The language used towards Latino immigrants expressed in the online media is a prevalent occurrence that warrants a more detailed analysis. I used a total of fifty-four articles from Fox New, CNN, MSNBC, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law Center, Immigration Advocates, Networks Liberty News, Minuteman Project, and American Immigration Control Council. I analyzed the wording used by each source when they referred to Latino immigrants. I analyzed my data further by distinguishing it into five categories: Affirmative language, negative language, avoidance language, the use of linguistic devices, and a category dedicated to the special circumstances around the recent influx of unaccompanied minors at the United States-Mexico border. Pro-immigration websites to use the most affirmative language and anti-immigration websites used the most negative language. Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC were fairly neutral in their representation of immigrants, which is the opposite of my original assumption and past research. With the rapidly changing time and internet capabilities, I found that immigrant terminology is often avoided and the immigration process is used as a proxy for immigrants. I also discovered that children were more likely to be involved in the avoidance of immigrant terminology than any other groups. My analysis only scratched the surface and has opened the door to numerous other research possibilities that can help us to understand this occurrence better.


Climatic and anthropogenic changes are contributing to the degradation of different ecosystems in Costa Rica, thereby altering climatic, ecological, and geomorphic conditions. The hypothesis of this PhD thesis is that high tropical biodiversity of Costa Rica and the tropics is suitable to improve the understanding of hydrogeomorphic process dynamics and to generate baseline data on past disasters in a limited-data region. The principal motivation to link natural hazards and dendrochronology in this low-latitude region is the persisting scarcity of data on past hydrogeomorphic processes and the desire to define methods that can reduce its exposure and vulnerability. The principal research aim of this study therefore was to provide reference data that can improve the understanding of hydrogeomorphic processes as well as to explore the potential of tropical tree species in dendrochronological applications. This study thus combines remote sensing, meteorological assessments and tree-ring techniques with statistical analyses, hydraulic modelling, and risk assessments. The innovative nature of this research described the very limited experience available in terms of tree-ring analysis in Costa Rica and the clear lack of understanding on past disasters and their linkage to climate. This study will likely contribute to the implementation of new methodologies in disaster risk research and will hopefully contribute to future adaptation strategies in the tropics, the most biodiverse region of the world.


Aim. This paper reports a study exploring district nurses' experiences of providing palliative care for patients with cancer and their families. Background. There is an increasing demand for palliative care in the community, as many patients wish to die at home. District nurses are central to providing palliative care in the community, but there is a dearth of literature on district nurses' experiences in palliative care. Method. A Husserlian phenomenological approach was adopted with a purposive sample of 25 female district nurses. Data were collected using unstructured, tape-recorded interviews and analysed using Colaizzi's seven stages of data analysis. Findings. Four themes were identified: the communication web; the family as an element of care; challenges for the district nurse in symptom management and the personal cost of caring. Conclusions. District nurses' experiences of providing palliative care to family units was challenging but rewarding. The emotive nature of the experience cannot be under-estimated, as many district nurses were touched by the varying situations. Whilst acknowledging the need to maintain an integrated approach to care, district nurses should be identified as the key workers in the complex situation of palliative care.


Environmental economics is an emerging area in the realm of economic science. Before 1970s a little attention was paid for the growth and development of this part of the area of knowledge in economics. The first oil stock in 1971 and thereafter the emergence of relatively higher levels of environmental damages at the global level prompted the scholars in this field to apply economic tools to environmental science. Studies on environmental science are plentifully available, however they do not cover the economic content of environment. Similarly, early economists of the classical and neoclassical regime made specific comments about the significance of nature and environment, but did not include them in their exposition of theories. Today, people all over the world have realised that environment is not just the study of flora and fauna, but a synthesis of study of various branches of knowledge like Science, Economics, Philosophy, Ethics, Anthropology, etc. Therefore, a study of environmental economics calls for a detailed understanding about various environmental factors, their influence in the economy, their functions upon the environment, and their impacts upon the life of the people of the present and future.


This is a brilliant new guide to understanding the origins of codependence and the path to recovery by a nationally recognised authority on dependency and addiction. In this fresh new look at codependence, Pia Mellody traces the origins of this illness back to childhood, describing a whole range of emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, and sexual abuses. Because of these earlier experiences, codependent adults often lack the skills necessary to lead mature lives and have satisfying relationships. Recovery from codependence comes from clearing up the toxic feelings left over from childhood and learning to reparent oneself by intervening on the adult symptoms of codependence. Central to Mellody's concept is the idea of the precious child that needs healing within each adult. She creates a framework for identifying codependent behavior and describes an effective approach to recovery that includes both therapy and self-help processes. Designed to be used with her new workbook for codependents, "Breaking Free", this is a powerful tool for understanding the nature of codependence.


In recent years, research on light emitting diodes (LEDs) has highlighted their great potential as a lighting system for plant growth, development and metabolism control. The suitability of LED devices for plant cultivation has turned the technology into a main component in controlled or closed plant-growing environments, experiencing an extremely fast development of horticulture LED metrics. In this context, the present study aims to provide an insight into the current global horticulture LED industry and the present features and potentialities for LEDs' applications. An updated review of this industry has been integrated through a database compilation of 301 manufacturers and 1473 LED lighting systems for plant growth. The research identifies Europe (40%) and North America (29%) as the main regions for production. Additionally, the current LED luminaires' lifespans show 10 and 30% losses of light output after 45,000 and 60,000 working hours on average, respectively, while the vast majority of worldwide LED lighting systems present efficacy values ranging from 2 to 3 μmol J−1 (70%). Thus, an update on the status of the horticultural LED sector, LEDs' applications and metrics, and the intense innovation are described and discussed.


BACKGROUND: Menarche signifies the onset of menstruation and is one of the milestones in women's lives. AIM: The aim of the present study was to elucidate the influence of birth order, family size, parents' level of education, and body size parameters on age at menarche among samples of Nigerian secondary schoolgirls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study of age at menarche of Nigerian secondary schoolgirls (n = 600) aged 11–18 years was done. The effect of birth order, family size, and parents' educational attainment on age at menarche was analyzed. Data pertaining to menarche and family background were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 22. RESULTS: Mean age at menarche was 13.54 ± 0.90 years. Father's level of education showed statistical significant effect on the mean age at menarche (P < 0.05), while mother's level of education did not show significant influence on the mean age at menarche (P > 0.05). The result showed that firstborn girls have earlier age at menarche (12.82 ± 0.68 years) than later-born girls (14.09 ± 0.58 years, P < 0.01). Again, girls born in small families of one child, reach maturity earlier (12.78 ± 0.57 years), than those born in families of four or more children (14.02 ± 0.68 years, P < 0.01). Linear regression model using birth order and family size was used to ascertain the mean age of menarche for the overall sample population. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that birth order, family size, and parents' level of education have influence on age at menarche.


OBJECTIVES
Genital injuries among children are often associated with consumer products or specific activities. There are few descriptive studies from Asia on pediatric genital injuries seen in the emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to describe the characteristic features of accidental genital injuries among children.

METHODS
A retrospective chart review of children aged 15 years or younger who visited our ED for genital injuries between March 2010 and November 2014 was conducted. Data on age, arrival time at the ED, location of the incident, mechanism of injury, objects, injured organ, consultation with specialists, emergency operation, sedation at the ED, and outcomes were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS
One hundred seventy-nine patients were included in this analysis. Girls comprised 71% of the subject pool. The median age was 6 years (interquartile range, 4-9 years). Straddle injuries were the most common form of injury (56%). Male genital injuries occurred mostly outdoors (64%). Common consumer products associated with pediatric genital injuries were furniture (21%), exercise equipment (17%), and bicycles (15%). Thirty-two patients were examined by a surgeon, gynecologist, or urologist. The most commonly injured organs were the penis (55%) in boys and the labia (60%) in girls. Most patients (93%) were treated at the ED and discharged.

CONCLUSIONS
The characteristics of accidental genital injuries among Japanese children were similar to those of children in other countries. The strategy for preventing genital injuries used in the West might be applicable to the East Asian context.


Background: In the UK a central government initiative is seeking to transfer aspects of specialist NHS care to community settings using ambulatory diagnostic and treatment centres (ADTCs). Aims: Following the redevelopment of a district general hospital as an ADTC, we were interested in the feasibility of using this new facility to deliver a structured programme for undergraduate medical students. Method: Twenty self-selected fifth year medical students at the University of Dundee, together with teaching and administration staff in the ADTC, took part in the study during the academic year 2005–2006. Results: One hundred percent of students and 73% of staff responded to a questionnaire pitched at the level of reaction to the course. The key findings were that the students found the teaching venues useful, the general environment conducive to learning, and the content appropriate to their needs. Staff felt that patients were not unhappy or disturbed by having students present and did not think the presence of students inhibited their clinical work. They appreciated the new opportunity to teach. Conclusions: An ADTC is a viable setting for structured teaching of undergraduate medical students. It provides a context for medical student leaning away from the main teaching hospital.


Reservation-wide dog-bite statistics indicate a bite rate on the Navajo Reservation that is comparable to that of a large city. Detailed analysis of 772 bite reports was made to determine the characteristics of biters and their victims. This included an assessment of the behavioral antecedents leading up to the bite incident; 98.4 percent of all cases for which a possible cause could be ascertained were provoked in some way. Both dog control and public education measures need to be taken to reduce the frequency of dog bites.


PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the shape change of breast during movement to inform product development of bras and other female wearable products.Design/methodology/approachUsing the latest 4D body scanning technology, the authors monitored the change of seven non-circumferential breast measurements, including four linear measurements (widths, depth, etc.) and three angular measurements, across nine dynamic scans of a complete gait cycle during running. A series of statistical analysis were conducted to thoroughly investigate the measurement values in dynamic states compared with values extracted from static 3D scans.FindingsMajor findings are as follows: (1) For width-underbust, chest-depth, vertical-acromion and angle ABD, more than half of the dynamic frames presents a significant difference with the static frame. (2) Width-underbust and chest-depth measured in static can underestimate the actual values under motion. (3) vertical-acromion presents a W-shaped general trend for the nine dynamic frames with peaks observed at the keyframes (i.e. when a participant's right or left knee bends the most and rises to its highest level) and lows at the intermediate frames. (4) Angle ABD and angle BAD both present an M-shaped general trend, the exact opposite of a W-shaped trend.Originality/valueWhile 3D body scanning and motion capture systems have both contributed significantly to the study of breast, 4D body scanning incorporates the advantages of both technologies and captures the 3D surface of the body during movement at each instant moment. This is one of the first studies that adopt the new technology for apparel applications.


Magnetorheological (MR) fluid is a new kind of smart materials, which can be transformed from Newtonian fluid into visco-plastic solid rapidly in the presence of magnetic field. In this paper, the material composition, characteristics and constitutive relation of this smart material were discussed. The operational principles of MR devices in flow, shear and squeeze mode were generalized in detail. The design technique of structural parameters and magnetic circuit of MR devices were investigated. Especially, some important technical points on dimension of fluid gap, magnetic core material and the direction of magnetic flux density were sumarized. All of these can give a valuable referrence for MR devices design. As an example, a MR damper in shear-valve mode was designed, and some experiments were carried on it. From the experimental result, it shown that the MR damper has an excellent damping force characteristics. This also proved the design technique put forward by author was validated.


Purpose of review The aim of this study was to describe the most recent technical nuances for resection and reconstruction of Grade 1 and 2 laryngeal chondrosarcomas, with a special emphasis on those located at the level of the cricoid plate, which is the site of origin of the vast majority of these rare tumours. Recent findings Even though inherently based on retrospective small clinical series or anecdotal case reports, a number of studies have been recently published focusing on conservative transoral and open-neck surgical procedures aimed at an oncologically sound removal of the tumour together with organ and function preservation. The open-neck conservative approaches herein reported can be roughly distinguished in those achieving a primary airway reconstruction by a tracheo-hyoido-epiglottopexy or an end-to-end crico-tracheal, thyro-crico-tracheal or thyro-tracheal anastomosis, and those requiring a single or double-staged transposition of different microvascular flaps, with or without cartilaginous graft insertion, to reconstruct a subtotal/total cricoidectomy and obtain a rigid and stable subglottic airway. Summary No meaningful comparison in terms of oncologic and functional outcomes is still possible among the currently available conservative surgical strategies, due to the rarity of laryngeal chondrosarcomas and the heterogeneity of treatments proposed in the literature. However, a reasonable algorithm to approach this difficult clinical entity according to its site of origin and extent of cricoid circumference involved is herein presented.


Male reproductive function is clearly impaired in diabetes. This study investigates the responses to the bioactive component of Crassocephalum crepidioides (C. crepidioides) on histomorphology, spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis in Streptozotocin induced Diabetic Male Rats. Eighteen (18) male diabetic and twelve non diabetic male rats were divided into five groups of six (n=6) rats each. Group A served as non diabetic (ND) control were given 2 mL/kg distilled water each twice daily, group B: Diabetic control (DC); diabetic rats given 2 mL/kg distilled water each daily as placebo, group C: 500 mgkg-1 body weight of C. crepidioides was administered orally twice daily in Non-Diabetic groups, group D:500 mgkg-1 body weight of C. crepidioides was administered orally twice daily in Diabetic groups; group E: Diabetic rats treated subcutaneously with 5 units/kg.bwt of insulin. The duration of the study was 28 days. Parameters tested include: fasting blood and serum glucose, sperm parameters, Testosterone (TT), Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing hormone (LH) and testicular histology. C. crepidioides significantly decreased blood and serum glucose levels and significantly improved sperm quality and TT, FSH and LH in diabetic rats when compared with the Non-diabetic control. Degeneration and inflammatory responses in the testicular cells of the diabetic rats were significant improved after the administration of the plant extracts. The present study suggested that C. crepidioides extract improved the quality, viability, motility of semen analysis and reproductive hormone thereby preserving the testicular functions and male genital organs in diabetic rats.


Adsorption characteristics of Congo Red dye(CR)on powdered activated carbon(PAC)and granular activated carbon(GAC)from aqueous solutions was studied. The potential for the adsorption of Congo Red dye at a fixed initial concentration of 100 ppm on PAC and GAC was carried out. The experiments were carried out in a batch system to optimize operation variables :pH,time and temperature for the same adsorbent dosage of 0.2 mg in 50ml of dye solution.The Taguchi experimental design method was applied for the systematic and effective investigation of the optimal conditions of operation variables.The pH of the solution remains the major influencing factor for the adsorption process in all the experimental runs.


ASHRAE Standard 152P (Method of Test for Determining the Design and Seasonal Efficiencies of Residential Thermal Distribution Systems) includes default values for many of the input parameters required to calculate delivery system efficiencies. These default values have several sources: measured field data in houses, laboratory testing, simple heat transfer analyses, etc. This paper will document and discuss these default values and their sources for forced air systems.


ABSTRACT We examine the gap between theory and practice in social accountability mechanisms to improve local governance performance in Tanzania. We do so through drawing on an ethnographic investigation tracing lines of blame and responsibility for service delivery, from individual citizens up to the central state incorporating a total of 340 interviews and 12 focussed group discussions. We have two keys findings: Firstly, that there is a wide divergence between formal lines of accountability and where actors direct blame for performance failure in practice. Secondly, building a collective understanding of this divergence provides an effective starting point for intervention to improve performance. Our conclusion is that dominant assumptions on social accountability interventions require significant revision in light of our findings.


Based on well-known infection models, we constructed a new model to forecast the propagation of the Covid-19 pandemic which yields a discrete-time evolution with one day interval. The proposed model can be easily implemented with daily updated data sets of the pandemic publicly available by many sources. It has only two adjustable parameters and is able to predict the evolution of the total number of infected people in a country for the next 14 days, if parameters do not change during this time. The model incorporates the main aspects of the disease such as the the fact that there are asymptomatic and symptomatic phases (both capable of propagating the virus), and that these phases take almost two weeks before the infected person status evolves to the next (asymptomatic becomes symptomatic or symptomatic becomes either recovered or dead). One advantage of the model is that it gives directly the number of total infected people in each day (in thousands, tens of thousands or hundred of thousands). The model was tested with data from Brazil, UK and South Korea, it predicts quite well the evolution of the disease and therefore may be an useful tool to estimate the propagation of the disease.


ABSTRACT Background To evaluate the effect of pre-sleep protein supplementation after an acute bout of evening resistance training on next day performance and recovery the following day in physically active men. Methods Eighteen resistance trained men performed a single bout of resistance exercise then received either a pre-sleep protein (PRO) supplement containing 40 g of casein protein (PRO; n = 10; mean ± SD; age = 24 ± 4 yrs; height = 1.81 ± 0.08 m; weight = 84.9 ± 9.5 kg) or a non-caloric, flavor matched placebo (PLA; n = 8; age = 28 ± 10 yrs; height = 1.81 ± 0.07 m; weight = 86.7 ± 11.0 kg) 30 min before sleep (1 h after a standard recovery drink). Blood samples were obtained pre-exercise and the following morning (+12-h) to measure creatine kinase and C-reactive protein. Visual analog scales were utilized to assess perceived pain, hunger, and recovery. One-repetition maximum (1RM) tests for barbell bench press and squat were performed pre-exercise and the following morning (+12-h). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (V.23) and p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results There were no significant differences between the groups in next morning performance or muscle damage biomarkers. However, pre-sleep PRO resulted in a lower perception of hunger that approached significance the following morning when compared to PLA (PRO:43.6 ± 31.2, PLA: 69.4 ± 2.22; 95% C.I. = −53.6, 2.0; p = 0.07; d = 0.95). Conclusions Following an evening bout of exercise, pre-sleep PRO did not further improve next morning muscle damage biomarkers or maximal strength performance in resistance trained men compared to a non-caloric PLA. However, there may be implications for lower perceived hunger the next morning with pre-sleep PRO consumption compared to PLA.


Process industries cover a wide set of industries, in which the processes are controlled by a combination of distributed control systems (DCSs) and programmable logic controllers (PLCs). These control systems utilize various measurements such as pressure, flow, and temperature to determine the state of the process and then use field devices such as valves and other actuating devices to manipulate the process. Since there are many different types of field devices and since each device is calibrated to its specific installation, when monitoring devices, it is important to be able to transfer not only the device measurement and diagnostics but also characteristics about the device and the process in which it is installed. The current monitoring architecture, however, creates challenges for continuous monitoring and analysis of diagnostic data. In this paper, we present the design of an Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) system for supporting large-scale and continuous device condition monitoring and analysis in process control systems. The system design seamlessly integrates existing infrastructure [e.g., highway addressable remote transducer (HART) and WirelessHART networks, and DeltaV DCS] and newly developed hardware/software components (e.g., one-way data diode and IoT cellular architecture) together for control network data collection and streaming of the collected device diagnostic parameters to a private cloud to perform streaming data analytics designed for fault identification and prediction. A prototype system has been developed and supported by Emerson Automation Solutions and deployed in the field for design validation and long-term performance evaluation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first ever publicly reported effort on IoT system design for process automation applications. The design can be readily extended for condition monitoring and analysis of many other industrial facilities and processes.


The system uses the MCU to complete the functions such as regularly collecting, computing, error handling, storage, data transmission control, and so on, for the parameters required measurement. The system consists of four components: sensor and modulation circuit part, A/D transformation and send part, optical fiber coupling part and the receiver display part. The system has the following characteristics: The encoder is used to encode and send the digital signal of the measured parameters. Through the optical fiber coupling, this system displays the corresponding measurement parameters after decoding by the decoder. System circuit design is simple, easy debugging, reliable of information transmission, high precision of data transmission, particularly good anti-interference, no need of great sending power. It can be applied to a strong electric field or strong magnetic interference occasions at a distance from tens of meters to hundreds of meters.


Grounded Theory approach is most applicable in social issues that have limited data and literature. It is popularly used among social science practitioners since it is responsive to societal concerns. However, given its unique features, it was perceived as complicated and confusing especially for a beginner researcher. The current study was conducted to present the proper steps and procedures of grounded theory approach in qualitative research. The focus of this study is on the systematic application of the components of grounded theory in a scientific study that has limited literature and data. It aimed to determine the trustworthiness of using its method in explaining an existing social concern without bias on preconceived ideas. The combined use of purposive sampling, triangulation method, gap analysis and the elements of grounded theory approach led to theory generation after a rigorous iteration of comparative data analysis. Following the complicated process of its methodology, resulted to a conclusive finding that grounded theory approach has its dimension of difficulty, level of trustworthiness and distinctive features that would qualify as scientific study unique of its quality. Thus, the level of complication and rigor has contributed to the strength of Grounded theory approach.


s 14th World Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine s97 data collection, focusing on syndromes that may represent infections with bioterrorist agents. Conclusion: An emergency department-based, enhanced, bioterrorism, syndrome-surveillance system can be maintained effectively for a short-term period. Additional data sources and accumulation of long-term baseline data are necessary for further system development. The guidelines for early aberration reporting and evaluation of syndrome surveillance systems also requires more research.


This study attempts to develop research instruments the psychomotor lab work chemical the electrolyte solution and nonelectrolyte. On the feasibility and knows, the assessed by an observer. Model 4D stage used to define, design, development, and disseminate. This research is bounded reached the stage of development. Feasibility an instrument used in research of chief consisting of seven aspects with the each every aspect which is language 89,14 %, construction 89,71 %, 86,43 % matter, objectifies 86,67 %, systematic 84,29 %, practical 92,17 %, and funding of the 85,71 %. The technique of data analysis includes data processing and instrument reliability assessment by the observer. The results of this research and development show that assessment instrument was developed to have a reliability of 0.89 and meet excellent quality based on an assessment of observer with the percentage of 87.73%. Thus, psychomotor aspects of assessment instruments are viable and can be used as one of the assessment tools in chemical teaching material on activities of the electrolyte solution and nonelectrolyte.


The wood liquefaction technique using phenol is the developing method to utilize the waste woody materials for phenolic resin. However, the condensation reaction is one of the problems for popularizing the wood liquefaction technique. The lowering of the phenol concentrations in the wood liquefaction process is thought to be the cause of the condensation reaction. To find the reason and examine our hypothesis, woody meals (sawdust) were liquefied under the different conditions using phenol in the presence of sulfuric acid as a catalyst. Under the intensive liquefaction conditions such as higher reaction temperatures and more catalyst contents and smaller particle sizes of woody meal, remarkable condensation reaction was observed. It was found that the phenol concentrations were approximately 8% lower at the end of the reaction and became stable when the condensation reaction took place. It was indicated that the lowering of the phenol concentration suppressed the liquefaction reaction and prompted the condensation reaction. However, it was considered that the wood liquefaction also almost stopped when the condensation reaction was hardly observed. According to all results, it is suggested that the cause of the condensation reaction is not only due to the lowering of the phenol concentrations but also due to the decomposing of liquefied woody constituents into low molecules under the intense liquefaction.


Cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure are known to be associated with a reduction in Ca2+-ATPase pump levels of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). To determine whether, and to what extent, alterations in Ca2+ pump numbers can affect contraction and relaxation parameters of the heart, we have overexpressed the cardiac SR Ca2+-ATPase specifically in the mouse heart using the alpha-myosin heavy chain promoter. Analysis of 2 independent transgenic lines demonstrated that sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase isoform (SERCA2a) mRNA levels were increased 3.88+/-0. 4-fold and 7.90+/-0.2-fold over those of the control mice. SERCA2a protein levels were increased by 1.31+/-0.05-fold and 1.54+/-0. 05-fold in these lines despite high levels of mRNA, suggesting that complex regulatory mechanisms may determine the SERCA2a pump levels. The maximum velocity of Ca2+ uptake (Vmax) was increased by 37%, demonstrating that increased pump levels result in increased SR Ca2+ uptake function. However, the apparent affinity of the SR Ca2+-ATPase for Ca2+ remains unchanged in transgenic hearts. To evaluate the effects of overexpression of the SR Ca2+ pump on cardiac contractility, we used the isolated perfused work-performing heart model. The transgenic hearts showed significantly higher myocardial contractile function, as indicated by increased maximal rates of pressure development for contraction (+dP/dt) and relaxation (-dP/dt), together with shortening of the normalized time to peak pressure and time to half relaxation. Measurements of intracellular free calcium concentration and contractile force in trabeculae revealed a doubling of Ca2+ transient amplitude, with a concomitant boost in contractility. The present study demonstrates that increases in SERCA2a pump levels can directly enhance contractile function of the heart by increasing SR Ca2+ transport.


Background noise makes listening more cognitively demanding, especially for persons with hearingimpairment, and this seems to aect memory encoding. It is not clear whether this decrement can berestored by providing visual cues. In the present study, we investigated whether long term memoryencoding of speech, in quiet and in background noise adjusted to retain intelligibility, improves whenthe talkers face is visible, and whether such an enhancement is associated with working memorycapacity. Twenty adults with normal hearing in Experiment 1 and 24 adults with hearing loss inExperiment 2 listened to lists of 13 two-digit numbers, with or without seeing the talkers face, andthen recalled as many numbers as possible in any order. The lists were presented in quiet as wellin a steady-state speech-weighted noise and the International Speech Testing Signal at a signal-tonoiseratio individually adapted to give an intelligibility level of approximately 90%. Amplicationcompensated for loss of audibility. Working memory capacity was measured using the reading spantest. Seeing the talkers face did enhance free recall performance. However, whereas the eect size foradults with normal hearing was large, for adults with hearing impairment it was small. Further, therewas no evidence that visual cues specically compensated for performance decrements due to noiseor serial position and there was no evidence of an association between working memory capacity andperformance with visual cues. However, good working memory capacity did improve performance forearly list items, reecting facilitation of long-term memory encoding, for both groups when stimuliwere presented in steady-state noise. For participants with hearing impairment, good working memorycapacity was associated with good performance on late list items in quiet, reecting facilitationof working memory encoding. This pattern of results indicates that steady-state background noisereduces the cognitive capacity available for the long-term memory encoding of speech that is necessaryfor enduring retention of spoken information, irrespective of hearing status, but provides no evidencethat this is specically compensated for by visual cues. It also demonstrates that for individuals withhearing impairment, short term retention of speech heard even under the most favourable conditionsis a function of individual working memory capacity. These ndings support and extend the Ease ofLanguage Understanding Model.


Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been recognised as an effective means of simultaneously producing energy while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Despite having a large agriculture sector, Ireland has experienced little uptake of the technology, ranking 20th within the EU-28. It is, therefore, necessary to understand the general opinions, willingness to adopt, and perceived obstacles of potential adopters of the technology. As likely primary users of this technology, a survey of Irish cattle farmers was conducted to assess the potential of on-farm AD for energy production in Ireland. The study seeks to understand farmers' motivations, perceived barriers, and preferred business model. The study found that approximately 41% of the 91 respondents were interested in installing AD on their farming enterprise within the next five years. These Likely Adopters tended to have a higher level of education attainment, and together, currently hold 4379 cattle, potentially providing 37,122 t year−1 of wastes as feedstock, resulting in a potential CO2 reduction of 800.65 t CO2-eq. year−1. Moreover, the results indicated that the primary consideration preventing the implementation of AD is a lack of information regarding the technology and high investment costs. Of the Likely Adopters and Possible Adopters, a self-owned and operated plant was the preferred ownership structure, while 58% expressed an interest in joining a co-operative scheme. The findings generated provide valuable insights into the willingness of farmers to implement AD and guidance for its potential widespread adoption.


Abstract. Landslides are among the most dangerous natural hazards, particularly in developing countries where ground observations for operative early warning systems are lacking. In these areas, remote sensing can represent an important tool to forecast landslide occurrence in space and time, particularly satellite rainfall products that have improved in terms of accuracy and resolution in recent times. Surprisingly, only a few studies have investigated the capability and effectiveness of these products in landslide forecasting, to reduce the impact of this hazard on the population. We have performed a comparative study of ground- and satellite-based rainfall products for landslide forecasting in India by using empirical rainfall thresholds derived from the analysis of historical landslide events. Specifically, we have tested Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) and SM2RAIN-ASCAT satellite rainfall products, and their merging, at daily and hourly temporal resolution, and Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) daily rain gauge observations. A catalogue of 197 rainfall-induced landslides occurred throughout India in the 13-year period between April 2007 and October 2019 has been used. Results indicate that satellite rainfall products outperform ground observations thanks to their better spatial (10 km vs 25 km) and temporal (hourly vs daily) resolution. The better performance is obtained through the merged GPM and SM2RAIN-ASCAT products, even though improvements in reproducing the daily rainfall (e.g., overestimation of the number of rainy days) are likely needed. These findings open a new avenue for using such satellite products in landslide early warning systems, particularly in poorly gauged areas.


Changes in industry require new forms of design education that better prepare students for the realities of concurrent engineering, increased involvement of suppliers in agile manufacturing, and the digitisation and virtualisation of collaboration. This article outlines these challenges for virtual design collaboration and reports first experiences of a distributed design studio (DDS) established between three European universities. In the DDS, students were taught core skills for virtual collaboration and could practice designer-client interaction in an experiential learning environment. The results of a course evaluation (during, at the end and one year after) show that students positively evaluated their own skill development. Student and staff feedback indicated that the embodiment phase proved to be more challenging and the evidence showed it coincided with reduced communication. Overall, the studio format can be seen as a suitable and realistic environment for practicing the relevant skills for virtual teamwork and designer-client communication. As a teaching initiative across institutions, it also served as personal development for staff.


Rationale: Although adaptive immune responses are critical for combating distal airway infections in COPD lungs, the structural basis for alveolar antigen uptake has remained poorly investigated. This study investigates the interface between alveolar lumen and the adaptive immune system at different severities of COPD. Methods: Lung resections (n=31) from mild (GOLD I), moderate-severe (GOLD II-III), and very severe (GOLD IV) COPD were subjected to detailed histological assessment of components of the adaptive immune system in distal lung. Never-smokers and non-COPD smokers served as controls (n=15). Results: In COPD, both numbers and mean size of lymphoid aggregates were increased in small airways, pulmonary vessels and the alveolar parenchyma. Irrespective of anatomical localization, the vast majority (88%) of the aggregates had direct contact with alveolar luminal spaces (37% of the aggregate perimeter). In advanced COPD, the epithelium at alveolar-lymphoid interfaces had transformed into a significantly higher columnar phenotype (p=0.02) that, apart from expressing immune-regulatory molecules, contained increased numbers of langerin-positive dendritic cells (p=0.02). Also, the total alveolar-lymphoid interface and interface-associated dendritic cells were increased (p=0.02 and p=0.002, respectively). Conclusions: The progression of COPD is linked with an expansion and remodeling of alveolar lumen-lymphoid interfaces. These alterations, which predict an increased capacity to respond to alveolar antigens, correlated with lung function parameters and may thus contribute to the aggravated inflammation in COPD lungs.


A commercial lattice-matched InGaP/InGaAs/Ge solar cell has reached an average efficiency of 40% at 500 kW/m2. The design changes that lead to this result are discussed. These data are complemented with a presentation of the latest new solar cell development results from the laboratory. Inverted metamorphic multijunction solar cells have been prototyped with 42.4% efficiency at 325 suns for concentrator applications and 33.6% efficiency at 1 sun AM0 for space applications. Six subcell devices are now under development. These results are used, along with other experimental data and other industrial constraints, as input to a computer model to predict what practical efficiency might be achievable with this device approach. The computer model suggests that 45% and 50% efficiencies are technologically feasible with a three-junction and five-junction device, respectively, at an irradiance of 500 kW/m2 and 25 °C using known materials, device architectures, and manufacturing methods.


Pulling on cell sheets encourages the cells to reenter the cell cycle. Mechanical strain regulates the development, organization, and function of multicellular tissues. But how? Cadherins mechanically couple neighboring epithelial cells through extracellular interactions and sequester the transcription factors β-catenin and Yap1. To find out more, Benham-Pyle et al. stretched epithelial cell sheets. This mechanical strain induced rapid cell cycle reentry, DNA synthesis by sequential nuclear accumulation, and transcriptional activation of Yap1 and β-catenin. Thus, cell-cell junctions are mechanically responsive structural scaffolds providing signaling centers that coordinate transcriptional responses to externally applied force. B. W. Benham-Pyle, B. L. Pruitt, W. J. Nelson, Mechanical strain induces E-cadherin–dependent Yap1 and β-catenin activation to drive cell cycle entry. Science 348, 1024–1027 (2015). [Abstract] [Full Text]


CO2 appears to be a suitable refrigerant for dryer operation conditions due to its thermophysical and environmentally friendly properties. In this study, a heat pump tumble dryer system using CO2 as the refrigerant was theoretically investigated, and a computer model was developed using MATLAB software. The changes in the energy consumption and drying time, depending on the inlet CO2 pressure into the gas cooler, inlet CO2 temperature into the evaporator, air mass flow rate, and dryer efficiency, are presented. The results show that the optimum operating parameters are extremely effective in reducing the drying time and energy consumed.


Background: Over the past three decades, complex care and treatment have increasingly become the responsibility of parents as home-based care providers, yet little is known about parents' caregiving experiences when considering the variety of care tasks. It is imperative to gain insight into the challenges parents face when managing treatment and care of their child with cancer to ensure optimal parental support and prior to further expansion of home-based parent caregiving. This study aimed to explore the experiences of children and adolescents with cancer, who had received treatment through a portable infusion pump, and their parents in managing different care tasks. It is the first study and forms the basis of the research project INTACTatHome, that develops and tests interventions of home-based intravenous anti-cancer treatment. Methods: Ethnographic fieldwork comprising participant observation and semi-structured interviewing analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. Thirteen families participated in the study. Results: Three main themes were identified: (1) being a "mini-nurse"; (2) dividing care; and (3) managing anxiety and fear, each based on separate sub-themes. These themes were bound together by an overarching theme: "Ambiguous expectations of parent caregiving." Discussion: This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the varying experiences of children and adolescents and their parents in managing different care tasks for a child or adolescent with cancer. It underscores the need to establish clear expectations of parents as caregivers throughout the cancer treatment trajectory. This perspective is crucial when developing and implementing future home-based care services.


ABSTRACT This interdisciplinary study addresses issues of urban-riverine hinterland relationships in semi-arid environments over millennia at Gerasa/Jerash in Jordan, presenting research that stimulates new lines of enquiry with much broader implications than those relating to this single site. Through the presentation of new data on wadi-sediment responses to social and environmental change, we assess ways in which urban settlements, their hinterlands, and rivers interact over long time periods and how such changes may be read together with historical sources and shed new light on urban-hinterland dynamics. We explore the hypothesis that synergistic relationships between an urban core and its hinterland are essential to the long-term sustainability of both. Our integrated approach gives new insight into settlement dynamics and resource use and carries implications for our understanding of the present through the past.


The 1∶2 adducts of gold(I) chloride with the diphosphine ligands, 1,2-bis(di-n-pyridylphosphino)ethane (dnpype) for n = 2, 3 and 4 have been synthesized and solution properties characterized by NMR spectroscopy, including variable temperature one dimensional 31P{1H} and 2D [31P, 31P] COSY experiments. The results show the 3-pyridyl (d3pype) and 4-pyridyl (d4pype) adducts to exist as bis-chelated monomeric [Au(d3pype)2]+ and [Au(d4pype)2]+ while the 2-pyridyl (d2pype) adduct forms an equilibrium mixture of monomeric [Au(d2pype)2]+, dimeric [{Au(d2pype)2}2]2+ and possibly tetrameric [{Au(d2pype)2}4]4+ species in which the d2pype ligands coordinate in both bridging and chelated modes via the phosphorus atoms. The relative percentages of the species present are dependent on both temperature and solvent. A single crystal X-ray structure determination of the 4-pyridyl adduct obtained from ethanol/hexane shows the complex to crystallize as [Au(d4pype)2H]Cl2·6H2O with monomeric cations and one of the 4-pyridyl rings likely to be protonated. Crystals of the 2-pyridyl complex obtained from methanol solution have been shown by crystal structure determination to be the dimer [(d2pype)Au(µ-d2pype)]2Cl2·14H2O, in which each gold atom is coordinated by one chelated and two bridging d2pype ligands. The solubility properties and solution behaviour of these three systems are compared to the analogous 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) system and the potential significance of these results to the antitumour properties of chelated 1∶2 Au(I) diphosphine complexes are discussed.


The idea of legal pluralism is that law must always negotiate situations when multiple communities and legal authorities seek to regulate the same act or actor. These overlapping jurisdictional assertions may occur because of federalism, or because disputes often cross territorial borders, or because of complicated inter-jurisdictional arrangements, as with Indian tribes in the United States. In all of these situations, judges must develop strategies for determining how best to balance the competing claims of multiple communities: does the law of one community triumph, does the law of the other community triumph, or is there some hybrid solution available?This Essay surveys some of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's key writings on the interaction of legal systems, both in law journals and in judicial opinions. This analysis reveals a consistent theme in Ginsburg's jurisprudence. Across a variety of substantive legal areas, Ginsburg often chooses a path that provides maximum play among the legal systems at issue. Beginning with her earliest scholarly writings, she has tended to oppose doctrines allowing one legal system to block another from adjudicating a dispute, and throughout her later career Ginsburg likewise tends to reject bright-line rules that choose one legal system over another. Instead, she often seems to prefer procedural arrangements that seek accommodation and flexibility in order to ensure that multiple legal systems and a variety of norms and processes are respected. These principles also carry over to Ginsburg's views about international and transnational law. A committed internationalist, Ginsburg advocates the importance of seeking wisdom from others. This non-dogmatic, deferential approach to plural legal systems characterizes much of her jurisprudence on inter-systemic conflicts, though interestingly such deference does not always apply with as much force in Ginsburg's opinions concerning tribal communities.By taking stock of Ginsburg's navigation of legal pluralism in a set of representative writings, we can better theorize her contribution to a jurisprudential approach that seeks ongoing negotiation in an interlocking world of multiple jurisdictions and multiple legal norms. Just as important, this discussion provides an initial case study for thinking more broadly about possible judicial responses to the reality of legal pluralism.


Recently, the gender asterisk ("Gendersternchen") has become more widespread in grammatical gender languages in order to represent all genders. Such gender-fair language is intended to help better address women and other genders and make their interests and achievements more visible. Critics often argue this would make the language less comprehensible and less aesthetically appealing. Two experiments examined the effects of the gender asterisk on text comprehensibility, aesthetic perception, and interest. N = 159 and N = 127 participants were randomly provided with a text in either masculine-only form or alternatively in gender-fair language with the gender asterisk. The results of the first experiment showed no impairment of comprehensibility and aesthetic evaluation of the texts by the gender asterisk and no effect on interest in the game, while the second experiment showed significant impairments of comprehensibility, aesthetic evaluation, and interest in the game by the gender asterisk. The proportion of singular forms is discussed as a possible explanation for the different results. Experiment 1 predominantly used plural forms like die Spieler*innen (∼"the fe*male players") and did not include forms such as der*die Spieler*in (∼"the*the fe*male player"), whereas Experiment 2 included many such more complex singular forms. We argue that this issue might be crucial, and that it deserves full attention in future studies.


INTRODUCTION Imagine that after years of meticulous research, a team of doctors, scientists, and criminologists publish a study of convicted murderers. The team has concluded that the vast majority of murderers have certain traits in common. They include personality traits--such as aggression, and environmental traits--such as access to a weapon, and abusive parents. The team of experts further declares that these traits so frequently reoccur among convicted murderers, they can predict with confidence that an aggressive person with access to a weapon and abusive parents is significantly more likely to murder than the rest of the population. The study receives universal acclaim within the scientific community and is immediately included in every respected treatise on the subject. Prosecutors throughout the country are eager to bring a homicide case to trial and try out the new "Convicted Murderer Profile." Trial judges, meanwhile, struggle with the question: to what extent should this evidence be admissible against a defendant who "fits the profile"? Profile and syndrome evidence shows a correlation between certain traits or characteristics and particular forms of behavior. (1) After compiling data from numerous cases, experts then attempt to "construct a diagnostic or predictive 'profile' for such behavior." (2) Profile and syndrome evidence invites the inference that individuals who fit a profile or possess a syndrome are likely to have acted in a certain way. Courts differ greatly in their attempts to define whether profile and syndrome evidence should be admissible, and if so, under what theory of evidence. (3) The Federal Rules of Evidence liberally admit any relevant evidence, unless the Constitution, a statute, or a different rule directs otherwise. (4) "Evidence is relevant if it has any tendency to make a fact more or less probable than it would be without the evidence." (5) Intuitively, most people would likely accept a "Convicted Murderer Profile" as at least moderately predictive of behavior, satisfying the "any tendency" standard of Rule 401. Furthermore, the universal recognition in the scientific community of the Profile would satisfy Federal Rules 702 (6) and 703, (7) governing expert testimony. Meeting these standards, the majority of jurisdictions today would conclude by examining the evidence under Rule 403, (8) and admit the "Convicted Murderer Profile" if the court determined that the probative value of the evidence was not substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. (9) However, other Federal Rules lurk in the background to complicate the inquiry. First, Rule 404's prohibition against using character evidence to prove conduct seeks to limit the jury from drawing the inference that character traits and past conduct predict present behavior. (10) Even an entirely accurate "Convicted Murderer Profile" raises serious concerns that the defendant will not receive a fair trial. The Convicted Murderer Profile invites the jury to conclude that because this defendant fits the profile, he or she is more likely to have committed the crime. Rule 404 seeks to prevent the jury from drawing precisely this "forbidden inference." Rule 404(a)(1) declares that "[e]vidence of a person's character or character trait is not admissible to prove that on a particular occasion the person acted in accordance with the character or trait." If one defines fitting a profile or possessing a syndrome (11) as "character" or a "character trait," (12) the Rule should operate to exclude the evidence, unless an exception to Rule 404 applies. When dealing with profile and syndrome evidence, the majority of jurisdictions attempt to mitigate Rule 404 concerns by restricting the admissibility of such evidence as proof of substantive guilt, while generally allowing it for other purposes, such as explaining conduct. (13) That is, courts focus exclusively on the purpose of the evidence, rather than generally prohibiting it because of the forbidden inference it invites. …


Rising numbers of single middle-aged and older adults encouraged a proliferation of online dating websites targeting this population. However, few studies examine aging adults' involvement in online dating. This study uses semistructured interviews with 18 online daters aged 53 to 74 and 2 romance coaches to examine how aspects of their online expectations and experiences are shaped by age and gender. Analyses reveal that men seek committed relationships, whereas women desire companionship without demanding caring roles. Different barriers to dating increase the appeal of online strategies: Men face narrow social networks, while women face competition from younger women and friendship norms limiting the pool of eligible partners. Both genders screen for youthful characteristics and attempt to convey youthful images of themselves. Men's criteria center on physical attractiveness, whereas women's focus is on abilities. In constructing profiles, women focus on their looks and sociability and men on their financial and occupational successes.


A MgCo2O4 based electrode is employed as a novel electrocatalyst material for the electrochemical oxidation of methanol. The binder-free and carbon-free spinel MgCo2O4 nanorod-like structures were grown directly on nickel foam (NF) using a facile and cost-effective co-precipitation method followed by calcination. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests were used to study the electrocatalytic performance of the MgCo2O4/NF electrode. The MgCo2O4/NF electrode exhibits higher electrocatalytic activity, a lower onset potential and superior stability when tested as an electrocatalyst for methanol electrooxidation. The high surface area and large pore volume of MgCo2O4 with a mesoporous structure offer higher numbers of active sites for methanol electrooxidation. The higher catalytic activity and stability, along with the facile and scalable synthesis route are promising features for the use of cheap non-Pt based catalyst materials for methanol electrooxidation.


During its life cycle, the cribellate spider Austrochilus sp. passes through the ecri- bellate nymphal, or spiderling stage (= the first instar, after leaving the egg sac), which has three pairs of spinnerets. according to the position and distribution of spigots on the spinnerets, these spigots are assumed to be connected to glandu lae ampullaceae major , glandulae ampullaceae minor , glandulae piriformes and glan dulae aciniformes . such a spinning apparatus allows spiderlings to make drag lines, attachment discs and silk for the molting platform. the cribellum, just like the calamistrum, is not developed in this stage. Instead the precribellum is present, which is similar to spinnerets in its shape (two protuberances divided by a groove and the presence of setae that look like spigots), but with a cuticle similar to the cribellum. the spinning apparatus of Austrochilus sp. shows one possible way in which the transformation of the anterior median spinnerets into the cribellum could have occurred during the evolution of silk-producing organs. In the following nymphal stage, the cribellum, the calamistrum and also the paracribellum are developed. Spiders in this stage are capable, after dispersal, of weaving complete webs, which serve as snares as well as retreats. The spigots of the paracribellum are on the posterior median and posterior lateral spinnerets.


In this thesis basic methods for the fabrication and characterisation of several nano-silicon containing systems are presented. Due to their morphology, these systems are highly reactive. Silicon wafers were used to prepare layers of porous silicon via electrochemically etching and micro– and nano– sized silicon powders were chemically etched in order to yield silicon nanoparticles. Dependent on the fabrication, particle size of the nanocrystals and porosity of the assemblies can be tailored over a wide range: mean particle sizes can be between 3 to 20 nm and porosities can be varied from 10 to 90 %. A huge surface area of up to 500m2/g which is in addition, due to the fabrication process, hydrogen terminated, entail the outstanding chemical and photo-chemical properties of nanocrystalline silicon. Both, chemical and photo-chemical properties of silicon nanocrystal structures are investigated. The emphasis lies on optical spectroscopy. The indirect band gap structure of silicon in combination with quantum confinement effects are the origin of the interesting luminescence properties of nano-silicon. The energy transfer process from photo-excited excitons confined in silicon nanocrystals to molecules present in the surrounding ambient, like oxygen or a variety of organic substances, has been studied. Measurements demonstrated that long-living excitons very efficiently transfer their energy to surrounding molecules. The low probability of creating excitons which can persist for a long time, from μs to ms, by a photon and structural properties of porous silicon, or rather its reactive surface, however, seem to be the reason for a low total quantum yield of sensitised excited singlet state oxygen.


NITROGLYCERIN remains the most satisfactory drug for the systemic treatment of coronary disease of the heart, but its mode of action is still not clear, When Sir Lauder Brunton introduced it in 1867 he attributed the clinical effect of the drug to the initiation of peripheral vasodilatation with consequent lowering of peripheral blood pressure. It was later shown that the vasodilatation affected also the coronary vessels. At the present time the peripheral effect is not usually considered of much importance. Recently a group of workers at the Harvard Medical School has studied the effect of nitroglycerin on the coronary circulation of normal or nearly normal subjects and on subjects with coronary artery disease or increased left ventricular work. N. Brachfeld, J. Bozer and R. Gorlin' studied the effect in normal subjects and R. Gorlin, N. Brachfeld, C. MacLeod and P. Boppthe effect in patients with heart disease. Patients were studied by cardiac catheterization. In the normal and near normal series ten subjects were studied, six of whom had minor cardiac detects not related to coronary disease, and in the heart disease series 17 patients were studied. Seven patients had coronary sclerosis and angina pectoris; ten had various degrees of cardiac deficiency, and of these seven had angina pectoris. Observations of coronary and systemic circulatory dynamics and myocardial gaseous metabolism were made before and after the administration of nitroglycerin. In the normal group the amount of myocardial oxygen was increased during the administration of nitroglycerin. Coronary blood flow increased by 63%, while the oxygen extraction remained unchanged. This increase in oxygen utilization is not surprising in view of the known effect or nitrites on oxygen utilization by cells. The increase in coronary blood flow was due to a lowered coronary vascular resistance. The increase in myocardial metabolism was associated with unchanged cardiac work and a fall in myocardial efficiency. Blood pressures diminished very little in these subjects after administration of nitroglycerin.


Landslides are among the major threats to urban landscape and manmade infrastructure. They often cause economic losses, property damages, and loss of lives. Temporal monitoring data of landslides from different epochs empowers the evaluation of landslide progression. Alignment of overlapping surfaces from two or more epochs is crucial for the proper analysis of landslide dynamics. The traditional methods for point-cloud-based landslide monitoring rely on using a variation of the Iterative Closest Point (ICP) registration procedure to align any reconstructed surfaces from different epochs to a common reference frame. However, sometimes the ICP-based registration can fail or may not provide sufficient accuracy. For example, point clouds from different epochs might fit to local minima due to lack of geometrical variability within the data. Also, manual interaction is required to exclude any non-stable areas from the registration process. In this paper, a robust image-based registration method is introduced for the simultaneous evaluation of all registration parameters. This includes the Interior Orientation Parameters (IOPs) of the camera and the Exterior Orientation Parameters (EOPs) of the involved images from all available observation epochs via a bundle block adjustment with self-calibration. Next, a semi-global dense matching technique is implemented to generate dense 3D point clouds for each epoch using the images captured in a particular epoch separately. The normal distances between any two consecutive point clouds can then be readily computed, because the point clouds are already effectively co-registered. A low-cost DJI Phantom II Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was customised and used in this research for temporal data collection over an active soil creep area in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. The customisation included adding a GPS logger and a Large-Field-Of-View (LFOV) action camera which facilitated capturing high-resolution geo-tagged images in two epochs over the period of one year (i.e., May 2014 and May 2015). Note that due to the coarse accuracy of the on-board GPS receiver (e.g., +/- 5-10 m) the geo-tagged positions of the images were only used as initial values in the bundle block adjustment. Normal distances, signifying detected changes, varying from 20 cm to 4 m were identified between the two epochs. The accuracy of the co-registered surfaces was estimated by comparing non-active patches within the monitored area of interest. Since these non-active sub-areas are stationary, the computed normal distances should theoretically be close to zero. The quality control of the registration results showed that the average normal distance was approximately 4 cm, which is within the noise level of the reconstructed surfaces.


Strategies for conflict resolution typically rest on an assumption that disputing parties consist of rational actors motivated by instrumental concerns. But the theoretical framework of the devoted actor explains that adherence to sacred values, fusion with a group, and the perception of threat interact to predict costly actions detached from the rational calculation of gain and loss. This article discusses an ongoing research program that aims to inform potential interventions in costly sacrifice at the level of belief adherence—the capacity to decrease an actor's perceived understanding of a rigid belief may prevent or reduce his or her willingness to act violently in its name. A person's assumption of overconfidence in his or her understanding is consistent with the tendency for human beings to feel that they understand things in greater detail than they really do. This tendency is known as the "illusion of explanatory depth." Asking people to give a mechanistic explanation—a step-by-step, causal explanation of a phenomenon, from start to finish, with no gaps—has been demonstrated as a robust way to make people aware of the gaps in their own knowledge. This article discusses the circumstances under which completion of the task may moderate the rigidity with which potential actors adhere to a value. Results from a series of studies are presented, demonstrating preliminary evidence that belief rigidity might mediate action—moderation of the strength with which an individual holds a value or belief may moderate willingness to fight and die in its name. That is, in the peaceful resolution of conflict, ideas may be a viable target.


This report describes the design, construction, instrumentation, and five-year evaluation of the Key Royale Bridge substructure. The primary focus was the evaluation of the implementation of highly reactive supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) into the construction of the bridge piles. Four different SCM were used to create six different concrete mixtures; these were then used to construct the bridge and fender piles. This allowed monitoring under realistic exposure conditions in real time rather than performing accelerated corrosion testing in laboratory conditions. Corrosion sensors were embedded in the bridge piles for periodic monitoring; five years after placement, none of the remaining operable sensors indicated the presence of corrosion. Removable fender piles were also installed with the same mixtures as were used on the bridge piles and will be removed after 15-20 years of seawater exposure to be examined for ingress of chlorides and corrosion damage. Coring was performed on the fender piles to evaluate chloride ingress after 5 years of exposure. In addition, durability segments were constructed using the same concrete and prestressing strand as the fender piles. These segments were hung from the fender piles for consistent exposure conditions and instrumented with corrosion sensors and temperature sensors for long-term corrosion monitoring, although none of the remaining operable sensors indicate the presence of corrosion. These segments will be cored in the future for evaluating the chloride ion penetration and concrete hydration over time. Data gathered during the five years since the bridge was erected indicated that corrosion has not yet initiated in either bridge or fender piles. Electrical measurements were taken at selected intervals to assess the condition of the prestressing steel in the piles. Half-cell potential measurements of the pile prestressing steel were taken using a copper copper-sulfate reference electrode and indicated a very low probability that corrosion was occurring in the prestressing steel. As noted previously, embedded sensors in the bridge and fender piles provided no indication of corrosion activity.


During the past decades, research in self-healing materials has focused on the improvement in the mechanical properties, making stronger materials, able to bear increasing solicitations. This strategy proved to be costly and in some cases inefficient, since materials continue to fail, and maintenance costs remained high. Instead of preparing stronger materials, it is more efficient to prepare them to heal themselves, reducing repairing costs and prolonging their lifetime. Several different self-healing strategies, applied to different material classes, have been comprehensively studied. When new materials are subject of research, the attention is directed into the formulations, product processing and scale-up possibilities. Efforts to measure self-healing properties have been conducted considering the specific characteristics of each material class. The development of comprehensive service conditions allowing a unified discussion across different materials classes and the standardization of the underlying quantification methods has not been a priority so far. Until recently, the quantification of self-healing ability or efficiency was focused mostly on the macroscale evaluation, while micro and nanoscale events, responsible for the first stage in material failure, received minor attention. This work reviews the main evaluation methods developed to assess self-healing and intends to establish a route for fundamental understanding of the healing phenomena.


The discharge current and the inception voltage in a surface discharge device have been measured to investigate the influence of wall charges on the discharge characteristics in argon. The results show that the inception voltage decreases as the amplitude of the applied voltage Up increases. However, the sum of the inception voltage and the applied voltage almost keeps constant when Up is changed, due to the fact that the wall charges are generated in the discharge process. This phenomenon suggests that net electric field between the electrodes almost keeps constant when the amplitude of the applied voltage is changed. The electron temperature calculated by the intensity ratio of emitted spectral lines has been estimated to be less than 0.3 eV and almost keeps constant under different amplitudes of the applied voltage. The result is consistent with nearly constant net field. The duty ratio of the discharge current increases as the amplitude of the applied voltage increases.


Aims Our general objective was to understand the effects of short-term phloem girdling on physiological per- formance in Karelinia caspia and Alhagi sparsifolia, concerning not only the impacts of degrees of girdling but also the differences in damage between the two plants under girdling treatment. Specifically, we want to know the mechanisms of the decline in photosynthesis under girdling treatment. Methods We imposed three different types of girdling treatments, normal branch, semi-girdling, and full-girdling, and studied the reaction of photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in K. cas- pia and A. sparsifolia under the conditions of girdling after about 10 days. Important findings The effects varied with the type of girdling treatments and differed between K. caspia and A. sparsifolia. There was no apparent effect on physiological parameters in K. caspia with semi-girdling treatment; whereas full-girdling significantly reduced chlorophyll content and carotenoids content in both K. caspia and A. sparsifolia. The full-girdling also constrained the primary photosynthetic reaction in K. caspica and A. sparsifolia, and damaged the structure and function of photosystem II(PSII), leading to reduction in the activity of PSII. The processes of absorption, transmission, conversion, and electron capture of light energy in photosynthetic organs were also constrained, and the energy used for dissipate significantly increased. We believe the degree of damage in K. caspia under full-girdling is more severe than in A. sparsifolia. As the disturbance in Cele Oasis is further exacerbated, whether the population of A. sparsifolia could adapt to this change better than K. caspia is still inclu- sive, because the resilience of plants is also an essential factor. There exist a carbohydrate-dependent mechanism in the effects on photosynthetic rate in K. caspia and A. sparsifolia subjected to girdling.


The crystal structure of aspartyl‐tRNA synthetase (AspRS) from Pyrococcus kodakaraensis was solved at 1.9 Å resolution. The sequence and three‐dimensional structure of the catalytic domain are highly homologous to those of eukaryotic AspRSs. In contrast, the N‐terminal domain, whose function is to bind the tRNA anticodon, is more similar to that of eubacterial enzymes. Its structure explains the unique property of archaeal AspRSs of accommodating both tRNAAsp and tRNAAsn. Soaking the apo‐enzyme crystals with ATP and aspartic acid both separately and together allows the adenylate formation to be followed. Due to the asymmetry of the dimeric enzyme in the crystalline state, different steps of the reaction could be visualized within the same crystal. Four different states of the aspartic acid activation reaction could thus be characterized, revealing the functional correlation of the observed conformational changes. The binding of the amino acid substrate induces movement of two invariant loops which secure the position of the peptidyl moiety for adenylate formation. An unambiguous spatial and functional assignment of three magnesium ion cofactors can be made. This study shows the important role of residues present in both archaeal and eukaryotic AspRSs, but absent from the eubacterial enzymes.


The application of gas turbine technology to IGCC systems requires careful consideration of the degree and type of integration used during the system design phase. Although gas turbines provide the primary output and efficiency gains for IGCC systems, as compared with conventional coal-fired power generation systems, they are commercially available only in specific size ranges. Therefore, it is up to the IGCC system designer to optimize the IGCC power plant within the required output, efficiency, and site conditions by selecting the system configuration carefully, particularly for air separation unit (ASU) integration incorporated with oxygen blown gasification systems. An IGCC system, based on a generic, entrained flow, oxygen blown gasification system and a GE STAG 109FA combined cycle has been evaluated with varying degrees of ASU integration, two fuel equivalent heating values and two gas turbine firing temperatures to provide net plant output and efficiency results. The data presented illustrate the system flexibility afforded by variation of ASU integration and the potential performance gains available through the continued use of gas turbine advances. Emphasis is placed on system design choices that favor either low initial investment cost or low operating cost for a given IGCC system output.


Considered to be one of the most dynamic and complex industrial environments construction is a project-based
industry which is recognised as being poor at learning on a consistent basis, improving performance and is notoriously slow in adapting to progressive change. Traditionally labour-intensive organisations employing a full workforce of tradesmen and labourers, large main contractors have generally moved away from being a 'building company' towards directly employing a core professional and management team to lead teams of outsourced contractors. Two separate organisations; Engineers Ireland (EI), the country's leading professional body and the Construction Information Technology Alliance (CITA) a research partnership between industry and academia have identified KM as important to the future competitiveness of the
Irish construction industry. An in-depth case study of a leading Irish construction organisation has been conducted in order to identify and evaluate current and potential approaches to managing knowledge at individual, project and organisational levels. This consisted of a combination of interviews and surveys with a broad spectrum of management and professional staff, including a director, project managers, quantity surveyors, foremen and engineers. It was found that the company are committed to the provision of life-long learning opportunities for all staff through comprehensive continuing professional development (CPD) activities, which are accredited by EI. To fulfil the KM requirement for accreditation, a lessons learned database was implemented but has not been successful as initially anticipated. The lack of a working definition of
knowledge within the organisation and awareness of the importance and potential advantages of KM reflects a casual
approach, and indicates the need for further exploration of knowledge and KM-related issues. The potential for aligning
individual learning with wider organisational KM objectives also merits further investigation


In this study, 24 aneurysms occurring in 23 patients under the age of 18 years (mean 12 years) are analyzed. The male:female ratio was 2.8:1, and the youngest patient was 3 months old. Mycotic lesions and those associated with other vascular malformations were excluded. Forty-two percent of the aneurysms were located in the posterior circulation, and 54% were giant aneurysms. Presenting symptoms included subarachnoid hemorrhage in 13 and mass effect in 11. Several of these aneurysms were documented to rapidly increase in size over a 3-month to 2-year period of observation. All aneurysms were surgically treated: direct clipping was performed in 14; trapping with bypass in four; trapping alone in four; and direct excision with end-to-end anastomosis in two. The postoperative results were excellent in 21 aneurysms (87%), good in two (8%), and poor in one. The pathogenesis of cerebral aneurysms is reviewed.


The Directional Flame Thermometer (DFT) is often used to measure heat flux during room fire testing. In literature and practice, heat transfer solutions for the DFT have been post processed. It is important to develop real-time capability for calculating heat flux based on measured temperatures as such capability will allow control of fire testing furnaces. In this study, we show that if a user will accept moderate errors in the heat flux, then a simple forward solution methodology allows heat flux measurements to be made in real-time. Essentially, the "inverse" problem is sufficiently well-conditioned to allow for a simple solution. Both a simple spreadsheet type solution and a finite difference code were used to generate the heat flux. The code was verified in both forward and inverse senses. The calculations were verified through a convergence study of both the forward and inverse solutions in spatial discretization (dx) and temporal discretization (dt). The inverse solution showed expected convergence behavior in both spatial and temporal discretization. In all cases, the solution for the front plate produced a maximum error of around 5%, which decreased as the DFT reached a steady state temperature. The forward and inverse models were validated through experimental testing using a radiant heater panel. The inverse model's calculations were compared to measurements from a Schmidt-Boelter gage. The front plate heat flux measurements of the DFT matched reasonably well with the Schmidt-Boelter gage (2–6% difference) during the majority of the testing. The heat flux was then used to drive a forward simulation, and the forward model's calculations were compared to actual temperature data acquired by the tests, producing a difference no greater than 4%. The DFT was also placed into a room fire to evaluate its effectiveness in this environment. The DFT was placed near a sand burner and in a panel fire test. The DFT produced reasonable heat flux values, but had more noise than results from those in front of the radiant heater panel (standard deviation of 1500 W/m2 compared to 400–600 W/m2 ).Copyright © 2010 by ASME


Bluetooth wireless technology provides short-range wireless voice and data communication in the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band of radio spectrum. This paper describes several half wave printed dipole antennas with offset feed operating at Bluetooth frequency of 2.45 GHz. Two variation of feeding techniques have been employed, namely the side feed and direct feed. Direct feed techniques were incorporated in some structures in order to reduce antennas size. A corresponding rectangular patch antenna operating at the same frequency is also designed for comparison purposes. Numerical simulations have been carried out on the designed structures using micropatch and Sonnetlite softwares. The antennas have been fabricated on GML laminates and tested. Measured one port results showed that all the antennas are well-matched at their corresponding frequency of operation. The co-polarisation radiation patterns exhibit broad beamwidths.


It has been argued that genetic diversity in crop varieties has been on the decline in recent times due to plant breeding. This can have serious consequences for both the genetic vulnerability of crops and their plasticity when responding to changes in production environments. It is, therefore, vital for plant breeding programs to maintain sufficient diversity in the cultivars deployed for multi-period cultivation. In this study, to understand the temporal genetic diversity in durum wheat, 21 improved durum wheat cultivars released in Morocco, since 1956 and five exotic cultivars currently used in crossing programs were analyzed using 13 microsatellite markers. The analysis revealed a total of 44 alleles and average genetic diversity of 0.485 with genetic distances ranging from 0.077 to 0.846 at 13 microsatellite loci in Moroccan durum wheat cultivars. All the durum cultivars of Morocco could be distinguished using the 13 microsatellite markers. The total number of alleles and unique alleles were highest in cultivars developed before 1990, decreasing in cultivars developed during the 1990s and 2000s, indicating that recent durum breeding efforts have reduced allelic richness in recent cultivars. Thus, deployment of exotic durum wheat lines in breeding programs could enhance genetic diversity in durum wheat cultivars.


Background
 Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a collection of hematopoietic disorders with widely variable prognoses and treatment options. Pathologic diagnosis can be challenging and misdiagnosis can impact patient therapy and outcome. How commonly misdiagnosis occurs, and the severity of diagnostic errors, is not known. Here, we report interim analyses of patients (pts) with cytopenia and suspected MDS from the NHLBI National MDS Natural History Study (https://thenationalmdsstudy.net ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02775383) assessing MDS occurrence and rates of agreement on classification of MDS/MDS-related disorders by local and centralized review.
 Methods
 Pts with cytopenias and clinically suspected MDS were identified between 6/16 and 6/18 from 84 participating centers in this ongoing multi-Institutional Cooperative Group study, with a goal of recruiting 2000 MDS (WHO 2016 subcategories), MDS/MPN or low blast count acute myeloid leukemia (AML, <30% blasts without core binding factor) and 500 cases with idiopathic cytopenia of undetermined significance (ICUS) from both NCI community oncology research program (NCORP) and lead academic participating sites. Centrally submitted clinical and pathologic data and bone marrow samples were analyzed by pathologists in the central laboratory & biorepository (CL/B) blinded to the original site's diagnosis, with a third-level review for cases with disagreement between the local and CL/B assignment. Disagreements in the 5 categories detailed in Figure 1 were considered clinically meaningful. Cases were assigned to longitudinal (MDS, MDS/MPN, ICUS, low blast count AML) versus cross-sectional (other cytopenias or cancers) cohorts after central classification based on clinical, pathologic, and cytogenetic features. Interrater-agreement was evaluated with the Kappa statistic.
 Results
 Of 375 pts for whom data and samples were submitted with completed classification, 88 (23%) had MDS, 15 (4%) MDS/MPN, 12 (3%) ICUS, 23 (8%) AML, and 237 (63%) other cytopenias (Figure 1). The median age of all pts was 71 years (range, 20-92), 44% were female, and median baseline blood counts and other baseline measures are in Figure 2. MDS pts had single lineage dysplasia (SLD, 0), SLD with ring sideroblasts (RS, 9 (10%)), multi-lineage dysplasia (MLD, 17 (19%)), MLD -RS (18 (20%)), excess blasts I (EB, 14 (16%)), EBII (19 (22%)), del(5q) (6 (7%)), and MDS-U (5(6%)). IPSS-R categories were defined in 51 of 88 MDS cases (58%): Very Low (27%), Low (43%), Intermediate (27%), High (16%), and Very High (14%).
 Overall site/central agreement on diagnosis occurred in 225 cases (60%) with inconsistency associated with recognized site coding errors resolved in 54 cases (14%) without 3rd party review. Seventy-eight others (21%) were referred to 3rd level review; confirmation of CL/B classification occurred in 49/78 cases (63%), agreement with site in 13/78 (17%), and a different diagnosis in 16/78 (21%). Clinically meaningful changes in diagnoses between local and central review occurred 26% of the time (Figure 1, n=97/375 kappa =.53 95% CI (.45, .61)). Site assigned MDS was changed to ICUS or other cytopenia in 35% (n=34/99); and to AML in 3% (n=3/99). For cases with site assignment to other causes of cytopenias (225 of 375 cases, 60%), central assignment identified ICUS in 3, MDS/MPN overlap in 8, AML in 2 and MDS in 22, totaling a change in diagnosis in 16%. Of note, 60% (15/25) of ICUS diagnosed locally were interpreted as reactive marrow or normal according to central review.
 Within MDS cases diagnosed locally, the greatest discrepancy was observed in the MDS-U classification, reported 31 times (31/99 31%) but confirmed in only 2 cases (6%), with 22 (71%) found to not have MDS. Across the study when compared to local assignment, central review changed the follow-up cohort assignment for 87 pts (23%).
 Conclusions
 In this well-characterized series of pts evaluated for MDS with bone marrow biopsy and paired site/central morphologic assessment, 40% of site diagnoses were changed at central review and site coding errors were common. In 26%, the changes were clinically meaningful, potentially affecting patient treatment and prognosis. In particular, site designation of MDS-U was an unreliable classification category, which could only partially be attributed to miscoding errors at the local site. Incorporating genomics data might help refine MDS diagnoses.

 Bejar: Genoptix: Consultancy; Takeda: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Modus Outcomes: Consultancy; Astex/Otsuka: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie/Genentech: Consultancy, Honoraria; Foundation Medicine: Consultancy. Komrokji:Novartis: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Scott:Agios: Consultancy; Novartis: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Alexion: Consultancy. Gore:Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding. Sekeres:Opsona: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Opsona: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.


[1] This paper presents a compilation of intensity data covering the past 10 millennia (ArcheoInt). This compilation, which upgrades the one of Korte et al. (2005), contains 3648 data and incorporates additional intensity and directional data sets. A large majority of these data ( 87%) were acquired on archeological artifacts, and the remaining 13% correspond to data obtained from volcanic products. The present compilation also includes important metadata for evaluating the intensity data quality and providing a foundation to guide improved selection criteria. We show that 50% of the data set fulfill reasonable reliability standards which take into account the anisotropic nature of most studied objects (potsherds), the stability of the magnetization, and the data dispersion. The temporal and geographical distributions of this sub–data set are similar to those of the main data set, with 72% of the data dated from the past three millennia and 76% obtained from western Eurasia. Approximately half of the selected intensity data are associated with at least an inclination value. To constrain the axial and full dipole evolution over the past three millennia requires that we avoid any overrepresentation of the western Eurasian data. We introduce a first-order regional weighting scheme based on the definition of eight widely distributed regions of 30 width within which the selected data are numerous enough. The regional curves of virtual axial dipole moments (VADM) and of mixed VADM-virtual dipole moments (VDM) averaged over sliding windows of 200 years and 500 years testify for strong contributions from either equatorial dipole or nondipole components. The computation of global VADM and mixed VADM/VDM variation curves, assuming an equal weight for each region, yields a dipole evolution marked by a distinct minimum around 0 B.C./A.D. followed by a maximum around the third-fourth century A.D. A second minimum is present around the eighth century A.D. This variation pattern is compatible with the one deduced from earlier, more G Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems


Given the importance of biomass as a source of power generation and the often dispersed location of suitable feedstock material, small-scale biomass plants have become a very promising field of research. For load demands of 5-50kWe, a flexible and easily operated biomass unit would provide a viable source of energy for areas where grid connection is either expensive or prone to disconnection. This paper describes conversion and generation technology for current micro-scale biomass plant designs. Most applications handle either wet or dry biomass, but since both feedstocks are often available, this paper suggests a combination of thermochemical and supplemental biochemical conversions to create considerable amounts of fuel and hence electrical capacity. Discussing the generation part of current plants, a tendency towards using combustion-based technology has been found, while microturbines can provide usable exhaust heat streams and offer better maintenance and operation flexibility. This paper ranks power generation technologies used in current biomass plants in terms of efficiency and flexibility as well as maintenance and economic aspects. For remote locations without the opportunity of a secure grid connection, the proposed plant design demonstrates a very promising way of supplying future energy needs in terms of both electrical and thermal energy.


This paper studies the effect of electronic trade on the quality of market price discovery, using the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) cotton futures market as a laboratory to measure market quality under periods of floor trade, parallel floor and electronic trade, and electronic-only trade. Using random-walk decomposition methods pioneered by Hasbrouck (2007), we decompose intraday variation in cotton prices into two components: one related to information about market fundamentals and one a "pricing error" related to market frictions such as the cost of liquidity provision and the transient response of prices to trades. We describe the properties of this pricing error to characterize market quality under both floor and electronic trading systems. Unlike previous studies, we analyze more than the average magnitude of the pricing error. Each day, we calculate statistics that describe market quality on that day, and we study their trend, variance and persistence.


We study cross-correlations in irregularly spiking systems. A single system displays spiking sequences that resemble a stochastic (Poisson) process. Linear coupling between two systems leaves the inter-spike interval distribution qualitatively unchanged but induces cross-correlations between the units. For strong coupling this leads to synchronization as expected but for weak coupling, both a good statistic and sonification reveal the presence of "motifs", preferred short firing sequences which are due to the deterministic spiking mechanism. We argue that the use of sonification for time series analysis is superior in the case where intrinsic non-stationarity of an experiment cannot be ruled out.


The Internet is part of the day-to-day life of the vast majority of the world population, and within this environment, a new form of communication has gained prominence in recent years: social networking sites. It is one of the most effective and significant business development tools in the 21 st century because of its ability to connect individuals with others. The main objective of this research was to obtain insight into the impact of social networking on consumer behavior. This research was organized in five chapters and revealed the overall influence of social networking on consumer behavior while recommending ways to further enhance the topic under consideration. Increasingly, consumers are looking at websites, as well as the habits and behaviors of peers before making a decision on a purchase or in selecting a type of entertainment. Social networking breaks down barriers between individuals and builds communities. The methodology adopted in this study was quantitative in order to collect vast data related to the research topic. This methodology also facilitated in collecting numeric data. Survey respondents were males and females who were18 years old and older. The study was to analyze the influence and effect of online social networks sites such as Facebook on the customer's behavior. Internet has proven to be a lucrative communication channel linking the customers and the organizations. As results, for marketers had emerged as a splendid network or channel to interact with consumers through social media tools.


Based on a previous study, an achievement of a basic immunization target in the area of Candilama Health Center was not reached. A standard of the target was 90%, but the achievement was 60%.
Aim of this research was to know relationship among variables of education, knowledge, income, necessity, health services access, and family support with practice of mother in giving the basic immunization in the area of Candilama Health Center in Semarang City.
This was an explanatory research using Cross-Sectional approach. Number of sample was 86 persons. Collecting data used a questionnaire. Data was analyzed quantitatively.
Most of the respondents had high education (52,3%), good knowledge (50,0%), high income (50,0%), good attitude (77,9%), good necessity (50,0%), easy access to health services (69,8%), high family support (51,2%), and completed practice (76,7%). Education (p value = 0,003), knowledge (p value = 0,000), attitude (p value = 0,000), necessity (p value = 0,000), and family support (p value = 0,000) respectively are significantly related to practice of mother in giving the basic immunization.
To increase coverage of the immunization program especially practice of mother in giving the basic immunization in the area of Candilama Health Center, Head of Health Center should improve information and education about importance of the immunization through mass media. Finally, people will have a high awareness to do and to participate in giving the immunization.

Sumber Utama : www.mikm.undip.ac.id


Prostate cancer has been on the rise in the past years and alarming cases being found in men in their 20's. The problem is that most of the cases are diagnosed in their late stages thus the mortality rate being high. In recent years data driven analytic studies have become a common complement with novel research where different tools and algorithms are taking a centre stage in cancer research. In this research, the main objective was to use data mining to derive patterns which were used in building a prognostic tool that helps in identification of the Gleason score once screened and deciding the treatment technique. In this research, we used two popular data mining tools (R Environment and WEKA) which exhibited almost same results. The dataset contained around 485 records and 7 variables. In WEKA, a 10-fold cross-validation was used in model building and comparison between ANN and J48. The results showed that ANN is the most accurate predictor compared to J48 in all the instances displaying varying levels in the different zones created. This study contributes to society, academics and cancer research which ultimately assist in reduction of mortality rates by use of pattern recognitions which leads to better decision making. Furthermore, this is a potential impact in helping the GOK (Government of Kenya) in establishing where they should correctly place the cancer diagnosis and treatment equipment that were rolled out by the National government early 2015.