Technology-based firms continue to compete primarily on innovation, and are continuously required to present new solutions to an exacting market. As technological complexity and specialization intensifies, firms increasingly need to integrate and co-ordinate knowledge by means of project groups, diversified organizations, inter-organizational partnerships, and strategic alliances. Innovation processes have progressively become interdisciplinary, collaborative, inter-organizational, and international, and a firm's ability to synthesize knowledge across disciplines, organizations, and geographical locations has a major influence on its viability and success.This book demonstrates how knowledge integration is crucial in facilitating innovation within modern firms. It provides original, detailed empirical studies of prerequisites, mechanisms, and outcomes of knowledge integration processes on several organizational levels, from key individuals, projects, and internal organizations, to collaboration between firms. It stresses the need to understand knowledge integration as a multi-level phenomenon, which requires a broad repertoire of organizational and technical means. It further clarifies the need for strong internal capabilities for exploiting external knowledge, reveals how costs of knowledge integration affect outcomes and strategic decisions, and discusses the managerial implications of fostering knowledge integration, providing practical guidance and support for managers of knowledge integration in high-technology enterprises.


Background According to Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, therapists are duty-bound to include children in decisions that impact them. Although occupational therapists champion client-centred, collaborative practice, there remains a paucity of studies detailing children's rights and experiences of decision-making in pediatric occupational therapy. Purpose This qualitative study described the decision-making experiences of children, parents and therapists in occupational therapy. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 participants (six children, five parents and six occupational therapists), and data analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Three themes emerged: 1) Goal-setting experiences; 2) Adults: child-rights gatekeepers or defenders? and 3) Decision-making in context. Findings suggest that decision-making is mostly adult directed, and children's voices are subsumed by adult-led services, priorities, and agendas. Implications Children's rights need to be embedded as an aspect of best practice in providing services that are child-centred in occupational therapy practices and education.


Friction characteristics of a low-steel friction material were examined to investigate creep groan phenomena. The amount of three ingredients (steel tiber. ZrSiO₄, cashew) were changed to produced test specimens using a constrained mixture design. Tribological properties of the friction material specimens were obtained by using a 1/5 scale dynamometer. Results showed that the amount of three different ingredients strongly affected the level of friction coefficient and the difference between the static friction coefficient and the kinetic friction coefficient (△μ). ZrSiO₄ and steel fiber tended to increase the average friction coefficient and aggravated the stick-slip phenomena and creep groan propensity. On the other hand. cashew tended to decrease average friction coefficient and △μ.


Chronic stress is endemic to modern society. If we could monitor our mental state, we may be able to develop insights about how we respond to stress. However, it is unfeasible to continuously annotate stress levels all the time. In the studies conducted for this dissertation, a minimally-invasive wearable sensor platform and physiological data processing methods were developed to analyze a number of physiological correlates of mental stress.
We present a minimally obtrusive wearable sensor system that incorporates embedded and wireless communication technologies. The system is designed such that it provides a balance between data collection and user comfort. The system records the following stress related physiological and contextual variables: heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory activity, electrodermal activity (EDA), electromyography (EMG), body acceleration, and geographical location.
We assume that if the respiratory influences on HRV can be removed, the residual HRV will be more salient to stress in comparison with raw HRV. We develop three signal processing methods to separate HRV into a respiration influenced and residual HRV. The first method consists of estimating respiration-induced portion of HRV using a linear system identification method (autoregressive moving average model with exogenous inputs). The second method consists of decomposing HRV into respiration-induced principal dynamic mode and residual using nonlinear dynamics decomposition method (principal dynamic mode analysis). The third method consists of splitting HRV into respiration-induced power spectrum and residual in frequency domain using spectral weighting method. These methods were validated on a binary discrimination problem of two psychophysiological conditions: mental stress and relaxation. The linear system identification method, nonlinear dynamics decomposition method, and spectral weighting method classified stress and relaxation conditions at 85.2 %, 89.2 %, and 81.5 % respectively. When tonic and phasic EDA features were combined with the linear system identification method, the nonlinear dynamics decomposition method, and the spectral weighting method, the average classification rates were increased to 90.4 %, 93.2 %, and 88.1 % respectively.
To evaluate the developed wearable sensors and signal processing methods on multiple subjects, we performed case studies. In the first study, we performed experiments in a laboratory setting. We used the wearable sensors and signal processing methods to discriminate between stress and relaxation conditions. We achieved 81 % average classification rate in the first case study. In the second study, we performed experiments to detect stress in ambulatory settings. We collected data from the subjects who wore the sensors during regular daily activities. Relaxation and stress conditions were allocated during daily activities. We achieved a 72 % average classification rate in ambulatory settings.
Together, the results show achievements in recognizing stress from wearable sensors in constrained and ambulatory conditions. The best results for stress detection were achieved by removing respiratory influence from HRV and combining features from EDA.


Recent work in video compression has shown that using multiple 2D transforms instead of a single transform in order to de-correlate residuals provides better compression efficiency. These transforms are tested competitively inside a video encoder and the optimal transform is selected based on the Rate Distortion Optimization (RDO) cost. However, one needs to encode a syntax to indicate the chosen transform per residual block to the decoder for successful reconstruction of the pixels. Conventionally, the transform index is binarized using fixed length coding and a CABAC context model is attached to it. In this work, we provide a novel method that utilizes Convolutional Neural Network to predict the chosen transform index from the quantized coefficient block. The prediction probabilities are used to binarize the index by employing a variable length coding instead of a fixed length coding. Results show that by employing this modified transform index coding scheme inside HEVC, one can achieve up to 0.59% BD-rate gain.


Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is mainly caused by an expansion of a cytosine-guanine-guanine (CGG) trinucleotide repeat (greater than 200) in the 5' untranslated region of the fragile X mental retardation 1 ( FMR1 ) gene resulting in gene silencing, methylation, and absence of FMRP. FXS involves a wide spectrum of phenotypes including intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), maladaptive behaviors or symptoms, social anxiety, mood disorders and physical features. Carriers of premutation alleles (55 - 200 CGG repeats) can manifest with neurodevelopmental phenotypes and are at risk for the neurodegenerative fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) and about 20% of women with a premutation develop fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI). These phenotypes are believed to be caused by a distinct molecular mechanism involving increased FMR1 mRNA production and toxicity. Premutation alleles are unstable and depending on the CGG length and the presence of AGG interruptions have the potential to expand to larger premutation or full mutation alleles during transmission from mothers to their children. The contraction of a CGG repeat allele, although rare, has been observed. Here, we report the case of a three-generation family, who was identified as part of a pilot study of newborn screening for FXS. Specifically, the maternal grandmother carried a premutation allele (109 CGG repeats), which contracted to an intermediate size allele (52 CGG repeats) in her son, the father of a newborn girl (proband). This allele expanded to a premutation allele of 59 CGG repeats in the proband newborn. A premutation allele of 61 CGG repeats was detected in the proband's sister who demonstrated social phobia but normal cognition. The proband newborn showed some fragile X associated physical stigmata but normal cognition. Intriguingly, all FMR1 CGG expanded allele showed no AGG interruptions. This case shows a remarkable instability of premutation alleles throughout the three generations likely arising from different mechanisms. J Med Cases. 2015;6(12):547-553 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2301w


Superior customer satisfaction provides a clear strategic advantage and an inimitable resource for a firm — particularly in today's complex and often uncertain markets. Two decades of academic research have quantified the impact of customer satisfaction on a number of beneficial customer behaviors and consequent financial performance. It is clear that firms that manage their customers as well as costs realize greater financial returns compared to firms that ignore customer satisfaction. In the pages that follow, we provide a strategic overview of this research to enable managers to use customer satisfaction in the strategic planning processes of their firms. After defining customer satisfaction, we discuss how customer satisfaction is measured and analyzed, provide an overview of research on antecedents and outcomes of customer satisfaction, and offer recommendations for managers on how to achieve a successful customer-focused strategy.


By separating two thin layers of superconductor with an insulating barrier, scientists at the European Space Agency have created an optical detector that can detect a signal as faint as a single photon and determine its wavelength. That combination of abilities is far beyond current astronomical detectors, and laboratories are now vying to fabricate large arrays of these devices, called superconducting tunnel junctions (STJs), which could capture complete images. If these efforts succeed--cooling the devices and taming their electronic noise may be stumbling blocks--STJs could revolutionize the search for faint galaxies, planets around other stars, and pulsars.


Received: July 2016, Accepted: October 2016 Background: Following the outbreak of eltor cholera in Iraq's Kurdistan, Iran was threatened through the western border. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the health system response of Marivan city in Kurdistan Province (Iran) as a risky gateway for the outbreak of eltor cholera epidemic in Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was implemented in Marivan in October 2012 in 6 steps with different methods of data gathering including situation analysis, and document and literature review. Case finding is important in controlling disease outbreak. We mention to case finding in the health system.in Marivan city. Results: During the Eltor epidemic in Marivan, Control measures, training actions, and coordination measures had been within and outside the organization such as the health system, municipality, police, industries, mine and trade, terminals and transportation, local radio, agriculture, and water and sewerage. To create an intersectional coordination for disease control, job description of the offices was issued by the governor to them, and the health system response was appropriate and timely in controlling the Eltor epidemic. Conclusions: After the outbreak of Eltor in Iraq and following the announcement of standby status by Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME), the health system of Marivan took steps to deal with the Eltor epidemic. We proposed the improvement of control measures and organizational coordination to control the probable outbreak. The appropriate strategies were presented to improve the performance of the health system and treatment in similar situations.


Protecting computing infrastructure is an expensive but necessary task. Companies that run their own computing infrastructure need to constantly vigilant in order to guard against intruders on their networks and groups or individuals that seek to intercept their communications. Companies turn to Firewall and Intrusion Detection System vendors to help them safeguard their information and infrastructure. These companies are putting their faith in expensive devices that attempt to distinguish between friendly and malicious traffic. Despite the expense and complexity of these systems, malicious users seem to find ways to avoid detection and news of massive breaches have become an almost daily occurrence. We propose to fundamentally change the way to look at information security. We highlight some of the fundamental flaws in current systems and expose risks that many experts know, but are not aware of.


The issue of resolving remote memory access contention on hardware distributed shared memory multiprocessors and the performance impact of implementing a contention resolution algorithm are focused. After summarising a multiprocessor architecture called the simultaneous multiprocessor optical exchange-bus (SOME-Bus), a simple but effective contention resolution algorithm that relies on the information of the number of messages in the channel queue reported by each node is presented. The algorithm detects potential hot spots and resolves contention using dynamic page migration protocol, and balances remote memory accesses across the nodes of the system. Simulations with eight parallel codes on a 64-processor SOME-Bus show that the algorithm yields significant performance improvements such as balanced-memory load, reduction in the execution times, number of remote memory accesses, average channel waiting times and average network latencies.


Our previous studies have identified that silencing oncoprotein 18 (Op18)/stathmin via RNA interference (RNAi) inhibited autocrine interleukin‑10 (IL‑10) and enhanced the sensitivity to Taxol in NCI‑H1299 non‑small cell lung cancer cells. In this study, whether autocrine IL‑10 regulates Op18/stathmin signaling in NCI‑H1299 cells was examined by neutralizing IL‑10 using a targeted antibody. In vitro neutralization of IL‑10 by anti‑IL‑10 antibody impaired the capacities of the NCI‑H1299 cells to proliferate, form colonies and migrate. Furthermore, the expression levels of caspase‑3 and ‑8, and sensitivity to Taxol were increased. Neutralizing IL‑10 downregulated Op18/stathmin expression and its phosphorylation at Ser25 and Ser63 sites, and suppressed the activities of upstream kinases, extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (ERK) and cyclin‑dependent kinase 1 (CDK1). In addition, neutralizing IL‑10 also reduced the expression levels of the transcription factor nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) and phosphorylation of its active subunit, p65 (Ser536). Furthermore, blocking NF‑κB signaling with PDTC also decreased the activities of ERK and CDC2 kinases, and decreases levels of autocrine released IL‑10 and its protein expression. Additionally, knocking down Op18/stathmin by RNAi reduced the expression levels of NF‑κB and IL‑10. Further animal experiments revealed that the number of neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes were all decreased in the blood of tumor‑bearing mice with NCI‑H1299 cell xenografts. Thus, the data suggested that autocrine IL‑10 regulates Op18/stathmin signaling via an IL‑10‑NF‑κB‑ERK/CDC2 axis, which regulates the malignant behaviors of NCI‑H1299 cells. A feedback regulation also exists between Op18/stathmin and autocrine IL‑10 signaling pathways in non‑small cell lung cancer cells.


Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 45, 2004

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Tissue factor (TF) is a cell surface receptor that plays a critical role in hemostasis by acting as the primary initiator of the extrinsic clotting cascade. TF has been shown to be overexpressed on tumor cells and intra-tumoral endothelial cells in most major tumor types. TF activity is thought to be a major contributor to the thrombotic complications of cancer and plays an important role in tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis. In these studies we sought to determine the anti-tumor and anti-metastatic activities of the anti-TF antibody CNTO 859. CNTO 859 is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to TF on cells with high affinity and inhibits TF activity by preventing Factor X from binding to the TF-Factor VIIa complex. CNTO 859 inhibits TF initiated coagulation of human plasma in vitro with an EC50 of 10 μg/mL. In the studies presented here we demonstrate that anti-TF therapy with CNTO 859 significantly inhibits the metastasis and growth of MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma xenografts in SCID/Beige mice. Pre-treatment of SCID/Beige mice with CNTO 859 (20 mg/kg, i.v.) two hours prior to tumor cell challenge prevented lung surface colonization by human MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cells introduced via the lateral tail vein. Inhibition of metastasis formation was virtually complete with approximately 1000-fold fewer observable lesions in the CNTO 859 treated groups (either single bolus or q7d x 8) relative to saline (p=0.006) or control antibody (p=0.004) treated cohorts (Wilcoxon rank sum test, n=8). In a second model, MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cells were orthotopically implanted into the mammary fat pad of SCID/Beige mice. Intravenous treatment with CNTO 859 was initiated 3 days after tumor cell implantation. Animals were dosed at 20, 10, 5, 1, and 0.1 mg/kg (q7d x 8). Tumor growth was potently inhibited by greater than 90% at all dose levels relative to control antibody treated animals (0.0031<p< 0.0106, Wilcoxon two-sample test using t-distribution). These results suggest an important role for TF in tumor metastasis and growth in these models and that CNTO 859 may have utility in treating human cancers in the clinical setting.


We extend and improve the existing characterization of the dynamics of general quadratic real polynomial maps with coefficients that depend on a single parameter $\lambda$, and generalize this characterization to cubic real polynomial maps, in a consistent theory that is further generalized to real $m$-th degree real polynomial maps. In essence, we give conditions for the stability of the fixed points of any real polynomial map with real fixed points. In order to do this, we have introduced the concept of Canonical Polynomial Maps which are topologically conjugate to any polynomial map of the same degree with real fixed points. The stability of the fixed points of canonical polynomial maps has been found to depend solely on a special function termed Product Position Function for a given fixed point. The values of this product position determine the stability of the fixed point in question, when it bifurcates, and even when chaos arises, as it passes through what we have termed stability bands. The exact boundary values of these stability bands are yet to be calculated for regions of type greater than one for polynomials of degree higher than three.


In recent years there has been disenchantment with the performance and relevance of customer satisfaction models in applied business contexts. An expected utility framework overcomes many of the weaknesses inherent in conventional customer satisfaction modelling and is introduced in the paper. The framework uses a three-stage designed choice experiment to assess the impact of disconfirmations and satisfaction on after experience choices. The impact of expectations, performance and satisfaction on future choices is estimated using summary statistics and binary logit models. Overall, satisfaction appears to have a significant impact on future choices although this impact does not appear to be linear. Updated expectations for the experienced brand also appear to be relevant in explaining post experience expected utility. The results provide insights for managers as to how product experiences and measured satisfaction can be used to provide essential input for decisions and to improve prediction of future key performance indicators.


We present the results of an inelastic neutron scattering study of calcite. A continuum of excitations is observed, coupled with a soft phonon mode. Similar excitation spectra have been found in a number of other materials, due to electronic effects. However, calcite is an insulator, and we suggest that our results can instead be explained by a rather unexpected solution of the conventional picture that arises from coupling between phonon and relaxation modes.


Despite a strong anthropogenic fingerprint on 20th Century wildland fire activity in the American West, climate remains a main driver. A better understanding of the spatio‐temporal variability in fire‐climate interactions is therefore crucial for fire management. Here, we present annually resolved, tree‐ring based fire records for four regions in the American West that extend back to 1400 CE. In all regions, years with high fire activity were characterized by widespread yet regionally distinct summer droughts. Overall fire activity was high in late Medieval times, when much of the American West was affected by mega‐droughts. A distinct decline in fire activity in the late 16th Century corresponds with anomalously low temperatures during the Little Ice Age and a decline in Native American fire use. The high spatiotemporal resolution of our fire record discloses a time‐frequency dependent climatic influence on wildfire regimes in the American West that needs to be accounted for in fire models.


OBJECTIVE
To describe de prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) and anemia in a sample of Mexican elderly population from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (Ensanut) 2012.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
1 920 subjects ≥60 years of age were included. Hemoglobin, serum concentrations of ferritin and CRP were measured. The risk for ID and anemia adjusted for potential confounders was assessed in logistic regression models.

RESULTS
The overall prevalence of anemia was 13.9%, 15.2% in males and 12.8% females. For ID, overall it was 4.2%, males 4.0% and females 4.3%. The greatest prevalence of ID was found in males and females over 80 years old (6.9 and 7.0%, respectively). ID was present in 1.5 of 10 Mexican elders with anemia.

CONCLUSION
The prevalence of anemia was high in the elderly, however the prevalence of ID was low; there is a need to further investigate the causes of anemia in this age group.


DOI: 10.21532/apfjournal.v6i1.191 ABTRACT Supervision from the Governor as the representative of the central government to the Regencies or cities below, becomes one of the factors in the consistency of development planning and budgeting, Sugiarto (2015). As a Regency with the highest growth rate in X Province, X Provinceshould pay attention to supervise local development planningin Y Regency to prevent Fraud. In fact, the role of the governor to supervise Y Regency still meet some obstacles. The analysis in this research is using the policy implementation model of Meter and Horn (1975), the supervision process by Griffin (2004) and the factors that influence the supervision of Tugiman (1996). Through a descriptive qualitative research approach, research analyses the implementation and the influencing factors of the implementation of the local development planning supervision policy of Y Regency by X Province. The results of the research show that policy implementation is not optimal and can be the starting point of fraud and corruption in local government. Some of the conditions that are not yet optimal in supervision include, dilemma in policy implementation, inaccurate determination of supervisory indicators, limitations in organizational structure, inappropriate monitoring budgeting mechanisms, and political bias between levels of government. Recommendations from this study include, government should to revise several regulations related to the role of the governor as the representative of the central government, revise indicators that related to local development planning supervision, work patterns that are not tied to organizational structures, preparation of SOPs and information systems that are used as tools for implementing supervision.


The peripheral apelin system plays a significant role in cardiovascular homeostasis and in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. However, the central effect of this neurohormonal system in neural control of cardiovascular function remains poorly understood. Thus, this study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of apelin in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) on blood pressure, cardiac function, and sympathetic nerve activity. Apelin mRNA and protein levels were detected with real-time RT-PCR and Western blots, respectively. Expression of apelin was significantly enhanced in the RVLM of spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) compared with normotensive Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats. To study the functional consequence of upregulated apelin expression, apelin was overexpressed by bilateral microinjection of the AAV2-apelin viral vector into the RVLM of WKY rats. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blots demonstrated that microinjection of AAV2-apelin into the RVLM resulted in a significant increase in apelin expression, which was associated with a chronic elevation in blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy. In addition, direct microinjection of exogenous apelin-13 (200 pmol in 50 nL) into the RVLM caused a 20 mm Hg elevation in blood pressure and a 24% increase in sympathetic nerve activity. The present study is the first to show that apelin expression is enhanced in the RVLM of SHR versus WKY rats and that overexpression of this gene in the RVLM results in chronic blood pressure elevation and cardiac hypertrophy in normotensive rats. Thus, the apelin system in the RVLM may play a very important role in central blood pressure regulation and in the pathogenesis of hypertension.


One of the most important social activities in the lives of human beings is conversation. Apart from thoughts and ideas, we can express our feelings and emotions by means of conversation. Moreover, since conversation is recognized as a reciprocal process, we can understand and grasp what the people involved in the interaction are displaying. Being all around us, conversation is a means which makes us social. Its description and analysis have become a concern for many scientists. For the past forty years, conversation has been a subject of study for sociologists, linguists and social psychologists. Since that time, we may speak of the emergence of conversation analysis (hereinafter referred to as CA).


Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and its subset, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), arise through a multistep process of genetic alterations as a result of exposure to environmental agents, such as tobacco smoke, alcoholic beverages, and viruses, including human papillomavirus. We and others have shown that the karyotypes of OSCC are near‐triploid and contain multiple structural and numerical abnormalities. However, despite a background of clonal chromosomal aberrations, individual cells within a culture express many nonclonal numerical and structural abnormalities, termed chromosomal instability (CIN). To evaluate CIN in oral cancer cells, we isolated clones from two OSCC cell lines and carried out classical cytogenetic analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization using centromere‐specific probes, and spectral karyotyping. We observed variation in chromosome number within clones and between clones of the same cell line. Although similar numbers of centromeric signals for a particular chromosome were present, "homologs" of a chromosome varied structurally from cell to cell (marker chromosome evolution) as documented by classical and spectral karyotyping. In addition to the numerical chromosome variations within a clone, we observed marker chromosome evolution by structural chromosome alterations. It appears that both intrinsic structural alterations and extrinsic cytoskeletal factors influence chromosome segregation, resulting in individual tumor cells that express unique karyotypes. We show that CIN and marker chromosome evolution are essential acquired features of neoplastic cells. Proliferation of this heterogeneous cell population may provide some cells with the ability to evade standard therapies. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Neurokinin-1 receptor-immunoreactivity is present on many neurons in the spinal cord. A population of cells which possess the receptor is located in laminae III and IV and these cells have dorsal dendrites that penetrate the superficial laminae (I and II) of the dorsal horn. Since the dendrites of these neurons traverse several laminae, it has been suggested that they might receive input from different classes of primary afferents that terminate in these laminae. The present study investigated the input which these cells receive from two types of primary afferents: those which contain substance P (and are thought to function as nociceptors) and those with myelinated axons that terminate in laminae III-V (most of which are low-threshold mechanoreceptors). With the immunofluorescence technique and confocal microscopy, all neurons of this type were found to receive contacts from substance P-immunoreactive varicosities and in most cases the contacts onto dorsal dendrites were very numerous. The great majority of substance P-immunoreactive varicosities which formed contacts were also calcitonin gene- related peptide-immunoreactive, indicating that they were of primary afferent origin. Combined confocal and electron microscopy revealed that synapses were present at sites of contacts between substance P-immunoreactive primary afferent boutons and the dendrites of the NK-1 receptor-immunoreactive cells. Some neurons of this type belong to the spinothalamic tract and cells retrogradely-labelled after thalamic injection of cholera toxin B subunit, were therefore examined for the presence of contacts from substance P-immunoreactive axon terminals. The results indicated that the spinothalamic tract neurons which possess the NK-1 receptor and have dorsally directed dendrites also receive contacts from substance P-immunoreactive axonal varicosities onto their dorsal dendrites. By using the transganglionic transport technique, input from myelinated primary afferents which were labelled by injection of cholera toxin B subunit into the sciatic nerve were also examined. Dual-immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy revealed the presence of contacts between labelled primary afferent terminals and all of the NK-1 receptor-immunoreactive cells examined, however these contacts were much less numerous than those which the cells received from substance P-containing primary afferents. Electron microscopy revealed that synapses were present at some of the contacts between the myelinated afferents and the NK-1 receptor-immunoreactive neurons. Since cells of this type were found to receive monosynaptic input from two different classes of primary afferents, (a major input from substance P-containing afferents and a less dense input from myelinated primary afferents) it can be concluded that they are likely to have wide-dynamic-range receptive fields but with a relatively strong nociceptive component.


BACKGROUND
We aimed to establish the association between adverse childhood experiences (maltreatment and household dysfunction) and pubertal maturation, which is associated with later health outcome(s).

METHODS
The 1958 British birth cohort (n = 17 638) includes all born in one week, March 1958, followed up to mid adulthood. Pubertal stage was rated by medical personnel at 11 and 16 years of age (y). Childhood maltreatment (neglect or abuse) and household dysfunction scores were constructed from information ascertained in childhood and at 45 y.

RESULTS
Childhood neglect, assessed at 7 y, was associated with late pubertal development on several markers after adjusting for early life circumstances: relative risk ratio (RRRadjusted) was 1.13 (95% CI: 1.06,1.21) and 1.06 (1.00,1.12) for late menarche and breast development (females) per unit increase in neglect score ranging 0-7, respectively; 1.14 (1.08,1.20) for late voice change and 1.07 (1.02,1.13) for pubic hair growth (males). The RRRadjusted for late pubic hair (females) and genitalia and facial hair (males) development was 1.04 (P = 0.052 to 0.085). Abuse score (0-3, for physical, sexual or psychological abuse) was associated in females with late menarche [RRRadjusted = 1.17 (1.01,1.36)] and in males with late pubic hair growth [RRRadjusted = 1.16 (1.01,1.34)] per unit increase, but not with other pubertal markers. Neither score (neglect or abuse) was associated with early puberty, but sexual abuse was associated with early [RRRadjusted = 1.86 (1.06,3.29)] as well as late menarche [RRRadjusted = 1.66 (1.02,2.71)] and witnessing abuse with early genitalia development [RRRadjusted = 1.57 (1.02,2.41)]. Household dysfunction score was not associated consistently with pubertal markers.

CONCLUSIONS
Cumulative neglect by 7 y was associated with delayed development of several pubertal markers. The underlying role of pubertal development in linking childhood neglect with future adult health warrants further consideration.


This Article begins with the premise that, despite political rhetoric and occasional prosecutions to the contrary, police brutality has been effectively decriminalized in this country. The Article adopts the Rodney King case as the paradigm for examining this phenomenon. Scrutinizing the culture and semantics of police brutality, the author concludes that a double standard of criminality exists in the United States, under which different rules apply to a police than to everyone else. This double standard is socially dysfunctional. Particularly among minorities, it leads to a sense of cynicism about our legal system that can result in civil disorder when properly fueled. More importantly, this double standard is morally wrong. Because existing measures, including civil suits and civilian review boards, have failed to deter police misconduct, the author suggests that only the realistic threat of criminal prosecution will actually deter police violence. Unfortunately, the close working relationship between the place and prosecutors continues to make it extremely unlikely that many prosecutors will ever mount a credible challenge to systemic police brutality. Although, at first glance, traditional judicial deference to prosecutorial discretion may appear to preclude other avenues for undertaking criminal prosecution of officers who engage in police brutality, the author suggests there is another approach - citizen access to the grand jury - that could help current imbalance. This Article examines the avenues available under current law by which victimized citizens may bring their cases before the grand jury, either directly or through the impaneling judge, even when such action is opposed by the public prosecutor. The author concludes that he only reason that citizens have pursued this option so infrequently is that neither the bar nor the general public is aware of it. Thus, the goal of the Article is to analyze the pertinent law and provide practicing attorneys - and their clients - with information on procedures for gaining access to the grand jury in their jurisdictions.


This article deals with the question of how directors' duties, as currently understood in English company law, are affected by the relevant provisions of EC Directive 2004/25 (the Directive), as implemented in the United Kingdom by the Companies Act 2006 (the CA). Directors' duties have traditionally been provided under common law, now codified under Pt 10 of the CA 2006. The "codified" duties are based on certain common law rules and equitable principles as they apply in relation to directors and have effect in place of those rules and principles as regards the duties owed to a company by a director. Section 170(4) of the CA 2006 requires these duties to be interpreted and applied in the same way as common law rules or equitable principles, and that regard must be had to the corresponding common law rules and equitable principles in interpreting and applying the codified general duties.

As such, it is still the law that fiduciary duties are owed to the company, and only owed to shareholders if a special factual relationship between the directors and the shareholders is established in a particular case. The analysis in this article seeks to highlight such special factual relationships in takeovers. A close evaluation of the general duties reveals that these corporate law duties do not sit properly with specific duties under takeover rules contained in the City Code on Mergers and Takeovers (the Code). This article argues that in codifying directors' duties and at the same time making rules implementing the Directive (rules contained in the Code), the CA 2006 creates a legal presumption that directors owe their duties to shareholders and other parties interested in takeover activities for which the company is involved. This article examines the complexity created by this dual codification of directors' duties and the Code, and suggests that directors' duties during takeovers should be treated as sui generis in order to align the Code with English company law.


When incubated in preconditioned medium, i.e. spent media from the hepatocellular carcinoma (PLC/PRF/5) cell cultures, human embryonic liver (HEL) cells differentiate and acquire oncologic phenotypes. This is caused by transcriptional alterations in fetal gene expression. This occurs when hepatocytes are proliferating rapidly and secreting alpha fetoprotein (AFP), and later when the quiescent state is reached with secretion of albumin (ALB). The present studies examined the parameters signaling oncologic transformation during liver cell differentiation in the conditioned medium. mRNAs coding for AFP, ALB and HBsAg were isolated from HEL, adult liver cells (ADLC) and from PLC/PRF/5 cells, respectively. cDNA molecules complementary to these polysomal mRNA molecules were constructed and labeled with 32P. These tracers were used to quantitate changes in cellular mRNA X AFP, mRNA X ALB and mRNA X HBsAg directly by DNA molecular hybridization during HEL cells cultivation in the preconditioned medium. Under these conditions, the changes in cellular mRNA X HBsAg and mRNA X AFP correlated with an increased tumorigenicity in athymic Nu/Nu mice, membrane galactosyltransferase and phospho-tyrosine kinase activities.


This article examines two primary data sets to identify the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on different sectors and vulnerable populations in Bangladesh. It attempts to identify how the trends in sectors such as agriculture, ready-made garments (RMGs), education, employment among youth, and women's participation have changed due to the pandemic compared to pre-Covid-19 levels. The results show that the agriculture and RMG sectors demonstrated resilience due to sustained government policies. In contrast, the other sectors, such as education, youth employment, and women's participation in the labour market, have been negatively affected, leaving a long-term consequence for the country's development. The article concludes with suggestions for inclusive and targeted policies, and community-based approaches to pre-empt new challenges to make development progress in Bangladesh.


In a recent paper, Friedman, Geiger, and Goldszmidt [8] introduced a classifier based on Bayesian networks, called Tree Augmented Naive Bayes (TAN), that outperforms naive Bayes and performs competitively with C4.5 and other state-of-the-art methods. This classifier has several advantages including robustness and polynomial computational complexity. One limitation of the TAN classifier is that it applies only to discrete attributes, and thus, continuous attributes must be prediscretized. In this paper, we extend TAN to deal with continuous attributes directly via parametric (e.g., Gaussians) and semiparametric (e.g., mixture of Gaussians) conditional probabilities. The result is a classifier that can represent and combine both discrete and continuous attributes. In addition, we propose a new method that takes advantage of the modeling language of Bayesian networks in order to represent attributes both in discrete and continuous form simultaneously, and use both versions in the classification. This automates the process of deciding which form of the attribute is most relevant to the classification task. It also avoids the commitment to either a discretized or a (semi)parametric form, since different attributes may correlate better with one version or the other. Our empirical results show that this latter method usually achieves classification performance that is as good as or better than either the purely discrete or the purely continuous TAN models.


Immunohistochemical techniques were used to investigate the origin of a spindle cell tumor in the anterior uveal tract of dogs and the influence of ultraviolet radiation on the development of this tumor. Thirteen tumors were identified from the 4,007 canine ocular samples examined at the Comparative Ocular Pathology Laboratory of Wisconsin between 1978 and 2005. Siberian Husky and Siberian Husky mix dogs were overrepresented (10/13 dogs, overall median age 10 years). Light microscopic evaluation (all dogs) and electron microscopy (2 dogs) were performed. Immunohistochemical staining included alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA), vimentin, S-100, desmin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), Melan A, microphthalmic transcription factor (MITF-1), protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5), laminin, gadd45, p53, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), anti-UVssDNA (antibody for detection of (6–4)-dipyrimidine photoproducts), and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). All tumors occurred in the iris with or without ciliary body involvement and were composed of spindle cells arranged in fascicles and whorls (variable Antoni A and B behavior). All tumors were positive when immunostained for vimentin and S-100. Nine of 13 tumors exhibited GFAP immunopositivity. All tumors were negative for SMA, desmin, Melan A, and MITF-1. Tumors were variably positive for PGP 9.5, laminin, gadd45, p53, PCNA, anti-UVssDNA, and TERT. Electron microscopy revealed intermittent basal laminae between cells. These tumors are morphologically and immunohistochemically most consistent with schwannoma. The relationship between spindle cell tumors of the anterior uvea of dogs, altered neural crest, blue iris color, and ultraviolet radiation has not yet been fully elucidated.


In this paper we describe a hybrid approach to improving semantic extraction from news video. Experiments show the value of careful parameter tuning, exploiting multiple feature sets and multilingual linguistic resources, applying text retrieval approaches for image features, and establishing synergy between multiple concepts through undirected graphical models. No single approach provides a consistently better result for every concept detection, which suggests that extracting video semantics should exploit multiple resources and techniques rather than a single approach.


We compared the relations of 4 blood pressure (BP) indexes (pulse pressure [PP], systolic BP [SBP], diastolic BP [DBP], and mean arterial pressure [MAP]) with 25-year mortality rates for coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all causes in younger, middle-aged, and older men and women by using data from a long-term prospective epidemiological study of employed persons who were screened between 1967 and 1973. A single supine BP measurement was obtained at baseline. Vital status was determined through 1995. We report on 5 groups (total, 28 360 participants) consisting of men age 18 to 39, 40 to 59, and 60 to 74 years and of women age 40 to 59 and 60 to 74 years who were not receiving antihypertensive treatment, had no history of CHD, and did not have diabetes. Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to determine multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios with a 1-SD higher value for each BP index; Wald &khgr;2 tests were used to compare the strength of relations. Relations of PP were less strong than were those of SBP for all end points in all age/gender groups. SBP or MAP showed the strongest relations to all end points in all age/gender groups (hazard ratio, 1.17 to 1.36). The relations of SBP to death were stronger than were those of DBP, except for middle-aged men and for CVD in women. DBP showed significant positive associations with death, after control for SBP, in middle-aged participants. In conclusion, these data indicate that the long-term risk of high BP should be assessed mainly on the basis of SBP or of SBP and DBP together, not on the basis of PP, in apparently healthy adults.


Theoretical abstractions, of many different aspects of search, have played a crucial role in driving research into human information seeking and retrieval forward. From models of the Information Seeking Process, to how we perceive search systems, these models help us to 1) conceptually formalise and separate aspects of the model's focus, 2) communicate more clearly about these aspects, 3) create hypotheses for subsequent research, and 4) produce implications for future systems. Implicit in these four aspects is that models and theories should have a focus and a purpose. After clarifying the relationships between models, theories, and meta-theories, this perspectives paper introduces the Tetris Model of Resolving Information Needs within the Information Seeking Process, the purpose of which is to better represent the behaviours around the Human Computer Interaction with Information Retrieval, which are often confounded within stage-based models of the Information Seeking Process. In particular, the possible sequence of actions performed by a searcher are typically linearly aligned from left-to-right, and thus imply a temporal progression. The differing focus of the Tetris model is to better capture the temporal experience of searching, by removing the implied progression of left-to-right. The aim of this perspectives paper, therefore, is to introduce this new Tetris Model, such that it can be used to formalise people's interactive experiences in a new way, so that we can more clearly communicate about them, create hypotheses from the model, and consider novel design implications based upon it.


OF THESIS THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIOINDEXICAL INFORMATION ON THE SPEECH PERCEPTION-PRODUCTION LINK: EVIDENCE FROM A SHADOWING TASK The body of work on speech perception demonstrates the ability of listeners to utilize both visual and acoustic information in their processing of a given speech signal. More recent studies have established that listeners are sensitive to cues in both these modalities which inform their perception of a speaker's identity in parallel with the linguistic message, but the relationship between social information in perception and production together is unclear. This study reports the results of an experiment designed to test the hypothesis that expectations about a speakers identity is able to influence a listener's perception and production of speech in tandem. The shadowing task addresses the degree to which listeners faithfully reproduce L2 accented English when presented with four ethnically distinct faces in congruent and incongruent auditory-visual pairs in a within-subject design. Analyses of the degree of acoustic similarity to model talkers in speakers' imitations revealed a slight average trend toward convergence on vowel spectra, vowel duration, and average fundamental frequency. Significant predictors of the degree of change in a speaker's production were shown to be the vowel quality measured and the voice presented, but these predictors were agnostic with respect to whether these changes represented phonetic convergence or divergence. The variance in degree of similarity suggests that speakers' convergence is subject to linguistic selectivity, but it is less clear the role social selectivity plays when presented with unfamiliar varieties. Overall these findings are consistent with exemplar models which consider the inherent coupling of individuals' speech perception and production, but that the visual stimuli had no significant e ect on these analyses may be reflective of listeners' adaptive processes during perception of L2-accented speech


This paper describes the way a randomized clinical trial of an evidence-based prevention program conducted at four sites in the United States came to be implemented with fidelity and success in Manchester, England. First, we describe the developmental model on which the program was based and describe the program components and initial outcomes. Next, we describe how the initial outcomes of this project led to the adoption and implementation of the program in Manchester. This is followed by a description of some initial results by an independent evaluation team, and finally we provide brief commentary on the key factors that seemed to contribute to this successful dissemination. Hopefully, this case study may serve as a guide to others interested in bringing prevention research into community practice.


We demonstrated that the apex of nanopipette with applying electric field coul d be used as a nano-scaled water ejection system using AFM(Atomic Force Microscopy) System based on QTF(Quartz Tunning Fork), namely nanolithography system. The tip diameter was 100~1000 nm which was fabricated by commercial pipette puller (P2000) and electrode on the substrate was deposited by sputter deposition. With QTF-AFM feedback system, we could make the patterning on the substrate where we want. We could control the amount of water solution with applying electric field, tip diameter, distance between tip and substrate.


We predict that vortex dipoles nested in light beams trapped in graded-index media can undergo closed Berry trajectories, yielding periodic vortex annihilations and revivals along the light-propagation direction. The vortex revivals from vortex-free wave fronts are mediated by Freund stationary point bundles that carry the necessary Poincaré-Hopf indices. Vortex spiraling and spontaneous generation of circular-edge dislocations are also found to occur.


Internationalization of business operations refers to the expansion of a firm's business activities beyond the borders of its home country. Economies are becoming increasingly interconnected and countries around the world have become more financially integrated, driven by the potential advantages arising from financial internationalization. Kenya has reduced its barriers to trade and investment translating to increased foreign competition for local players. Liberalization and technological advances are forcing banks to rethink how to operate their business. As at June 2015 the Kenyan banking industry comprised of 43 licensed commercial banks and 1 mortgage finance company, (out of the 44 institutions, 31 are locally owned and 13 are foreign owned. The locally owned financial institutions comprise 3 banks with significant shareholding by the Government and State Corporations, 27 commercial banks and 1 mortgage finance institution) 12 deposit taking microfinance institutions, 8 representative offices of foreign banks, 86 foreign exchange bureaus and 3 credit reference bureaus. Of the 31 indigenous banks only five have recently established fully-fledged operations in the regional foreign markets. These markets include Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Southern Sudan. This study sets out to determine the process of internationalization of indigenous commercial banks of Kenya with specific focus on Equity Bank Kenya Limited. The objective was to determine the internationalization strategies adopted by Equity Bank Kenya Limited in the internationalization of its operations. Internalization comes with an array of challenges ranging from political, legal, social, cultural and even economic as well as shortage of skilled man power in the new market ventured in to. This study also sought to determine the measures put in place by Equity Bank Kenya Limited to mitigate these challenges so as to ensure continued profitable growth. Primary data was collected through interviews using a structured questionnaire and secondary data was collected by way of desk reviews of relevant literature. In total 4 senior managers at Equity Bank Kenya Limited were interviewed. Content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. The study finds that internationalization by Equity Bank Kenya Limited was proactively driven by the desire to reach the international market within Africa where a gap in the banking sector's Financial Inclusion. Internationalization was also pursued with the intent of benefiting from economies of scale which are not easily enjoyed in the already saturated Kenyan banking sector given the cut throat competition from the other big players in the industry. Some of the benefits that Equity Bank Kenya Limited is currently enjoying as a result of internationalization include growth in asset base, market share, capital base and profitability as well as diversification of financial and political risks. The study revealed that for internationalization to be successful, organizations must have in place a strong strategy to guide its expansion plans. Secondly, it concludes that the mode of entry selected in internationalization is crucial, must be aligned to the firm's overall strategy and can easily determine the firm's success or failure in the foreign markets. Organizations seeking to grow through internationalization must therefore carry out a detailed feasibility study to the best fit for their organization


The accurate characterization of linear coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of thin films is vital for predicting the thermal stress, which often results in warpage and failure of a MEMS structure. In this paper, special emphasis is placed on the development of novel test method to extend an ISDG (Interferometric Strain/Displacement Gage) technique to the direct and accurate CTE measurement of MEMS materials, AlN and Au. The freestanding AlN and Au films are 1 μm thick and 5 mm wide. Strain is directly measured by a brand-new digital type ISDG with two Cr lines deposited on the specimen while heating a specimen in a furnace. The whole test system is verified first by measuring the CTE for the NIST's SRM (Standard Reference Material) 736 (Cu) block. The measured CTE is 17.3 με/oC up to 167 oC, which agrees well with the NIST's certified value. The CTE of Au is 25.4 ± 1.15 με/oC and that of AlN film is 3.77 ± 0.12 με/oC. The in-plane displacement resolution is about 5 nm at the best circumstances.


Entity Alignment (EA) aims to find equivalent entities between two Knowledge Graphs (KGs). While numerous neural EA models have been devised, they are mainly learned using labelled data only. In this work, we argue that different entities within one KG should have compatible counterparts in the other KG due to the potential dependencies among the entities. Making compatible predictions thus should be one of the goals of training an EA model along with fitting the labelled data: this aspect however is neglected in current methods. To power neural EA models with compatibility, we devise a training framework by addressing three problems: (1) how to measure the compatibility of an EA model; (2) how to inject the property of being compatible into an EA model; (3) how to optimise parameters of the compatibility model. Extensive experiments on widely-used datasets demonstrate the advantages of integrating compatibility within EA models. In fact, state-of-the-art neural EA models trained within our framework using just 5% of the labelled data can achieve comparable effectiveness with supervised training using 20% of the labelled data.


Background: Periorbital hyperpigmentation (POH) is one of the most commonly encountered conditions in routine dermatology practice. There are only few published studies about its prevalence, classification, and pathogenesis but none showing its association with habits, and other medical conditions in Indian patients. Aims: To determine prevalence and type of POH, common causative factors, and its association with personal habits and other disorders within various age and sex groups. Materials and Methods: Two hundred patients attending the dermatology OPD were included in study and were subjected to detailed history, careful clinical and Wood's lamp examination, eyelid stretch test and laboratory investigations. Clinical photographs of all patients were taken. Results: POH was most prevalent in 16-25 years age group (47.50%) and in females (81%) of which majority were housewives (45.50%). Commonest form of POH was constitutional (51.50%) followed by post inflammatory (22.50%). Lower eyelids were involved in 72.50%. Grade 2 POH was seen in 58%. Wood's lamp examination showed POH to be dermal in 60.50%. Faulty habits were observed viz. lack of adequate sleep (40%), frequent cosmetic use (36.50%), frequent eye rubbing (32.50%), and lack of correction for errors of refraction like myopia in 12% patients. Strong association of POH with stress (71%), atopy (33%) and family history (63%) was noted. Conclusions: Periorbital hyperpigmentation is a multi-factorial entity. It is absolutely essential to classify the type of POH and determine underlying causative factors in order to direct appropriate measures for better and successful outcome in future.


Structural mosaic abnormalities are large post-zygotic mutations present in a subset of cells and have been implicated in developmental disorders and cancer. Such mutations have been conventionally assessed in clinical diagnostics using cytogenetic or microarray testing. Modern disease studies rely heavily on exome sequencing, yet an adequate method for the detection of structural mosaicism using targeted sequencing data is lacking. Here, we present a method, called MrMosaic, to detect structural mosaic abnormalities using deviations in allele fraction and read coverage from next generation sequencing data. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) simulations were used to calculate detection performance across a range of mosaic event sizes, types, clonalities, and sequencing depths. The tool was applied to 4,911 patients with undiagnosed developmental disorders, and 11 events in 9 patients were detected. In 8 of 11 cases, mosaicism was observed in saliva but not blood, suggesting that assaying blood alone would miss a large fraction, possibly more than 50%, of mosaic diagnostic chromosomal rearrangements.


Abstract Radionuclides were released into the environment as a consequence of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident that occurred on 11 March 2011. Radiocesium at an abnormal concentration was detected in brown rice produced in paddy fields located in northern part of Fukushima Prefecture. We examined several hypotheses that could potentially explain the excessive radiocesium level in brown rice in some of the paddy fields, including (i) low exchangeable potassium content of the soil, (ii) low sorption sites for cesium (Cs) in the soil, and (iii) radiocesium enrichment of water that is flowing into the paddy fields from surrounding forests. The results of experiments using pots with contaminated soil indicated that the concentration of radiocesium in rice plants was decreased by applying potassium or clay minerals such as zeolite and vermiculite. The obtained results indicated that high concentrations of radiocesium in rice are potentially a result of the low exchangeable potassium and sorption sites for Cs in the soils. Application of potassium fertilizer and clay minerals should provide an effective countermeasure for reducing radiocesium uptake by plants. Radiocesium-enriched water produced by leaching contaminated leaf litter was used to irrigate rice plants in the cultivation experiments. The results indicated that the radiocesium concentrations in rice plants increased when the radiocesium-enriched water was applied to the potted rice plants. This indicated the possibility that the radiocesium levels in brown rice will increase if the nuclide is transported with water into the rice paddy fields from surrounding forests.


ABSTRACT European Union (EU) responses to maritime boundary disputes reveal certain paradoxes of governance. The increasing interest of EU states in controlling larger maritime areas and the public and private exploitation of marine and seabed resources are enhancing the territorialization of the sea. The EU as a political project claims to transcend state-vested interests, promoting peaceful dispute resolution when it comes to maritime boundary disputes. This article highlights common drivers of maritime boundary disputes involving member states and the role played by the EU in solving them (or not). The purpose is to provide an investigative introduction that can aid further analyses by showing that EU membership is not in itself sufficient to address historical antagonisms, geographical realities and national/economic interests when it comes to the maritime space. However, the EU does have a positive role to play as a facilitator of diplomatic negotiation, potentially holding both stick and carrot. The current Blue Growth agenda naturally calls for the settlement of disputes and the peaceful use of the oceans, but it can also play a role in feeding them via the incentivization of actors involved in profit-generating activities at sea.


Abstract The health and economic outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic will in part be determined by how effectively experts can communicate information to the public and the degree to which people follow expert recommendation. Using a survey experiment conducted in May 2020 with almost 5,000 respondents, this paper examines the effect of source cues and message frames on perceptions of information credibility in the context of COVID-19. Each health recommendation was framed by expert or nonexpert sources, was fact- or experience-based, and suggested potential gain or loss to test if either the source cue or framing of issues affected responses to the pandemic. We find no evidence that either source cue or message framing influence people's responses – instead, respondents' ideological predispositions, media consumption, and age explain much of the variation in survey responses, suggesting that public health messaging may face challenges from growing ideological cleavages in American politics.


India is undergoing a revolutionary period concerning, both its constitution and its legislative jurisprudence. At a time of this ascending transcendence, it would only be naive, to not take note of the technological innovation and digital transformation that has immersed itself into the legal arena. An area of interest which would significantly prove its vitality regarding the same would be the much acclaimed Contract Law. At present, The Indian Contract Act along with the Information Technology Act, and Indian Evidence Act, unless otherwise is provided so, regulates and puts forth the beacon for a legally enforceable electronic contract in India. This Paper traces the need for a legal evolution in the understanding of Contract law to keep in pace with the technological transition, and also the legal complications associated with the blockchain-based Smart Contracts, and further explain the operation of smart contracts in the existing judicial prudence, and finally concludes with the need for an unprecedented effort to regulate this kinetic realm.


We have studied the radial structure of the stellar mass surface density (μ∗) and stellar population age as a function of the total stellar mass and morphology for a sample of 107 galaxies from the CALIFA survey. We applied the fossil record method based on spectral synthesis techniques to recover the star formation history (SFH), resolved in space and time, in spheroidal and disk dominated galaxies with masses from 10^9 to 10^12 M_⊙. We derived the half-mass radius, and we found that galaxies are on average 15% more compact in mass than in light. The ratio of half-mass radius to half-light radius (HLR) shows a dual dependence with galaxy stellar mass; it decreases with increasing mass for disk galaxies, but is almost constant in spheroidal galaxies. In terms of integrated versus spatially resolved properties, we find that the galaxy-averaged stellar population age, stellar extinction, and μ_∗ are well represented by their values at 1 HLR. Negative radial gradients of the stellar population ages are present in most of the galaxies, supporting an inside-out formation. The larger inner (≤1 HLR) age gradients occur in the most massive (10^11 M_⊙) disk galaxies that have the most prominent bulges; shallower age gradients are obtained in spheroids of similar mass. Disk and spheroidal galaxies show negative μ∗ gradients that steepen with stellar mass. In spheroidal galaxies, μ∗ saturates at a critical value (~7 × 10^2 M_⊙/pc^2 at 1 HLR) that is independent of the galaxy mass. Thus, all the massive spheroidal galaxies have similar local μ_∗ at the same distance (in HLR units) from the nucleus. The SFH of the regions beyond 1 HLR are well correlated with their local μ_∗, and follow the same relation as the galaxy-averaged age and μ_∗; this suggests that local stellar mass surface density preserves the SFH of disks. The SFH of bulges are, however, more fundamentally related to the total stellar mass, since the radial structure of the stellar age changes with galaxy mass even though all the spheroid dominated galaxies have similar radial structure in μ_∗. Thus, galaxy mass is a more fundamental property in spheroidal systems, while the local stellar mass surface density is more important in disks.


Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers in the developed world. New treatments are proving effective against both limited disease and metastases. Nuclear medicine is in a unique position as it is one of the only methods used to image the breast which is linked to cell cycle changes, the receptors on the cell surface and the cells' response to chemotherapy. Nuclear medicine is unaffected by the anatomical changes seen post-chemotherapy and radiotherapy and is uniquely placed to become a major methodology in the continued assessment of the breast cancer patient. However, before this can happen the utility of nuclear medicine techniques must be proved in multi-centre trials.


A novel embedded wavelet coding algorithm for color image and video compression is proposed. A color image is first represented in YUV color space. The discrete wavelet transform of each of the three color components is then calculated separately. The luminance component is compressed with context-modeled wavelet difference reduction (CM-WDR). The chrominance components are compressed using the contextual information obtained during the coding of the luminance component. Our experimental results show that the proposed algorithm performs better than two latest wavelet-based benchmark schemes, namely CEZW and JPEG2000, in terms of color SNR and component PSNR.


In-motion alignment of a strapdown inertial navigation system, during slow maneuvers, is studied. Terrestrial velocity is fed back to the navigation system to estimate and compensate for the navigation errors. Observability of the errors is analyzed since the integrated navigation system is not fully observable. Then, the accuracy bounds of the navigation system in different motion scenarios are obtained analytically. Also, in order to minimize the errors of the navigation system, special maneuvers are designed based on the analytical derivations. The analytical results, obtained using the linearized error model, are verified through nonlinear simulation of different maneuvering and non-maneuvering scenarios. It is shown that the proposed analytical method can be used to predict the errors of the navigation system with a high level of accuracy. Copyright © 2017 Institute of Navigation


This mixed-method study explores the influence of self-assessment of vocabulary on a group of students' oral fluency. Students' disposition to share their insights suggested that the use of self-assessment as a strategy could foster fluency development. Twenty-four A2 young adult learners agreed to participate in this process and engaged in activities that promoted their oral skills and vocabulary development. Self-assessment was mainly examined through the analysis of students' learning logs in which participants displayed their insights regarding their learning processes. By contrasting and analyzing data sources and the results obtained from pre and post-speaking tasks, it was found that when students self-assess their processes, they are able to acknowledge their learning drawbacks and strengths. This tack enabled students to set learning commitments, and use learning strategies that also allow them to raise awareness about their learning processes by self-monitoring them. Consequently, initial improvements in students' oral fluency development were evinced; moreover, further longitudinal studies may well support the long lasting effects of this strategy in similar educational contexts.


: Illness or disability is often used as an eligibility criterion by public programs that distribute money, services, privileges, and exemptions. Physicians then play a central role in the allocation process. But physicians are caught between a large pool of applicants who want some benefit, on the one hand, and an organization with limited resources to distribute, on the other hand. Three conflicts are engendered in this gatekeeping role: the tension between trusting and mistrusting information provided by the patient, the tension between erring on the false positive side and the false negative side in diagnostic decision-making, and the tension between doing everything possible for each patient and allocating limited resources among several needy clients. Several non-medical factors influence the ultimate outcome of this allocation process, which, in theory, rests on clinical decision-making: the specificity and restrictiveness of the formal definitions of illness and disability used by a program; the structure of the determination process; the overall policy of the organization on distribution of benefits; and the ability of the organization to use administrative review, direct incentives, and written standards to control the certifying behavior of physicians.


The Covid-19 crisis promises to be as big a shock to the UK economy as the 2007-08 financial crisis. The Office for Budget Responsibility recently published a scenario of the likely economic impact of the coronavirus shock to the economy. Making a number of assumptions, it suggested that real national income would fall by about a third in the second quarter of 2020. Public sector net borrowing would rise to about 14 per cent of national income, and this would be the highest annual deficit since the second world war.

One idea for relieving the economic effects of the crisis is to implement a universal basic income. A basic income promises: 'regular, non-meanstested cash transfers to all residents of a political territory on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement'. A universal basic income has five key parts, namely, that it: is regular; is paid in cash; is provided to the individual; is universal with no means test; and is unconditional with no requirement to work or seek work. Long-standing supporters of a basic income, such as Guy Standing, call for this
policy to help people cope with the economic fallout of the global pandemic.

This piece considers whether Covid-19 affects two key objections to a universal basic income among the left: adequacy and opportunity cost.


Introduction
 In a near future the offshore wind farms are expected to increase in number and size. At present some development plans in the UK have a total installed capacity higher that 1,000 MW. Some challenges on how to design and build the internal network connecting the wind turbines will arise from the increasing size of the parks.
 In existing OWFs, the collection grids were designed as any medium voltage underground cable system for distribution. However, there are many differences between the collection grid in the OWP and any distribution system, but the most important of all is the limited access to the park for maintenance and repair due to weather conditions. This limitation narrows the design to obtain high reliability and low maintenance for the equipment.
 Description
 The aim of this thesis is to use PSCAD as simulation tools to model the MV collection grid of an operational wind farm and compare it to switching measurements, as well as previous results from Power Factory simulations.
 The dynamic phenomena in main electrical components like cables, transformers and circuit breakers will be explained, summarized and simulated.
 The model of the cables, transformers and switchgear will be created based on available information from the manufacturer and the capabilities of the simulation programs.
 The results from PSCAD and Power Factory will be compared between them and the measurements done in Nysted Wind Park, to conclude whether or not the programs can be trusted.
 Specifically the closing of the line breaker for a row on the transformer platform will be simulated, as well as the connection of one/several turbines, with the intention of compute the voltage dip due to the transformer energization.
 Link
 DONG energy


The achievement in learning a foreign language depends not only on cognitive factors such as intelligence, aptitude etc., but also on affective factors such as attitude and motivation. As the main branch of prospective teachers of English is teaching a language, their attitudes towards English and towards being a teacher are of vital importance in their future careers. The purpose of this descriptive study is to determine whether the attitudes of the students of English Language Teaching Department towards English affect their attitudes towards being a teacher of English and whether the students' attitudes indicate significant differences with regard to individual variables such as gender, class, the types of High Schools from which they have graduated, their socio-economic background, and whether there is a teacher in their family. The sample group of the study were composed 540 prospective English teachers of the first, second, third and fourth year students of the Department of English Language Teaching at Buca Faculty of Education at Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir. For data collection, personal information sheet, the scale for attitudes towards English developed by Altunay (2002) (Alpha Reliability Coefficient: 0.96) and the scale for attitudes towards Being a Teacher developed by Semerci (1999) (Alpha Reliability Coefficient: 0.68) were used. The results indicate that the more positive the students' attitudes towards English are, the more positive the students' attitudes towards teaching profession are. Furthermore, when attitudes towards English and towards being a teacher are compared it is indicated that the students' attitudes towards English are a little bit higher.


Agile methods are systems development methodologies that are commonly tailored to fit the contingencies of a project. We used this property to investigate the environmental factors which affect the use of agile methods. Initially we developed a theoretical model of the target environment for agile methods, then tested the model using data from a multi-case study of nine software development projects. We gathered data on agile method tailoring to calculate an agile method usage value. We then investigated the relationship between project environment factors and agile method usage using non-parametric data analysis. Our results indicate that specific environmental factors correlate with effective use of an agile method. These factors include the extent to which the project was undergoing constant change and the organisational culture factors of feedback and learning, teamwork, empowerment of people, collaboration, leadership, loyalty, and a results-oriented culture that values entrepreneurship, innovation and risk taking.


Disturbances of gastrointestinal function have frequently been observed in association with diabetes mellitus. The disorders which have been reported include gastric atony and dilatation, postprandial abdominal cramping, severe constipation, and intractable diarrhea characterized by watery stools, nocturnal exacerbations and fecal incontinence. These disturbances have been attributed by many investigators to alterations in gastrointestinal motility secondary to visceral diabetic neuropathy. The purpose of the present report is to call attention to a group of patients with diabetes mellitus and neuropathy who exhibited diarrhea and steatorrhea which apparently could not be attributed to external pancreatic insufficiency.


Although much is known about the specification and determination of the two primary axes (animal/vegetal and dorsoventral or oral/aboral) in a number of embryos, little is understood about bilaterality. In the sea urchin, left/right asymmetry is crucial to normal development as the echinus or adult rudiment is positioned on the left side of the larva. We examined the establishment of bilateral asymmetry in Lytechnis variegatus embryos by determining the relationship of the first cleavage planes to the left/right axis. Embryos were bisected at different times to determine when the bilateral axis is committed. These lineage tracing and cell separation experiments demonstrated that the first cleavage plane divides the embryo into left and right halves, although this is conditional until after late blastula stage. The relationship between the specification of the dorsoventral axis and the bilateral axis was examined experimentally. In other species when the dorsal and ventral halves of early echinoderm embryos (preblastula) are separated, the dorsal half often reverses (180°) its dorsoventral axis. We asked whether those larvae with an inverted dorsoventral axis would shift the position of the echinus rudiment from the original left side to the new left side. If so, it would demonstrate that the larval asymmetry is dependent upon specification of the dorsoventral axis. Using a combination of lineage tracing and cell separation techniques, we show that the left/right asymmetry is specified with respect to the dorsoventral axis.


This research seeks to understand how our non-White elected officials identify themselves ethnoracially and to what extent they report an identity or background made of more than one race. In this paper we deconstruct the complexities of racial/ethnic identity among elected officials of color from the intersecting angles of gender and race. We first examine the numerous challenges facing researchers in understanding the contested nature of racial and ethnic identity. These challenges lead us to explore the very distinctive relationships Latinos, Blacks and Asian Americans have with racial identity due to their very different experiences in this country and elsewhere. Using a model whereby the individual is considered within competing notions of race/ethnicity and the varying methods of state-sanctioned categories for classifying them, we then examine the distinctive patterns of racial and ethnic identity among a previously unexamined group: elected officials of color in the United States. Using data from the Gender and Multicultural Leadership Survey, we describe the ways elected officials of color reveal backgrounds that are more complex than commonly understood. In this paper we use descriptive statistics to examine the degree to which elected officials of color, in describing their backgrounds, have "claimed identities" that are more multiracial than their ascribed identities and to compare the extent of these multiracial identities to those found in the general population. We then present both bivariate and multivariate analyses to test two hypotheses, first on the predictive factors associated with a multiracial identity, and second on the intersecting roles of race and gender as well as a measure of inter-minority solidarity (i.e., linked fate) on structuring multiracial identity.


SUMMARY: When an Arg- mutant of Streptomyces fradiae was grown on sucrose-nitrate agar supplemented with L-citrulline, it produced only non-sporulating aerial mycelia. Sporulation could be induced by adding 0.1 to 10.0 mM-L-methionine or 0.01 mM-cyanocobalamin; several other compounds including homocysteine, other amino acids, vitamins and precursors of nucleic acids were ineffective. Growth of the mutant did not differ significantly with or without methionine. The mutant was more sensitive to L-norleucine (a methionine analogue) than the parent strain. Spontaneous mutants, resistant to this analogue, were obtained. They all sporulated well without exogenously added methionine. In medium-exchange experiments, methionine was required for sporulation only after 48 h cultivation. The phenomenon reported here is most probably based on partially impaired methionine biosynthesis caused by an as yet uncharacterized non-auxotrophic mutation, since Arg+ revertants retained their methionine requirement for sporulation, and were also sensitive to L-norleucine.


In order to ensure the reliable and safe operation of the electric driving motor of the articulated dump truck, water cooling system is installed for each motor. For the best performance of the water cooling system, not only the heat transfer should be enhanced to maintain the motor in relatively low temperature, but also the pressure drop in the water cooling system should be reduced to save energy by reducing the power consumption of the pump. In this paper, the numerical simulation of the cooling progress is completed and the temperature and pressure field distribution are obtained. The multi-objective optimization model is established which involves the cooling system structure, temperature field distribution and pressure field distribution. To improve the computational efficiency, the surrogate model of the simulation about the cooling process is established based on the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). After the multi-objective optimization, the Pareto optimal set is obtained. The proper design point, which could make the average temperature and pressure drop of the cooling system relative desirable, is chosen from the Pareto optimal set.


We demonstrate how to learn efficient heuristics for automated reasoning algorithms for quantified Boolean formulas through deep reinforcement learning. We focus on a backtracking search algorithm, which can already solve formulas of impressive size - up to hundreds of thousands of variables. The main challenge is to find a representation of these formulas that lends itself to making predictions in a scalable way. For a family of challenging problems, we learned a heuristic that solves significantly more formulas compared to the existing handwritten heuristics.


The air pollution has a great impact on the social and economic aspects all over the world. Thus, the interaction of materials with the atmosphere has received increased attention nowadays. In order to estimate the impacts of air pollution on the solid surfaces a suitable scientific basis is developed and the well known Reversed Flow - Inverse Gas Chromatography, RF- IGC, is used. This dynamic experimental technique leads to very interesting experimental results through the determination of some important physicochemical quantities. The solids studied were Pentelic marble, white TiO2 pigment, ceramic and the gases were NO2 and C2H2. The synergistic effects between acetylene and nitrogen dioxide were also investigated. Through the curves obtained for each adsorption quantity determined versus time, one can easily and accurately conclude the result of the pollution impact on every solid mentioned above. The surface topography and the mechanism of deterioration can also be studied. All the above answer in detail to the questions of where, when and how the influence of gas pollutants on materials of cultural heritage takes place.


In recent years, applying the powerful computational resources delivered by modern GPUs to ray tracing has resulted in a number of ray tracing implementations that allow rendering of moderately sized scenes at interactive speeds. In our poster, we present a fast implementation for ray tracing with CUDA. We describe an optimized GPU-based ray tracing approach within the CUDA framework that does not explicitly make use of ray coherency or architectural specifics and is therefore simple to implement, while still exceeding performance of previously presented approaches. Optimal performance is achieved by empirically tuning the ray tracing kernel to the executing hardware. We describe our implementation in detail and provide a performance analysis and comparison to prior work.


Manuscript type: Research paper.Research aims: The objectives of this research are to study theaccounting practices of investment property (IP) for the subsequentmeasurement, to investigate and compare the value relevance of theIP under the fair value model and cost model and to examine thefactors affecting the accounting choices of the IP of firms listed on theStock Exchange of Thailand.Design/ Methodology/ Approach: The regression models used in thisresearch are based on the works of Ohlson (1995) and Feltham andOhlson (1995) which linked the accounting information of firms withstock prices. The models are applied to test and compare the valuerelevance of the IP under the fair value model and cost model for theyears 2011-2012.Research findings: The findings indicate that the number of Thailisted firms choosing the cost model for the subsequent measurementof the IP is considerably higher than those choosing the fair valuemodel. The results also show that the IP is value relevant informationin 2012 and in the two years' analysis combined (2011-2012) butnot in 2011. This paper reveals that the cost model of the IP is moresignificantly value relevant than the fair value model and that the accounting choices of the IP are significantly affected by profitabilityand size.Theoretical contribution/ Originality: This paper suggests that theaccounting information of the IP is useful for valuing securities inthe Thai stock market. The outcome also supports the bonus planhypothesis under the Positive Accounting Theory (PAT) wherehigher earnings firms would predominantly use the cost model forthe IP. It is further noted that larger firms in Thailand are more likelyto use the fair value model for the IP, thereby supporting the sizehypothesis.Practitioner/ Policy implication: The outcome drawn from this paperprovides information to the Federation of Accounting Professions(FAP) in Thailand when deliberating on the revision of the accountingstandards related to fair value measurements. The FAP may considertaking steps to increase the reliability of fair value so as to encouragefirms to select the fair value model for use. The results can also actas a catalyst for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)such that when issuing the regulation on fair value disclosures,transparency and the reliability of financial statements are furtherincreased.Research limitation/ Implication: This paper examines the valuerelevance of only recognised IPs in the Statements of FinancialPosition. Future studies therefore, may need to investigate the relativevalue relevance of fair value disclosures in the notes to financialstatements compared with the recognised fair value amounts ofinvestment properties.Keywords: Accounting Practices, Investment Property, Value RelevanceJEL Classification: M41, G14


Sebotropic mites have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several dermatoses in humans. A 46 year old male diabetic patient presented with painful,erythematous,papular,rosacea-like eruptions over bilateral cheeks and a rhinophyma of the nasal tip.The lesions were persistent for two years,with negative slit skin smears and unresponsive to treatment attempts. A skin biopsy revealed demodex mite with superadded dermatophyte infection.This case is a testament to the view that demodex mites are pathogen etic in certain circumstances.


Urban areas are among the most vulnerable sites affected by global warming. Research on the relationship between cities and climate change is now on the rise. The concept of Climate Sensitive Urban Design (CSUD) was coined with the awareness that city design must bring improvements to the urban environment besides economic, spatial, functional and aesthetic benefits and to tackle climate change issues in order to improve urban resilience. On the other hand, Urban Regeneration (UR) projects have a demonstrated potential to bring a significant contribution to the society, economy and environment of degraded urban areas and could facilitate the implementation of spatial policies that address climate change. At present, there are limited studies on Urban Regeneration efforts that possible contribution to climate change adaptation. Planners, architects and urban designers need to fully understand the opportunity provided by the Urban Regeneration process to implement the CSUD strategies. The authors argue that approaching Urban Regeneration with a Climate Sensitive design strategy would provide better integrated solutions. The application of the CSUD systems to an Urban Regeneration process have the potential to provide wider associated benefits, allowing urban designers and planners to creatively consider the form, function and design/aesthetic elements with an environmental approach. Through the review of case studies, the research presents the possible beneficial joint effects determined by the simultaneous application of Climate Sensitive Urban Design to an Urban Regeneration program with the aim to build urban resilience against the adverse impact of climate change.


A systematic density functional theory and wave function theory investigation performed in this work reveals a planar-to-icosahedral structural transition between n = 4–5 in the partially hydrogenated B12Hn 0/clusters (n = 1–6) upon hydrogenation of all-boron B12 . Coupled cluster calculations with triple excitations (CCSD(T)) indicate that a distorted icosahedral B12H6 cluster with C2 symmetry is overwhelmingly favored (by 35 kcal/mol) over the recently proposed perfectly planar borozene (D3h B12H6) (Szwacki et al., Nanoscale Res Lett 4:1085, 2009) which proves to be a high-lying local minimum. A similar 2D–3D structural transition occurs to the corresponding boron boronyl analogues of B12(BO)n with n –BO terminals. Detailed adaptive natural density partitioning (AdNDP) analyses reveal the bonding patterns of these quasi-planar or cage-like clusters which are characterized with delocalized r and p molecular orbitals. The electron detachment energies of the concerned anions and excitation energies of the neutrals are also predicted to facilitate their future experimental characterizations.


Objectives: Since 1979, a number of publications have appeared regarding complications of laser surgery of the larynx. Most publications focus on complications such as accidental burns, rouse of the ventilation tube, anesthesiologic problems, edema of the mucosa, and abnormal scar formation. Secondary hemorrhage has played a subordinate role and cases demanding postoperative treatment have only been reported sporadically. All cases occurred within the first postoperative week, and no case resulting in death has been reported. The aim of the article is to draw attention to the fact that after laser surgery of the larynx, late lethal secondary hemorrhage may occur. Material and Patients: We review the literature and describe a patient in whom a lethal secondary hemorrhage occurred 10 days after laser supraglottic laryngectomy. The case is analyzed and similarities to hemorrhages associated with tonsillectomy and laser surgery of the lingual tonsil are shown. Results and Conclusions: The risk of very late severe secondary hemorrhage after laryngeal laser surgery is considered to be very seldom and comparable with that after tonsillectomy. Due to the increase in laser application in the treatment of laryngeal carcinoma, secondary hemorrhage may be encountered. Consequences for preoperative information and postoperative control of the patients have to be discussed.


Networks of practice (NOPs) are social spaces where individuals working on similar problems self-organize to help each other and share perspectives about their occupational practice or common interests, and exist primarily through computer-mediated exchange. This exchange of knowledge through message postings produces an online public good, where all participants in the network can access the knowledge, regardless of their contribution. Thus, this research builds upon theories of collective action and public goods to better understand the provision and maintenance of knowledge in a network of practice. We use social network analysis to examine the following research questions: (1) What is the pattern of contribution that produces and sustains the public good? (2) Are NOPs maintained by a critical mass? (3) How does the heterogeneity of resources and interests of participants impact the collective action of the NOP? We find that the network of practice is sustained through generalized exchange, is supported by a critical mass of active members, and is shaped as a star. The critical mass is significantly related to tenure in the occupation, expertise, availability of local resources, and desire to enhance one's reputation.


This investigation of the window opening data from extensive field surveys in UK office buildings investigates 1) how people control the indoor environment by opening windows, 2) the cooling potential of opening windows, and 3) the use of an "adaptive algorithm" for predicting window opening behaviour for thermal simulation in ESP-r. We found that the mean indoor and outdoor temperatures when the window was open were higher than when it was closed, but show that nonetheless there was a useful cooling effect from opening a window. The adaptive algorithm for window opening behaviour was then used in thermal simulation studies for some typical office designs. The thermal simulation results were in general agreement with the findings of the field surveys.


Abstract We use 3D seismic data in a novel way to describe the three-dimensional geometry of a number of igneous bodies intruded into the upper crust as well as to define and classify sill junction relationships. Igneous intrusions were emplaced into Upper Cretaceous and Palaeocene sediments of the Faroe-Shetland Basin during the Early Palaeogene and in many cases they adopt remarkable saucer- or trough-shaped geometries that are 2-8 km in diameter and have a vertical relief of several hundred metres. Individual intrusions are interlinked and form highly interconnected sill complexes. Three geometrically distinctive classes of sill junctions are defined and illustrated with examples from seismic data. Each class implies a specific evolutionary sequence of events and these are discussed for each of the classes of junction. The class of junction often changes along the line of junction with one class evolving in space to another. This has significant implications for spatial reconstruction of sill complexes based on two-dimensional outcrop and this is illustrated with reference to an example from a 3D seismic dataset.


This mixed method systematic review considers recent literature on the information literacy (IL) skills of first-year undergraduate students. The review uncovers the following themes: faculty and librarians perceive first-year students as lacking IL skills; students have varying perceptions of their IL skills; assessment studies yield conflicting findings on first-year students' IL; communication between high school and college librarians is challenging; and some IL researchers emphasise and leverage first-year students' prior knowledge and experience in IL instruction. These themes emerge from extensive searches in four research databases for scholarly and professional articles written in English within the past ten years. With the exception of a few articles, studies reviewed consistently express their findings in terms of students' gaps or deficits. We question whether this is the most productive basis for developing effective IL programs. Instead, we call for further investigation of students' existing knowledge and skills as a basis for implementing constructivist and strengths-based pedagogies.