Low-temperature gasoline combustion (LTGC), based on the compression ignition of a premixed or partially premixed dilute charge, can provide thermal efficiencies (TE) and maximum loads comparable to those of turbo-charged diesel engines, and ultra-low NOx and particulate emissions. Intake boosting is key to achieving high loads with dilute combustion, and it also enhances the fuel's autoignition reactivity, reducing the required intake heating or hot residuals. These effects have the advantages of increasing TE and charge density, allowing greater timing retard with good stability, and making the fuel ϕ- sensitive so that partial fuel stratification (PFS) can be applied for higher loads and further TE improvements. However, at high boost the autoignition reactivity enhancement can become excessive, and substantial amounts of EGR are required to prevent overly advanced combustion. Accordingly, an experimental investigation has been conducted to determine how the tradeoff between the effects of intake boost varies with fuel-type and its impact on load range and TE. Five fuels are investigated: a conventional AKI=87 petroleum-based gasoline (E0), and blends of 10 and 20% ethanol with this gasoline to reduce its reactivity enhancement with boost (E10 and E20). A second zero-ethanol gasoline with AKI=93 (matching that of E20) was also investigated (CF-E0), and some neat ethanol data are also reported. Results show that ethanol content has little effect on LTGC autoignition reactivity for naturally aspirated operation, but it produces a large effect for boosted operation, with the reactivity enhancement with boost being reduced by an amount that correlates with ethanol content. In contrast, CFE0 showed a reactivity enhancement with boost similar to E0. Related to this autoignition enhancement, the effect of fuel-type on the increase in ITHR with boost was also investigated since it correlates with the ability to retard CA50 with good stability for higher loads without knock and to apply PFS effectively. The study showed that by adding ethanol, less EGR is required with boost, leaving more oxygen available for combustion. As a result, the high-load limit could be increased from 16.3 to 18.1 to 20.0 bar IMEPg for E0, E10, and E20, respectively, and to 17.7 bar for the high-AKI gasoline. TE vs. load curves for the various fuels at typical boosted conditions are also presented and discussed. At boosted conditions, PFS was found to be very effective for increasing the TE, with the peak TE increasing from 47.8% for premixed fueling to 48.4% with PFS, and TE improvements up to 2.8 %-units were achieved at higher loads.


Abstract Managers making decisions may benefit from a well-informed understanding of a species' population size and trends. Given the cryptic nature and habitat characteristics of the western pond turtle (Emys marmorata), however, imperfect detection may be high and population estimates are frequently varied and unreliable. As a case study to investigate this issue, we used temperature dataloggers to examine turtle behavior at 2 long-term monitoring sites with different hydrological characteristics in Sequoia National Park, California, to determine if common stream-survey techniques are consistent with site-specific turtle behavior. Sycamore Creek is an intermittent stream that dries up every summer while the North Fork Kaweah River flows year-round. We found that while turtles spent most of the recorded time in the water (55% in Sycamore Creek and 82% in the North Fork Kaweah River), the timing of traditional surveys only coincided with the turtles' aquatic activity in the North Fork Kaweah River. At Sycamore Creek, turtles were most likely to be in the water at night. In contrast, failure to detect turtles in North Fork Kaweah River is likely owing to the larger size and complexity of the underwater habitat. In both streams, turtles were also more likely to be in the water in the weeks leading up to important changes in hydroperiods. Our findings illustrate the effects that differences in water permanence can have on turtle behavior within the same watershed and how phenotypic plasticity may then affect detection during surveys. Our study highlights the importance of tailoring survey practices to the site-specific behavioral traits of the target species.


Abstract On partially ordered set equipped with a partial metric, we study the sufficient conditions for existence of common fixed points of various mappings satisfying generalized weak contractive conditions. These results unify several comparable results in the existing literature.We also study the existence of nonnegative solution of implicit nonlinear integral equation. Furthermore, we study the fractal of finite family of generalized contraction mappings defined on a partial metric space.


The eightheditionof the Handbook ofClinicalDrug,Data ha~ been revised and expanded to provide even more valuable information to pharmacists, physicians, and otherhealthcare professional~ on the selection and useof medications. This resource has beenpubhshedfor over 20 years,and an estimated 200000 practitioners haveusedit as a p~ma ryclinical drugreference. As withprevious editions, th~ F!andbook.ts organizedinto two majorparts(drugmonographs and climcal.drug information) withappendices. However, therehavebeenchanges In format to make the resourcemorelogicallyorganizedand the information more easily available.The drug monographs have been moved to the front section of the book (Part I) and are organizedby 10major drug categories. New monographs have been added, and the previous monographs havebeenupdated andexpanded. Eachmonograph continues to include basic informationabout the medication (e.g.,pharmacology, dose and administration, adverse effects, monitoring parameters); however,sections havebeencreated andexpanded. Information on drug interactions and specialpopulations (e.g., pediatrics,pregnancy) are moreexiensive. Muchof this information w~s in earliereditions, butwas located in chapters specifically dealing withthat issue(Part II). The integration of this information into the monographs makes the information morereadily retrievable in a patient-specific situation. The"notes"section, which appears at the end of eachmonograph, has beenincluded in theearliereditions, but is worthy of discussion becauseof its usefulness. The section provides information on distinguishingcharacteristics, therapeutic usefulness, relative efficacy, or noteworthy physiochemical properties, handling, storage,or cost.The resource also continues to include extensive tables on product comparisons amonga drugcategory, whichI consider one of the mostvaluable components.These tables allow the reader to quickly and easily examine several medications to aid in the selection of appropriate therapy. The secondpartof the book addresses general chapters on clinically relevant topics suchas drug-induced diseases, immunizations, and medical emergencies (e.g., poisoning). The amount of information is limited; however, the type of information continuesto be practicaland useful. The section also has several valuablecharts, including the childhood vaccination schedule and drugrisksin pregnancy. The appendices contain information on conversion factors, quickinformation on topics such as conversions, body surfaceareacharts,creatinineclearancecalculation,and normal laboratory values. The Handbook ofClinicalDrugDatacontinues to be a comprehensive.yet compactsourceof therapeutic information. The information is practical andthe reorganization of the texthasmadetheinformation easier to findand usein theappropriate selection anduseof medications.


Eighty seven psychrophilic bacterial strains, representing 85% of the total isolates,
were isolated from eleven sea ice cores collected from the region of Prydz Bay near
the Vestfold Hills, Eastern Antarctica during October-December 1993. The melt
water of a further seven sea ice cores, which had been stored at 4°C until return to
Australia, yielded only twelve psychrophilic strains (29% of total isolates). The
storage of sea ice samples prior to bacterial isolation therefore appears to effect the
survival and/or viability of psychrophilic isolates. Chemotaxonomic investigation of
selected strains, based on cellular fatty acid composition, identified isolates of the
Genera Flavobacterium-Cytophaga, Vibrio, Shewanella and Psychrobacter. Two
chemotaxonomic groups of Shewanella sp. were found to contain eicosapentaenoic
acid [20:5(03; EPA] while one group of Vibrio sp. produced docosahexaenoic acid
[22:6(.03; DHA].
The temperature-growth characteristics of three psychrophilic strains (ACAM 456,
JS6P2OrZB, JS3PST) and one psychrotolerant strain (ACAM 457) are described,
with the water activity-growth characteristics of ACAM 456. The theoretical
temperature range for growth of the strains appeared to be a function of T
MIN.
Current definitions of the term psychrophile were found to be inadequate when
applied to the cardinal growth temperatures determined for the strains examined.
ACAM 456 demonstrated a very low T miN (-27°C) but a narrow range of water
activity for growth (0.976 to 0.995). The potential effects of variations in
environmental temperature and salinity on psychrophilic growth are discussed.
De novo fatty acid synthesis of ACAM 456 was investigated using sodium [1-
14C]acetate, L[U-14C]leucine and L[U-I4C]serine as radioactive precursors.
ACAM 456 produced acyl components that constitute three different carbon chain
types: even-chain, odd-chain and iso-branched odd-chain fatty acids. The proportions
of these chain types varied according to growth temperature, nutrient stress and
growth on sole carbon sources. ACAM 456 manipulated the utilisation of fatty acid
primer molecules as an adaptive response to changes in environmental conditions. In
particular, the regulation of odd-chain length fatty acids is described as a novel
adaptational response. Investigation of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)
metabolism indicated that ACAM 456 tightly regulated the conversion of fatty acid
intermediates through the desaturation process. In particular, the conversion of
monounsaturated to diunsaturated fatty acids, and the conversion of triunsaturated
components to tetraunsaturated acyl residues appeared as two controlling
mechanisms for the biosynthesis of the long-chain PUFA EPA. -
The effect of culture conditions (such as temperature, culture volume, aeration and
sole carbon sources) on the fatty acid composition of ACAM 456 were investigated,
together with the effect of salinity on the fatty acid composition of a psychrophilic
halophile strain EAS1. The fatty acid composition of the major phospholipid classes
of ACAM 456 was determined, and the phospholipid speciation of ACAM 456,
ACAM 459 and EAS1 was investigated by fast atom bombardment-mass
spectrometry (FAB-MS) and fast atom bombardment-tandem mass spectrometry
(FAB-MS-MS).
The non-saponifiable lipid compositions of twenty three bacterial strains isolated
from Antarctic sea ice were analysed. Eleven strains produced a novel highly
unsaturated straight chain hydrocarbon as the major non-saponifiable lipid
component. The compound was identified as hentriacontanonene (n-C3 1:9) and its
occurrence correlated with the production of PUFA by the bacterial strains.
Strain ACAM 456 was trialed as a feed for cultures of the rotifer Brachionus
plicatilis. Incorporation of EPA, along with bacterial fatty acid "markers", was
evidenced from ACAM 456 feed to the rotifers. ACAM 456 represents a potential
alternative enrichment feed for the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis under culture
conditions similar to those employed in many Australian mariculture operations.


Conventional time domain reflectometry (TDR) for measurement of water content typically uses a parallel waveguide buried in the material under test, and provides a measure of the mean permittivity and hence water content of a volume surrounding the waveguide. Here we describe an alternative arrangement whereby the waveguide is positioned outside the material. With the altered arrangement, the mean near-surface water content may be deduced using a modeling technique. However, by making measurements at several different positions of the waveguide relative to the material, we show that combining forward modeling with an inversion technique enables the near-surface water content profile to be determined. Using laboratory measurements, we demonstrate that for a coarse-grained soil, an accuracy of 2% volumetric water content is feasible when using an accurate time domain reflectometer, a selfcalibration technique and the Topp equation for translation of real permittivity to soil water content. We then outline two improvements on the modeling and inversion techniques. The first is a simplification of the forward problem that reduces the size of the field matrix and the number of unknown variables. We then describe how combining the simplification with alternative approaches to the inverse calculation can yield improvements in calculation time.


This book tells the fascinating story of Chicago's Jewish gangsters from Prohibition into the 1980s. The book traces these gangsters through the lives, criminal careers, and conflicts of Benjamin "Zukie the Bookie" Zuckerman, last of the independent West Side Jewish bosses, and Lenny Patrick, eventual head of the Syndicate's "Jewish wing." These two men linked the early Jewish gangsters of the neighborhoods of Maxwell Street and Lawndale to the notorious Chicago Outfit that emerged from Al Capone's criminal confederation. Focusing on the murder of Zuckerman by Patrick, the book introduces us to the different models of organized crime they represented, a raft of largely forgotten Jewish gangsters, and the changing nature of Chicago's political corruption. Hard-to-believe anecdotes of corrupt politicians, seasoned killers, and in-over-their-heads criminal operators spotlight the magnitude and importance of Jewish gangsters to the story of Windy City mob rule. With an eye for the dramatic, the book takes us deep inside a hidden society and offers glimpses of the men who ran the Jewish criminal community in Chicago for more than sixty years.


The concept of governmentality has a textual and philosophical basis as well as being concerned with what might be called the practices of government. This article discusses and develops the governmentality argument with respect to the guru-led movements. It outlines the basics of Michel Foucault's concept of governmentality, its analytical frame, the fact that governmentality moves beyond only the practices of the state and its nuances in a neoliberal frame of reference, drawing on Zygmunt Bauman and others. It then discusses the governmentality of guru-led movements through: (1) the political acts and powers of the gurus; (2) the supplementary and complementary efforts to aid the state by the guru-led movements; (3) instances of resistance and taking on the state, and (4) the flipside of governmentality, which manifests as hegemony, Hindutva politics and Hindu nationalism. Through the governmentality argument, aspects of the surveillance, discipline, control, interactivity and competition of the guru-led movements emerge. What is discussed is a post-disciplinary model of governance which devolves power downwards from crumbling state institutions to new agencies of control, in this case, the gurus and their institutions. This devolution, however, is not without its tensions and the article also argues that guru governmentality betrays traces of hybridity and non-linearity.


The mortgage remains one of the most common and successful techniques to finance real estate transactions. In the last 25 years, mortgage loans have also been sold in the secondary market and included in mortgage-backed securitizations. The amazing growth of mortgage securitizations has also led to the development of novel financing techniques, including mezzanine financing and preferred equity investments. This article discusses the historical development of real estate financing from the early beginning of mortgage law and the equity of redemption through the modern advent of mortgage-backed securitizations (MBS) and other non-traditional financings. It argues that the phenomenal success of real estate securitizations along with the growth and power of the national credit rating agencies gave birth to two new popular non-traditional financing techniques - mezzanine loans and preferred equity investments. Employing a detailed explanation of the legal structure and basic underpinnings of mezzanine loans and preferred equity investments, this article argues that lawyers carefully structure mezzanine loans and preferred equity investments to avoid many of the borrower protections associated with junior mortgages, and that these new financing techniques are simply modern day mortgage substitutes. The article concludes that courts should apply traditional property law and recharacterize these financings, thereby treating junior mortgages, mezzanine loans, and preferred equity financings similarly.


A detailed survey of the effect of moisture on the CO2/N2 permeation and separation performance of Mobile Five (MFI) zeolite membranes in view of downstream postcombustion CO2 capture applications in power plants and incinerators is presented. The membranes, displaying a nanocomposite architecture, have been prepared on α-alumina tubes by pore-plugging hydrothermal synthesis at 443 K for 89 h using a precursor clear solution with molar composition 1 SiO2:0.45 tetrapropylammonium hydroxide:27.8 H2O. The synthesized membranes present reasonable permeation and CO2/N2 separation properties even in the presence of high water concentrations in the gas stream. A critical discussion is also provided on the technico-economical feasibility (i.e., CO2 recovery, CO2 purity in the permeate, module volume, and energy consumption) of a membrane cascade unit for CO2 capture and liquefaction/supercritical storage from standard flue gases emitted from an incinerator. Our results suggest that the permeate pressure should be kept under primary vacuum to promote the CO2 driving force within the membrane. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 58: 3183–3194, 2012


Two strains of fixed rabies virus were examined for their ability to regenerate defective interfering (DI) particles and for possible correlation of DI particle production with the expression of virulence. A plaque-purified stock of the attenuated ERA strain (ERApp), which characteristically caused an auto-interfering death response in adult mice inoculated i.c., was serially passed at a high m.o.i. inBHK-21 cells. By the sixth passage, DI particles were regenerated that corresponded in sedimentation velocity and DI/RNA size to the smallest of three sizes of DI particles produced by the parental stock virus. The regeneration of ERA DI particles in vivo was not detected during 15 serial high or low m.o.i. passages of infected newborn mouse brain, though the passaged virus consistently elicited an auto-interfering-type death response when assayed in adult mice. The attenuated Flury HEPpp strain regenerated up to three unique size classes of DI particles during serial passage in BHK-21 or murine neuroblastoma C1300 clone NA cells compared with the one band of DI particles produced by the parental Flury HEP stock virus. The BHK-21 cell-adapted Flury HEPpp virus failed to kill adult mice when inoculated at high concentrations after two serial passages in NA cells. However, the virus became fully virulent and a single band of regenerated DI particles was visible. Additional bands of defective particles were visible following the third serial passage in NA cells. Single-stranded RNA with a mol. wt. of 0.62 x 10(6) was extracted from the first DI particle population to be regenerated. This corresponded in mol. wt. to the DI/ssRNA characteristic of the parental attenuated Flury HEP virus. However, in the parental type DI/RNA, partially dsRNA could be isolated in addition to ssRNA. Double-stranded RNA could not be detected in the regenerated DI particles derived from the virulent NA cell-propagated Flura HEPpp virus. These results suggest that the virulence phenotype of fixed rabies viruses does not depend on the presence or absence of DI particles.


In summary, bad behavior is prevalent in many acute care settings. Kupperschmidt (2006) once asked if it would take a mandate from a regulatory agency to get nurses to address horizontal hostility. Perhaps the answer to that question is "Yes" and we now have that mandate. Nursing Managers and Executives are challenged to demonstrate competence in effective behavior management. Role modeling integrity by adherence to standards and governing policies motivates employees to follow such examples. Inspiring environments that allow professionals to share talents and skills in a "safe" culture of practice promotes healthy work environments and defines successful behavior management.


Ninety‐seven alien plant species were found in habitats provided by rocks and walls around 56 castles in Germany. Compared to Central European agriophytes (i.e. alien species naturalised in natural vegetation), the flora adjacent to castles had more species introduced before 1500. More alien species introduced earlier were found at castles built earlier compared to castles built later. Fifty percent of the species introduced before and during the Middle Ages were usable plants at that time, compared to 20% of usable plants among the native species in the same habitats. Species introduced earlier were mainly used for medication and nutrition, whereas later introductions were used for ornamental purposes. Compared to the total alien flora of Germany, there were more useable species at the castles, nearly the same percentage of ornamentals and fewer plants without use. These results imply that the species composition of alien species growing in the vicinity of medieval castles today may be traced back to the historical reasons for their introduction to these places.


Most neurons in the external and internal segments of the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra pars reticulata (GPe, GPi, and SNr) are characterized by a high-frequency discharge (HFD) rate (50-80 Hz) that, in most GPe neurons, is also interrupted by pauses. Almost all (approximately 90%) of the synaptic inputs to these HFD neurons are GABAergic and inhibitory. Nevertheless, their responses to behavioral events are usually dominated by increases in discharge rate. Additionally, there are no reports of prolonged bursts in the spontaneous activity of these cells that could reflect their disinhibition by GPe pauses. We recorded the spontaneous activity of 385 GPe, GPi, and SNr HFD neurons during a quiet-wakeful state from two monkeys. We developed three complementary methods to quantify the balance of increases and decreases in the spontaneous discharge of HFD neurons and validated them by simulations. Unlike the behavioral evoked responses, the spontaneous activity of pallidal and SNr neurons is not dominated by increases. Moreover, the activity of basal ganglia neurons does not include bursts that could reflect disinhibition by the spontaneous pauses of GPe neurons. These findings suggest that the discharge increase/decrease balance during a quiet-wakeful state better reflects the inhibitory input of the HFD basal ganglia neurons than during responses to behavioral events; however, the GPe pauses are not echoed by comparable bursts either in the GPe or in the output nuclei. Changes in the excitatory drive of these structures (e.g., during behavioral activity) thus may lead to a remarkable change in this balance.


Biomedical signals (BSs), which give information about the normal condition and also the inherent irregularities of our body, are expected to have non-stationary character due to the time-varying behavior of physiological systems. The Fourier transform and the short time Fourier transform are the widely used frequency and time-frequency analysis methods for extracting information from BSs with fixed frequency and time-frequency resolution respectively. However, in order to derive relevant information from non-stationary BSs, an appropriate analysis method which exhibits adjustable time-frequency resolution is needed. The wavelet transform (WT) can be used as a mathematical microscope in which the time-frequency resolution can be adjusted according to the different parts of the signal. The discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is a fast and discretized implementation for classical WT. Due to the aliasing, lack of directionality and shift-variance disadvantages, the DWT exhibits limited performance in the process of BSs. In literature, an improved version of the DWT, which is named as Dual Tree Complex Wavelet Transform (DTCWT), is employed in the analysis of BSs with great success. In this study, considering the improvements in embedded system technology and the needs for wavelet based real-time feature extraction or de-noising systems in portable medical devices, the DTCWT is implemented as a sub-system in field programmable gate arrays. In proposed hardware architecture, for every data input-channel, DTCWT is implemented by using only one adder and one multiplier. Additionally, considering the multi-channel outputs of biomedical data acquisition systems, this architecture is designed with the capability of running in parallel for N channels.


By studying the energy of neutron star matter, we discuss the nuclear symmetry energy at different baryon densities and different coupling constants in the relativistic mean field approximation. The results show that the symmetry energy increases with baryon density at various coupling constants and incompressibilities. Furthermore, the symmetry energy at saturation density increases with increasing incompressibility at fixed d, and decreases at fixed c. Specifically, when coupling constants gv and gs are fixed, respectively, the symmetry energy has a little change with increasing incompressibility. It is demonstrated that the NN coupling constants have greater influences on the symmetry energy than the self-coupling constants.


ABSTRACT During blood infection, malarial parasites use d-glucose as their main energy source. The Plasmodium falciparum hexose transporter (PfHT), which mediates the uptake of d-glucose into parasites, is essential for survival of asexual blood-stage parasites. Recently, genetic studies in the rodent malaria model, Plasmodium berghei, found that the orthologous hexose transporter (PbHT) is expressed throughout the parasite's development within the mosquito vector, in addition to being essential during intraerythrocytic development. Here, using a d-glucose-derived specific inhibitor of plasmodial hexose transporters, compound 3361, we have investigated the importance of d-glucose uptake during liver and transmission stages of P. berghei. Initially, we confirmed the expression of PbHT during liver stage development, using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) tagging strategy. Compound 3361 inhibited liver-stage parasite development, with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 11 μM. This process was insensitive to the external d-glucose concentration. In addition, compound 3361 inhibited ookinete development and microgametogenesis, with IC50s in the region of 250 μM (the latter in a d-glucose-sensitive manner). Consistent with our findings for the effect of compound 3361 on vector parasite stages, 1 mM compound 3361 demonstrated transmission blocking activity. These data indicate that novel chemotherapeutic interventions that target PfHT may be active against liver and, to a lesser extent, transmission stages, in addition to blood stages.


This article analyses the dynamic of new enterprise creation in Rio Grande do Sul, measured by the business start-up rate in relation to the number of pre-existing firms and also relative to the labour force. The analysis shows that business start-up rates are not homogeneous regionally or across sectors. It also identifies a relation between regional economic growth and the business start-up rate, which depends on the rate of renewal of the enterprise base and fundamentally on the entrepreneurial drive of local workers, which affects the degree to which enterprise creation rates converge between regions. The results also show that an increase in the business start-up rate improves regional economic performance after a period of time.


Dentists and many staff enjoy characteristics of work associated with high levels of satisfaction and performance. Although value can be added to oral health care professionals' jobs through enlargement, enrichment, rotations, and autonomous work groups, there are limits to these techniques. Controlling work performance by means of rewards is risky. Probably the most effective means of adding value to jobs is through the Quality of Work Life approach, concentrating on job design and placement to make work meaningful and autonomous and to provide feedback.


The chemical model of aluminum vapor plasma, that take into account the formation of neutral and charged clusters, is suggested. Caloric and thermal equations of state and composition of plasma were received using the available information about properties of metal clusters. It is shown, that aluminum vapors are clusterized with decrease of temperature and with increase of density. Pressure dependence on internal energy is calculated and comparison with experimental data is made. The important role of aluminum clusters, especially in an initial phase of the metals vapor heating, is demonstrated. It is shown, that the region of plasma clusterization in gaseous phase agree with known literature data for binodal of vapor-liquid transition from gaseous region. Suggested cluster model may be used to forecast the location of metal vapors binodal. The conductivity of aluminum vapor plasma was calculated. The satisfactory agreement with available experimental data is received. PACS. 52.25.Kn Thermodynamics of plasmas – 52.25.Fi Transport properties


Fishing communities around the Indian Ocean were severely affected by the December 2004 tsunamis. Programs for rebuilding coastal fisheries livelihoods need to address the pre-tsunami situation that was characterized by overfishing and degraded natural resources. Adopting appropriate strategies to ensure sustainable livelihoods will require community involvement, as well as cross-sectoral, integrated planning and management at ascending government levels. Key recommendations from the WorldFish Center study Sustainable Management of Coastal Fish Stocks in Asia are presented to encourage discussion and debate.


In an effort to realize quality education for secondary school level, the Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MOEST) recognized the urgent need to improve teachers' capacities; consequently it has been providing in-service training (INSET) for all Science and Mathematics teachers in Kenya. The INSET was implemented through the SMASSE programme where teachers attend training sessions aimed at skill improvement and developing capacity to deliver the curriculum. The core purpose of this study was to establish the impact of SMASSE INSET course for Science and Mathematics teachers in public secondary schools in the performance of their task. The research design to be used in this study was descriptive survey. The target population comprised the Science and Mathematics teachers in all public secondary schools in the larger Baringo District. The sample size of the schools used in the study was obtained through stratified simple sampling. The actual sample size was 40 teachers who got the opportunity to give their views on impact of SMASSE training in-service course. The research instruments used were questionnaires where closed and open-ended questions were drawn for Science and Mathematics teachers, students and principals. Descriptive. statistics was used to present the data. It was expressed in tables showing mean, frequency and percentages. Data from the questionnaires were analyzed using statistical package for social Science (SPSS).The findings of the study showed a high positive change in work performance after SMASSE training. Therefore SMASSE training contributed greatly to the positive work performance. It can be recommended that SMASSE training, should be offered continuously to reinforce the positive performance however control and feedback mechanisms should be strengthened in order to check setbacks like poor enrollment in physics and the low mean score in sciences and mathematics


This is an introduction to small divisors problems. The material treated in this book was brought together for a PhD course I tought at the University of Pisa in the spring of 1999. Here is a Table of Contents: Part I One Dimensional Small Divisors. Yoccoz's Theorems 1. Germs of Analytic Diffeomorphisms. Linearization 2. Topological Stability vs. Analytic Linearizability 3. The Quadratic Polynomial: Yoccoz's Proof of the Siegel Theorem 4. Douady-Ghys' Theorem. Continued Fractions and the Brjuno Function 5. Siegel-Brjuno Theorem, Yoccoz's Theorem. Some Open Problems 6. Small Divisors and Loss of Differentiability Part II Implicit Function Theorems and KAM Theory 7. Hamiltonian Systems and Integrable Systems 8. Quasi-Integrable Hamiltonian Systems 9. Nash-Moser's Implicit Function Theorem 10. From Nash-Moser's Theorem to KAM: Normal Form of Vector Fields on the Torus Appendices A1. Uniformization, Distorsion and Quasi-conformal maps A2. Continued Fractions A3. Distributions, Hyperfunctions. Hypoellipticity and Diophantine Conditions


Shrunken Pore Syndrome was defined in 2015 and is characterised by the glomerular filtration of 5-40 kDa molecules being selectively decreased compared to that of molecules <0.2 kDa, e.g. water and creatinine. The diagnose is based upon identification of a decreased eGFRcystatin C/eGFRcreatinine ratio, and ratios -< 0.6 or 0.7 have most often been used to identify the diagnose. The mortality is strongly increased in all investigated populations and increases progressively with a decrease in the eGFRcystatin C/eGFRcreatinine ratio used to identify the syndrome. The prevalence of the syndrome varies with the eGFRcystatin C/eGFRcreatinine ratio used for diagnosis, but when a ratio of 0.6 is used, the prevalence has varied between 2 and 8%. The pathophysiology might be the accumulation of atherosclerosis-promoting proteins occurring in patients with the syndrome. The syndrome might explain the superiority of eGFRcystatin C over eGFRcreatinine in identifying high-risk kidney patients. (Less)


This research examines academic challenges faced by students in Higher Education during COVID-19 pandemic. The population of the study consisted of undergraduates, postgraduates and lecturers in selected universities in Uganda. The researchers adopted qualitative approach which involved the use of questionnaire and interview. 120 students and 10 lecturers participated in the study. Questionnaires using a 5 point Likert-scale were administered to all 120 respondents while interviews were conducted with 5 undergraduates, 5 postgraduates and 10 lecturers. Data analyses indicated seven main academic challenges faced by students in higher education during COVID-19 pandemic namely: lack of e-learning facilities, financial constrain, Conducive environment, teachers attitude, learning new skills, lack of interest and stress and anxiety. Based on the findings, there is need for adjustment requiring all tiers of education to respond to a new and evolving strategy in order to have a continuous flow in education process, making education accessible, affordable, anytime and anywhere, mitigating and restraining the effects of any gaps created by any form of disruption in education system.


High intake of red meat or processed meat is associated with increased risk of colon cancer. In contrast, consumption of white meat (chicken) is not associated with risk and might even reduce the occurrence of colorectal cancer. We speculated that a diet containing beef or bacon would increase and a diet containing chicken would decrease colon carcinogenesis in rats. One hundred female Fischer 344 rats were given a single injection of azoxymethane (20 mg/kg i.p.), then randomized to 10 different AIN-76-based diets. Five diets were adjusted to 14% fat and 23% protein and five other diets to 28% fat and 40% protein. Fat and protein were supplied by 1) lard and casein, 2) olive oil and casein, 3) beef, 4) chicken with skin, and 5) bacon. Meat diets contained 30% or 60% freeze-dried fried meat. The diets were given ad libitum for 100 days, then colon tumor promotion was assessed by the multiplicity of aberrant crypt foci [number of crypts per aberrant crypt focus (ACF)]. The ACF multiplicity was nearly the same in all groups, except bacon-fed rats, with no effect of fat and protein level or source (p = 0.7 between 8 groups by analysis of variance). In contrast, compared with lard- and casein-fed controls, the ACF multiplicity was reduced by 12% in rats fed a diet with 30% bacon and by 20% in rats fed a diet with 60% bacon (p < 0.001). The water intake was higher in bacon-fed rats than in controls (p < 0.0001). The concentrations of iron and bile acids in fecal water and total fatty acids in feces changed with diet, but there was no correlation between these concentrations and the ACF multiplicity. Thus the hypothesis that colonic iron, bile acids, or total fatty acids can promote colon tumors is not supported by this study. The results suggest that, in rats, beef does not promote the growth of ACF and chicken does not protect against colon carcinogenesis. A bacon-based diet appears to protect against carcinogenesis, perhaps because bacon contains 5% NaCl and increased the rats' water intake.


Not satisfied with the assertion that museums have taken great strides in becoming representative, relevant and open in their preoccupations, A Museum in Public contends that the supposedly public nature of their institutional role continues to be a rhetorical one. This book critically examines museums as institutions of the public sphere, questioning what assumptions are made about the publicness of their operations.

Using as a case study the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Canada's largest museum, the book interrogates the public nature and political dynamics of the ROM as it completed a multi-million dollar architectural project and adopted a new vision of the museum. Providing an engaged cultural analysis of how publicness is reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of management, staff and visitors, Ashley claims that museums often function as a boundary zone between the needs and concerns of the public and ideas of publicness that serve corporate and managerial interests and practices. Asking the reader to seriously consider whether the ideals of contact zone and engagement are practically possible within an administrative setting, the book offers insights into how museums might achieve political publicness through transparent, open and democratic communicative action.

A Museum in Public raises questions at the intersection of disciplines and, as a result, will appeal to academics, researchers and postgraduates in a number of fields, including: museum studies, heritage studies, cultural studies, cultural policy, public policy, political science, sociology, geography, architecture, art history, public history, tourism studies, and cultural management.


: Problems of perfecting diagnosis of colorectal cancers are discussed with a view to identification of follow-up groups and improvement in methods for X-ray examination and subsequent diagnostic procedures. Double-contrast enema examination should be preferred in those at high risk for cancer of the large bowel. Follow-up groups were identified on the basis of risk factors. Patients' preparation for double-contrast enema including saline and contact purgatives, residue-free diet and hydration is described. The composition of a high-contrast barium suspension is given. The method of primary double-contrast enema, the required projections and other roentgenologic technicalities, which ensure the diagnostic value of the procedure are discussed. Complex syndrome-based roentgeno-endoscopic examination programs are suggested.


1. Following major disturbances ecosystem development occurs but in the prolonged absence of disturbance a decline (retrogressive) phase follows in which productivity and nutrient availability diminishes. Although it is recognized that litter quality and decomposition rates decrease as retrogression proceeds, little is known about the extent to which this is driven among- vs. within-species variation across these sequences. 2. We selected six long-term chronosequences that each included retrogressive stages, in New Zealand, Hawaii, Sweden, Alaska and Australia. Two involve significant species turnover across the sequence so that different species dominate at different stages, two involve low species turnover so that the same dominant species occur at all stages, and two involve some turnover of species but with certain species persisting throughout most of the sequence. 3. For each chronosequence, we collected litter from each dominant plant species at each stage of that sequence. For each litter collection we measured concentrations of N and P, and performed laboratory decomposition bioassays to measure mass loss, N and P loss, and the response of mass loss to mixture with litters of coexisting species. 4. We found that litter N and P concentrations often declined with increasing ecosystem age, both among- and within-species. However, the relative importance of among- and within-species effects varied across the six chronosequences. Rates of litter mass, N, and P loss during decomposition sometimes decreased with increasing ecosystem age, but most often at the among-species rather than the within-species level. 5. Litter mixing effects often varied across chronosequence stages, but the magnitude and direction of these effects was inconsistent among sequences. Variation in litter mixing effects across chronosequence stages was driven mainly by among- rather than within-species variation. 6. Although several recent studies have emphasized the role of within-species variation on ecosystem properties, our results point to among-species variation as a consistently important ecological driver, with within-species variation being important only for some variables and in some instances. As such they highlight that decomposition processes are most likely to be highly responsive to gradients of soil fertility (such as across chronosequences) when significant species turnover occurs across the gradient.


The adsorption of Cd(II) from aqueous solution by synthesized zeolite NaX from coal gangue was investigated in a batch adsorption system. The studies include both equilibrium adsorption isotherms and kinetics. Different isotherm models were examined and the adsorption isotherm could be best represented with Langmuir. The adsorption kinetic experimental data were found to be better fitted with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. An intra-particle diffusion model was employed to investigate the adsorption mechanism. The results showed that the intra-particle diffusion step was not the only rate limiting step. According to the Langmuir equation, the maximum adsorption capacity was 38.61 mg/g, suggesting that zeolite NaX synthesized from coal gangue can be used as a potential green alternative for the removal of Cd(II) from aqueous solution.


On the base of the physical analytical models based on Poisson's equation, drift–diffusion and continuity equations the forward current–voltage characteristics of 6H-SiC and 4H-SiC type Schottky diode with Ni and Ti Schottky contact have been simulated. It is shown on the base of analysis of current–voltage characteristics in terms of classical thermionic emission theory it is shown that the proposed simulation model of Schottky diode corresponds to the almost "ideal" diode with ideality factor n equals 1.1. Because of this it is determined that the effective Schottky barrier height φB equals 1.57 eV and 1.17 eV for Ni/6H and Ti/4H silicon carbide Schottky diode type, respectively.


Purpose: To determine if variations in literacy scores of children are associated with particular profiles of determinant factors of food choice. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a validated questionnaire to measure a series of determinant factors of vegetable and fruit consumption (family environment, neophobia, peer influence, preferences, nutritional awareness, perception of intake), and an aspect of food knowledge (ability to recognise specific vegetables and fruits) in two groups of children aged 7-8 years (grade 4, n=23) and 10-11 years (grade 7, n=30). These were then compared to literacy scores for each subject using a standard literacy assessment tool (St Lucia Reading Comprehension Test). Results: The most striking relationship was a strong positive correlation (r=0.821) between literacy scores and ability to recognise various vegetables and fruits in grade 7 boys (p<0.005). In grade 7 girls there was a positive relationship (r=0. 530) between literacy level and perception of intake (p<0.05). Importantly, literacy scores were significantly different between genders in the older age group. Conclusions: Literacy-based nutrition education forms a large part of the way information about food and nutrition is communicated and interpreted into action. This study reports that variations in literacy scores were associated with some determinant factors of food choice. Thus, balance between literacy-based cf experiential nutrition education may be a key consideration according to both age and gender. Analysis of a larger sample size and broader age range is required to confirm these results.


This paper analyzes the effect that the imminent reform of the EU sugar beet regime will have on United Kingdom (UK) sugar beet farms. Specifically, we estimate a multi-product cost function to analyze the effect the changes on the sugar beet price support and quota will have on the crop allocation of sugar beet farms and their aggregate use of inputs. Based on these estimates we discuss the implications that changes in the crop patterns may have on farm environmental variables such as soil loss and groundwater pollution.


The development within the offshore wind sector towards more powerful turbines combined with increasing water depth for new wind parks is challenging both the designer as well as the manufacturer of bottom fixed support structures. Besides XL-monopiles, the market developed an innovative and economic jacket support structure which is based on automatically manufactured tubular joints combined with standardized pipes. Besides the improvements for a serial manufacturing process the automatically welded tubular joints show a great potential in terms of fatigue resistance e.g. due to a smooth weld geometry without sharp notches. However, these benefits are not considered yet within the fatigue design process of automatically manufactured jacket substructures according to current standards due to the lack of suitable S-N curves. Therefore, 32 axial fatigue tests on single and double-sided automatically welded tubular X-joints have been performed to determine a new hot spot stress related S-N curve. Based on these constant amplitude fatigue tests a new S-N curve equal to a FAT 126 curve was computed which implicitly includes the benefits of the automatically welding procedure.


The complexity of human behavior challenges our explanatory powers. Yet, in this day and age we desperately try to manage and control the behavior of our corporate citizens through rules, codes, systems and procedures alike. This study is an illustration that true human behavior cannot simply be controlled by (more of) such rules. Instead, it is driven by many psychological, cultural, contextual, and environmental factors – amongst which, cultural differences. The focus of this study is the influence of cross-national cultural differences in the context of the professional behavior of auditors, based on the central question: Is auditors' professional behavior affected by cross-national cultural differences, and, if so, how? Being based on grounded theory, in part validated within an international accounting organization, this study is the first to provide a more profound, in-depth, and contextualized analysis and understanding of the effect of cross-national cultural differences on the behavior of professionals in general, and that of auditors in particular. This study illustrates that international standards are often culture-bound and culture-blind: behavioral drivers, such as one's cultural programming, determine professional behavior and lead to differences in the interpretation and application of rules and standards. Professional skepticism, knowledge sharing, and partner involvement in the audit team are some of the more significant areas in which the behavior of auditors differs across cultures and are affected by cross-national cultural differences. On a broader level this study is also a call for better recognition of behavioral drivers in the work of professionals and gatekeepers.


The aerial parts of Tanacetum balsamita subsp. balsamita were collected at full flowering stage from Tabriz, Iran. The essential oil was isolated by hydrodistillation and analyzed by combination of capillary GC and GC-MS. Twenty seven components were identified, representing 99.2% of the total oil. Carvone (51.0%), beta-thujone (20.8%), 1,8-cineole (4.4%) and alpha-thujone (3.2%) were the main components. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of T. balsamita subsp. balsamita was studied against eight Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, B. pumulis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and three fungi (Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus niger). The results of the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil according to the disc diffusion method and MIC values indicated that the oil exhibited moderate to high antimicrobial activity. The in vitro toxicological study based on the MTT cytotoxicity assay on human fetal skin fibroblast (HFSF) and Monkey kidney (Vero) cell lines showed IC50 values of 2500 and 1250 microg/mL, respectively.


Landfill and incineration are the primary disposal practices for municipal solid waste (MSW) and have been considered as the critical reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, the possible transmission of ARGs from the municipal solid waste treatment system (MSWT system) to ambient air is still unclear. In this study, we collected inside and ambient air samples (PM10 and PM2.5) and potential source samples (leachate and solid waste) in the MSWT system. The results showed that the MSWT system contributed to the increased ambient airborne bacteria and associated ARGs. Forty-one antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) harboring blaTEM-1 were isolated, and the full-length nucleotide sequences of the blaTEM-1 gene (harbored by identical bacillus) from air (downwind samples) were 100% identical with those in the leachate and solid waste, indicating that the MSWT system was the important source of disperse bacteria and associated ARGs in the ambient air. The daily intake (DI) burden level of ARGs via PM inhalation was comparable with that via ingestion of drinking water but lower than the DI level via ingestion of raw vegetables. The antibiotic-resistant opportunistic pathogen Bacillus cereus was isolated from air, with a relatively high DI level of Bacillus via inhalation (104-106 copies/day) in the MSWT system. This study highlights the key pathway of airborne ARGs to human exposure.


Purpose To examine the usefulness of various receptor tyrosine kinase expressions as prognostic markers and therapeutic targets in muscle invasive urothelial cancer (UC) patients. Materials and Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of 98 patients with muscle invasive UC who underwent radical cystectomy between 2005 and 2010 in Yonsei Cancer Center. Using formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues of primary tumors, immunohistochemical staining was done for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3). Results There were 41 (41.8%), 44 (44.9%), and 14 (14.2%) patients who have over-expressed HER2, FGFR1, and FGFR3, respectively. In univariate analysis, significantly shorter median time to recurrence (TTR) (12.9 months vs. 49.0 months; p=0.008) and overall survival (OS) (22.3 months vs. 52.7 months; p=0.006) was found in patients with FGFR1 overexpression. By contrast, there was no difference in TTR or OS according to the HER2 and FGFR3 expression status. FGFR1 remained as a significant prognostic factor for OS with hazard ratio of 2.23 (95% confidence interval: 1.27–3.90, p=0.006) in multivariate analysis. Conclusion Our result showed that FGFR1 expression, but not FGFR3, is an adverse prognostic factor in muscle invasive UC patients after radical cystectomy. FGFR1 might be feasible for prognosis prediction and a potential therapeutic target after thorough validation in muscle invasive UC.


: According to recent market studies of the North American company Allied Market Research, the field of photonic sensors is an emerging strategic field for the following years and it is expected to garner $18 billion by 2021. The integration of micro and nanofabrication technologies in the field of sensors has allowed the development of new technological concepts such as lab-on-a-chip which have achieved extraordinary advances in terms of detection and applicability, for example in the field of biosensors. This continuous development has allowed that equipment consisting of many complex devices that occupied a whole room a few years ago, at present it is possible to handle them in the palm of the hand; that formerly long duration processes are carried out in a matter of milliseconds and that a technology previously dedicated solely to military or scientific uses is available to the vast majority of consumers. The adequate combination of micro and nanostructured coatings with optical fiber sensors has permitted us to develop novel sensing technologies, such as the first experimental demonstration of lossy mode resonances (LMRs) for sensing applications, with more than one hundred citations and related publications in high rank journals and top conferences. In fact, fiber optic LMR-based devices have been proven as devices with one of the highest sensitivity for refractometric applications. Refractive index sensitivity is an indirect and simple indicator of how sensitive the device is to chemical and biological species, topic where this proposal is focused. Consequently, the utilization of these devices for chemical and biosensing applications is a clear opportunity that could open novel and interesting research lines and applications as well as simplify current analytical methodologies. As a result, on the basis of our previous experience with LMR based sensors to attain very high sensitivities, the objective of this paper is presenting the route for the development of label-free optical waveguide sensing platform based on LMRs that enable to explore the limits of this technology for bio-chemosensing applications.


A significant source of errors in Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems is due to pronunciation variations which occur in spontaneous and conversational speech. Usually ASR systems use a finite lexicon that provides one or more pronunciations for each word. In this paper, we focus on learning a similarity function between two pronunciations. The pronunciations can be the canonical and the surface pronunciations of the same word or they can be two surface pronunciations of different words. This task generalizes problems such as lexical access (the problem of learning the mapping between words and their possible pronunciations), and defining word neighborhoods. It can also be used to dynamically increase the size of the pronunciation lexicon, or in predicting ASR errors. We propose two methods, which are based on recurrent neural networks, to learn the similarity function. The first is based on binary classification, and the second is based on learning the ranking of the pronunciations. We demonstrate the efficiency of our approach on the task of lexical access using a subset of the Switchboard conversational speech corpus. Results suggest that on this task our methods are superior to previous methods which are based on graphical Bayesian methods.


A portable fiber SERS probe has been developed based on Ag nanorod array fabricated by oblique angle deposition. The incoming laser beam was designed to focus onto the Raman substrate at 45 degrees incident angle in order to maximize surface enhanced Raman scattering signal. With a fiber Raman system, a detection sensitivity of 10(-17) moles for trans-1, 2- bis(4-pyridyl)ethane molecules has been demonstrated. This Raman probe can also be used for in situ measurement for samples in aqueous solution. Such a fiber probe has great potential as a portable and remote sensor for on-site biological or chemical detection.


Symbolic links make the Unix file system non-hierarchical, resulting in multiple valid path names for a given file. This ambiguity is a source of confusion, especially since some shells work overtime to present a consistent view from programs such as pwd, while other programs and the kernel itself do nothing about the problem.

Plan 9 has no symbolic links but it does have other mechanisms that produce the same difficulty. Moreover, Plan 9 is founded on the ability to control a program's environment by manipulating its name space. Ambiguous names muddle the result of operations such as copying a name space across the network.

To address these problems, the Plan 9 kernel has been modified to maintain an accurate path name for every active file (open file, working directory, mount table entry) in the system. The definition of 'accurate' is that the path name for a file is guaranteed to be the rooted, absolute name the program used to acquire it. These names are maintained by an efficient method that combines lexical processing--such as evaluating .. by just removing the last path name element of a directory--with local operations within the file system to maintain a consistently, easily understood view of the name system. Ambiguous situations are resolved by examining the lexically maintained names themselves.

A new kernel call, fd2path, returns the file name associated with an open file, permitting the use of reliable names to improve system services ranging from pwd to debugging. Although this work was done in Plan 9, Unix systems could also benefit from the addition of a method to recover the accurate name of an open file or the current directory.


This book revises the picture of the teacher and educator of princes, Vittorino Rambaldoni da Feltre (c. 1378, Feltre -- 1446, Mantua), taking a completely new approach to show his work and life from the individual perspectives created by his students and contemporaries. From 1423 to 1446, Vittorino da Feltre was in charge of a school in Mantua, where his students included not only the offspring of Italy's princes, but also the first generation of authors dealing with books in print. Among his students were historians like Bartolomeo Sacchi (named Platina), who wrote an extensive history of the popes, and mathematicians like Jacopo Cassiano (Cremonensis), who translated the work of Archimedes from Greek into Latin. Vittorino is still regarded as the educationalist of Italian Renaissance humanism per se. This work not only contributes to the study of the history of Italian humanist institutions, it also uses available sources to demonstrate the development of a new attitude to education in Italy.


The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of trans-resveratrol, a potent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive properties, naturally occurring in many fruits and plants on lymphocytes proliferation and also on macrophages metabolic and phagocytic activity. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the immunomodulatory effects of the compound on fish immunocompetent cells and determine the type of this interaction (immunosuppression or immunostimulation). Proliferative activity of lymphocytes was studied by MTT assay, and the respiratory burst was evaluated using the respiratory burst activity (RBA) test. Phagocytic killing was tested using the PKA test. The experiment have shown that trans-resveratrol suppressed blood B cells, while there was no significant influence on blood T lymphocytes. However, insignificant stimulatory effect occurred at the lowest concentration. In addition, the compound inhibited proliferation of T and B lymphocytes isolated from the organs. Importantly, trans-resveratrol caused stimulation of blood and organs macrophages phagocytic killing, and also increased the respiratory burst of macrophages isolated from organ. These results suggest a potential use of trans-resveratrol as an immunomodulator of innate immunity in fish. This is particularly important, as this kind of resistance plays leading role in protecting the body against infection. In comparison, adaptive immunity is slower and also much less precise.


Ever since the time of Billroth, Hodgkin's disease, by general agreement, has been excluded from the category of surgical diseases. The reason for considering the disease as nonsurgical was due not so much to the technical difficulties entailed as to the unfavorable end-results. The fact that pathologists subsequently demonstrated that the disease might begin as an isolated lesion did not alter the surgical status of the disease. Apprisal of the occurrence of isolated lesions failed to modify previous opinion, because the organs described as the seats of primary involvement, such as the spleen, the liver, the bone-marrow and the lungs, either did not lend themselves to surgical extirpation or did not lead to clinical manifestations that might have permitted early recognition. In the past few years, a number of patients with isolated lymphogranulomatosis of the gastro-intestinal tract have been treated by radical resection, generally under a mistaken clinical diagnosis. The


In order to improve measurement in cross-cultural research it is necessary to find a reliable, ingroup-specific scale along with effective priming methods. It is hypothesized that the Family Allocentrism-Idiocentrism Scale (FAIS) will show convergent validity with the Self Construal Scale (SCS) and the Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Scale (HVICS) and that the pronoun circling task will be effective in changing perceptions of self-reported family connectedness as measured by the FAIS. The sample consisted of 58 university students recruited through e-mail. Results indicated that the pronoun-circling task was ineffective at changing perceptions of self-reported family connectedness. Furthermore, the results indicated that the FAIS had moderate convergent validity with the HVICS. However, the FAIS was found to significantly positively correlate with an unexpected subscale in the SCS therefore indicating poor convergent validity.


Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Skin cancers are classified as nonmelanoma and melanoma, with the first type being the most frequent and the second type being the most deadly. The key to effective treatment of skin cancer is early detection. With the recent increase of computational power, the number of algorithms to detect and classify skin lesions has increased. The overall verdict on systems based on clinical and dermoscopic images captured with conventional RGB (red, green, and blue) cameras is that they do not outperform dermatologists. Computer‐based systems based on conventional RGB images seem to have reached an upper limit in their performance, while emerging technologies such as hyperspectral and multispectral imaging might possibly improve the results. These types of images can explore spectral regions beyond the human eye capabilities. Feature selection and dimensionality reduction are crucial parts of extracting salient information from this type of data. It is necessary to extend current classification methodologies to use all of the spatiospectral information, and deep learning models should be explored since they are capable of learning robust feature detectors from data. There is a lack of large, high‐quality datasets of hyperspectral skin lesion images, and there is a need for tools that can aid with monitoring the evolution of skin lesions over time. To understand the rich information contained in hyperspectral images, further research using data science and statistical methodologies, such as functional data analysis, scale‐space theory, machine learning, and so on, are essential.


: Skin procollagens in two species groups of frogs of the genus Rana - brown frogs (4 species) and green frogs (3 species) distributed in European and Asiatic parts of the USSR have been compared. A geographic intraspecific variation in collagen characteristics (two geographic populations of the pond frog Rana nigromaculata) is revealed. Intergroup differences in the thermal denaturation of collagens established by means of methods of circular dichroism and microcalorimetry are significant. Such differences within both the groups are not so visible. With the species studied, carbohydrate components contents in procollagen vary. Interspecific differences in the procollagen thermostability correlate with the thermal ecology of frogs and seem to be associated with the availability of carbohydrates.


: The authors describe their experience with the using of Soviet made bioprosthesis of blood vessels made of skeleted conserved vein of the human umbilical vein showing its high effectiveness and positive properties such as: high thromboresistent properties of the bioprosthesis and its firmness, the absence of reaction of rejection and pronounced inflammatory reactions of the recipient organism to bioprosthesis, high possibility of the bioprosthesis in remote periods, its fitness for plasty of average diameter arteries.


Investigations of ruthenium halfsandwich complexes have mostly focused on Cp and Cp* based derivatives due to the availability of easily accessible starting materials. However, it is interesting to have complexes with substituted cyclopentadienyl ligands in order to study the influence of the π-ligand on the chemical behavior of the complexes, as well as to fine-tune their properties. During the course of this thesis, ruthenium complexes with novel, highly substituted cyclopentadienyl ligands ('Cp^') were prepared in one-pot syntheses from commercially available starting materials and under mild reaction conditions. The complexes are versatile starting materials leading to a variety of Cp^Ru complexes through facile ligand exchange reactions. The chemistry of Cp^Ru-complexes has been investigated and the general reactivity pattern was found to be similar to that of CpRu and Cp*Ru complexes. However, in several instances it was observed that the steric and electronic properties of the Cp^ ligand have a strong impact on the properties and chemical behavior of the complexes. As a consequence of the sterically demanding Cp^ ligand, coordinatively unsaturated complexes, that are otherwise inaccessible, have been stabilized. In addition, the presence of the Cp^ ligand resulted in unusual CO insertion reactions and in an unprecedented rearrangement of cyclooctadiene. Some Cp^Ru-complexes turned out to be very efficient catalysts for organic transformations such as the [2+2+2] alkyne cyclotrimerization and atom transfer radical cyclizations. Activation of molecular oxygen was also accomplished with Cp^Ru complexes. In vitro studies with Cp^Ru complexes have shown that they exhibit high cytotoxicity towards human cancer cell lines.


Signalling networks that control the life or death of a cell are of central interest in modern biology. While the defined roles of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway in regulating cell death have been well-established, additional factors that modulate JNK-mediated cell death have yet to be fully elucidated. To identify novel regulators of JNK-dependent cell death, we performed a dominant-modifier screen in Drosophila and found that the Toll pathway participates in JNK-mediated cell death. Loss of Toll signalling suppresses ectopically and physiologically activated JNK signalling-induced cell death. Our epistasis analysis suggests that the Toll pathway acts as a downstream modulator for JNK-dependent cell death. In addition, gain of JNK signalling results in Toll pathway activation, revealed by stimulated transcription of Drosomycin (Drs) and increased cytoplasm-to-nucleus translocation of Dorsal. Furthermore, the Spätzle (Spz) family ligands for the Toll receptor are transcriptionally upregulated by activated JNK signalling in a non-cell-autonomous manner, providing a molecular mechanism for JNK-induced Toll pathway activation. Finally, gain of Toll signalling exacerbates JNK-mediated cell death and promotes cell death independent of caspases. Thus, we have identified another important function for the evolutionarily conserved Toll pathway, in addition to its well-studied roles in embryonic dorso-ventral patterning and innate immunity.


Enforcement agencies increasingly disclose or "name and shame" corporate offenders. This article uses responsive regulation as a framework for an empirical study of the impact of non-anonymous publication of sanctions in the Dutch financial market. These publications are characterized as "naming without shaming", because they are used for technical guidance rather than with the intention to shame. The findings show that naming offenders functions as a general deterrent in the market for financial intermediaries, but considerably less so in the capital market. In both markets, the publication of sanctions weakened the impact of enforcement. In the capital market, the publications neutralized the seriousness of offenses and contributed to the image of the regulator as powerless. In the market for financial intermediaries, naming offenders was perceived as stigmatizing shaming and led to defiance, rather than compliance. The case study suggests, however, that the publication of sanctions may provide an opportunity for guidance, provided they contain a moral message, rather than technical instruction.


Motor neuron disease (MND) is a systemic disease with a broad clinical spectrum. It is characterized by primary involvement of the lower or upper motor neuron (UMN), or both, simultaneously, represented by the most common form, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is rapidly progressive and fatal disease that evolve to death due to respiratory failure, on average, in three to five years since the onset of symptoms. This fact attends to the early and correct diagnosis of the disease. Objective: To evaluate clinical, epidemiological and electrophysiological variables for the early diagnosis of ALS. Methods: This is an observational, descriptive and retrospective study, conducted from the collect of the database, in which the variables were submitted to statistical analysis: Mann-Whitney test and Fisher's exact test. Results: When correlating clinical, epidemiological and electrophysiological findings of patients with ALS and other forms of MND, the variables: age of onset of symptoms (P=0,02) hyperreflexia (P=0,001), presence of bulbar symptoms/signs (P<0,001), pathological reflexes (P=0.001), and presence of fasciculation in electromyography (P=0,001) presented statistical significance for the diagnosis of ALS. Conclusion: Despite the small sample size, the findings reinforce the importance of well- done neurological examination, to search for signs of involvement of the UMN, in the first evaluation of patients with suspected MND. And that more research is needed to better understand the different phenotypes of the disease in order to obtain an increasingly early diagnosis to offer improvements in the quality of life of thesepatients.


OBJECTIVE
To review the biomedical literature up to and including 2003, and determine the extent of the evidence related to the therapeutic application of chiropractic manipulation for paediatric health conditions. No critical appraisal of the evidence is undertaken.

DATA SOURCES
The indexed manual therapy sector including medical, chiropractic, physiotherapy, naturopathic and osteopathic literature was searched. This included PubMed; the Manual, Alternative, and Natural Therapy Index System; the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature; the Index to Chiropractic Literature; the Paediatric Economic Database Evaluation Project; the Cochrane Library; the Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment database; and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality database. Other resources included research conference and symposium proceedings, and the references of identified studies.

RESULT
The search identified 1731 articles, of which 166 met the eligibility criteria. Two reviewers determined by consensus each citation's appropriate level on the strength of evidence scale. There was one systematic review, nine randomized controlled trials, one observational study, 141 descriptive case studies and 14 conference abstracts.

SUMMARY
Health claims made by practitioners regarding the application of chiropractic manipulation as a health care intervention for paediatric health conditions are, for the most part, supported by low levels of scientific evidence. Chiropractors, in particular, employ manipulation for the treatment of a wide variety of paediatric health conditions. The evidence rests primarily with clinical experience, descriptive case studies and a few randomized controlled trials. There is a need for more rigorous scientific inquiry to examine the value of manipulative therapy in the treatment of paediatric conditions. To advance the health interests of paediatric patients, health care decisions made on the basis of expert opinion or clinical experience must integrate the best research evidence available from high-quality, scientific studies.


The objective of the present investigation was to develop in situ gelling nasal spray formulation of carvedilol (CRV) nanosuspension to improve the bioavailability and therapeutic efficiency. Solvent precipitation–ultrasonication method was opted for the preparation of CRV nanosuspension which further incorporated into the in situ gelling polymer phase. Optimized formulation was extensively characterized for various physical parameters like in situ gelation, rheological properties and in vitro drug release. Formation of in situ gel upon contact with nasal fluid was conferred via the use of ion-activated gellan gum as carrier. In vivo studies in rabbits were performed comparing the nasal bioavailability of CRV after oral, nasal, and intravenous administration. Optimized CRV nanosuspension prepared by combination of poloxamer 407 and oleic acid showed good particle size [d (0.9); 0.19 μm], zeta potential (+10.2 mV) and polydispersity (span; 0.63). The formulation containing 0.5% w/v gellan gum demonstrated good gelation ability and desired sustained drug release over period of 12 h. In vivo pharmacokinetic study revealed that the absolute bioavailability of in situ nasal spray formulation (69.38%) was significantly increased as compared to orally administered CRV (25.96%) with mean residence time 8.65 h. Hence, such in situ gel system containing drug nanosuspension is a promising approach for the intranasal delivery in order to increase nasal mucosal permeability and in vivo residence time which altogether improves drug bioavailability.


The current pandemic makes us feel helpless. We can respond to its predation pragmatically but its silent march through the population promotes dread. Our helplessness undermines our belief in our culture as the source of our self-esteem and felt significance. One response to our experience of helplessness is the omnipotent stance, the idea that we can master the virus, stop it in its tracks, command one another to comply with injunctions and wreak a path of destruction by devastating the economy. Omnipotence promotes magical thinking. In the service of defeating death, we ignore actual suffering; deaths of despair and deaths in nursing homes. There is an antidote to omnipotence: Look at our situation objectively, acknowledge its gravity, use our moral compass to assess impossible choices, and the tradeoffs they impose, and draw on our pragmatism and inventiveness to relax the tradeoffs. A model that Wharton school researchers developed provides a framework for looking at our situation objectively. It posits a tradeoff between deaths and livelihoods should we fully reopen the economy. Three estimates of the value of livesthe value of a "statistical life," the value of a statistical life-year and the value of a life based on highway fatalities,-together suggest to this author that we should fully reopen, with the precondition that we take six steps to protect seniors and hospital surge capacity. To arrive at such a choice we must navigate the moral terrain of sacrificing lives so that others may flourish. This entails examining our thoughts and feelings in response to the moral dilemmas we encounter. The paper is divided into five sections. The first introduces the paper. The second explores the theme of omnipotence. The third examines the role of culture in our battle against the death. The fourth takes us "beyond omnipotence." It does this by calculating life and death so that we can ground our moral reasoning and feeling in an objective understanding of our situation. The fifth section is an appendix that provides additional information.


Leader development serves as a strong focus in the mission statements of many business school programs. Looking at business school leader development programs through the lens of adult learning theory, we assert that there is an overreliance on cognitive training (e.g., lecture) as the primary form of education used in preparing future business leaders, neglecting other relevant learning orientations. In response, we advance a comprehensive model of business leader education and training that incorporates and integrates five primary orientations to adult learning (cognitivist, behaviorist, humanistic, social cognitive, constructivist). We argue that other professional training curricula, most notably, medical school and military education, draw more fully on these five orientations to adult learning and that these represent comparative models for what business schools could be doing in leader development. We conclude by providing concrete suggestions for how business educators might apply the model in their own programs.


In the pure functional language Haskell, nearly all side-effects that a function can produce have to be noted in its type. This includes input/output, propagation of a state, and nondeterminism. If no side-effects are noted, such a function acts like a mathematical function, i.e., mapping arguments to unique results. In that case, expressions in a program can be reasoned about like mathematical expressions. In addition to this socalled equational reasoning, the type system also enables type based reasoning. One example are free theorems – equations between expressions that are true only due to the types of the expressions involved. Some such statements serve as formal justification for optimization strategies in compilers. The thesis at hand investigates two generalizations of such methods for programs not free of side-effects, i.e., effectful programs. First, effectful traversals of data structures are being studied. The most important contribution in this part is that a data structure can be lawfully traversed if, and only if, it is isomorphic to a polynomial functor. This result links the widespread interface of traversing to a clear intuition regarding the structure and behavior of the data type. Furthermore, tools are presented facilitating convenient proofs about effectful traversals. Second, free theorems for the functional-logic language Curry are derived. Due to the close relationship between both languages, Curry can be understood as Haskell with built-in nondeterminism, i.e., a built-in side-effect. Equational and type based reasoning can both be adapted to Curry to a certain degree. In particular, short cut fusion – a very fertile runtime optimization – is enabled for Curry.


Joints held by polymeric adhesives are commonplace in many engineered products, but normal service can require exposure to environmental conditions that present a significant challenge for maintaining the structural integrity of the interface. In particular, aqueous environments can wreak havoc on the joint strength. Here, a mechanistic approach is used to understand the difference in the debonding behavior of an epoxy/aluminum (oxide) interface when exposed to deionized (DI) water and aqueous sodium chloride by correlating macroscopic failure with the sorption of salt and water into the adhesive and its nanoscale distribution. For the epoxy-aluminum system examined here, the presence of sodium chloride increases the resistance to crack growth in comparison to DI water. The debonding appears to be controlled by water near the buried interface. Salt water decreases the solubility of water in the epoxy and decreases the concentration of water near the buried interface, but the concentration of salt that enters the epoxy is below the detection limit. Thus, even if ions cannot penetrate or sorb into the adhesive, the presence of salt can significantly alter the water distribution within the adhesive and ultimately the strength of the joint. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 56:18–26, 2016. VC 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers


One of the many business concerns for a newly formed company or even for an existing company moving to the Maryland/Virginia area due to BRAC is the protection of intellectual property. Intellectual property is often a hidden or under exploited asset. Since 1980, entities doing business with the U.S. government can elect to retain title to the intellectual property that may be created during the performance of a contract with the government. While the government must typically be granted a license to use the intellectual property, the fact that the private entity can retain actual ownership is a powerful incentive to develop and exploit innovations. In general, trademarks protect consumer expectations while patents, copyrights, and trade secrets protect inventors, authors, and entrepreneurs. With regard to trademarks, typically, the government does not want to own the trademark, nor does it control the use of a trademark. A trademark is used to identify to the consumer the source of goods or services. In a government contract, appropriate use of a mark prevents faulty goods from being attributed to a legitimate contractor and avoids harm to the government recipient as well as to the reputation of the contractor. With regard to patents, there are particular, mandatory requirements in the acquisition regulations to secure rights and title in new technology. As many companies struggle to identify, manage, and protect their intellectual property in a variety of technologies, it is important for the contractor to work with the Contracting Officer and their own artisans to identify and protect their intellectual property developed during the performance of the contract, and to ensure the rights and obligations under the contract are secured. If a contractor determines that a new invention is created during the contract, the contractor must disclose the invention within two months after the inventor disclosed the invention internally, and then the contractor must elect whether or not to retain title to the invention. If the contractor elects to retain title, they must file a patent application within one year of the election. Additionally, the contractor must file interim reports periodically during the performance of the contract. The specification of any U.S. patent application under the contract and the resulting patent must include a statement that the government has certain rights in the invention. The contractor must institute internal program to ensure employee compliance with the acquisition rules at the risk of loss of title to the invention.


This thesis primarily comprises a review and analysis of evidence relating to the formation and early development of Henry Gardner's Trust for the Blind. This analysis is set within the context of Victorian philanthropy in general and charities for the blind in particular. Among the topics investigated are the differences between 'endowed' and 'voluntary' charities, developing attitudes to the 'problem of the blind', the relative position of the blind compared with other classes of the 'disabled' and the gradually declining numbers of the blind. The personal motivations of those most closely involved with the formation and management of Gardner's Trust are examined, together with the objectives that could reasonably have been set for the charity and whether they were achieved. An estimate is made of the importance of the support afforded by the trust to the existing colleges for the blind at Norwood and Worcester and where the trust was less prepared to be supportive. The relationships between the trust and other organisations, such as the Charity Organisation Society, are also reviewed. The impact on the charity of external factors such as changes in legislation affecting the blind and the economic environment is evaluated, along with the related topic of the investment strategy adopted by the trustees. Within the disparate universe of charities for the blind, a brief history of the Phoenix Home for Blind Women, later the Cecilia Charity for the Blind, is provided as a comparative case study. The main findings are that, after a period of great success and influence, the importance of the charity declined as a result of social, political and economic events, especially increasing State intervention and the ravages of inflation. Successive trustees failed to recognise the need to supplement the original endowment and reappraise the trust's objectives.


1 2 Abstract - This work analysed the changes that occur in kinetic-temporal parameters and the electromyographic activity of lower limb muscles during the performance of maximum Counter Movement Jumps (CMJ) done with and without muscular fatigue, to explain the changes in performance in both situations. The vertical strength of fifty jumps performed by ten male sportsmen before and after a fatigue protocol was regis- tered. Records of surface electromyography were obtained for six lower limb muscles; in addition, activation level and intermuscular coordination were analysed. For analysis purposes, negative and positive mechanic working times were considered separately. In both conditions, the temporal course of strength distribution is more important for the performance than any other instantaneous parameter. The negative external working time was significantly lower in fatigue conditions. The electromyographic analysis showed an increase in the activation level of all muscles studied and significant changes in the activation sequence. The specific kinetic-temporal variables were not good predictors of jump height. When CMJ is performed without muscle fatigue, a high value of active state favours the positive work. During fatigue, there could be a partial compensation of the performance due to the increasing activity of the contractile elements, although the activation sequence undergoes significant changes. Thus, the changes in performance would be mainly associated with the decrease in the capacity to transmit power in the proximal-distal direction.


Haskell is a popular choice for hosting deeply embedded languages. A recurring challenge for these embeddings is how to seamlessly integrate user defined algebraic data types. In particular, one important, convenient, and expressive feature for creating and inspecting data—pattern matching—is not directly available on embedded terms. We present a novel technique, embedded pattern matching, which enables a natural and user friendly embedding of user defined algebraic data types into the embedded language, and allows programmers to pattern match on terms in the embedded language in much the same way they would in the host language.


Introduction: Heart rate variability analysis is being widely used in the study of endocrine disorders such as hypothyroidism. It is well established that cardiac autonomic dysfunction occurs in hypothyroidism and is also confirmed in this study.
Aim: To find out the effectiveness of each time- domain parameters of short- term HRV analysis done in time-domain analysis method.
Materials and Methods: 25 Hypothyroid subjects are obtained (study group) from the department of endocrinology and metabolism, govt. Rajaji Hospital attached to Madurai Medical College, Madurai. And 25 normal subjects who are age and sex matched with the study group form the control group. All the persons are free from any other illness. Serum TSH levels are estimated in all the subjects. ECG recording in Lead II is performed in all the subjects using computerized ECG machine enabled with physio-pac software and time domain parameters are obtained by short term HRV analysis method. The results are tabulated and analysed by applying student- t test.
Results and Conclusion: Time domain parameters with increasing mathematical complexity (SDRR, RMSSD) yield good correlation between the two study groups.

Keywords: Hypothyroidism, Heart-rate variability, Time-domain analysis method, Serum TSH level.


Cholesterol oxidase (EC 22.214.171.124.) is an insecticidal protein known to have potent activity against the boll weevil, milder activity against a number of lepidopteran species, and virtually no activity against other insects. Several factors that could explain its species-dependent differential activity were examined. We compared cholesterol concentrations and rates of cholesterol oxidation in the midgut membranes from larvae of boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman), southern corn rootworm (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber), tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens Fabricius), and yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor Linnaeus). Results showed that cholesterol concentration alone could not account for the differences in insecticidal activity and that midgut brush-border membranes of all species tested were generally susceptible to oxidation by cholesterol oxidase in vitro. We also demonstrated that cholesterol oxidase stability in the midgut environment was similar for the species tested and thus could not account for the differential activity. However, comparison of the pH of the insect midgut fluids with the pH optimum of cholesterol oxidase indicated that the lower sensitivity of lepidopteran larvae to the enzyme may be partially due to the alkaline nature of their midgut environments. In some species, oxidation caused significant changes in the activities of brush-border membrane alkaline phosphatase, and these changes did correlate with the susceptibility of the insect to cholesterol oxidase. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 34:429–442, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.


Purpose The transition from medical school to residency is a critical step in the careers of physicians. Because of the standardized application process–wherein schools submit summative Medical Student Performance Evaluations (MSPE's)–it also represents a unique opportunity to assess the possible prevalence of racial and gender disparities, as shown elsewhere in medicine. Method The authors conducted textual analysis of MSPE's from 6,000 US students applying to 16 residency programs at a single institution in 2014–15. They used custom software to extract demographic data and keyword frequency from each MSPE. The main outcome measure was the proportion of applicants described using 24 pre-determined words from four thematic categories ("standout traits", "ability", "grindstone habits", and "compassion"). Results The data showed significant differences based on race and gender. White applicants were more likely to be described using "standout" or "ability" keywords (including "exceptional", "best", and "outstanding") while Black applicants were more likely to be described as "competent". These differences remained significant after controlling for United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 scores. Female applicants were more frequently described as "caring", "compassionate", and "empathic" or "empathetic". Women were also more frequently described as "bright" and "organized". Conclusions While the MSPE is intended to reflect an objective, summative assessment of students' qualifications, these data demonstrate for the first time systematic differences in how candidates are described based on racial/ethnic and gender group membership. Recognizing possible implicit biases and their potential impact is important for faculty who strive to create a more egalitarian medical community.


UNLABELLED
The Authors have studied the prevalence of Infectious and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) in a cohort of 109 Nigerian prostitutes and 37 extra communitarian drug addicts, with the aim to quantify the circulation of infectious and diffusive diseases in these groups of people.

RESULTS
HIV infection was diagnosed in 2 prostitutes (1.8%) and in 4 drug addicts (10.8%). In the female population it has not been evidence of STD, neither tuberculosis neither active infection from hepatitis virus B and C. In the drug addicts, in a single case it has been evidence active infection from HBV. The search of antibodies anti-HCV has turned out positive in 20 of 37 subject heads (54%). Neither case of tuberculosis nor of syphilis infection was diagnosed in the all population. The analysis of the collected data supplies elements for some considerations: HIV infection in young Nigerian prostitutes with short history is bounded (1.8%) and it correlates with the absence of sexually transmitted diseases (thanks to the use of condom). More in a generalized manner, they are young healthy women probably "selected" at the origin by people interested to protect them from diseases that would compromise their rendering. As far as the population of the drug addicts, the prevalence of HIV infection is meaningfully higher regarding that one of the Italian drug addicts observed in our Division and that their style of life hinders the access to the necessary therapeutic approaches.


This study examines the relationship between land degradation and economic development in Algeria using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) co-integration framework, and examine the existence of environmental Kuznets curve. The results based on the bound testing process endorse a long-run relationship between land degradation and economic development. Data were obtained from the FAO and World Bank Development Indicators for the period of 1970 to 2011. Importantly, our results reveal that land degradation insignificantly related to economic development, also, no evidence found for EKC hypothesis. Therefore, there is a dire need for technology improvement which may reduce the pressure on agriculture land demand and halt desertification.


Dependencies in a software project can contribute to unsatisfactory progress if they constrain or block the flow of work. Various studies highlight the importance of dependencies in the organisation of work; however dependencies in agile software development projects have not previously been a research focus. Drawing on three case studies of agile software projects, and the IS literature, this paper develops an initial taxonomy of agile software project dependencies. Three distinct categories of dependency are found: task, resource, and knowledge dependencies. This paper contributes to theory by providing a taxonomy of dependency types occurring in the area of agile software development. Practitioners can use this taxonomy as sensitising device to ensure they consider dependencies they might face that could hinder their projects, enabling them to take appropriate and timely mitigating action.


The paper investigates the role played by Friedman's interpretation of the Brazilian inflation in his 1967 formulation of the natural rate hypothesis and in his 1976 discussion of indexation and other institutional arrangements in the face of chronic inflation. It is argued that, as an empirical economist and in the absence of evidence from industrialized countries, Friedman found in the Brazilian 1964-66 stabilization episode significant support for his argument about inflation acceleration and a shifting Phillips curve. Friedman's interest in the Brazilian inflationary economy prompted him to visit the country in 1973. The context and implications of Friedman's Brazilian travel are also tackled in the paper.


ABSTRACT This article focuses on Iraqis in Jordan who intend to migrate further. It is maintained that the distinction between forced and voluntary migrations and the formal labels used to categorize migrants do not express the complexity of movements within and from the region. It is argued that movements out of Iraq and into Jordan, and further migrations to the West, are underpinned by more than one reason though triggered by force or violence. Indeed, the reasons urging movements of Iraqis in our study took different turns as people got to particular places and faced the context of reception there. We have identified challenges to Iraqi refugee integration and related them to the variety of intended and unintended fragmented movements that go together with multiple changes in formal migrant statuses. The article thus contributes to discussions on mixed migrations and fragmented migrations in the region and portrays the agency of Iraqis in migrating amidst the structural factor of force. The article also provides valuable contributions to discussions on fragmented journeys of would-be asylum seekers in the West.