In our previous studies into web design, we found that pens, paper, walls, and tables were the primary tools used for explaining, developing, and communicating ideas during the early phases of design. One common practice was to produce information architectures using paper on walls. This practice inspired us to work towards The Designer''s Outpost, a tangible user interface that combines the affordances of paper and large physical workspaces with the advantages of electronic media to support information design. In this paper, we describe a series of participatory design studies that explored the combination of physical and electronic media in depth. These three studies employed both low- and high-fidelity prototypes. The design teams in our studies encouraged us to support free ink electronic annotations to sitemap pages, versioning of design artifacts, fluid transitions to other tools, and opportunities for collocated and remote collaboration. In parallel, we built a set of prototypes for the underlying vision system. These prototypes led us to difference image-based recognition algorithms and a two-camera infrastructure: a rear-mounted video camera for capturing movement, and a front-mounted high-resolution camera for capturing ink.


Background: One the latest developments in the banking sector are online banks, which provide their services only online while physical offices are not available. Market research conducted in Germany, have shown that Germans are hesitating to adopt to the digital offered banking services. The major barrier for adoption is due to trust issues, which are rooted in perceived security and privacy protections. Earlier literature has found that other website interaction factors are also playing a role in order to enhance the trustworthiness of a website. Trust is a necessity in every economic and social relationship, since all relationships involve a possibility that one of the actors behaves opportunistically, and takes advantage of the other actor. The chance of opportunistic behavior contributes to the level of judged risk in the specific relationship, and together with trust ultimately affects the adoption of online banks. In order for users to become consumers of an online bank, they need to judge the online bank website as trustworthy. These judgments can be done either intuitively or throughout reasoning, considering information. The marketing field is emphasizing that intuitive judgments are essential in order to attract new consumer. However, the psychology field is stressing that even though most individuals tend to rely on intuitive judgments, these can be wrong since they can be based on heuristics and include biases.Purpose: In order to understand the formation of judgments by users of an online bank website, the purpose of our thesis is twofold. First, to measure the relationships between the website interaction factors and the concepts trust and risk. Second, with a lower degree of ambition, the purpose is to measure the relationship between intuitive and reasoned trust judgments.Methodology: The study was conducted through a quantitative research method. A six-point scale questionnaire was used in order to examine the relationships between trust, risk and the website interaction factors. A web-based questionnaire was sent out to German web users, where in total 122 respondents responded. The sample was equally split into online bank consumers and non-consumers. The statistical analysis of the data revealed results enabling to fulfill the purpose.Results: The findings of our thesis demonstrate that online bank consumers and non-consumers do not significantly differ in their judgments regarding the websites. The perceptions of the information quality, security and privacy protection are found as the most influential website interaction factors towards the trust judgments. Privacy and security protection are mostly influence website users in their risk judgment. Our study further reveals that online bank website users make their trust judgments through the first impression while further considerations of the websites' content enhance their trust judgments.


This thesis comprises three essays in aircraft and aviation finance. The aviation finance space is now a significant industry where new aircraft deliveries worth well in excess of $126 billion are being invested annually in addition to investments in the secondary markets. (Boeing Capital Corporation, 2017). Leasing, especially operating leasing, is a major driver in aircraft pricing and the asset class given it accounts for 43% of all global Airbus and Boeing and McDonnell Douglas aircraft as of 2017 (Ascend, 2017).
There are gaps in the literature in the understandings of the driving factors determining aircraft pricing and leasing especially where it relates to characteristics of the global market and its market segments. Chapter 3 discusses the dynamics and drivers of the aviation finance and leasing landscape both in respects to the global aircraft market and more specifically the China market. In addition, an analysis of the drivers affecting cross border mergers and acquisitions in the industry is developed.
Chapter 4 focuses on the empirical data and the market characteristics of aircraft asset pricing over a 21 year period from 1996 to 2017 and time sub-segments to analyze the effects of the great financial crisis. This hand collected large dataset includes a time series of specific aircraft type valuation data from a collection of major aircraft appraisers representing the large commercial aircraft asset class. The aviation asset class also segmented into five different major aircraft type groupings with different weighting construction effects. This chapter fills in the gap in the academic literature by examining empirical analysis and looks into the economic shocks through aviation asset pricing. The main finding suggests that the aircraft asset class has higher value depreciation compared to accounting depreciation and standard deviation is less than 3% throughout the four time segments.
After the establishment of the aircraft asset class and the market segmentations, further comparative analyses are conducted in Chapter 5 to deduce the implications to the other 20 real asset classes and major investable benchmarks. This extends the academic conversation by expanding on empirical portfolio theory and the effects economic shocks. In addition to return, correlation, and covariance testing, regression and significance testing are conducted. The data suggests that while the aircraft asset class does not have lower standard deviation and variance but has a lower relative volatility in terms of beta, covariance and correlation over the time periods compared with the comparative sets. The data also suggests that public aircraft lessors have higher excess returns to the relative benchmarks compared to the aircraft asset class in most of the time segments except during the great financial crisis. The regression model results support the conclusions earlier that there is very little explanatory power of the comparative asset classes for the aircraft asset class and its sub-segments with very few independent variables significant at the 5% level.


In the article there are designated the state and actual hygiene tasks on the issue of environmental pollution and its effects on health of the population. There was emphasized the growing importance of chemical contamination of various objects of environment--air water, soil, and living environment. There is presented the analysis of data on different types of treatment of municipal waste in selected countries. There were shown the significance of the developed Guidance on risk assessmentfor public health as a toolfor making sound management decisions, prospects of using of the methodology of epidemiological mapping based on geoinformational technology (GIS technology). There was marked an important role of the younger generation of hygienists and health officers in further work on both preservation and improvement the health of the population in their countries, harmonization of scientific and practical solutions of actual problems of hygiene.


The English language enjoys a growing status in Israeli society (Spolsky & Shohamy, 1999; Stavans & Narkiss, 2001,2003). This has resulted in a steady growth in teaching of English for young learners (EYL) in schools and in an official recommendation for teaching EYL in Grades 1 and 2 nationwide. This educational initiative seems a sociocultural phenomenon, shaped by external forces of globalisation and socio-political trends (Crystal, 1997,2003; Pennycook, 1994; Graddol, 2006) affecting and reflecting people's identities (Norton, 1997,2000; Norton Peirce, 1995), social practices and ideologies. Critical discourse analysis is used as the theoretical framework and analytical tool (Gee 1999,2005) for the examination and analysis of discourses mobilised by parents, teachers, position-holders and pupils, for the ways in which they enact their identity ('ways of being') and construe the hybrid Discourse of EYL. Analysis of 33 in-depth semi-structured interviews and samples of published texts reveal a range of commonsense dominant Discourses such as the `Discourse of consumerism', the Discourse of the `good, Jewish/Israeli parents' and the `Discourse of Americanisation and internationalisation' to which the actors involved wish to belong. Findings illuminate that the forces behind the promotion of EYL seem to be driven by social, ideological and political concerns rather than pedagogical ones. The Discourse of EYL (and the D/discourses from which it is construed) seems to have a regulating effect on social, educational decisions, schools' policy and classroom practices, and the distribution of goods, shaping people's everyday life. There is evidence for the possibility that people in Israel (parents in particular) project themselves, with hopes and desire, into an idealised, abstract, global world of `knowing English' in which EYL plays a major part. Findings highlight the ways in which the attitude of Jews in Israel towards learning languages is a marker of their identity.


Background The microenvironment plays a pivotal role in tumor cell proliferation, survival and migration. Invasive cancer cells face a new set of environmental challenges as they breach the basement membrane and colonize distant organs during the process of metastasis. Phenotypic switching, such as that which occurs during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), may be associated with a remodeling of cell surface receptors and thus altered responses to signals from the tumor microenvironment. Methodology/Principal Findings We assessed changes in intracellular Ca2+ in cells loaded with Fluo-4 AM using a fluorometric imaging plate reader (FLIPRTETRA) and observed significant changes in the potency of ATP (EC50 0.175 µM (−EGF) versus 1.731 µM (+EGF), P<0.05), and the nature of the ATP-induced Ca2+ transient, corresponding with a 10-fold increase in the mesenchymal marker vimentin (P<0.05). We observed no change in the sensitivity to PAR2-mediated Ca2+ signaling, indicating that these alterations are not simply a consequence of changes in global Ca2+ homeostasis. To determine whether changes in ATP-mediated Ca2+ signaling are preceded by alterations in the transcriptional profile of purinergic receptors, we analyzed the expression of a panel of P2X ionotropic and P2Y metabotropic purinergic receptors using real-time RT-PCR and found significant and specific alterations in the suite of ATP-activated purinergic receptors during EGF-induced EMT in breast cancer cells. Our studies are the first to show that P2X5 ionotropic receptors are enriched in the mesenchymal phenotype and that silencing of P2X5 leads to a significant reduction (25%, P<0.05) in EGF-induced vimentin protein expression. Conclusions The acquisition of a new suite of cell surface purinergic receptors is a feature of EGF-mediated EMT in MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells. Such changes may impart advantageous phenotypic traits and represent a novel mechanism for the targeting of cancer metastasis.


Congestion is an important issue which researchers focus on in the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) network environment. Active queue management (AQM) has been proposed as a router-based mechanism for early detection of congestion inside the network. This paper analyzed several active queue management algorithms are discussed and they are compare with respect to their.


The importance of facilitating study and practice materials that are consistent with graded assessments and instructional objectives is well known, if not commonly used, in educational practice. This study focused on the effectiveness of Reciprocal Peer Tutoring (RPT) against the traditional approach in learning. A well-established procedure of RPT was developed for an effective peer tutoring process that can be implemented with a minimum of teacher participation was used in this study. Students engaging in RPT are paired at random and given instruction on how to prepare practice exercises and or multiple choice format tests within the scope of the topic as Indicated in study guides provided to them. During an RPT activity, each student of a dyad is independently responsible for synthesizing course content, preparing math exercises and constructing multiple-choice format test questions, complete with answers and explanation. Each dyad then administers practice test to each other every RPT session and prior to formal class examinations. Group monitors are also appointed to give feedback on RPT activities and also served as on-Line peer tutor via e-mail. This one-on-one email-based mentoring will enable students under RPT group and the researcher to thrive in the online learning environment. Access to lesson outlines and sample problems through @yahoogroups.com was established. Likewise, posting of assignments aligned to e-tutor lesson modules can be accessed through the same e-tutor bulletin board. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of RPT on the academic performance of engineering students in College Algebra was conducted at New Era University, College of Engineering and Technology during the second semester of Academic Year 2008-2009 with a sample size of 35 first year engineering students for each sample group using cluster sampling method. It was found that RPT Intervention was more effective in causing significant increase in student's performance and RPT was a more effective strategy than that of the traditional chalk and board to improve student's performance In College Algebra. Based on the findings and conclusions, the researcher recommended considering the use of RPT as an alternative instructional Intervention to improve student's performance In College Algebra and in other courses. Furthermore, it was recommended to modify/strengthen the research to determine whether RPT procedures can be redesigned to make them more meaningful for the learning needs of college students.


We compare three widely used brain volumetry methods available in the software packages FSL, SPM5, and FreeSurfer and evaluate their performance using simulated and real MR brain data sets. We analyze the accuracy of gray and white matter volume measurements and their robustness against changes of image quality using the BrainWeb MRI database. These images are based on "gold‐standard" reference brain templates. This allows us to assess between‐ (same data set, different method) and also within‐segmenter (same method, variation of image quality) comparability, for both of which we find pronounced variations in segmentation results for gray and white matter volumes. The calculated volumes deviate up to >10% from the reference values for gray and white matter depending on method and image quality. Sensitivity is best for SPM5, volumetric accuracy for gray and white matter was similar in SPM5 and FSL and better than in FreeSurfer. FSL showed the highest stability for white (<5%), FreeSurfer (6.2%) for gray matter for constant image quality BrainWeb data. Between‐segmenter comparisons show discrepancies of up to >20% for the simulated data and 24% on average for the real data sets, whereas within‐method performance analysis uncovered volume differences of up to >15%. Since the discrepancies between results reach the same order of magnitude as volume changes observed in disease, these effects limit the usability of the segmentation methods for following volume changes in individual patients over time and should be taken into account during the planning and analysis of brain volume studies. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Objective: To identify the anatomical site and underlying aetiology of severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI/BL) in children in Bangladesh. Design: A national case series. Methods: Children were recruited from all 64 districts in Bangladesh through multiple sources. Causes were determined and categorised using standard World Health Organization methods. Results: 1935 SVI/BL children were recruited. The median age was 132 months, and boys accounted for 63.1% of the sample. The main site of abnormality was lens (32.5%), mainly unoperated cataract, followed by corneal pathology (26.6%) and disorders of the whole eye (13.1%). Lens-related blindness was the leading cause in boys (37.0%) compared with corneal blindness in girls (29.8%). In 593 children, visual loss was due to childhood factors, over 75% being attributed to vitamin A deficiency. Overall 1338 children (69.2%) had avoidable causes. Only 2% of the country's estimated SVI/BL children have access to education and rehabilitation services. Conclusions: This is the first large-scale study of SVI/BL children in Bangladesh over two-thirds of whom had avoidable causes. Strategies for control are discussed.


Good nutrition is essential for optimal growth and functional development in children. Research indicates that the preschool years are essential for encouraging children to develop a taste for healthy food. Scotland's obesity rates are amongst the highest in the world, and in areas of low socio-economic status, obesity and related conditions are considered to be most prevalent. It is also widely reported that areas of deprivation are related to poor dietary intake. In 2004, Edinburgh Community Food Initiative (ECFI) was responsible for initiatives that were based on ECFI's 'provide and promote' philosophy, combining health promotion activities with the provision of fresh fruit and vegetables to schools, child and family centres and community centres in the most disadvantaged communities of Edinburgh. Funding was acquired from the Big Lottery Fund to initiate a citywide health initiative in the nursery school setting called 'the Pip Project'. The aim of this research was to identify dietary intake at baseline in pre-school children and their parents from council sector nurseries, and to observe changes in dietary intake and behaviour over a period of 20 months, comparing dietary intake of children and their parents from areas of lower socio-economic status who received the Pip project interventions to those from areas of higher socio-economic status, who did not. Dietary intake was recorded using a 5 day diet diary at three time points; prior to nursery school attendance (August 2005), at completion of year one (June 2006), and two months prior to leaving nursery (April 2007). A questionnaire was also completed to determine knowledge and dietary behaviour at baseline (August 2005) and at the end of the research period (April 2007). Baseline intake was compared to the National Diet and Nutrition Surveys for adults and for children aged 1.5 to 4.5 years, the Payne and Belton Edinburgh preschool dietary survey, the Food Standards Agency Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey, and the standards devised by UK Scientific Advisory Committee for Nutrition (SACN). Results at baseline were comparable to results from other national surveys. Research indicated that all adults were aware of the 5 a day message and 80 % thought that 400 g was 'just right' or 'not enough'. Adults, and particularly those from the lower SES group, had clear knowledge of what constituted one portion of fruit or vegetables and did not report any barriers to healthy eating, however at baseline fruit and vegetable intake was 260 g/d, which was significantly lower (p = < 0.05) than the recommended 400 g/d and intakes were significantly less (p = < 0.05) in the lower SES group (219.5 g/d compared with 297.5 g/d in the higher SES group). Minimal increase was seen in fruit and vegetable intake of adults from the lower SES group, who consumed significantly less (p = < 0.05) than adults from the higher SES group by the end of the 20 month research period; children from the lower SES increased their intake by 1 portion (82 g) per day but still consumed less than the children from the higher SES group by stage 3 (203 g/d compared to 253 g/d). At baseline, the diet was balanced for adults and children in terms of % energy from CHO and fat, but mean intakes of both NME sugar and saturated fat were greater than the recommended maximum intake of 11 % total food energy. Mean intake NME sugar in children was 17.9 %; intakes were greater in the higher SES group (19.5 % compared to 16.6 %). Mean intakes were also significantly greater (p = < 0.05) in the parents from the higher SES group (15.2 % compared to 11 %). Mean intakes of NME sugar in parents decreased in both groups over the 18-month duration of the study but mean intakes in children remained high throughout the research period. Saturated fat intakes increased in adults from both SES groups, but were higher in the lower SES group at all stages. There was no change in mean saturated fat intake over time in children from the higher SES group, but mean intake decreased in children from the lower SES group (from 16.2 % to 14.1 %). Mean intake of NSP increased in both parents and children, but remained below the recommended 18 g/d throughout the study. With the exception of iron, mean intakes of all micronutrients for parents were greater than the RNI in both groups. Iron intake was lower than the RNI (14.8 mg/d) at all stages. At baseline intakes were lowest in the lower SES group (9.3 mg/d compared to 11.4 mg/d); 11 participants consumed less than the LRNI (8 mg/d), eight of whom from the lower SES group (73 % of participants). Mean intakes increased in the lower SES group by 3.7 mg/d over the duration of the study but neither group reached the RNI at any stage. At baseline, children met the RNI for all micronutrients, and there were no significant differences between groups. Overall the diet of children, particularly from the lower SES group, improved over the duration of the study, although salt and NME sugar intake did not decrease over time. Further research is required to investigate the best methods to improve diet in families with young children, with particular emphasis on reducing % energy from NME sugar and saturated fat, reducing salt intake and increasing fruit, vegetable and NSP intake.


The analysis of the functional state of sensoric and motorial components of the peripheral nerves as well as the somatosensoric transferring ways based on the data of the electroneuromyographic studies and the registration of the somatosensoric induced potentials in the persons with the diagnosis of chronic mercury intoxication is given in this paper. A sensoric-motorial type of the peripheral nerve injury on the upper and lower extremities with a dominant involvement into the pathological process of a sensoric component has been revealed. The delay of time-course of the impulse transport along somatosensoric transferring ways at the different levels from the neck section to the crust representation has also been revealed. This may be a result of the central somatosensoric way injury in the patients examined.


The canine stifle joint is one of the most vulnerable joints within the musculoskeletal system and the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) is the most susceptible ligament to rupture within the joint. When this ligament is damaged, the stifle joint becomes mechanically unstable leading to abnormal load distribution within the joint. This physiological change is associated with osteophyte formation at the joint margins, thickening of the medial aspect of the joint capsule and the medial collateral ligament, softening of the articular cartilage resulting in osteoarthritis (OA). Ligament injury can be either purely traumatic or a degenerative non-contact form. The aetiopathogenesis of non-contact cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) is unclear, however alterations in the composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) has been implicated as one of its causes. This thesis aimed to advance the current understanding of the biomechanical behaviour of the canine CCL and investigated the contribution of proteoglycans (PGs) to the viscoelastic behaviour of the CCL. The objectives comprise of experimental and numerical studies, including the development and utilisation of a novel full-field three-dimensional digital image correlation method (3D DIC) and a representative FEM of the whole canine stifle joint. Experimental Study I on the canine CCLs was the first to focus on characterising slow strain rate sensitivity and hysteresis behaviour of the ligament at the toe-region of stress-strain behaviour. This study showed that arranging mechanical tests in different orders of strain rates resulted in different tissue response, such that tensile responses of the CCL during the ascending (increasing order of strain rates from 0.1 to 1%/min, and 1 to 10%/min) tests were significantly different from the descending tests (decreasing order of strain rates from 10 to 1%/min, and 1 to 0.1%/min). Only during ascending tests were the CCLs strain rate sensitive and hysteresis was strain rate dependent. The different tensile responses of the CCLs during the ascending and descending order of strain rate may be associated with strain history of the tissue. In Experimental Study II, two groups of the CCLs (control and treatment (PG depletion)) were tested under tensile load at slow strain rates (0.1, 1 and 10%/min). PG content in the treatment group was depleted by 21.11 ± 14.51% (p=0.45). Water content in the treatment group reduced by approximately 5.2% (p=0.048). Although there were no statistically significant values; stress-strain, tangent modulus, hysteresis and creep behaviour in the treatment was different from the control groups. Stress relaxation rate was significantly higher in the control than the treatment group (p=0.039). The lower relaxation rate in the treatment group could be associated with sGAGs which provides cross-links between collagen molecules. Hence, it is possible that an efficient depletion of PGs in canine CCLs could result in significant mechanical changes in the tissue. A full-field 3D DIC method was developed to generate five CCL-specific FEM and provide load-deformation behaviour across the middle region of the CCLs. This information was utilised to predict stress-strain behaviour of the CCLs through inverse analysis. In addition, an anatomically representative FEM of the canine stifle joint was developed and employed to investigate the joint when PGs in the CCL were depleted. Results showed reduction in joint stability in joints with depleted CCLs (p=0.56). Hence, PG content in the CCL could be one of the ECM components contributing to the mechanical behaviour of the ligament, and affecting the stability in canine stifle joints. This research leads to a better understanding of the biomechanical behaviour of canine CCL, and it is useful for researchers in the field of biomechanics and biomedical science who are seeking advanced experimental and numerical works in tissue mechanics.


Minimally invasive surgery (MIS), even with its shortcomings, has had a far reaching impact in the field of surgery. During MIS procedures, as the surgeon's hands are remote from the site of the surgery, they do not have a feel of the tissue being manipulated and the forces that should be applied to manipulate the tissue. Studies are being conducted to provide tactile and force feedback of the tissues being manipulated to the surgeon. However, the surgeons are trained in conventional surgery and are familiar with the forces that they apply on the conventional surgical tools. Therefore, before such studies are conducted, there is a need for quantitative comparison of conventional and laparoscopic tools. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine if the forces applied on the conventional surgical forceps are the same as those applied on the laparoscopic forceps during the same procedures. The results of the study showed that the handle and tip forces in laparoscopic forceps were significantly different from that of the conventional surgical forceps (p ≤0.005). The results also showed that the mean power of the surface EMG measured from flexor pollicis brevis (flexor of the thumb) and the extensor pollicis brevis (extensor of the proximal thumb) while manipulating laparoscopic forceps were significantly different from that measured while manipulating conventional surgical forceps for the same procedure (p ≤ 0.005).


XML and Web services are widely used in current distributed systems. The security of the XML based communication, and the Web services themselves, is of great importance to the overall security of these systems. Furthermore, in order to facilitate interoperability, the security mechanisms should preferably be based on established standards. In this paper we provide a tutorial on current security standards for XML and Web services. The discussed standards include XML Signature, XML Encryption, the XML Key Management Specification (XKMS), WS-Security, WS-Trust, WS-SecureConversation, Web Services Policy, WS-SecurityPolicy, the eXtensible Access Control Markup Language (XACML), and the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML).


Web traffic is doubling every year, according to recent global studies. The user needs more information from Web sites and wants to spend as little time for downloading as possible. Simultaneously, more Internet bandwidth is needed and all ISPs are trying to build high bandwidth networks. This paper presents a case study that calculates the reduction of the time needed for a Web page to be fully downloaded and delivered to the user. Presents a way to calculate the reduction of data transfer, bandwidth resources and response time when the HTTP/1.1's compressing feature is enabled (either in plain hypertext files or the text output of CGI programs or dynamically generated pages). Measurements are taken from five popular Web sites in order to validate our statement for reduction in transfer time. The definition of the mean size of a Web page that commercial Web sites have is additionally in the scope of this paper.


Ciliated respiratory epithelial cells have to tolerate variations in local pH caused by the respiratory cycle and potential ventilation-perfusion mismatches. We showed previously that peripheral bronchiolar cilia beat at a lower frequency than bronchial cilia, and have now investigated whether they show differences in tolerance to changes in pH. Using the image analysis system applied in the previous study, we compared variations in the ciliary beat frequencies (CBF) of bronchi and bronchioles sampled from human lung resections at various pH in vitro. Application of nonparametric tests (the variance of samples was not similar) indicated that CBF was not significantly modified when pH was varied between 7.5 and 10.5 for bronchi, and between 5.5 and 10.5 for bronchioles. Reversible and significantly lower CBF were observed below pH 7.0 for bronchi and below pH 5.0 for bronchioles. Extreme pH values such as 11.0 or 3.0 were lethal within a few minutes. Thus, respiratory ciliary beating is able to tolerate external pH variations between 3.5 and 10.5 without permanent impairment. In addition we found that alkaline pH values are more favourable than acidic ones and that bronchiolar ciliated cells are more tolerant to acidic pH than bronchial cells.


This paper investigates the vulnerability of several micro- and nano-electronic technologies to a mixed harsh environment involving high total ionizing dose at MGy levels and high temperature. Such operating conditions emerge today for several applications like new security systems in existing or future nuclear power plants, fusion experiments, or deep space missions. In this work, the competing effects of ionizing radiations and temperature are characterized in elementary devices made of MOS transistors from several technologies. First, devices are irradiated using a radiation laboratory X-ray source up to MGy dose levels at room temperature. Devices are either grounded or biased during irradiation to simulate two major circuit cases: a circuit which waits for a wake up signal, representing most of the lifetime of an integrated circuit operating in a harsh environment, and a nominal circuit function. Devices are then annealed at several temperatures to discuss the post-irradiation behavior and to determine whether an elevated temperature is an issue or not for circuit function in mixed harsh environments.


Growing flowers for commercial purpose in many South Pacific countries is a relatively new enterprise. Floricultural growers are typically village-based micro businesses. Moreover, many commercial florists operate from home. These enterprises are mostly operated by women. Their structure is indicative of the entrepreneurship of indigenous and expatriate women. The number of growers and florist industry participants is steadily growing in association with expansion in other industries, including tourism and infrastructure development. This paper focuses on non-corporate floricultural value chains in Fiji, Solomon Islands (SI) and Papua New Guinea (PNG). Qualitative research was conducted from 2010 to 2013 in each of these countries. It included focus group discussions with growers, florists and consumers, and in-depth interviews with stakeholders. The floricultural value chains across the three countries share similar business culture and constraints. Nonetheless, differences in certain dimensions merit characterisation and contrasting. Strategic considerations for different types of value chains are outlined depending on their comparative advantages. The findings suggest that each value chain should employ one or a mix of three strategies for comparative market advantage. These strategies involve offering: i. unique or differentiated products, ii. competitive prices through operational efficiency, and iii. good services through relationship building with niche market segments. All sound businesses should consider a plan offering several strategies. However and importantly, a main strategy should be realised before planning the introduction of other beneficial commercial strategies.


A broad consensus in accounting favors principles over rules to guide creation of a uniform high quality set of standards for use everywhere, and granting monopoly power to a single body for this purpose. If implemented into policy, this consensus will discourage discovery of and evolution toward better methods of financial reporting, make it difficult to conduct comparative studies of the consequences of using alternative methods of accounting, promote substitution of analysis and thinking by rote learning in accounting classes, help discourage talented youth from collegiate programs in accounting, and probably endanger the place of accounting discipline in university curricula. Because the presumed benefits in the form of increased comparability of financial reports internationally or stateside are unlikely to be realized, the wisdom of undertaking these burdens remains questionable. The paper calls for a reexamination of the accounting consensus.


Effects of growth rate on fat-soluble vitamin and macro- and micromineral concentrations in the circulation of preruminant dairy calves were evaluated. Dietary treatments were designed to achieve 3 targeted rates of gain [no growth (NG)=0.0 kg/d; low growth (LG)=0.55 kg/d; or high growth (HG)=1.2 kg/d] over a 7-wk period. Milk replacer (MR) intakes necessary to achieve these growth rates were estimated using the National Research Council's Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle calf model computer program. All of the calves were fed a 30% crude protein, 20% fat MR reconstituted to 14% dry matter. The diets were formulated to ensure that protein was not a limiting nutrient. No-growth and LG calves were supplemented additionally with vitamins A, D, and E to compensate for treatment differences in dry matter intake relative to the HG calves; however, no attempt was made to adjust mineral intake based on MR consumption. Growth rates for NG (0.11 kg/d), LG (0.58 kg/d), and HG (1.16 kg/d) calves differed during the study. Health was minimally affected by growth rate and this was reflected by comparable and relatively low serum haptoglobin concentrations in all calves during the 7-wk period. Concentrations of serum retinol, 25-(OH)-vitamin D(3), and zinc were unaffected by growth rate. The HG calves had lower RRR-alpha-tocopherol concentrations than NG and LG calves at wk 7, suggesting that the increased growth rate of HG calves was associated with increased utilization of vitamin E. Serum concentrations of all vitamins increased with age. Copper, calcium, and phosphorous concentrations in HG calves exceeded those in LG and NG calves during the latter weeks of the study, likely because of increased MR intake by HG calves. Fat-soluble vitamin and mineral concentrations for all treatment groups remained within ranges considered normal for preruminant calves.


Each of us is endowed with a unique set of skills that we use in all aspects of our everyday life. Nevertheless, when describing the determinants of socio-economic outcomes - or even the learning process - we often have a very simplified view of skill. Non-cognitive skills, such as interpersonal skills, and self-confidence, are potentially as important as cognitive skills for labour market success, and for many other aspects of life. In this paper, we analyse the determinants and consequences of both cognitive skills, and one aspect of non-cognitive skills - namely social adjustment - at ages seven and 11 using data for Great Britain, from the National Child Development Survey (NCDS). We document the importance of these skills for schooling attainment, labour market outcomes and social behaviours at various ages, and analyse the role of families in the formation of these skills. We find that social skills are important for a host of outcomes including schooling, social outcomes such as teenage motherhood and involvement in crime, and also for labour market outcomes. We also find that the early home environment is very important for determining social skills, whilst social skills also appear to be more malleable than cognitive skills between the ages of seven and 11, suggesting an important role for policy. Our work contributes to a growing body of research that documents the role of non-cognitive skills in an individual's life, all indicating that a uni-dimensional vision of skill is wrong and likely to mislead both research and policy. Our work is consistent with a growing body of evidence showing that skills formed relatively early in the life cycle have long lasting and substantial effects on a variety of important outcomes. It is quite possible that early human capital interventions, designed to take into account both the multi-dimensional nature of skills, and the dynamic nature of skill formation, can be among the most effective set of policy instruments to combat early school leaving, unemployment, teenage pregnancy, illegal behaviour and many other behaviours and outcomes.


Abstract : The scientific interface between atomic, molecular and optical (AMO) physics, condensed matter, and quantum information science has recently led to the development of new insights and tools that bridge the gap between macroscopic quantum behavior and detailed microscopic intuition. While the dialogue between these fields has sharpened our understanding of quantum theory, it has also raised a bevy of new questions regarding the out-ofequilibrium dynamics and control of many-body systems. This thesis is motivated by experimental advances that make it possible to produce and probe isolated, strongly interacting ensembles of disordered particles, as found in systems ranging from trapped ions and Rydberg atoms to ultracold polar molecules and spin defects in the solid state. The presence of strong interactions in these systems underlies their potential for exploring correlated many-body physics and this thesis presents recent results on realizing fractionalization and localization. From a complementary perspective, the controlled manipulation of individual quanta can also enable the bottom-up construction of quantum devices. To this end, this thesis also describes blueprints for a room-temperature quantum computer, quantum credit cards and nanoscale quantum thermometry.


European (Vitis vinifera) and American (Vitis labrusca) grape species succumb to a bacterial disease known as Pierce's Disease (PD). In contrast, muscadine grape genotypes (Vitis rotundifolia) are tolerant/resistant to PD. This is due to the unique biochemical composition of muscadine xylem. However, because of low protein concentration, conventional methods such as low-pressure chromatography and PAGE are unsuitable for grape xylem protein characterization. In addition, these procedures are tedious, time-consuming and require large amount of sample. This study reports a procedure for isolating and separating proteins from muscadine and bunch grape xylem tissue. The procedure consists of separation of xylem from cortex and phloem, removal of pigments and other gummy substances from xylem with ethanol: ethylacetate (2:1) and subsequent Capillary Electrophoretic (CE) analysis of xylem protein extracts to achieve desired resolution. Number of peaks, peak height and areas, retention time and baseline position were used to compare resolution and study the effect of sample and separation buffer. Xylem tissue proteins extracted with 0.05% sodium borate buffer (pH 8.3) and subjected to CE using 1.2% sodium borate (pH 8.3) as a separation buffer were found to yield most satisfactory resolution of grape xylem proteins. The data obtained by CE were consistent and reproducible, and hence, is well suited to obtain excellent resolution of xylem tissue protein for identifying differences in protein composition among the grape genotypes.
(African Journal of Biotechnology: 2003 2(3): 66-70)


Background
Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) is increasingly applied in the correction of myopia and astigmatism.However, the early clinical outcomes of SMILE for different refractive myopia and astigmatism is seldom reported.

Objective
This study was to investigate the safety, efficacy, predictability and early stability after SMILE in low, moderate and high myopia.

Methods
A series of cases-observational study was carried out.A total of 195 eyes of 108 myopic patients were enrolled in Tianjin Eye Hospital from May to December 2012 under the informed consent.The patients were divided into the low (≤-3.00 D), moderate (>-3.00 to -6.00 D) and high myopia (>-6.00 D) groups according to different diopters, with 57 eyes, 76 eyes and 62 eyes, respectively.SMILE was performed on all the eyes.The uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA)(LogMAR), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA)(LogMAR), equivalent sphere (SE), intraocular pressure, anterior segment and corneal topography were examined before operation and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months after operation to evaluate the effective index (postoperative UCVA/preoperative BCVA), safety index (postoperative BCVA/preoperative BCVA), predictability and early stability of SMILE.The linear regression analysis was used to analyze the relationships between the attempted refraction and the achieved refraction postoperative 3 months in three groups.

Results
The percentage of UCVA (LogMAR)<0.1 was 100%, 97.1% and 92.8% in the low, moderate and high myopia group, respectively in 3 months after SMILE.The postoperative BCVA of all the operated eyes reached preoperative one.The residual SE was (-0.07±0.16), (-0.05±0.20) and (-0.08±0.27)D in the low, moderate and high myopia group, respectively in 3 months after SMILE.The percentage of residual SE±0.5 D was 100%, 98.7% and 93.6% in the low, moderate and high group, and that of SE±1.0 D was 100% in all of the groups.The postoperative corrected SE was gradually increased with the raise of predicted SE in the low, moderate and high myopia groups (r=0.942, 0.959, 0.957, all at P<0.001).

Conclusions
SMILE is safe, effective, predictable and stable for the correction of low, moderate and high myopia.The corneal wound healing was slightly slower in the low myopia group than that in the moderate and high group.A slight regression of myopic power appears in high myopia eyes 3 months after SMILE.

Key words:
Myopia/surgery; Corneal surgery, laser/methods; Laser, excimer/therapeutic use; Visual acuity; Safety; Predictability; Stability; Small incision lenticule extraction


Parasitic diseases are considered the most prevalent infectious diseases worldwide, involving half of global population particularly in developing countries. Given the necessity of producing nature- and plant-based drugs for parasitic diseases, this study is to report the medicinal plants used in different regions of Iran. In this review article, the terms parasite, ethnobotany, and medicinal plants were used to search for the articles, the books, and the documents about Iran traditional medicine in domestic and international databases including Information, SID Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Islamic World Science Citation Center, Magiran. Satureja, wormwood, Artemisia Zagros, tobacco, Sisymbrium irio, walnuts, nettle, garlic, zucchini and chamomile are the most important antiparasitic medicinal plants of Iran.


Cancer cells secrete fragments of their genetic material in the form of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) producing a potential biomarker for following cell growth and drug response. While cfDNA has been popularized as a liquid biopsy analyte for monitoring disease status in patients with metastases, we have also applied cfDNA detection in vitro for following the establishment of patient-derived organoid cancer cell lines. Because the diversity of tumor subtypes in many cancers requires extensive optimization, the combinations of growth factors or other supplements can vary with each culture, even for the same cancer type. This challenging task is complicated further by contamination with normal cells. Historically, determining which condition is optimal for enriching for tumor cell growth required sacrificing at least some portion of the culture for a phenotypic analysis, adding cost and time to replenish the culture. As an alternative, we have developed a robust, sensitive, and patient-specific assay that can be rapidly applied as new culture conditions are optimized, with a priori knowledge of the clonal mutations present in the tumor sample. For a given panel of point mutations, multiplex PCR primers were generated using the IonTorrect AmpliSeq Design tool, creating locus-specific primers flanking each site by approximately 60bp on each side. To the 5' end of each forward primer, a 7-base degenerate unique molecular identifier (UMI) was synthesized, to which an additional 32-base sequence complimentary to the forward Illumina Nextera adaptor was further added. To the 3' end of the reverse primer, a 34-base sequence complimentary to the reverse Illumina Nextera adaptor was added. Once the patient-specific primer set is obtained, the total time from sample to result was less than two days. For each patient-specific primer set, the forward primers were pooled and used to tag DNA extracted from the cell culture supernatant of patient-derived cell lines with the adaptor and UMI sequence in a single hybridization and elongation cycle of PCR. Primers were blocked with terminal transferase and removed by spin-column, and the tagged product was amplified in 30 linear PCR cycles with the reverse primer pool. Following purification and size selection, the tagged and partial-adaptor-ligated library was amplified in 35 cycles of PCR with barcoded Illumina adaptors. Libraries were quantified, pooled, and sequenced on a MiSeq. Upon analysis of sequencing data, including the identification of unique template molecules, each template sample produced a number of starting molecules of DNA. With this critical data, we can determine which conditions successfully enriched for the growth of tumor cells and their subsequent release of cfDNA. Citation Format: Sean Hennigan, Shana Trostel, Adam G. Sowalsky. Precise enumeration of cell-free DNA from patient-derived cell lines [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-275. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-275


Differing soya bean particle sizes may affect productive performance and ruminal fermentation due to the level of fatty acid (FA) exposure of the cotyledon in soya bean grain and because the protein in small particles is more rapidly degraded than the protein in large particles, which influence ruminal fibre digestion and the amounts of ruminally undegradable nutrients. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of raw soya bean particle size on productive performance, digestion and milk FA profile of dairy cows. Twelve Holstein cows were assigned to three 4 × 4 Latin squares with 21-day periods. At the start of the experiment, cows were 121 days in milk (DIM) and yielded 30.2 kg/day of milk. Cows were fed 4 diets: (i) control diet (CO), without raw soya bean; (ii) whole raw soya bean (WRS); (iii) cracked raw soya bean in Wiley mill 4-mm screen (CS4); and (iv) cracked raw soya bean in Wiley mill 2-mm screen (CS2). The inclusion of soya beans (whole or cracked) was 200 g/kg on dry matter (DM) basis and partially replaced ground corn and soya bean meal. Uncorrected milk yield and composition were not influenced by experimental diets; however, fat-corrected milk (FCM) decreased when cows were fed soya bean treatments. Soya bean diets increased the intake of ether extract (EE) and net energy of lactation (NEL ), and decreased the intake of DM and non-fibre carbohydrate (NFC). Ruminal propionate concentration was lower in cows fed WRS than cows fed CS2 or CS4. Cows fed cracked raw soya bean presented lower nitrogen in faeces than cows fed WRS. The milk of cows fed WRS, CS2 and CS4 presented higher unsaturated FA than cows fed CO. The addition of raw soya bean in cow diets, regardless of the particle size, did not impair uncorrected milk yield and nutrient digestion, and increased the concentration of unsaturated FA in milk. Cows fed cracked raw soya bean presented similar productive performance to cows fed whole raw soya bean.


The world of videoconferencing has begun expanding to H.323 (IP) because this standard enables mass deployment of lower cost, desktop videoconferencing systems. As desktop videoconferencing becomes more popular, users are demanding that IT organizations offer this capability across the company-wide network. The standard has since been updated for networked multimedia broadcasting. However, due to latency and bandwidth issues inherent in IP networks, the H.323's potential for videoconferencing has not been realized. With the increasing adoption of IP networks and IP multimedia technology, users are looking forward to the time when they can drop expensive ISDN connections altogether and move voice, video, and data over to IP networks. Until that happens, IT managers must find a videoconferencing platform that delivers the best quality possible today while maintaining compatibility with tomorrow's IP-based systems. This paper outlines the solutions and technology choices available today, and explains how to design a future-proof videoconferencing solution as IP continues to evolve.


Thymoma is a term that should be restricted to neoplasms of thymic epithelial cells, irrespective of the presence or the number of lymphocytes. The usual location of thymoma is the antrosuperior mediastinum; however, this tumor can also occur in other mediastinal compartments, in the neck, within the thyroid gland, in the pericardial cavity, the pulmonary hilum, within the lung parenchyma, or the pleura itself (sometimes coating it in a mesothelioma-like fashion). The association of thymoma with hypogammaglobulinemia, Mucocutaneous candidiasis, systemic lupus erythematosus and myasthenia gravis is well known. Here we present a patient admitted in our hospital with buttock rashes regarded to be zoster of the buttock. In his past medical history he had recurrent cutaneous infections, lupus erythematosus, hypergammaglobulinemia, recurrent oral candidiasis and B- cell dysfunction. During the patient evaluation, a mass was found in the mediastinum and percutaneous needle biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of thymoma(type B3). This is the second case reported having thymoma in association with hypergammaglobulinema.


The ability to perform meaningful empirical studies is of es s nce in research in spatio-temporal query processing. Such studies are often necessary to gain d etaile insight into the functional and performance characteristics of proposals for new query pro cessing techniques. We present a collection of spatio-temporal data, collected during an intelligent s peed adaptation project, termed INFATI, in which some two dozen cars equipped with GPS receivers and log ging equipment took part. We describe how the data was collected and how it was "modified" to afford t he drivers some degree of anonymity. We also present the road network in which the cars were moving during data collection. The GPS data is publicly available for non-commercial purposes. It is ou r hope that this resource will help the spatiotemporal research community in its efforts to develop new an d better query processing techniques.


The enteric nervous system (ENS) modulates a number of digestive functions including well known ones, i.e. motility, secretion, absorption and blood flow, along with other critically relevant processes, i.e. immune responses of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, gut microbiota and epithelial barrier . The characterization of the anatomical aspects of the ENS in large mammals and the identification of differences and similarities existing between species may represent a fundamental basis to decipher several digestive GI diseases in humans and animals. In this perspective, the aim of the present thesis is to highlight the ENS anatomical basis and pathological aspects in different mammalian species, such as horses, dogs and humans.
Firstly, I designed two anatomical studies in horses:
 "Excitatory and inhibitory enteric innervation of horse lower esophageal sphincter".
 "Localization of 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 receptor (5-HT4R) in the equine enteric nervous system".
Then I focused on the enteric dysfunctions, including:
 A primary enteric aganglionosis in horses: "Extrinsic innervation of the ileum and pelvic flexure of foals with ileocolonic aganglionosis".
 A diabetic enteric neuropathy in dogs: "Quantification of nitrergic neurons in the myenteric plexus of gastric antrum and ileum of healthy and diabetic dogs".
 An enteric neuropathy in human neurological patients: "Functional and neurochemical abnormalities in patients with Parkinson's disease and chronic constipation".
The physiology of the GI tract is characterized by a high complexity and it is mainly dependent on the control of the intrinsic nervous system. ENS is critical to preserve body homeostasis as reflect by its derangement occurring in pathological conditions that can be lethal or seriously disabling to humans and animals. The knowledge of the anatomy and the pathology of the ENS represents a new important and fascinating topic, which deserves more attention in the veterinary medicine field.


An 8-year-old boy is brought to the office for evaluation of a persistent itchy rash on his extremities, trunk, and face. Although the rash has been present for longer than 3 months, individual skin lesions change from hour to hour and occasionally the rash clears completely only to recur several hours later. He is otherwise healthy with no known allergies, changes in diet, medication use, or recent illness.


The physico-chemical characterization of two types of alkali lignin from different origin, namely L1 and L2, were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (1H NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis. FT-IR spectra show that they have the characteristics of absorption peaks of syringyl and guaiacyl. 1H NMR spectra indicate that acetylated L1 exhibits higher content of aromatic protons than L2, as the former is mainly composed by G units. L2 presents high quantities of methoxyl groups. GPC results show that L1 has much higher weight average than L2. They had similar functional groups, however, there were differences in the relative contents of functional groups.


Constructivism is defined in a variety of ways (e.g., constructivist research paradigm, sociological constructivism, and philosophical constructivism) and applied in vastly different contexts. Among the various usages and interpretations of constructivism, one is educational constructivism that embodies an epistemological view of knowledge and learning that is an alternative to naive empiricism or classical behaviorism. To represent the full range of stances taken by educational constructivists, three versions of educational constructivism were considered in this study: individual constructivism originating in the work of Piaget, the radical version of constructivism associated with von Glasersfeld, and the social constructivism of Vygotsky. I investigated preservice teachers' meaning construction about constructivist epistemology as they went through their preservice teacher education program using in-depth interviews. This preservice teacher education program employs constructivist aspects of teacher education and generates applications of constructivism to the practice of teaching. Features of preservice teachers' internalized meanings of educational constructivism include: (1)traditional pedagogy as the default, (2) Literal interpretation of constructivism, (3) Individual constructivism as conceptual change learning, (4) Radical constructivism as a strong individualistic philosophy, (5) Social constructivism as being too ideal to be practical. A compilation of the teachers' own statements about how to implement conceptual change learning and their projected role as constructivist teacher is also provided.


Random routing protocols in sensor networks forward packets to randomly selected neighbors. These packets are agents carrying information about events, or queries seeking such information. We derive the probability of a packet visiting a given node in a given step as well as the rendezvous probability of agents and queries within a specific number of hops at a given node(s) in a 2-D grid-based sensor network. The utility of the model is demonstrated by determining the protocol parameters to optimize performance of rumor routing protocol under different constraints, e.g., to evaluate the number of queries and agents to maximize the probability of rendezvous for a given amount of energy. Monte Carlo simulations are used to validate the model. The closed form exact solution presented, unlike existing models relying on asymptotic behavior, is applicable to small and medium-scale networks as well. An upper bound is provided for the case where the packet is not sent back to its immediate forwarding node. Simulation results indicate that the model is a good approximation even for sparse arrays with 75 % of the nodes. The model can be used to set parameters and optimize performance of several classes of random routing protocols.


Empirical studies have shown that millions of individual users develop new products and services to serve their own needs. The economic impact of this phenomenon increases if and as adopters in addition to the initial innovators also gain benefits from those user-developed innovations. It has been argued that the diffusion of user-developed innovations is negatively affected by a new type of market failure: value that others may gain from a user-developed product can often be an externality to consumer-developers. As a result, consumer innovators may not invest in supporting diffusion to the extent that would be socially optimal. In this paper, we utilize a broad sample of consumers in Finland to explore the extent to which innovations developed by individual users are deemed of potential value to others, and the extent to which they diffuse as a function of perceived general value. Our empirical analysis supports the hypothesis that a market failure is affecting the diffusion of user innovations developed by consumers for their own use. Implications and possible remedies are discussed.


BACKGROUND
Onychomycosis represents the most frequently encountered nail disease, which is difficult to eradicate with drug treatment.

AIM
This study was undertaken to document the clinico-mycological pattern of onychomycosis in Iran. Results of mycological tests of nail scrapings collected over a 4-year period were analyzed.

METHODS
Both direct microscopy and cultures of the nail material were performed to identify the causative agents.

RESULTS
The microscopic and/or cultural detection of fungi was positive in 40.2% of samples. The most common clinical type noted was distolateral subungual onychomycosis in 48.4% of cases. Etiological fungal agents were 50% dermatophytes, 46.8% yeasts, and 3.2% saprophytic moulds. The most frequently detected dermatophyte species were Trichophyton rubrum (48.4%) and T. mentagrophytes (41.9%). Among yeasts, Candida albicans (58.6) was most common, followed by C. parapsilosis (17.2%), C. glabrata (10.3%), C. krusei and C. tropicalis (each 6.9%). Aspergillus niger and A. flavus were the most frequent saprophytic moulds. Females were affected more frequently than males, and in both sexes those most infected were between 40-49 years of age. Fingernails were affected more frequently than toenails.

CONCLUSIONS
The clinico-epidemiological data collected can serve as reference for future research and may be useful in the development of preventive and educational strategies.


The scholarly works of Jürgen Habermas and Michel Foucault have been subject to ongoing scrutiny for a number of decades. However, less attention has been given to their activities as public intellectuals and the relation between these and their philosophical and theoretical projects. Drawing on their own conceptualization of the role of the intellectual, the article aims to illuminate these issues by examining Habermas' advocacy of a 'Core Europe' and his defense of NATO bombardments in Kosovo in 1999 as well as Foucault's involvement with the Groupe d'Information des Prisons (GIP) and a wide variety of his interviews, op-ed articles, etc. In showing that the intellectuals' views differ in important ways from those of the scholars but nevertheless inhabit a crucial position in the overall edifice of their oeuvres, the article concludes that the practices of theorists deserve more attention for a comprehensive and more nuanced account of their thought.


Multimedia and Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) applications require efficient ways of handling images for communication and visualization. In many Visual Information and Management Systems (VIMS), it may be required to get quick responses to queries. Usually, a VIMS database has a huge number of images and may provide lots of images for each query. For example, in a PACS, the VIMS provides 10 to 100 images for a typical query. Only a few of these images may actually be needed. In order to find the useful ones, the user has to preview each image by fully decompressing it. This is neither computationally efficient, nor user friendly. In this paper, we propose a scheme which provides a magnifying glass type previewing feature. With this method, a multiresolution previewing without decompressing the whole image is possible. Our scheme is based on block transform coding which is the most widely used technique in image and video coding. In the first step of our scheme, all of the queried images are displayed in the lowest possible resolution (constructed from the DC coefficients of the coded blocks). If the user requests more information for a region of a particular image by specifying its size and place, then that region is hierarchically decompressed and displayed. In this way, large amounts of computations and bandwidth usage are avoided and a good user interface is accomplished. This method changes the ordering strategy of transform coefficients, thus reduces the compression ratio, however this effect is small.


The 2,160,267 bp genome sequence of Streptococcus agalactiae, the leading cause of bacterial sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis in neonates in the U.S. and Europe, is predicted to encode 2,175 genes. Genome comparisons among S. agalactiae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, and the other completely sequenced genomes identified genes specific to the streptococci and to S. agalactiae. These in silico analyses, combined with comparative genome hybridization experiments between the sequenced serotype V strain 2603 V/R and 19 S. agalactiae strains from several serotypes using whole-genome microarrays, revealed the genetic heterogeneity among S. agalactiae strains, even of the same serotype, and provided insights into the evolution of virulence mechanisms.


The effects of endothelin-1 on phosphoinositide hydrolysis in relation to the positive inotropic effect of the compound were studied in the rabbit ventricular myocardium. Endothelin-1 elicited a concentration- and time-dependent accumulation of [3H]inositol monophosphate (IP1) in ventricular muscle slices prelabeled with myo-[3H]inositol in concentrations similar to those that caused a positive inotropic effect. The EC50 value of endothelin-1, both for the induction of [3H]IP1 accumulation and for the positive inotropic effect was 6 x 10(-9) M. The endothelin-induced positive inotropic effect was linearly related to [3H]IP1 accumulation. Endothelin-1 induced a small transient negative inotropic effect before the onset of a gradually developing and sustained positive inotropic effect which reached a steady level at 30 min. After administration of endothelin-1, [3H]IP3 accumulated rapidly and transiently before the development of the positive inotropic effect. [3H]IP2 accumulated slowly and peaked at 20 min. [3H]IP1 accumulation occurred more slowly and of the inositol phosphates its time course coincided best with that of the positive inotropic effect. Phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate inhibited both the [3H] IP1 accumulation and positive inotropic effect induced by endothelin-1. The present results indicate that an acceleration of phosphoinositide hydrolysis induced by activation of endothelin-1 receptors may be responsible for induction of the positive inotropic effect of endothelin-1 on rabbit ventricular myocardium.


Despite the many efforts to solve the problem associated with lithium storage at high rates, it is rarely achieved up until now. The design with experimental proof is reported here for the high rate of lithium storage via a core-shell structure composite comprised of a Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) core and a nanographene (NG) shell. The LTO-NG core-shell was synthesized via a first-principles understanding of the adsorption properties between LTO and NG. Interfacial reactions are considered between the two materials by a redox coupling effect. The large interfacial area between the LTO core and the NG shell resulted in a high electron-conducting path. It allowed rapid kinetics to be achieved for lithium storage and also resulted in a stable contact between LTO and NG, affording cyclic performance stability.


Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is the principal ethanol-metabolizing enzyme. Ethanol induces rat Class I ADH mRNA and activity by an as yet unknown mechanism. In the current study, adult male rats were fed an ethanol-containing diet by continuous intragastric infusion for 42 days. Hepatic Class I ADH mRNA, protein, and activity levels in the ethanol-infused rats increased 3.9-, 3.3-, and 1.7-fold, respectively (p <0.05). Cis-acting elements within the proximal promoter region of the ADH gene were studied by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Hepatic nuclear extract (HNE) binding to either the consensus or ADH-specific CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) sites was >2.4-fold greater in ethanol-fed rats (p <0.05) than controls. Antibody-specific EMSA assays demonstrated binding of the transcription factor C/EBPβ to the C/EBP site. Western blot immunoblot analysis of HNEs demonstrated 3.5- and 2.3-fold increases in C/EBPβ (LAP) and C/EBPδ (p <0.05), respectively, in ethanol-fed rats compared with controls, whereas levels of the truncated C/EBPβ (LIP) and C/EBPγ were lower in ethanol-fed rats (p <0.05). HNE from ethanol-fed rats increased (3-fold) the in vitrotranscription of rat Class I ADH (p <0.05), and mutation of the C/EBP element in the proximal promoter region blocked this effect. Antisera against LIP or C/EBPγ enhanced transcription efficiency (p <0.05). These data provide the first evidence for the mechanism by which ethanol regulates rat hepatic Class I ADH gene expression in vivo. This mechanism involves the C/EBP site and the enhancer binding proteins β and γ.


Summary 1. Metabolic scaling theory predicts how tree water flow rate (Q) scales with tree mass (M) and assumes identical scaling for biomass growth rate (G )w ithM. Analytic models have derived general scaling expectations from proposed optima in the rate of axial xylem conduit taper (taper function) and the allocation of wood space to water conduction (packing function). Recent predictions suggest G andQ scale with M to the � 0·7 power with 0·75 as an upper bound. 2. We complement this a priori optimization approach with a numerical model that incorporates species-specific taper and packing functions, plus additional empirical inputs essential for predicting Q (effects of gravity, tree size, heartwood, bark, and hydraulic resistance of leaf, root and interconduit pits). Traits are analysed individually, and in ensemble across tree types, to define a 2D 'scaling space' of absolute Q vs. its scaling exponent with tree size. 3. All traits influenced Q and many affected its scaling with M. Constraints driving the optimization of taper or packing functions, or any other trait, can be relaxed via compensatory changes in other traits. 4. The scaling space of temperate trees overlapped despite diverse anatomy and winter-adaptive strategies. More conducting space in conifer wood compensated for narrow tracheids; extensive sapwood in diffuse-porous trees compensated for narrow vessels; and limited sapwood in ring-porous trees negated the effect of large vessels. Tropical trees, however, achieved the greatest Q and steepest size-scaling by pairing large vessels with extensive sapwood, a combination compatible with minimal water stress and no freezing-stress. 5. Intraspecific scaling across all types averaged Q / M 0·63 (maximum = Q / M 0·71 ) for size-invariant root–shoot ratio. Scaling reached Q / M 0·75 only if conductance increased faster in roots than in shoots with size. Interspecific scaling could reach Q / M 0·75 , but this may require the evolution of size-biased allometries rather than arising directly from biophysical constraints. 6. Our species-level model is more realistic than its analytical predecessors and provides a tool for interpreting the adaptive significance of functional trait diversification in relation to wholetree water use and consequent metabolic scaling.


In case of brown fields and fields currently undergoing drilling, it is highly important to revise field geology to effectively design pressure support and further refine the existing pressure maintenance system if required. At the same time, the analysis of cross-well interference using Multiwell Retrospective Testing (MRT) is very useful for assessing its effectiveness, and is the main tool, that was used at one of the fields in Tatarstan Republic.
 Conventionally to identify the geological structure and assess the reservoir connectivity it is required to use tools that could be quite costly, require expensive field operations and take up a lot of time. These tools include seismic surveys, paleotectonic analysis of the survey zone, tracer surveys and interference tests. Each of these methods comes with well-known disadvantages: weak seismic sensitivity to low-amplitude faults, poor resolution of tectonic analysis, long duration of tracer surveys and their low performance against man-made fractures and inconsistent extension in lateral anisotropy of the reservoir, huge production losses during interference tests due to receiving well shut-ins. In this regard, the MRT technology was chosen as the main tool for assessing pressure support at the brown field. This technology is fully fledged and is currently being implemented at a large-scale, having passed the testing stage on both synthetic and actual fields (Aslanyan, 2019) (Aibazarov, 2019) (Ganiev, 2019) (Kovalenko, 2018) (Krichevsky, 2017). Based on previously collected bottom-hole pressure readings registered during the well production and on production history of a set of analysed wells, the of cross-well interference was restored using multi-well deconvolution algorithms as well as proposals for production increase.
 In accordance with the conducted surveys, the reservoir geology was refined, inefficient injectors in terms of pressure support was identified, and it was advised to redistribute the injection to balance it out that will ultimately lead to production increase.


Most of the developing countries in the past were striving to maintain a comfortable level of foreign exchange reserves sufficient to cover imports of goods and services. These days, several emerging economies hold a high volume of foreign exchange reserves. This paper reviews the foreign exchange reserves accumulation trends in the South East Asian countries and investigates the major causes behind the surge in foreign exchange reserves in these economies. The empirical test results suggest that economic growth is the main driver of reserves accumulation in the South East Asian countries and the direction of impact of other factors on reserves accumulation differ according to the structure of trade and capital flows of the respective countries.


Abstract We quantify the aggregate costs of a discriminatory restriction against women in the access to business resources. To do so, we develop a general equilibrium model with an endogenous size distribution of production units, which are run by either female or male entrepreneurs. In this setting, we introduce a distortion that limits the amount of capital that women can use to run their businesses. We calibrate the model to match data from benchmark economies that exhibit relatively egalitarian labor market results between women and men, except in entrepreneurship. Our counterfactual analyses show that a gender-specific capital constraint causes an output loss between 14% and 28% and a fall in aggregate productivity between 12% and 20%. Furthermore, we show that most of the output loss is accounted for by a fall in total factor productivity. Lastly, we show that the aggregate cost of the distortion is mainly triggered by preventing the most skilled women from running bigger businesses, and not the exit of women from entrepreneurship.


The identification and measurement of uropepsin, a substance found in the urine which is thought to be identical with pepsinogen, has prompted the idea that uropepsin determinations may be a simple and accurate index of gastric secretory activity. Available evidence indicates that pepsinogen present in gastric glands is secreted by two routes: directly into the lumen of the stomach, where it is converted to pepsin, and into the blood stream, whereby it is carried to the kidneys and excreted as uropepsin.* Gray and co-workers have demonstrated the importance of the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal axis in the control of uropepsin excretion.† Administration of corticotropin (ACTH), cortisone, or hydrocortisone (Compound F) to patients produces an average increase in uropepsin excretion of almost 200%, paralleled by an equal increase in gastric pepsin and HCl output. That this increase is mediated by the adrenals is shown by the fact that patients with Addison's disease have very


Muscle function declines with age and progressive uraemia. We examined whether elderly predialysis patients could improve thigh muscle function, walking capacity, and functional mobility to the same extent as elderly healthy subjects when participating in 12 weeks of individual muscle endurance exercises for the thigh as well as in a low-intensive group programme. The uraemic exercise and comparison groups comprised 16 patients (age 76 ± 7 years, glomerular filtration rate 18 ± 5 ml/min) and 9 patients (age 72 ± 6 years, glomerular filtration rate 16 ± 5 ml/min), respectively. The healthy exercise and comparison groups comprised 18 subjects (age 75 ± 7 years) and 5 subjects (age 79 ± 4 years), respectively. Muscular strength, dynamic endurance, walking capacity, and functional mobility increased significantly in both the uraemic and the healthy exercise groups after 12 weeks of regular muscle endurance exercise training, whereas there was no significant change in static muscle endurance and quality of life in either group. None of the values changed for the uraemic comparison group nor the healthy comparison group during the observation period. Elderly predialysis patients had lower muscle function and mobility as compared with elderly healthy subjects, but were able to improve both after 12 weeks of exercise training to the same extent as elderly healthy subjects.


This study research focused on assessment of marketing strategies tour operators use for marketing and promotion of Tanzania tourism products. The importance of Tourism cannot be underscored. Its success to achieve customer satisfaction among tour operators determines higher profit and success tourism development. This study therefore was guided by three objectives. These were; to evaluate marketing strategies tour operators use, to determine effectiveness of marketing strategies tour operators use and to examine achievement of marketing strategies tour operators use
in marketing and promotion of Tanzania tourism products. This research is quantitative by nature. The collection of data was facilitated through the employment
of questionnaires and documentary review and analyzed using SPSS before converted to Microsoft excel. The study findings include Marketing strategies, efficient marketing strategies, Effectiveness of marketing strategies, Achievement of marketing strategies. From the study findings and conclusions, recommendations were drawn. These were that each tour operator should implement efficient marketing strategies, product development (innovation) should be considered, service improvement, marketing course programs should be conducted, improvements of websites contents, government should support public private partnership to improve tourism marketing. For further research, this study suggests that there is need to conduct a research on improvement of Tanzania tourism marketing.


OBJECTIVE--To assess the effects of three different antianginal drugs on heart rate, blood pressure, and heart rate variability. DESIGN--Randomised, single blind, placebo controlled, cross over study. SETTING--University hospital. PARTICIPANTS--Nine healthy male volunteers. INTERVENTIONS--Oral administration of either 50 mg gallopamil, 20 mg nifedipine, 100 mg metoprolol, or placebo according to a random crossover plan. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Time intervals between consecutive R waves in electrocardiograms measured with an accuracy of 5 ms from digital Holter recordings. Blood pressure monitored continuously by finger plethysmography. RESULTS--Metoprolol lowered heart rate from 62(6) to 51(5) beats/min (p = 0.003) after 78(23) minutes. Nifedipine provoked reflex tachycardia from 56(5) to 94(18) beats/min (p < 0.001) at 10(3) minutes after treatment followed by an exponential decline in heart rate to baseline values with a time constant of 34(7) min in seven subjects but 83 minutes in one volunteer. One subject showed no exponential decline in heart rate. Nifedipine significantly lowered the supine mean arterial pressure from 86(6) to 67(6) mm Hg (p = 0.004) after 11(2) minutes, indicating an acute reduction in arterial resistance. Gallopamil did not significantly change mean heart rate or blood pressure. In the sitting position three hours after administration gallopamil and metoprolol significantly lowered power spectral density in the low frequency band (0.03 Hz to 0.15 Hz) compared with placebo (p < 0.05). Nifedipine did not produce such an effect. CONCLUSIONS--Gallopamil and metoprolol both inhibit cardiac sympathetic activation compared with placebo, whereas nifedipine causes reflex sympathetic activation.


Six English seventeenth-century accounts of acephalous births are the starting point for a reflection on the meaning assumed by the body "out of norm" in the early modern period: not a fortuitous occurrence, but a breach through which one could look inside the portentous machine of the universe, in an incredible interweaving of theology, politics and medicine, the human monster became a sign of divine wrath and a powerful means of social control. What did the birth of a headless child mean in this context? What mythical distances and horizons did it feed on? How did it intertwine together the punishment for a single parental blame and the warning for entire communities, social groups, and state structures? This study takes into account the social imaginary and the contexts in which the six stories were thought up, written, printed and read, and investigates the ways in which these narrations stigmatized a specific pathology of the human body, making the lack of the head a physical and metaphysical symbol of disorder in the private or public sphere, and therefore an effective means of repression and control.


The aim of the present study is the detailed investigation of the pyrolysis processes of lignocellulosic biomass. Pyrolysis conversion processes are an important technological option for biofuel production and energy recovery from biomass and wastes. Pyrolysis is also a first step in gasification and in other thermochemical conversion processes for the exploitation of energy from biomass. In such a wide horizon, two topics are investigated in detail: the thermal effects associated to the pyrolysis process, necessary to correctly assess the overall heat balances of thermochemical conversion processes, and the fate and conversion products of lignin during pyrolysis.
Knowledge of the thermal behavior and reactivity of biomass is essential for the effective design and operation of thermochemical conversion units. Thus, the investigation of the influence of operating conditions on the outcomes of the thermal conversion of biomass feedstock in pyrolysis processes is an important element to enhance the design and the optimization of new biomass-to-energy processes. Thermoanalytical techniques, such as thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), provide this information in a straightforward manner.
Thinking in terms of a bio-refinery approach, lignin valorization is a key-issue for enhanced profitability of sustainable bio-based industries. The challenge, however, is that lignin is very difficult to decompose and generates very high amounts of solid residue as compared to other components of lignocelluloses. For this reason, the lignin pyrolysis has been experimentally investigated. In particular, a variation of the pyrolysis process for the production of a bio-oil is the liquefaction using a solvent. Thus the investigation of process parameters during lignin liquefaction has been studied as a method to make the lignin pumpable and easier to handle as a high-value liquid feedstock.


Herein, we report synthesis of silica-coated ZnSe nanoparticles (SZNPs), by varying the mass to volume ratio of ZnSe : TEOS i.e. mass to mass ratio of ZnSe : SiO 2 ranging from 0.0267 to 0.1071. These SZNPs showed enhanced photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) solution under visible light. Silica coating on ZnSe NPs  reduces the toxicity concerns for its wide use as photocatalyst. XRD of bare ZnSe NPs confirms hexagonal crystal structure, and TEM depicts size range of SZNPs around 7 nm. FTIR and Raman measurements confirm the presence of different chemical and silanol groups attached to bare ZnSe and SZNPs. Optical absorption and photoluminescence (PL) show a red shift due to silica coating on ZnSe NPs compared to bare ZnSe. This is due to silanization of ZnSe, as silica shell reduces the recombination of photon-generated electron and hole pairs. Photocatalytic experiments on methylene blue (MB) by bare and SZNPs have been conducted, optimal SZNPs i.e. 0.0535 sample (mass ratio of ZnSe:SiO 2 ) exhibits enhanced photo-generated free radicals. An increase in photodegradation of SZNPs, i.e. from 35 to 46% has been observed compared to bare counterparts (ZnSe). Stability decreased by only 7% after 4 th cycle of reuse, depicting efficacy of the SZNPs photocatalyst in the degradation of MB. A pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics has been observed for photodegradation of MB with highest rate constant of 8.6 × 10 -3 min -1 for SZNPs (1.0000:0.0535) sample.


MEDIATOR IMPARTIALITY AND MEDIATOR INTEREST Scholars have debated whether mediator impartiality or mediator interest plays a more vital role in bringing about a successful outcome. This research develops a comprehensive model that accounts for mediation occurrence and medication outcome in terms of an additive model of both mediator impartiality and mediator interest. The two channels through which mediators influence the changes of mediation and occurrence and outcome are hypothesized to be two dimensions of trust, mediator fairness and mediator capacity. This research argues 1) that mediator impartiality contributes to successful mediation outcomes by improving disputants' trust in mediators' fairness and 2) that mediator interest increases the likelihood of successful mediation outcomes by improving disputants' trust in mediators' capacity. Therefore, this research hypothesizes that the levels of mediators' impartiality and mediators' interest do not have individual effects on mediation occurrence and outcome. It argues, rather, that the additive level of the two variables determines the likelihood of mediation occurrence and successful outcome. The hypotheses of this research are tested using quantitative analysis of 294 interstate mediation cases carried out by states between 1945 and 1999 and qualitative analyses of the Philippines' mediation of the Borneo dispute between Malaya and Indonesia in 1964 and Syria's mediation of the border dispute between North Yemen and South Yemen in 1979. Both sets of analyses support the researcher's claim that it is the additive level of impartiality and interest, rather than the individual level of both variables, that affects the chance of mediation success being achieved.


Chlamydia infections are frequent causes of respiratory illness, particularly pneumonia in infants, and are linked to permanent reductions in lung function and the induction of asthma. However, the immune responses that protect against early-life infection and the mechanisms that lead to chronic lung disease are incompletely understood. In the current study, we investigated the role of programmed death (PD)-1 and its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2 in promoting early-life Chlamydia respiratory infection, and infection-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and severe allergic airway disease in later life. Infection increased PD-1 and PD-L1, but not PD-L2, mRNA expression in the lung. Flow cytometric analysis of whole lung homogenates identified monocytes, dendritic cells, CD4(+), and CD8(+) T cells as major sources of PD-1 and PD-L1. Inhibition of PD-1 and PD-L1, but not PD-L2, during infection ablated infection-induced AHR in later life. Given that PD-L1 was the most highly up-regulated and its targeting prevented infection-induced AHR, subsequent analyses focused on this ligand. Inhibition of PD-L1 had no effect on Chlamydia load but suppressed infection-induced pulmonary inflammation. Infection decreased the levels of the IL-13 decoy receptor in the lung, which were restored to baseline levels by inhibition of PD-L1. Finally, inhibition of PD-L1 during infection prevented subsequent infection-induced severe allergic airways disease in later life by decreasing IL-13 levels, Gob-5 expression, mucus production, and AHR. Thus, early-life Chlamydia respiratory infection-induced PD-L1 promotes severe inflammation during infection, permanent reductions in lung function, and the development of more severe allergic airway disease in later life.


Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) is a non-invasive diagnostic imaging technique, that maps the elastic properties of tissues. Nowadays this modality develops increasingly in medicine across its disciplines and opens a new era of high-quality ultrasound examination because it increases the specificity and thus improves diagnostic assurance. This method is similar to manual palpation, shows elastic properties of biological tissues and provides a kind of reconstruction of the internal structure of soft tissues based on measurement of the response of tissue compression. Results: This method is already used routinely in the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer and thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, in hepatology, cardiology, view of the carotid arteries and lymphatic nodules. Standards of elasticity values for human tissues such as the mammary gland, liver, prostate or thyroid gland are progressively being created across the medical fields. Finally, the article examines its unquestioned benefit in ophthalmology. In ophthalmology, it already appears as an up-and-coming method in diagnostics and in evaluating the changes in oculomotor muscles and orbital tissues in patients with endocrine orbitopathy. Conclusion: Shear wave elastography offers three main innovations: the quantitative aspect, dimensional resolution, and real-time imaging ability. Determination of the utilization rate of this method and its inclusion into the diagnostics of endocrine orbitopathy is still a question and the subject of presently conducted clinical studies.


This contribution explores the growing interest in transnational corporate accountability, arising out of the need to build trust in corporations. Emerging cultures of accountability and compliance, among other things, has driven the digitalization of corporate governance and the emergence of a polycentric order of transnational regulations (e.g., human rights due diligence instruments). While widely recognized conceptions of trust inform systems of decentralized, digital governance, the principles and practices of such governance recasts trust and its relationship to accountability within corporations. This contribution argues that this leads to "contradictions" between traditional systems of faith in the trustworthiness of the enterprise and its principal (human) and the emerging faith in the trustworthiness of systems of accountability from which enterprise trust can be objectively measured against an ideal-type, data-based metric. Trust in enterprises, then, become a function of trust in trust accountability systems. Competition among such trust accountability systems and the norms from which trust is measured produces polycentric regimes of transnational corporate accountability, and of measuring trustworthiness, that simultaneously enhances (through systems of exogenous objectification) and undermines (through incompatible standards and methods of trustworthiness) enterprise trust. Part I describes the problem and the challenge, one that arises from the near simultaneous shift in cultural expectations about trust from trust in character to trust in measurement, and the rise of cultures of data driven technologically complicated systems of compliance and accountability. Part Two then considers the transformation brought by efforts to respond that that challenge. These consisted of three closely interlinked trajectories: digitalization, complex compliance-accountability regimes, and the emergence of platforms as the space within which collectives of consumers and producers of governance and trust related data could interact. Part three then examines the consequences of the structures that have emerged as a product of those trajectories. The first is the constitution of polycentric governance standards around which entities must now navigate and the second is the detachment of trust from the entity that is its subject. That is, it considers the rise of trust platforms as the autonomous pint of engagement through which the trustworthiness of corporate governance is negotiated.


Fifty years ago, and with typical acuity, Raymond Williams argued that it was 'one of the most important facts about English social thinking in the nineteenth century that there grew up, in opposition to a laissez-faire society, [an] organic conception, stressing interrelation and interdependence'. Placing Ruskin at the heart of this movement, Williams contended that Ruskin's organicist view, inimical to socialism in its belief in hierarchy and obedience, and less clearly defined than other political discourses, was amenable to all critics of liberalism (Williams 1982, 140). Martin Warnke notes that 'involving the landscape in human affairs and feelings, and representing these by means of internal contrasts' had already become 'a familiar dialectic technique' long before Ruskin, because 'landscape could be treated in such a way as to impart a political message' (Warnke, 1994, 80). The tendency to turn, as Ruskin did, to mediaeval societies as models of organic culture was hardly new. Ruskin's own immersion in this idealistic atavism began with his love of Romantic poetry, but it did not end there. His own form of organicism developed out of Romanticism's preoccupation with this subject, but it was also profoundly influenced by his own discoveries in the fields of architecture and natural history. Ruskin's employment of organic analogies was not new, but was nonetheless wide-ranging and worthy of closer inspection


Abstract Objectives: Parkinson's disease is a complex disease with multiple etiological factors involved in disease pathogenesis, and the molecular and cellular pathways for neurodegeneration are still elusive. Methods: We reviewed all the relevant laboratory findings regarding acupuncture mechanism on Parkinson's disease. Results: Acupuncture treatments in animal experiments have generated valuable mechanistic insights of Parkinson's disease and shown that acupuncture therapy is in fact a neuroprotective therapy which increases various neuroprotective agents such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and cyclophilin A. In addition, acupuncture therapy decreases cell death processes and attenuates oxidative stress to substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons. Discussion: These results suggest that early application of acupuncture therapy for Parkinson's disease patients may be helpful for the best efficacy of acupuncture treatment.


A distinctive characteristic of Laclau and Mouffe's theory of hegemony is its insistence on the denial of an essence or ground of the subject. This element of their theory is derived from their notion of antagonism, in which a relation with a ground is brought into question by revealing its contingency. This article argues that the political dimension of this argument makes sense only in the context of Laclau and Mouffe's notion of modernity. However, the universalizing of modernity as the form of hegemony reduces the ontological notion of antagonism to a dialectical or empirical notion of contradiction. This article examines two key moves in this process: first, the reduction of the subject to Lacan's account of the subject; and second, the reduction of modernity to an ontotheologicalpolitical structure derived from Lefort as the support of the hegemonic subject. From this the article examines Laclau's response to the exhaustion of political modernity in the figure of complexity, from which antagonism is evacuated through the hegemony of the category of myth. Finally, the article discusses a nonhegemonic approach to antagonism derived from the work of Foucault, Wolin and Rancière.


In this paper, we focus on the problem of feature learning in the presence of scale imbalance for 6-DoF grasp detection and propose a novel approach to especially address the difficulty in dealing with small-scale samples. A Multi-scale Cylinder Grouping (MsCG) module is presented to enhance local geometry representation by combining multi-scale cylinder features and global context. Moreover, a Scale Balanced Learning (SBL) loss and an Object Balanced Sampling (OBS) strategy are designed, where SBL enlarges the gradients of the samples whose scales are in low frequency by apriori weights while OBS captures more points on small-scale objects with the help of an auxiliary segmentation network. They alleviate the influence of the uneven distribution of grasp scales in training and inference respectively. In addition, Noisy-clean Mix (NcM) data augmentation is introduced to facilitate training, aiming to bridge the domain gap between synthetic and raw scenes in an efficient way by generating more data which mix them into single ones at instance-level. Extensive experiments are conducted on the GraspNet-1Billion benchmark and competitive results are reached with significant gains on small-scale cases. Besides, the performance of real-world grasping highlights its generalization ability. Our code is available at https://github.com/mahaoxiang822/Scale-Balanced-Grasp.