like how much reliable are these information. In this paper, we attempt to answer two main questions. Firstly, are image hashtags directly related to image concepts?  Can image concepts being predicted using machine learning models? The results of our analysis based on 105000 images on Instagram show that user hashtags are hardly related to image concepts (only 10%of test cases). Second contribution of this paper is showing the suggested pre-trained model predicate image concepts much better (more than 50% of test cases) than user hashtags. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to social media researchers not to rely only on the user hashtags as a label of images or as a signal of information for their study. Alternatively, they can use machine learning methods line deep convolutional neural network model to describe images to extract more related contents. As a proof of concept, some results on food images are studied. We use few similarity measurements to compare result of human and deep convolutional neural network.  These analysis is important because food is an important society health field.


Cost efficient and robust transport systems are of critical importance to future economic prosperity as well as for the society's social and environmental well-being. However, current performance shortcomings in the transport infrastructure formations induced by extreme climatic events cause excessive maintenance requirements with increased costs and disruptions to commuters and loss of productivity in the freight services. This is particularly important in locations where soils are sensitive to moisture changes caused by extreme climatic events. In this paper the role of soil stabilisation in halting volumetric deformation and associated reduction in shear strength derived from the wetting processes (e.g., rainfall periods) is examined for an expansive soil. Two stabilizers commonly used in road construction are examined, i.e., hydrated lime and Portland cement. An additional non-traditional stabiliser composed of a blend of ground granulated blast furnace slag and hydrated lime is also considered. A series of one-dimensional swelling and direct shear box tests were conducted adopting vertical stresses relevant for pavements and simulate wetting process that can take place after a period of rainfall. Results indicate that while all stabilizers contribute to a reduction of swelling and smaller losses in shear strength upon wetting, the blend of blast furnace slag and hydrated lime is the most favourable in terms of carbon footprint.


The aim of this study was to design a new natural/synthetic bioactive bone scaffold for potential use in bone replacement applications. We developed a tri-component osteogenic composite scaffold made of collagen (Coll), hydroxyapatite (HA) and poly(l-lactide-co-ɛ-caprolactone) (PLCL). This Coll/HA/PLCL composite scaffold was combined with human osteoblast-like cells obtained by differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) to engineer bone tissue in vitro. Results show that the 3D Coll/HA/PLCL composite scaffold was highly porous, thereby enabling osteoblast-like cell adhesion and growth. Cultured in the Coll/HA/PLCL scaffold, the osteoblast-like cells expressed different osteogenic genes, produced alkaline phosphatase and formed nodules more than did PLCL alone. Micro-CT analyses revealed a significant (30%) increase of tissue mineralisation on the surface as well as inside of the Coll/HA/PLCL scaffold, thus confirming its effectiveness as a bone regeneration platform.


The response of SCK tumor cells in vivo and in vitro to heat was compared, and the relationship between the kinetics of cell death and vascular function in tumors in vivo after hyperthermia was studied. The number of clonogenic cells in tumors excised immediately after heating was significantly less than that in the in vitro culture treated with the same heat doses. This suggested that the tumor cells in vivo are far more sensitive to direct damage by heat than are the cells in vitro. When the tumors were left in situ after hyperthermia at 43.5 degrees for 30 min, there was a progressive decrease in cell survival until 6 to 12 hr after the heating. The study of intravascular volume using the 51Cr-labeled red blood cell method indicated that severe vascular occlusion occurs in the tumor after hyperthermia. It therefore appeared that delayed cell death in tumors in vivo after hyperthermia resulted from an insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients and an increase in acidity due to the vascular occlusion. Both the direct damage to tumor cells and the indirect damage to tumor cells as a consequence of vascular occlusion may play important roles in the eradication of tumors by hyperthermia.


Abstract The climax of the chorus 'The Heavens are Telling' from Haydn's oratorio Die Schöpfung (The Creation) employs a harmonic progression that Beethoven later adapted to conclude the first movement of his Symphony no. 2. An earlier (pre-Haydn) version of the progression might be found in a keyboard rondo by C. P. E. Bach. This harmonic unit is regarded as consisting of a sequence of musemes (musical memes): each is a replicated pattern serving as the cultural analogue to the gene. The neural encoding of such patterns is considered in terms of William Calvin's hexagonal cloning theory, in order to adduce 'memotypic' (meme-encoding) evidence to support the 'phemotypic' (meme-product) evidence gleaned from musical score-analysis.


The influence of manure and diammonium phosphate (DAP) mineral fertilizer on germination, leaf nitrogen content, nitrate accumulation and yield of vegetable amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) was investigated. Field trials were set up at the University of Nairobi Field Station at the Upper Kabete Campus during the long rains of March–May in 2007 and 2008. Trials were laid out as complete randomized block design with four fertilization treatments: 20, 40, and 60 kg nitrogen (N) ha−1 supplied by DAP (18:46:0), 40 kg N ha−1 supplied by cattle manure and an unfertilized control variant. The vegetables were harvested at three maturity stages at 6, 7, and 8 weeks after planting. Results indicated that there were significant differences between treatments in germination percentage, leaf nitrogen content, nitrate accumulation and vegetable yield. Plants that received manure had a higher germination percentage than those that received the same amount of N supplied by the chemical fertilizer DAP. The yields generally increased from week 6 to week 8. The highest yield was recorded in plots receiving 40 kg N ha−1 from DAP at eight weeks after planting. Plots that were supplied with manure recorded the lowest yield when compared to the fertilizer treated plots at all rates. Leaf nitrogen content increased with increasing rate of N but only when N was supplied by DAP fertilizer. The leaf nitrogen content decreased with increasing age of the plants. The leaf nitrate content increased with increase in DAP application rate. Results indicate that manure application produced quality vegetables in terms of low nitrate levels, but leaf nitrogen and vegetable yields were low. DAP application effected higher yields, but the vegetables had high though acceptable nitrate levels.


Background: The acromion process along with the coracoid process and the coracoacromial ligament form the coracoacromial arch which acts as a secondary socket for the shoulder joint. The subacromial space gives passage to the tendons of muscles forming the rotator cuff. Any abnormality, acquired or congenital, which leads to the reduction in the subacromial space can cause impingement syndrome. Morphology of the acromion thus plays an important role in impingement syndrome and the pathogenesis of rotator cuff diseases. Subjects and Methods: A total of 70 Indian unpaired dry human scapulae (Right-35, Left-35) of unknown sex were studied. Various parameters related to acromion process- a) Maximum length of acromion b) Maximum breadth of acromion c) Acromio-Glenoid distance and e) Acromio-Coracoid distance were measured with the help of a sliding digital vernier caliper and recorded in millimeters. Results: The mean values of each measurement were: maximum length of acromion: 43.10mm; maximum breadth acromion: 24.46mm; acromio- glenoid distance: 30.15 mm and acromio-coracoid distance: 37.05 mm. Conclusion: Knowledge of the morphometeric values of acromian process is important to the orthopaedicians in the differential diagnosis and surgical treatment of shoulder joint ailments, to the forensic experts in specimen identification from skeleton remains and to the anthropologists in their racial and population studies.


AbstractBACKGROUND: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has proposed increasing the proportion of people who learn their HIV serostatus. The health care setting represents a logical site to accomplish this goal. However, little is known about factors that determine acceptability of HIV testing in health care settings, particularly patients' health literacy.
 OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between patients' health literacy and acceptance of HIV testing among individuals at an urgent care center (UCC).
 METHODS: As part of a prospective study that sought to increase HIV testing at a UCC located in an inner-city hospital serving an indigent population, we surveyed patients who had been offered an HIV test by their providers and had accepted or refused testing. Pretest counseling was provided using a low-literacy brochure given to patients upon registration into the clinic. We measured health literacy level using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) scale.
 RESULTS: Three hundred seventy-two patients were enrolled in the study. In univariate analysis, no statistically significant difference between HIV test acceptors or refusers was found for gender, race/ethnicity, marital status, income, type of health insurance, educational level, or type of test offered. Acceptors were more likely to have a low literacy level (odds ratio [OR], 1.763; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.084 to 2.866) and be less than 40 years old (OR, 1.639; 95% CI, 1.085 to 2.475). In multivariate analysis, low health literacy was shown to be a predictor of HIV test acceptance controlling for age and education (OR, 2.017; 95% CI, 1.190 to 3.418).
 CONCLUSIONS: Low health literacy was shown to be a predictor of HIV test acceptance. Patients presenting to a UCC with poorer health literacy appear more willing to comply with health care providers' recommendations to undergo HIV testing than those with adequate health literacy when an "opt-out" strategy combined with a low-literacy brochure is used.


The global economy is increasingly becoming dependent on ICT systems, while developing countries are critically operating under lack of e-readiness, newly evolved constraints, open competition, and unsteady sustainability policies. Infrastructure, content and human capacity are rapidly expanding through increased participation of private sector investment, though not with enough benefits to the marginal communities in rural regions. Information management technology plays a critical role in facilitating the flow of information, knowledge, and lessons learned among different communication tiers within the society. However, the infrastructure needs to be designed to meet the requirements for mass dissemination of useful information to the community. The increasing international interest in the potential of ICT as a tool for fostering sustainable human development has been reflected in a series of activities, and accelerated by a number of events, like the G8 2000 meet in Tokyo, WSSD Johannesburg Summit in 2002, and WSIS Geneva Summit in 2003. These series of international conferences, attended by experts from developed countries, have become interactive and open dialogue platforms for discussing the differences in access and use of the information technologies in developed and developing countries. Though the focus and attention to this issue have not been underestimated globally, the efforts and measures have not yet been harmonized by the volume of actual resources dedicated to abridge the existing differences. A concerted effort to overcome the digital divide needs to be undertaken. The digital divide should not be treated as a single parameter within itself; rather it is a product of other more entrenched divides, social and economic. Information technology should be taken as the premier strategic instrument to address these fundamental demarcations by forming an integrated, multi-spurred approach by incorporating information-driven changes within and across developing countries and regions. ICT can potently serve as an inter-active, specifically designed and mutually supportive element in diversified socio-economic development efforts. Developing countries and especially the least developed countries (LDCs), have yet to attain measurable socio-economic benefits out of ICT. Development of this sector has often been hindered by a combination of outdated infrastructure, relatively high telecommunication costs, inappropriate technology policies, absence of skilled professionals and the intricate culture of information interchange. With these views and practices, many of these nations could not able to be the forerunner in the global market and compete with their more fortunate neighbors. Due to the uneven and scanty penetration of fixed telephone and the availability of computer in rural and other disadvantaged regions, information is not readily available there except through mono-directional media. Radio, TV and print media are widely used as the means of sharing information. They are not interactive and the information provided is driven by the publisher, rather than by the end user. The Internet has the potential to change this paradigm entirely.


Web mining aims to discover useful information or knowledge from the Web hyperlink structure, page content and usage log. Based on the primary kind of data used in the mining process, Web mining tasks are categorized into three main types: Web structure mining, Web content mining and Web usage mining. Following is what they do on Web Data Mining. This paper proposed a heuristic mining algorithm.


ABSTRACT This article traces the changes and continuities in fictional stories of serial murder in London from the late-seventeenth century to the mid-nineteenth century. In particular, it shows how changes in the primary audience for metropolitan popular culture necessitated dramatic shifts in the tale of serial killing and narratives of violence. Thus, by the nineteenth century, as the lower classes had become the main supporters of both traditional and new genres of entertainment in popular culture, their experience of and fears and anxieties about urban change became intertwined with myths about serial killing and reflected in a new character of the public nightmare, Sweeney Todd, the barber of Fleet Street, who set out to effectively depopulate the capital with his ghastly murder machine.


Bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) is an important semiconductor material, which has wide applications in thermoelectricity, electronics, photoelectricity and infrared spectroscopy. Bi2S3 thin films have been deposited on ITO substrates through a cathodic electrodeposition approach at room temperature. The as-deposited thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and photoluminescence spectrum (PL). The effects of solution pH values on the structures and optical properties of the thin films were particularly investigated. Results show that uniform Bi2S3 thin films with oriented growth along (240) direction can be obtained at the solution pH value range from 4.5 to 6.5. The as-prepared thin films exhibit stable blue-green photoluminescence properties under the ultraviolet light excitation at room temperature. With the increase of the solution pH values, the crystallization of the Bi2S3 thin films improves while the grain size of the obtained thin films decreases and the light emission intensity of the thin films decreases.


The continental crust of southeast Asia underwent from thickening, thinning to almost rifting during the Mesozoic era as the active continental margin transformed into a passive one. Such crustal thinning history is well-preserved in the Kinmen Island, as the lower crustal granitoids retrograded and rapidly exhumed to surface that were crosscutted by mafic dike swarm. Kinmen Island is situated on the SE coast of Asia, featured by the widespread Cretaceous magmatism as the Paleo-Pacific plate subducted and rollbacked underneath the South China block. Although these complex magmatism are well reported and studied, their associated structural evolution and plate kinematics have not been clearly deciphered. Detailed field mapping, structural measurement, and petrographic analysis of the Kinmen Island were conducted. Up to five deformation events accompanied with five relevant magmatic episodes as well as their corresponding kinematic setting are reconstructed. The ∼129 Ma Chenggong Tonalite (G1) preserved all deformation events identified in this study, which marks the lower bound timing of all reported events. D1 formed a gneiss dome with the Taiwushan Granite (∼139 Ma) at the core bounded by moderately dipping gneissic foliation (S1) as crust extended. D2 formed subhorizontal S-tectonite (S2) with further exhumation of D1 gneiss dome due to middle-to-lower crustal flow associated with further crustal thinning. D3 formed a sinistral ENE-WSW striking steeply S dipping shear belts with well-developed S/C/C' fabrics. The moderately E-plunging lineation on C surface indicates its transtensional nature. Widespread garnet-bearing leucogranite (G2) associated with decompressional melting showed long lasting intrusion prior to D2 until post D3. D4 was the intrusion of biotite-bearing Tienpu Granite (∼100 Ma; G3) that truncated G1, G2, and all fabrics, which was followed by the intrusion of E-W striking, steeply dipping biotite-bearing pegmatite (G4) as the crust further extended. The youngest deformation event (D5) was NE-SW striking subvertical mafic dike swarm (G5; 90–76 Ma) due to mantle upwelling through significantly thinned crust. By integrating the structural evolution and the previously reported strain pattern, we delineate the slab rollback direction of the Paleo-pacific plate, which changed from northeastward (129∼114 Ma) to southeastward (107∼76 Ma). This plate kinematic movement switched during 114–107 Ma.


Summary
The fungal toxin fusicoccin, which is known to stimulate stomatal opening, has been found to reverse the response of stomata to CO2. In the absence of fusicoccin, CO2 caused stomata to close, while in its presence, CO2 caused opening. This reversal of events was even more striking in epidermal malate levels. Three hundred and fifty μl l−1 CO2 normally suppressed malate formation, but in the presence of fusicoccin, amounts of malate were greater in 350 μl l−1 CO2 than in CO2-free air.

These observations might be best explained if CO2 exerts two different effects on guard cells, one of which is normally obscured by the other. The familiar effect, that of stomatal closure in response to increases in CO2 concentration, is predominant, and it is suggested that this involves control of potassium ion uptake either through the activity of an electrogenic proton pump or through membrane permeability to K+. Fusicoccin has the effect of annulling this form of control by CO2, revealing an opposing response, namely a stimulation of opening by CO2. This could be due to a fixation of CO2 into malate, which is used as a counter ion for K+ in guard cells. There is, however, an enigma: the fact that (in the presence of fusicoccin) malate level is positively correlated with external CO2 supply suggests that the latter limits the rate of malate formation, yet incorporation of labelled CO2 can only account for about 1 % of the malate produced.


Singlet nucleophilic carbenes (SNCs) that
contain only one heteroatom donor remain underexplored and underutilized in chemical
synthesis. To discover new synthetic strategies that harness these SNCs as
reactive intermediates, aromatic or aliphatic siloxy carbenes represent
excellent model substrates as they can be readily generated photochemically
from stable acyl silane precursors. We herein report the discovery that photochemically
generated siloxy carbenes undergo 1,2-carbonyl addition to trifluoromethyl
ketones, followed by a silyl transfer process to afford benzoin-type products.
This new transformation is a rare example of the use of ketones as trapping reagents
for SNC intermediates and delivers an efficient, user-friendly and scalable process
to access fluorinated tertiary alcohol derivatives driven by only light, circumventing
the use of catalysts or additives.


Mobile interaction describes the interaction of human users with mobile devices outside of stationary settings like a desktop workstation. Since the introduction of modern smartphones a decade ago, the interaction with mobile devices has changed: users more and more communicate while being on the go. Hence, revisiting the fundamentals of technology-supported communication becomes necessary. When interacting with a device in the field, errors increasingly happen, since the user has to monitor their contextual surroundings, which binds mental resources. This thesis explores the interplay between the user's mental state (which results from limited mental resources), the contexts in the field, and mobile interaction. A particular focus is put on the occurrence of errors, which are examined on three levels: knowledge-based mistakes, rule-based mistakes, and skill-based slips [Rea90]. These errors can disrupt mobile communication. To explore the interplay as mentioned above, and the occurrence of errors, the prevalent method of this thesis are field studies. Since existing frameworks do not suffice to support mobile field studies as required by this thesis, the Open Source CoConUT field study framework is developed.
Overall, in this thesis, two field studies and two laboratory studies are conducted. The laboratory studies address aspects that cannot be tested in the field. Knowledge-based mistakes during mobile communication are assessed in a laboratory study since an extensive qualitative analysis is required. The occurrence of rule-based mistakes under stress is also tested in the laboratory since the probands had to remain seated. Finally, two consecutive field studies investigate the interplay of context, internal state, and interaction in commute-like situations. A second study places its focus on skill-based slips.
Findings reveal that at present users do not stop for typing on their smartphones any more during walking outdoors, despite physical activity and increased stress leading to a higher typing error slips. Stress also has a negative influence on the occurrence of rule-based errors. Additionally, erroneous mental models can lead to disrupted mobile communication due to incomplete or false knowledge. Overall, the CoConUT framework proves to be reliable to support mobile field studies, and an overview of the gathered sensor data is given. Consumer wearables like chest belts are considered to be a robust and affordable solution for measuring the user's arousal as an indicator of their internal state.
To conclude, the thesis provides essential contributions to understand mobile interaction in the field after the widespread adoption of mobile devices and puts a particular focus on the occurrence of different types of errors.


Three approaches to risk perception (RP), the psychometric, the Basic Risk Perception Model, and the social amplification of risk, are evaluated using four common criteria for scientific theories. All approaches are found to meet the criterion of describing a large set of data, and for the psychometric approach and the Basic Risk Perception Model, the criterion of parsimony is fulfilled. The criteria of falsifiability and generating testable hypotheses are not met by any of these approaches. It is concluded that there is not as much theory available in RP research as could be expected at face value, if theory is defined as statements about causal mechanisms generating testable hypotheses. These three approaches instead qualifies as models (here defined as mathematical descriptions of data).


The human eating of human beings is not confined to exotic peoples. It is part of the human condition. It occurs as a preferred form of protein consumption or as the result of extreme necessity, to absorb the virtues of others, to facilitate conception, for magicoreligious reasons, in warfare, famine, revenge, filial piety, and justice. Unique is the case of cannibalism for cargo reported here in which the eater suffered an overt psychosis before, during, and after the consumption, and whose goal was the acquisition of real and symbolic cargo as exemplified in the Melanesian cargo cult.


Introduction: The mission statement is part of the strategic planning in the organization. It sets the long-term goals of the company business. Organizations achieve their goals through the work of their personnel. Executives and employees should follow both short-term and long-term objectives. This is of great importance especially for multinational companies. Nevertheless, the problem that employees are mostly short-term oriented still arises in many organizations. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify how large multinational corporations implement the affirmations of their mission statements in their human resource practices. Design/methodology/approach: Descriptive approach and content analysis have been applied in this research. A comprehensive review of literature is presented with an aim to define the main terms used in this paper. We then describe a number of mission statements and decompose them to simple goals for the organization. The next stage of the study includes a thorough investigation of all declared human resources policies of the sample companies. We search for a link between all the goals set in the mission statement and the HR activities of the organization. Afterwards we compare the level, scope and areas of mission statements' implementation in the HR policies of the sample companies. We use this comparison to identify the ways in which different organizations cope with the problem of inducing their personnel to follow the global company goals. Finally, we propose specific human resource activities to address the identified gaps in the mission statements' implementation in the HR policies of the sample companies. Research limitations: The sample contains 25 large MNCs which have published their mission statements and HR polices. Therefore, only the declared policies concerning the organization's human resource management have been taken into consideration. Practical implications: The findings could be a useful input for MNCs' planning process, as well as an instrument for a better understanding of the personnel motivation towards achieving corporate goals. Originality/value: A rare comparative study of MNCs' mission statements implementation in HR policies, suggesting fruitful directions for future research. Future research: Future research suggestions include examining the link between the level of the mission statement's implementation in the HR policies and the company performance; could we use this as a key performance indicator; influence of mission statement's implementation in the HR policies on motivation, etc. Keywords : MNC, Mission Statement, HR Policies


vestigators has flourished, yet controversy exists regarding the ascertainment of frailty syndrome among older patients. The tools to assess frailty are numerous, and some of these tools may result in misclassification of frailty status in some patients.1 Kundi et al2 used administrative claims to identify frail individuals and evaluated whether this assessment of frailty status predicted outcomes among older patients with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia. The investigators used the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS), a clustering of diagnoses that were identified a priori using International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision codes, as markers for frailty.3 While HFRS may be a useful tool when using administrative codes to study older populations, the agreement between HFRS with measured frailty is quite low. Gilbert et al3 reported that the κ statistic for agreement was only 0.22 (95% CI, 0.15-0.30) when comparing the HFRS with a binary definition of frailty using the Fried frailty phenotype criteria (3 or more items present). While we believe the results of Kundi et al2 are useful for stratification and risk prediction, assessment of frailty syndrome using administrative data should use a better-validated tool.1,4


This study investigated the relationship of incidence, degree, and duration of PCD to age of the patient, time on cardiopulmonary bypass, mean arterial pressure on bypass, ICU time, and body temperature postoperatively. The study sample consisted of 50 open-heart surgery patients. The delirium assessment was made each evening for 7 days after operation. Manifestations of delirium were experienced by 72% of the sample. Incidence of PCD was related to blood pressure on bypass, age, and temperature on the third postoperative day. Using these variables as well as temperature on the first postoperative day, delirium was accurately predicted in 76% of the patients. Degree of PCD was related to age and time in ICU. Duration of delirium was related to age, ICU time, and temperature on the third postoperative day. Thus, the findings supported the multiple factor theory for etiology of PCD. Certain factors interacted to produce PCD, while different factors interacted to prolong and intensify the delirium produced.


Current industrial production of polymer resins is generally undertaken in large multi-tonne stirred tank reactors. These are characterised by relatively slow heating and cooling cycles, resulting in long vessel cycle times and extended production campaigns. In this work we present a design for a hybrid microwave/oil jacket proof of concept system capable of producing up to 4.1 kg of polymer resin per batch. By exploiting rapid volumetric heating effects of microwave energy at 2.45GHz, we have optimised the synthetic regime, such that a 3.7 kg batch of polyester resin pre-polymer can be made in only 8 hours 20 minutes, with higher molecular weight (Mn 2,100) compared to the conventional process taking 22 hours 15 minutes (Mn 1,200), yielding an increase in synthesis rate of at least 265%. The increase in polymer molecular weight also suggests a higher conversion was achieved over a shorter time scale.


This Essay, written as part of a Symposium celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, focuses on the elaboration of the Gideon right in the context of ineffective assistance of counsel litigation. First, I describe how ineffective assistance of counsel claims came to dominate and define federal habeas corpus litigation, changing the structure of state post-conviction rules in reaction to the new prominence of ineffective assistance of counsel claims at the federal level, expanding to consider assistance of counsel during plea bargaining, and raising complex questions for post-conviction courts. Despite the ubiquity of ineffective assistance of counsel claims, the constitutional test is shot through with a prejudice analysis, as well as with a set of strong substantive blinders: judgments that only certain types of failures by counsel will be regulated. Second, I ask whether the approach towards judging effectiveness of defense counsel could be "validated" by social science evidence, or at least be better informed by it. The bar has increasingly engaged with science and social science to provide improved standards for effective defense representation. In turn, social scientists might more closely study the effectiveness of defense lawyering across stages of the criminal process. Over time, this work may help to validate the right to counsel.