This study examines the effect of culture on learning styles. The study sample consisted of undergraduate and graduate students, most of whom are foreign nationals, studying in different departments of Ondokuz Mayıs University in Samsun, Turkey. Based on the experiential learning theory (ELT), Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory (KLSI) was used as a data collection tool to define individual learning styles. By examining previous studies such as the Global Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness (GLOBE), the study focused on categorizing cultural differences. 193 participants from 35 different nationalities were included in one of three cultural clusters (The Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia). In the first part of the study, the dominant learning styles of each cultural cluster were evaluated based on Kolb's traditional 4 learning styles (diverging, converging, assimilating, and accommodating) and the new 9 learning styles (experiencing, imagining, reflecting, analysing, thinking, deciding, acting, balancing) defined in KLSI 3.2 and KLSI 4. It was analysed whether there was a statistically significant difference in the dominant learning styles among the cultural clusters. The results of the analysis showed that there was no significant difference among the cultural clusters according to 4 learning style classifications, whereas there were significant differences among the cultural clusters according to Kolb's 9 learning style classifications. In the second part of the study, it was evaluated whether there was a significant difference among the cultural clusters according to the modes of grasping experience – concrete experience (CE) and abstract conceptualization (AC) – and two dialectically related modes of transforming experience—reflective observation defined in the ELT model.


This book studies the long debate accompanying the royal decrees of 1859 which, for Sardinia, envisaged the closure of the University and Court of Appeal at Sassari. The local authorities and citizens of the
town forcefully called on the central government to withdraw the provisions on the grounds that such an unpopular decision would only further
complicate the already difficult relations between the inhabitants
of the province and the national state. In February 1860, with Terenzio
Mamiani minister of Public Education, Pasquale Stanislao Mancini was
appointed to carry out an "inspection" at the University in Sassari.
Mancini however at the time was also standing for election in the constituency
of Sassari which could explain his heartfelt defense of the
need to retain the University of Sassari which, what is more, was the
beneficiary of considerable private funding. Keeping the University
then was seen as a way not only of promoting the spread of culture but
of maintaining public order. In the spring of 1860 Mancini succeeded
in finessing a large majority in the lower house of parliament to come
to the defense of Italy's smaller universities. And the law passed on 5
July 1860 filled the University of Sassari with renewed confidence for
the future even if it did bring with it not a few difficulties on account of
the tough financial restrictions the law imposed.


The electrical characterization of metal contacts to Cl and N-doped ZnSe material systems is reported. Metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) was used to grow the doped ZnSe samples at 330/spl deg/C. With intentional chlorine doping using 1-chlorobutane, free electron concentrations of up to 8/spl times/10/sup 17/ cm/sup -3/ have been achieved. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra in conjunction with scanning transmission electron microscopy (SEM) were used to verify the layer properties. The turn-on voltage (V/sub T/) of Ti/Pd/Au contact on the Cl-doped ZnSe epitaxial layer was significantly reduced by etching the ZnSe surface in NaOH, which was found to be due to removal of the native oxide layer grown on the ZnSe surface. Current-voltage (I-V), capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements were used to investigate the junction properties of the Au/ZnSe:N structure before and after heat treatment at 400/spl deg/C for 15 min. in N/sub 2/ atmosphere. The results indicated that the annealing procedure leads to redistribution of impurities and improves the electrical properties of the samples. C-V measurements on ZnSe:N show semi-insulating behaviour before annealing. However, after heat treatment the layer shows p-type conduction with an acceptor concentration of the order of 2/spl times/10/sup 16/ cm/sup -3/.


Social justice struggles are often framed around competing hegemonic and counter-hegemonic projects. This article compares several organizations of global civil society that have helped shape or have emerged within the changing political-economic landscape of neoliberal globalization, either as purveyors of ruling perspectives or as anti-systemic popular forums and activist groups. It interprets the dialectical relation between the two sides as a complex war of position to win new political space by assembling transnational historic blocs around divergent social visions – the one centered on a logic of replication and passive revolution, the other centred on a logic of prefiguration and transformation. It presents a sociological analysis of the organizational forms and practical challenges that their respective hegemonic and counter-hegemonic projects entail.


There are two major methods of performing radical-anion induced reductive lithiations that result in the cleavage of carbon-heteroatom bonds to produce organolithium compounds. The conventional (PAR) method uses a stoichiometric amount of preformed aromatic radical-anion. The newer catalytic aromatic (CA) method is growing rapidly in popularity and has been claimed to be far more powerful than the PAR method. The CA method uses a large excess of lithium in the presence of a catalytic quantity of the aromatic compound, usually naphthalene or 4,4"S-di-tert-butylbiphenyl. It is revealed here that in a number of cases studied that the CA method is far inferior to the PAR method and that in at least one case the aromatic "catalyst" is not required and that in another the arene is an inhibitor rather than a catalyst. In collaboration with others, a Pd-catalyzed Zn-ene cyclization, using allyl phenyl sulfones instead of allyl acetates as precursors of allylzincs, was developed for the preparation of five-membered rings bearing adjacent cis vinyl and CH2ZnEt or CHZnEt groups. This methodology has been used for the total syntheses of the highly physiologically active prostaglandin ("b)-15-deoxy-ƒ´12,14-PGJ2 and (ƒ{)-kainic acid, an alkaloid that is in great demand for medical research.The potent anti-inflammatory agent 15-deoxy-ƒ´12,14-PGJ2, was synthesized using the Zn-ene cyclization onto an alkyne as the key step in 13 linear steps in 7.7% overall yield. An important analog, 15-deoxy-9,10-2H-ƒ´12,14-PGJ2, has also been synthesized as its precursor. (ƒ{)-Kainic acid, an extremely neuroexcitatory amino acid, was synthesized through highly diastereoselective Zn-ene cyclizations of both allyl sulfone and allyl chloride substrates. The sulfone approach required 10 linear steps from commercially available D-serine methyl ester with an overall yield of 11%. The chloride strategy required 11 linear steps from the same starting material, but with a much higher overall yield of 48%, which is by far the highest of any kainic acid synthesis to date and it can be carried out on the largest scale to date. In both case, there is some loss of optical purity in the step, in which an ester is converted to an alkene.


LEAMAN, O., Evil and Suffering in Jewish Philosophy (Cambridge Studies in Religious Traditions; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995), pp. xiii + 257. Cloth, n.p. ISBN 0-521-41724-4. The justification for reviewing this book in JSOT is that it begins with a chapter on Job and ends with one entitled 'Back to the Bible', returning to the programme laid out in Job. There is also, inevitably, a great deal of Bible m between, from Philo to Buber. Understandably, the themes of Jewish monotheism and belief in the goodness of God, entwined with the historical fortunes of Jews, form a thread that ends, somewhat frayed, with the Holocaust (the term itself a biblical metaphor). In the end, despite the many different angles (Philo, Maimonides, Spinoza) on the central issue, the problem remains essentially as Job put it: it is about a human-divine relationship, at least for Jews.


The expression of drug transporter OCT2 is suppressed in renal cell carcinoma, and targeting this pathway sensitizes the tumor to oxaliplatin. Opening a door into cancer cells Renal cell carcinoma is a common cancer that is often resistant to chemotherapy. To address this, Liu et al. investigated the role of OCT2, a protein that normally transports oxaliplatin, a common chemotherapy drug, into cells. The authors found that OCT2 was epigenetically silenced in renal cancer and figured out the underlying mechanism, then designed a combination therapy with decitabine, a drug that reverses epigenetic silencing of OCT2, followed by oxaliplatin, and demonstrated its effectiveness in mouse models. The researchers also found that MATE-2K, another transporter that normally pumps oxaliplatin out of renal cells into the urine, is repressed in cancer cells regardless of decitabine treatment, so oxaliplatin accumulates in treated cancer cells, but not in the surrounding normal tissues. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is known for its multidrug resistance. Using data obtained from the cancer transcriptome database Oncomine and the proteome database The Human Protein Atlas, we identified the repression of organic cation transporter OCT2 as a potential factor contributing to oxaliplatin resistance in RCC. By analyzing OCT2 expression in collected patient tissues and commercial tissue microarray specimens, we demonstrated OCT2 repression in RCC at both transcription and protein levels. Epigenetic analysis revealed that the repressed OCT2 promoter in RCC is characterized by hypermethylated CpG islands and the absence of H3K4 methylation. Further mechanistic studies showed that DNA hypermethylation blocked MYC activation of OCT2 by disrupting its interaction with the E-Box motif, which prevented MYC from recruiting MLL1 to catalyze H3K4me3 at the OCT2 promoter and resulted in repressed OCT2 transcription. Targeting this mechanism, we designed a sequential combination therapy and demonstrated that epigenetic activation of OCT2 by decitabine sensitizes RCC cells to oxaliplatin both in vitro and in xenografts. Our study highlights the potential of translating "omics" data into the development of targeted therapies.


Purpose: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary and chronic life-threatening disorder, characterized by haemolytic anaemia. Purpose: Sickle cell disease (SCD), the most frequent genetic disease world- wide, results from a unique point mutation leading to the synthesis of the abnormal hemoglobin S (HbS). Under hypoxic condition, HbS polymeriza- tion causes a mechanical distortion of red blood cells (RBCs) called sickling, which is accompanied by a decrease of their deformability and their life span. SCD is characterized by a wide variability of clinical expression and a complex pathophysiology including vaso-occlusive processes, intra- vascular hemolysis as well as pro-inflammation, pro-coagulant occurrence of microalbumin- uria. These results confirm the need for early screening of microalbuminuria in patients with sickle cell disease and will be helpful in designing target strategy for early identification and introduction of appropriate timely intervention (drugs like ACE inhibitors) so that long term renal complications can be prevented.


One hundred Hampshire x Duroc cross-bred pigs and 100 Nebraska Index line pigs were infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and evaluated for resistance and susceptibility. Controls (100/line) were uninfected littermates to infected pigs. Viremia (V), BW change (WTDelta), and rectal temperature at 0, 4, 7, and 14 d postinfection were recorded. Lung, bronchial lymph node (BLN), and blood tissue were collected at necropsy (14 d postinfection). Infected pigs were classified as low or high responders to PRRSV based on the first principal component from principal component analyses of all variables. Low responders to PRRSV (low PRRSV burden) and their uninfected littermates were assigned to the low (L) class. High responders to PRRSV (high PRRSV burden) and their uninfected littermates were assigned to the high (H) class. Infected pigs in the L class had large WTDelta, low V, and few lung lesions; H-class pigs had small WTDelta, high V, and many lung lesions. Ribonucleic acid was extracted from lung and BLN tissue of the 7 highest and 7 lowest responders per line and from each of their control littermates. A control reference design was used, and cDNA from each reference sample tissue was prepared from pooled RNA extracted from 2 control pigs from each line whose infected littermates had a principal component value of 0. Design variables in data analyses were line (Index vs. Hampshire x Duroc), class (H vs. L), treatment (infected vs. uninfected controls), and slide/pig as error. Oligo differential expression was based on P < 0.01 occurring in both lung and BLN. Line and treatment effects were significant for 38 and 541 oligos, respectively, in both lung and BLN. Line x class interaction existed for expression of thymosin beta-4, DEAD box RNA helicase 3, acetyl-cholinesterase, and Homo sapiens X (inactive)-specific transcript in both tissues. Treatment x class existed for expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding delta protein, nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells inhibitor alpha, thioredoxin-interacting protein, major facilitator superfamily domain containing 1, and unknown sequences SS00012040 and SS00012343. Line x treatment and line x treatment x class interactions were not significant. Possible important genetic associations for fine-mapping candidate genes related to response to PRRSV and determining causative alleles were revealed.


BACKGROUND
Our previous studies showed that ethanol enhanced the activity of adenylyl cyclase (AC) in an isoform-specific manner and that alcohol cutoff point of AC was isoform specific. Recently, we showed that 2,3-butanediol inhibited AC type 7 (AC7) activity in a stereoisomer-specific manner and that this inhibition was also AC isoform specific. These observations strongly suggest that a major target of alcohol action on cAMP signaling is AC. We hypothesized that alcohols exhibit their effect on AC activity by direct interaction with AC proteins. However, experimental systems employed in past studies such as intact cells and membrane preparations are too complex and do not allow us to unequivocally test this hypothesis. In attempt to bypass, these complications of the membrane-bound AC, we decided to study the effect of alcohols on AC recombinant proteins expressed in bacteria.

METHODS
A recombinant AC, designated as AC7sol, consisting of the C(1a) and C(2) domains of the human AC7 was designed and expressed in bacteria. The activity of AC7sol was examined using lysate prepared from bacteria expressing AC7sol.

RESULTS
The activity of AC7sol was stimulated by manganese or by the α subunit of G protein that stimulates AC (G(sα) ). Forskolin by itself did not stimulate the activity of AC7sol. However, in the presence of activated G(sα) , forskolin stimulated the activity of AC7sol. A series of n-alkanols including ethanol enhanced the manganese-stimulated activity of AC7sol. The alcohol cutoff point of AC7sol was pentanol. Ethanol and butanol increased V(max) and K(M) values of AC7sol.

CONCLUSIONS
These results are consistent with our hypothesis and suggest that the enhancing effect of alcohols on AC activity is because of the increase in turnover number of AC. The current study demonstrates for the first time that the effect of alcohols requires only the C(1a) and C(2) domains of AC and no other domains of AC as well as no other mammalian proteins.


A simple, rapid and precise method was developed for the quantitative determination of lamotrigine in tablets. The method was based on RP-HPLC. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Supelco C18 (25cm X 4.6mm and i.d., 5μm) column using a mobile phase of methanol and 0.05 M potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate (65: 35v/v) adjusted the pH 4.5 with dilute orthophosphoric acid. The following system conditions were maintained throughout development and validation i.e., flow rate 1ml/min, column was maintained at room temperature and the detected by a UV-wave length at 270 nm. The lamotrigine was well resolved on the stationary phase and the retention time was 3.7 minute. The method was validated and shown to be linear for lamotrigine in 20-100 μg /ml. the correlation coefficient for lamotrigine is 0.9998 respectively. The method was validated for Precision, Accuracy, LOD and LOQ were determined to be 15ng/ml and 5 ng/ml respectively.


An overlooked source that helps document the introduction of all-sung Italian-style opera into England is the composer `Thomas Clayton's Preface to the word book to The Passion of Sappho and Feast of Alexander, prepared for a set of concerts of English music in spring 1711.(1) In the Preface (reprinted below), Clayton describes his role introducing Italian opera and reiterates the rationale and aesthetics of dramatic or vocal music in English. Clayton (b. 1673) was the son of William Clayton, a violinist in the King's Music and shareholder in the United Company at Drury Lane. Young Clayton received a position in the King's Musick in 1689, probably as a violinist; he served until 1702, resigning in 1706. His father died in 1697, and Clayton came into his full inheritance in 1700. As he explains in his Preface, believing himself deficient in understanding the new Italian-style music that was dominating English musical life, Clayton traveled to Italy in 1702 to master the Italian style by learning from past and living masters. He was confident he had mastered Italian music (at least to his own satisfaction), so that in 1.704 he returned intent upon introducing all-sung Italian-style opera to London. While Clayton was in Italy, the playwright and architect John Vanbrugh had undertaken to build a new theatre in the Haymarket, financed in part by subscriptions from prominent Whig aristocrats and the Kit-Cat Club. He had hoped to start construction in July 1703 and begin productions at Christmas, but the theatre was not under construction until June of the following year.(2) On October 28, 1704, we learn from the Diverting Post that The Play-House in the Hay-Market (the Architect being John Vanbrugh Esq;) ... is almost finish'd, in the mean time two Opera's translated from the Italian by good Hands, are setting to Musick, one by Mr. Daniel Purcell, which is called Orlando Furioso, and the other by Mr. Clayton, both Opera's are to be perform'd by the best Artists eminent both for Vocal and Instrumental Musick at the Opening of the House.(3) In the fall of 1704 then, Vanbrugh was apparently planning to open his theatre with two operas sung in English. By late November 1704, the theatre was still unfinished, but Vanbrugh did present a concert before Queen Anne.(4) On February 21, 1705, Vanbrugh's partner, William Congreve, pessimistically wrote a friend, "I know not when the house will open, nor what we shall begin withal; but I believe with no opera. There is nothing settled yet"(5) In the meantime, one of the operas Vanbrugh was planning to present, Clayton's Arsinoe, Queen of Cyprus, had premitred earlier on January 16, 1705, at the rival Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, managed by John Rich. Daniel Purcell's ,Orlando Furioso was never produced.(6) In the event, Vanbrugh did finally open his theatre on April 9, 1705, with an opera--not one of the English operas, but a hastily mounted production of an Italian opera Gli Amori d'Ergasto, performed in Italian by a company imported from Italy.(7) The Haymarket Theater would not be completed until the fall of that year. In the first part of the Preface, Clayton recalls his role in introducing Italian-style opera and Arsinoe to London, defends his authorship of the opera, and reviews the course of opera in England after Arsinoe. THE PREFACE. MUSICK being the Art in which I was bred from my Childhood, I humbly beg leave to explain my self to the Town with relation to my Endeavours to excel in that Kind, and my Pretensions to their favourable Acceptance of what I here present to them, as well as to their future Favour in general. When I had gone through the usual Methods taken in England to attain a general Knowledge in this Art, I found it very little Satisfactory, and that it rather created Perplexity than Pleasure in my Thoughts, as it is usual when we have only Hints of what we desire to understand with Clearness as a Science. …


Fluid pathways in hydrothermal ore deposits can potentially be traced through alteration zoning patterns and the chemistry of mineral phases (i.e., major, trace elements, and isotopic composition), which provide insight into the physico-chemical gradients within and adjacent to pathways. World-class Neoarchean gold deposits of the eastern Yilgarn can be zoned with respect to alteration assemblages, but in many cases fluid pathways are poorly understood, which makes it difficult to identify the nature and source of fluids. This study conducted detailed core logging, SEM mineral mapping of alteration assemblages, and microprobe analysis of biotite and apatite in order to identify chemical gradients across the East Repulse gold deposit of the St. Ives gold camp, eastern Yilgarn, Western Australia. Results show that the East Repulse deposit is vertically zoned with relatively oxidized sulfate-rich alteration in the footwall of the deposit (anhydrite, celestine and/or barite), sulfide-rich alteration in the core of the deposit (pyrite ± magnetite with minor barite and celestine), and relatively reduced sulfide-only assemblages (pyrite ± pyrrhotite with minor pentlandite, millerite, and cobaltite) in the hanging wall of the deposit. Gold was identified as inclusions in pyrite and associated biotite implying a link between biotite-pyrite alteration and gold mineralization. The abundance of F in biotite and apatite progressively decreases from the footwall of the deposit into the mineralized core. This trend of decreasing F in biotite and apatite with decreasing depth is consistent with an hypothesis that oxidized F- and K-bearing fluids were focused along subvertical pathways beneath the deposit, within or subjacent to granitoid dikes. The biotite-apatite geothermometer shows that these fluids were relatively hot (~480° ± 60°C) at the time of alteration. These relatively high temperature, oxidized, F- and K-bearing fluids may have been derived from a proximal magmatic source.


Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the budding yeast was long history as industrial baker's yeast due to its ability to produce numerous product such as ethanol, acetate, industrial bakers etc. Interestingly, this yeast was also important tools for studying biological mechanism in eukaryotic cells including aging, autophagy, mitochondrial response etc. S. cerevisiae has arisen as a powerful chemical and genetic screening platform, due to a rapid workflow with experimental amenability and the availability of a wide range of genetic mutant libraries. Calorie restriction (CR) as the reduction of nutrients intake could promote yeast longevity through some pathways such as inhibition of nutrient sensing target of rapamycin (TOR), serine–threonine kinase (SCH9), protein adenylate cyclase (AC), protein kinase A (PKA) and ras, reduced ethanol, acetic acid and apoptotic process. In addition, CR also induces the expression of antioxidative proteins, sirtuin2 (Sir2), autophagy and induction of mitochondrial yeast adaptive response. Three methods, spotting test; chronological life span (CLS) and replicative life span (RLS) assays, have been developed to study aging in S. cerevisiae. Here, we present strategies for pharmacological anti-aging screens in yeast, discuss common pitfalls and summarize studies that have used yeast for drug discovery.


Previous site‐specific studies designed to assess the impacts of unsewered subdivisions on ground water quality have relied on upgradient monitoring wells or very limited background data to characterize conditions prior to development. In this study, an extensive monitoring program was designed to document ground water conditions prior to construction of a rural subdivision in south‐central Wisconsin. Previous agricultural land use has impacted ground water quality; concentrations of chloride, nitrate‐nitrogen, and atrazine ranged from below the level of detection to 296 mg/L, 36 mg/L, and 0.8 μg/L, respectively, and were highly variable from well to well and through time. Seasonal variations in recharge, surface topography, aquifer heterogeneities, surficial loading patterns, and well casing depth explain observed variations in ground water chemistry. This variability would not have been detected if background conditions were determined from only a few monitoring wells or inferred from wells located upgradient of the subdivision site. This project demonstrates the importance of characterizing both ground water quality and chemical variability prior to land‐use change to detect any changes once homes are constructed.


The western part of the island of Milos, Greece has undergone widespread, intense alteration associated with a range of mineralization, including seafloor Mn-Fe-Ba, sub seafloor Pb-Zn-Ag, and epithermal Au-Ag. The surrounding country rocks are a mixture of submarine and subaerial calc-alkaline volcanic rocks ranging from basaltic andesite to rhyolite in composition, but are predominantly andesites and dacites. The current surface spatial distribution of the alteration mineralogy is a function not only of the original hydrothermal, but also subsequent tectonic and erosional processes. The high relief and the excellent rock exposure provide ideal conditions to evaluate the potential of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) satellite remote sensing data to identify and differentiate the different styles of alteration mineralisation. Laboratory spectral reflectance and calculated emittance measurements of field samples, supported by XRD analysis and field mapping, were used to support the analysis. Band ratio and spectral matching techniques were applied to the shortwave-infrared (SWIR) reflectance and thermal-infrared (TIR) emissivity imagery separately and were then integrated with topographic data. The band ratio and spectral matching approaches produced similar results in both the SWIR and TIR imagery. In the SWIR imagery, the advanced argillic, argillic and hydrous silica alteration zones were clearly identifiable, while in the TIR imagery, the silicic and advanced argillic alteration zones, along with the country rock, were differentiable. The integrated mineralogical–topographic datasets provided an enhanced understanding of the spatial and altitude distribution of the alteration zones when combined with conceptual models of their genesis, which provides a methodology for the differentiation of the multiple styles of alteration.


Perceptual experience is an invaluable guide to our cognition of the world: (i) experience helps make thoughts about mind-independent objects possible, and (ii) experience helps make thoughts about mind-independent objects reasonable. My dissertation aims to answer the question: how should we account for experience if we are to do justice to its rational role in cognition? I argue that neither of the two dominant contemporary models of experience is satisfactory: experience as representation and experience as acquaintance. Experience should be understood as a matter of various items being present to the experiencing subject. Crucially, I propose an account of perceptual error in terms of the presence of unreal sense-images (in hallucination) and presentational tropes (in illusion).

First I argue against treating experience as a representational state. I show that such treatments require a strong relation to obtain between experience and content; I argue that the strong relation cannot be sustained. I show, in particular, that experience is not best understood as a state in which properties are attributed to objects or in which concepts are employed. Experience should instead be treated as a matter of a relation of subjects to objects and their properties.

Next, I argue against the acquaintance-based relational approaches to experience. These accounts do not treat illusion plausibly; they cannot sustain two basic facts: that an object can exhibit different appearances and that different objects can exhibit identical appearances. In response to this problem I posit a weaker perceptual relation: in experience certain items are present to the subject. Presence does not entail knowledge of items present.

Finally, I offer an improved relationalist approach to perceptual error. I endorse the idea that in hallucination there are items—unreal sense-images—present to the subject. However, I reject the proposal to treat illusions in the same way: presence of sense-images in illusion makes the presence of misperceived objects redundant. Instead, I propose that presentational tropes are present in illusion. Presentational tropes are relational particulars that require both a subject and an experienced object for their existence.


This paper present a new seismic isolation device which assembled sliding friction, energy dissipation and limit, then clarified the work performance and the optimization of its design ideas. The author utilized FEM analysis software ANSYS to establish a parametric model, taking the working condition of single-ring and stress concentration distribution under the yield state as the research object, the shape of the energy loop was optimum designed, and the hysteresis energy consumption performance of seismic isolation bearings was analyzed before and after optimizing. It can be received that energy consumption performance of the seismic isolation bearings improved 32.7% after optimizing. A 6 layer frame structure FEM model was built, at this basis, the seismic responses of fixed structure and sliding seismic isolation structure of foundations were compared. The results indicated that the seismic responses of sliding structures decreased significantly.


A patient simulator for testing anaesthesia machines has been developed at Maquet Critical Care AB, to reduce costly and time-consuming experiments on animals. The device simulates human lungs regarding lung dynamics and volume, uptake of anaesthetic agents and the production of carbon dioxide, heat and moisture. Further demands on the simulator are durability and size; the device shall be compact enough to be moveable.The resulting simulator fulfils the requirements and enables better repeatability and ability to test extreme cases than experiments on animals do.Uptake of the anaesthetic agent is achieved in a active carbon filter and controlled by regulating the flow. The flow is created by a regenerative blower and controlled using a proportional valve. The uptake can be set by the user or by a simple uptake model modified to recursively handle changes in the concentration of anaesthetic agent.Carbon dioxide is fed into the system from a tank by a mass flow regulator. The supply of carbon dioxide can be set according to a constant flow to simulate a certain production rate, or to achieve a desired concentration of carbon dioxide in the exhaled gas.Heat and moisture is added to the exhaled gas in a chamber partially filled with water. The chamber is heated by self-regulating heating elements and supervised by a combined temperature and humidity sensor.Control and monitoring of the system is implemented in LabView and includes data processing, user interface and communication with sensors, actuators and data acquisition devices.When verifying the functionality of the simulator, tests show the exhaled gas is saturated with moisture and has a temperature sufficiently close to normal body temperature. The deviation of the calculated uptake compared to the measured value is within the requirements for larger flows through the filter. When performing tests with extremely small flows, the performance deteriorates due to limited precision of the flow measurement. Thus, if better performance is desired when simulating small uptakes, improved flow sensing accuracy is recommended.


The study investigated the soil conservation techniques among the arable farmers in Odo Otin local government area of Osun State. Two-stage sampling procedure was employed for the study. Primary data were collected from 120 arable crop farmers in the Local Government Area. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics; multinomial logit regression model. Result shows that most the respondents were aware of various soil conservation and mulching/cover cropping were prominent. The result further shows that farm size is positively significant in mulching/cover cropping and shifting cultivation/bush fallowing influenced soil conservation techniques adoption. The study recommends improved conservation technology initiative aimed at enabling local farmers to adopt technology conducive to increasing income as well as to enhancing soil conservation. Also, local institutions should be strengthened and their members empowered such that they can run effective institutions and promote technology adoption at the local level themselves.

 Key words: Awareness, arable crop farmers, soil conservation techniques, multinomial logit model.


This paper presents the development of a novel nuclear radiation monitoring and detection system. With the lightweight and global positioning features, the implemented wireless nuclear detection node can easily be deployed to discover unusual or abnormal radioactivity and map the events. ZigBee-based multi-hop mesh communication is adopted between nuclear detection nodes. All wireless nuclear detection nodes are designed with two working modes, continuous operation and timing operation. The two modes can be switched at any specified time to save energy consumption. Meanwhile, the features of anti-jamming against 802.11 network of ZigBee technology are tested and evaluated.


I tested the effectiveness of a particulate dentin and plaster of Paris mixture as a bone substitute. Histologic analysis indicated that all of the bone defects surrounding the implants treated with particulate dentin/plaster of Paris were filled with new bone 6 and 12 weeks after surgery. No significant differences were observed in the new bone forming activity in any species (human, bovine, pig, rabbit, and dog). No cytotoxicity was detected in cell cultures with added particulate dentin extract and no specific allergic reactions were seen in the hypersensitivity test. These results suggested that the combination of particulate dentin and plaster is suitable as an alternative bone substitute.


UNESCO has identified various tensions and crisis of modern society and suggested 4 pillars to be constructed for strengthening the education system. These pillars are: "Learning to Know, Learning to Do, Learning to live together and Learning to be."The importance of education has been realized by everyone and by every nation. It is quite evident that the strength of the country depends on the strength of education, which in turn depends on the strength efficiency of teachers and the process of teaching. According to Tagore, "The widest road leading to the solution of all our problems is education." Intelligence is one of the main characteristics that results in individual differences among peoples. This has been attended by humans from many years ago (Bakhtiarpor, 2009). Although study about intelligence has focused on its cognitive aspects such as memory, problem-solving, emotional, social, and spiritual ability have been attended by authors. The role of intelligence tests in predicting academic performance that the effective psychosocial and mental sources has an important role in predicting academic achievement especially in the higher academic levels (Furnham, Chamorro, and Premuzic, 2004).


Defuzzification is a process of getting a crisp value from the fuzzy data. Since the fuzzy data cannot be used directly for the real time applications, therefore it has to be converted into a crisp value. In designing the defuzzification unit in this work, the center of sums has been used, because of its computationally efficient nature. The Center of Sums (COS) is faster than many defuzzification method and the method is not restricted to symmetric membership function is simple and is being generally used in comparison to more complex Center of gravity (also called Center of area or Centroid method) defuzzification method. The proposed architecture has been modeled in VHDL and implemented in XILINX and Spartan field programmable gate arrays (FPGA). The proposed architecture is more efficient in area (the area of implementation of VLSI Architecture) and the speed of operation in comparison to a more complex architecture used for the Center of gravity. The functional analysis has revealed that the proposed architecture is implementing COS based defuzzifier efficiently and accurately.


: In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential distribution area of Solidago × niederederi , a natural hybrid between North American S . canadensis and European S . virgaurea , in Central and East Europe using the MAXENT modeling approach. The final MAXENT model was constructed based on 83 occurrence records from Austria, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia and six abiotic environmental variables. The jackknife test revealed that annual temperature range, mean temperature of wettest quarter, and minimum temperature of coldest month had the highest gain for the training and test data when used alone, whereas precipitation seasonality, precipitation of coldest quarter, and precipitation of warmest quarter reduced the gain the most when excluded from the model and thus contributed the most information not presented with the other variables. A high probability of occurrence (>0.6) for S. ×niederederi was found in 12 countries, namely Austria, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast), Slovenia, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Our results showed in which areas the hybrid may be established under the European temperate climatic conditions; however, we do not indicate which areas exactly may be under invasion by the hybrid because such a statement needs population dynamic data for proper investigation. To prevent the negative impact of S. ×niederederi on native S. virgaurea (i.e. competition for pollinators and introgression) we suggest that it should be controlled first in areas of high probability of occurrence, especially in Lithuania, Kaliningrad Oblast, Slovakia, Poland, and Austria, where the areas of high probability of hybrid occurrence account for more than 5% of the territory concerned.


The main bandwidth bottleneck in today's networks is in the access segment. To address that bottleneck, broadband fiber access technologies such as passive optical networks (PONs) are an indispensable solution. The industry has selected time-division multiplexing (TDM) for current PON deployments. To satisfy future bandwidth demands, however, next-generation PON systems are being investigated to provide even higher performance. In this paper, we first review current TDM-PONs; we designate them as generation C. Next, we review next-generation PON systems, which we categorize into C+1 and C+2 generations. We expect C+1 systems to provide economic near-term bandwidth upgrade by overlaying new services on current TDM-PONs. For the long term, C+2 systems will provide more dramatic system improvement using wavelength division multiplexing technologies. Some C+2 architectures require new infrastructures and/or equipment, whereas others employ a more evolutionary approach. We also review key enabling components and technologies for C+1 and C+2 generations and point out important topics for future research.


Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a part of our everyday life in the year of 2020. Many people have turned to online social media platforms to share what they think and how they feel about the sudden impact the pandemic has brought upon us. This project aims to study public attitudes toward COVID-19 on Twitter, a popular social network platform. In particular, it focuses on discovering what issues around COVID-19 people are discussing, why they are interested in such topics, and how their emotions have evolved over time. The study further seeks to reveal potential associations between the breakout and any hidden idea previously unknown to the general public. The dataset was created by collecting approximately 150,000 tweets with keywords or hashtags related to COVID-19 over a course of four weeks with Python and Twitter API. A comprehensive analysis of the tweets was performed using natural language processing methodologies including topic modeling, sentiment analysis, and word embedding. The results suggest that many people may be failing to practice appropriate safety measures to stop the spread, despite their high interests in the COVID-19 crisis. In other words, their proactive online actions are not influencing their offline, real-life behaviors.


RYO (Roll Your Own) is actually a family of novel instrumentation tools for the PA-RISC family of processors. Relatively simple awk scripts, these tools instrument PA-RISC assembly instruction sequences by replacing individual machine instructions with calls to user written routines. Examples are presented showing how to generate address traces by replacing memory instructions, and how to analyze floating point arithmetic by replacing floating point instructions. This paper introduces the overall structure and design of RYO, as well as giving detailed instructions on its use.


ABSTRACT Houston, J.R. and Dean, R.G., 2014. Shoreline change on the east coast of Florida. A shoreline change data base for Florida dating back to the mid-1800s is unique in the United States, and perhaps the world, with thousands of shoreline change measurements at a nominal spacing of 300 m. Moreover, data are available on factors contributing to shoreline change, including beach nourishment, disposal of dredged sand outside the littoral zone, cutting of new inlets and subsequent growth of ebb shoals, and longshore sediment transport into and along the east coast of Florida. Effects of relative sea level rise can be estimated using the Bruun Rule. These factors should have caused significant shoreline recession since the mid-1800s, but instead, the east coast of Florida has experienced significant average shoreline advance. The formation of carbonate sand is shown not to account for this difference. Onshore transport of sand from beyond closure depth, probably during episodic storm events, is the only possible source of the large quantity of sand that has advanced on average the shoreline of Florida's east coast. For shorelines with significant offshore deposits of sand, it is possible that sea level rise in conjunction with wave action contributes to onshore transport and shoreline accretion.


Objective. High frequency oscillations (HFOs) are a promising biomarker of tissue that instigates seizures. However, ambiguous data and random background fluctuations can cause any HFO detector (human or automated) to falsely label non-HFO data as an HFO (a false positive detection). The objective of this paper was to identify quantitative features of HFOs that distinguish between true and false positive detections. Approach. Feature selection was performed using background data in multi-day, interictal intracranial recordings from ten patients. We selected the feature most similar between randomly selected segments of background data and HFOs detected in surrogate background data (false positive detections by construction). We then compared these results with fuzzy clustering of detected HFOs in clinical data to verify the feature's applicability. We validated the feature is sensitive to false versus true positive HFO detections by using an independent data set (six subjects) scored for HFOs by three human reviewers. Lastly, we compared the effect of redacting putative false positive HFO detections on the distribution of HFOs across channels and their association with seizure onset zone (SOZ) and resected volume (RV). Main results. Of the 15 analyzed features, the analysis selected only skewness of the curvature (skewCurve). The feature was validated in human scored data to be associated with distinguishing true and false positive HFO detections. Automated HFO detections with higher skewCurve were more focal based on entropy measures and had increased localization to both the SOZ and RV. Significance. We identified a quantitative feature of HFOs which helps distinguish between true and false positive detections. Redacting putative false positive HFO detections improves the specificity of HFOs as a biomarker of epileptic tissue.


Shigella species may lead to large epidemics owing to their low infective doses and frequent transmission from person to person with high secondary attack rates. Shigella sonnei is one of the most prevalent causative agent of infectious gastroenteritis in developing and developed countries and it is the most frequently reported Shigella serotype from Turkey in recent years. The aim of this study was to determine the types of S. sonnei strains isolated in different provinces of Turkey [in Marmara earthquake regions (Izmit, n=5; Adapazari, n=6; Yalova, n=2) in 1999 and in Ankara (n=17) in 1997, 2000 and 2001] according to their antimicrobial resistance and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns. All isolates were found sensitive to gentamicin, ceftriaxone, imipenem, nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin. Twenty three (76.6%) of isolates were found resistant to streptomycin, 21 (70%) to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, 20 (66.6%) to tetracycline, 6 (20%) to ampicillin, 3 (10%) to ampicillin/sulbactam and 1 (3.3%) to chloramphenicol. Three (%10) isolates were detected as intermediate susceptible to tetracycline and cefoperazone, while four isolates (13.3%) were susceptible to all antimicrobial agents tested. A total of nine different patterns were obtained according to antimicrobial resistance patterns. PFGE was performed by Xbal restriction enzyme. Isolates were grouped into A (n=24) and B (n=6) main PFGE types and into 13 closely or possibly related types. A total of 15 different PFGE patterns were identified among the isolates. It was determined that isolates from the same clone disseminated in Ankara during the years 2000-2001. Overall, different clones of S. sonnei strains were in dissemination in the provinces included. This study indicated that different S. sonnei clones were in circulation in Turkey and these results constitute the basic molecular preliminary data for the National Enteric Pathogens Laboratory Network in Turkey.


: Supply chain plays an essential role in the development of business organizations to achieve competitive advantage. Supply chain studies are continuing mainly to improve supply chain performance. Many of the literature write about the role of information sharing, partnership processes and collaboration in improving the performance of the supply chain. This research was conducted to find the relationship and influence of information sharing, supply chain partnership, and collaboration on supply chain performance on SMEs. The object of research is apple agroindustry, in East Java, Indonesia. The analysis was conducted with Partial Least Square (PLS). The results indicate only an indirect effect of information sharing on supply chain collaboration. Also, indirect effect of information sharing on supply chain performance of SMEs.


Aims To present two obese children who suffered serious post operative respiratory complications after renal transplantation and to discuss strategies we have considered to avoid a similar problem in the future. Methods Case 1 A 14 year old girl weighed 73 kg, BMI 35 kg/m2 (>99.6th centile) at LRD transplant. Post operatively she was on a morphine PCA pump. Soon after surgery she developed a marked oxygen requirement (maximum FiO2 60%) that persisted for 4 days. CXR showed basal atelectasis and consolidation. She was treated with antibiotics and chest physiotherapy. The fall in creatinine was slower than expected but a satisfactory baseline value was achieved by 2 weeks. Case 2 A 13 year old girl on PD weighed 100 kg at cadaveric transplant, BMI 38 kg/m (>99.6th centile). Lung function tests before surgery were normal. Post operatively she developed a marked oxygen requirement (FiO2 70%), requiring transfer to PICU for mechanical ventilation for 5 days including high frequency oscillation. She had delayed graft function requiring CVVH followed by haemodialysis until 8 weeks post transplant and had wound dehiscence. Her creatinine 6 months post renal transplant remains elevated (~200 µmol/L). Results Both children had BMI >99.6th percentile, received iv opiate analgesia and suffered significant respiratory compromise post operatively which was life-threatening in the second case leading to delayed and sub optimal graft function in the short and medium term. Obese children are at risk of hypoventilation, exacerbated by reduced respiratory effort post operatively because of pain from the large abdominal wound and intravenous opiate analgesia. Although there is evidence of increased risk of adverse outcomes after renal transplant in obese adults, there are no paediatric studies. Conclusion The prevalence of obesity in paediatric CKD patients is increasing. We propose children with CKD 4 and 5 and a BMI >98th centile are supported to lose weight and have a sleep study to identify respiratory risk. Epidural analgesia although preferable may be technically difficult in this population. We welcome debate on a proposal to exclude/suspend children from transplantation if the BMI exceeds the 98th centile.


This paper offers an overview of a recent practice-led doctoral enquiry which examined lighting techniques used by cinematographers and more widely amongst practitioners working with moving imagery. This research was completed in the Digital Cultures Research Centre at UWE Bristol and funded by the AHRC 3d3 Centre for Doctoral Training. The paper specifically reflects on three strands of enquiry which existed in dialogue with one another, showing how the mutual interaction and reinforcement between scholarly activity, collaborative film production and independent creative experimentation were fundamental to the approach and direction of the research. Amongst a wider contribution, this doctoral research can be seen as methodologically innovative, providing a more detailed first-hand investigation into lighting processes than is currently available by using autoethnographic methods to capture practical knowledge that is deployed in situ during moving image production. The paper discusses this novel use of autoethnography within practice-research and also explains how the resulting evidence was incorporated in the thesis through a layered approach to writing.


Crustal temperatures within collisional orogens are anomalously high compared with temperatures at comparable depths in stable continents, which is evidence of thermal processes that are fundamental to orogenesis. These temperatures can be explained by the redistribution of crust enriched in heat-producing elements through the accretion of crust from the down-going plate to the upper plate and surface erosion. With the use of geologically reasonable rates, the model results predict high temperatures (over 600°C) and inverted upper-plate geotherms (about 100°C over 20 kilometers) at shallow depths (20 to 40 kilometers) by 25 to 35 million years after collision. This study emphasizes the interdependence of deformational, surficial, and thermal processes.


Experimental philosophy's 'sources project' seeks to develop psychological explanations of philosophically relevant intuitions which help us assess their evidentiary value. This paper develops a psycholinguistic explanation of intuitions prompted by brief philosophical case-descriptions. For proof of concept, we target intuitions underlying a classic paradox about perception ('argument from hallucination'). We trace them to stereotype-driven inferences automatically executed in verb comprehension. We employ a forced-choice plausibility-ranking task to show that contextually inappropriate stereotypical inferences are made from less salient uses of the verb "to see". This yields a debunking explanation which resolves the philosophical paradox.


Several etiologic theories have been proposed to explain depression in the general population. Studying these models and modifying them for use in the multiple sclerosis (MS) population may allow us to better understand depression in MS. According to the reformulated learned helplessness (LH) theory, individuals who attribute negative events to internal, stable, and global causes are more vulnerable to depression. This study differentiated attributional style that was or was not related to MS in 52 patients with MS to test the LH theory in this population and to determine possible differences between illness-related and non-illness-related attributions. Patients were administered measures of attributional style, daily stressors, disability, and depressive symptoms. Participants were more likely to list non-MS-related than MS-related causes of negative events on the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ), and more-disabled participants listed significantly more MS-related causes than did less-disabled individuals. Non-MS-related attributional style correlated with stress and depressive symptoms, but MS-related attributional style did not correlate with disability or depressive symptoms. Stress mediated the effect of non-MS-related attributional style on depressive symptoms. These results suggest that, although attributional style appears to be an important construct in MS, it does not seem to be related directly to depressive symptoms; rather, it is related to more perceived stress, which in turn is related to increased depressive symptoms.


The second of Niklas von Vlyle's Translatzen printed in 1478 is a German version of the First Tale of the Fourth Day from Boccaccio's Decameron, made from a Latin translation by Leonardo Bruni. This thesis reproduces the tale of Guiscardus and Sigismunda in these two versions in Chapter 8, and in the preceding chapters provides an introduction to it. Two manuscripts and three prints of Brunt's version were available to me, and in Chapter 1 I demonstrate their relationship, concluding that the Mainz print of 1469 is the most suitable for my edition. Chapter 2 is a critical analysis of the tale, which recounts the vengeance exacted by Tancredus upon his daughter Sigismunda because of her love-affair with Guiscardus. Niklas' aim was to imitate his Latin sources closely, and Chapter 3 shows by comparison of the German and Latin the extent to which he achieved this aim and the extent to which he subordinated it to other considerations. Versions of the tale by Eyb and Schlusselfelder are compared in Chapter 4. These translations, and the Italian original, also appear in my edition, Eyb writes in clearer, more natural prose but has, by his overriding moral purpose, diminished the literary quality of the tale. There is some evidence that Eyb was influenced by Schlusselfelder and Schllusselfelder by a Latin version. Chapter 5 considers Niklas' life and the themes which run through his work, and Chapter 6 sets his endeavours in the context of Early German Humanism. The relationship of this tale with the Legend of the Eaten Heart in its numerous versions throughout Europe and beyond is the subject of Chapter 7. The text is followed by Glossaries of Latin and German words.


The buckling analysis of single layered orthotropic and cross ply laminated composite plate using trigonometric higher order shear deformation theory and meshless method based on the finite point formulation using multiquadric radial basis function is presented. The convergence of the present method is studied for laminated plates with different shape parameters. After the proper convergence of present method several numerical examples of plates subjected to uniaxial and biaxial loading are under taken. The effect of an anisotropy ratio of material on critical buckling load of the plates is also reported with proper validation of present results with earlier published literature.


Modern software development depends on tools and techniques to represent implied information processing logic to the human engineer, relying chiefly on effortful human reasoning to best determine critical properties of the software system. Current conceptualization, visualization and contextualization of software in development amounts to a significant under-utilization of already limited development resources directed to optimization, prevention, and addressing fundamental security properties of the software system. As a step toward increasing such utilization as a basis for a global ecosystem of secure software, this work explores and evaluates an alternative representation of software source code for the sake of secure development, manifesting universal, critical properties of the system to enhance control of security factors while the bulk of the properties of the system are being determined and the costly skills of the developer are directed to the many aspects of the task.


This study makes the first systematic attempt to trace the long‐term development of Latin American numeracy, a phenomenon of great interest to economic historians in that it serves as an accurate gauge of human capital development. In order to approximate basic numeracy we use age‐heaping techniques. We find that Latin America was on a path of convergence with western Europe during the early eighteenth century. During the early nineteenth century, not only did numeracy development stagnate in some Latin American countries but differences among some of them actually increased. While numeracy rates in Argentina, Uruguay, and to a lesser extent Brazil, along with Europe, underwent a significant increase in the late nineteenth century, they declined in Mexico, Ecuador, and Colombia. By performing a regression analysis, we find that, even when we control for investment in education, mass immigration contributed to human capital formation.


Navigation systems/services have become commonplace and people's reliance on them for mobility is continuously increasing. Modern navigation systems/services are sophisticated tools offering a variety of features for navigation assistance and guidance in many geographic areas. The real-world navigation environments in navigation systems/services are modeled as maps allowing computations that assist in navigation decision making. For this reason, navigation systems/services are referred to as model-centric as they can only operate where the model (i.e., map) exists. A novel approach, made possible through Web 2.0 technology, is sharing navigation experience, thus experience-centric, through social navigation networks (SoNavNets). While they have common goals, model-centric and experience-centric methods of navigation assistance are different with respect to how they prepare and provide navigation assistance. In this paper, SoNavNets and a model for navigation experience sharing are discussed.


A comprehensive body of case law developed in the immediate postwar years which interpreted and applied Proclamation No. 15 - Landlord and Tenant (1945) and this article probes it with reference to the precepts of "the relative autonomy of law" which was proposed by a number of theorists in the 1960s and 1970s.The BMA's policy rent control and preservation of residential tenure were realized by a sympathetic predisposition towards tenants in the Tenancy Tribunal on natural justice grounds which, on appeal, the District Court shored up by reference to the legal requirements of the Proclamation. In the major cases when the landlord prevailed in the District Court, it is notable that the Tribunal was, in one case, admonished for not having a sufficiently hard-headed reason for it siding with the tenant (Ching Sum Co) and, in the other, the landlord won because the Tribunal made a factual error in relation to the bona fides of the tenant (Re On Lok Co). A closer examination of the case law shows that the District Court permitted the executive's pro-tenant policy to prevail if the reasons for decision in a tenant's favor in the Tenancy Tribunal could be dressed up in legal terms and the tenant was not so repulsive as to make a finding of their bona fides impossible. This note argues that judicial independence was proclaimed in Hong Kong by the Bench in exceptional cases while the trend of decisions indicates nothing short of loyalty to the executive.


A B S T R A C T Due to their mulitpotency, Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), have the ability to proliferate and differentiate into multiple mesodermal tissues. The aim of this study was to isolate MSCs from human Umbilical Cord (hUCMSCs) to determine their osteogenic potential on nanofibrous scaffolds. To this end, Poly (L -lactic acid) (PLLA)/Nano hydroxyapatite (HA) composite nanofibrous scaffolds were prepared by electrospinning. The structure and morphology of the scaffolds were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were isolated from the umbilical cords and cultured in the PLLA/HA scaffold. The viability and proliferation of the cells was then determined by an MTT assay. Cellular adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation were assessed in these constructs using a range of histological and microscopic techniques. The osteogenesis assays indicated the superiority of nanofibrous scaffolds in supporting MSCs undergoing bone differentiation. Collectively, the bone construct prepared with PLLA/HA scaffold and proliferated MSCs would be a suitable candidate for use in bone regenerative medicine.


There is always a pressing need to make sense of the inexplicable. Research as teaching, writing as inquiry, texts as performative—we embark on a series of encounters and engagements. We draw and write lines in, and around, our experiences. Straightforward is not a geometry that sense, time, identity, or language takes. Usually, texts are considered to be the domain of authors but we ask that you engage with us as we explore how matter and fact warp and where theory is practice rather than applied, expressed, or attached to practice.


The 3P Mentorship Program is a community of practice that
convenes institutional food buyers around a shared vision to use
the $750 million purchasing power of the Ontario public sector
to foster resilient local food systems. Five design principles
emerged from the program, which ran as a pilot in 2014-2015
with a cohort of four institutional mentees: a hospital,
university, college, and long term care home, each represented
by a manager influencing the institutions' procurement. System
mapping and informal interviews revealed that the point of
purchase was a high leverage, low friction point of intervention
where procurement mechanisms, such as the RFP, make
institutions passive consumers of value from the food system. A
challenge emerged to design a minimally disruptive intervention
that would enable managers to re-claim these mechanisms and
to re-imagine their institutions as creators of value, in a position
to curate the "reconfiguration of roles and relationships among
[the] constellation of actors" for a more resilient food system
(Normann and Ramirez, 1993). The pilot generated evidence of
the ability of networked institutions to collaborate on a shared
vision to increase the social good generated through
purchasing, and to play a transformative role in food systems.


The French flag model represents how embryonic cells receive and respond to genetic information and subsequently differentiate into patterns. Created by Lewis Wolpert [5] in the late 1960's, the model uses the French tricolor flag as visual representation to show how embryonic cells can interpret genetic code to create the same pattern even when certain pieces of the embryo are removed. Wolpert's model has provided crucial theoretical framework for investigating universal mechanisms of pattern formation [6] during development.


The trend in digital tape recording is toward larger storage capacity and faster accessing, which necessitate packing information at greater densities on tapes moving at higher speeds. The losses that inevitably arise from the finite separation between the head and the moving tape become much more serious as the length of the magnetized regions in the tape is reduced and as the relative velocity of head and tape is increased. The purpose of this paper was to investigate experimentally the dependence of separation losses on bit density and head gap length, and to distinguish from the reading losses those losses introduced during the writing process. Briefly, results showed that, for the heads and tapes used in the experiment, virtually all the losses could be attributed to the reading process. Furthermore, writing with a wide gap head and reading back with the four heads established that the percentage reading losses as a function of separation were apparently the same whatever reading head was used.


Background: Homebirths in Western Australia (WA) account for approximately 0.8% of all births. Two consecutive reports from the Perinatal and Infant Mortality Monitoring Committee found increased rates of perinatal mortality in homebirths and recommended a prospective cohort study to assess mortality and morbidity outcomes for women with planned home births in WA. The Homebirth in WA Study, of which this thesis is a component, has been funded by a directed research grant. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the specific reasons why women in WA choose homebirth. Research on homebirths is focused on perinatal outcomes and comparisons of satisfaction between hospital and homebirth. Based on these comparisons, assumptions are made as to why women choose to have a homebirth or make this choice. There is a paucity of research directly addressing the reasons why women make this choice. Methods: This is a quantitative prospective observational study. Pregnant women planning a homebirth in WA were invited to participate in the study. Women recruited into this study (n=135) were asked about their obstetric history and associated satisfaction with their previous birth experience, and were asked to select from any of 27 options as being their reasons for choosing homebirth, with the option to provide additional reasons of their own. They were also asked to select the three most important reasons. Women were asked to rank their perception of how important it is for them to have a homebirth, their perception of the safety, their level of confidence and the support they have received from their spouse and family and friends for their choice. The women were also invited to share further comments. Results: The majority of women (n=107) received care from the Community Midwifery Program and the remainder (n=28) from privately practicing Midwives. In this study 50 women were nulliparous and 85 multiparous. Women who previously had a homebirth reported a higher level of satisfaction (4.7/5) for the birth experience, compared to women who had hospital births (2.3/5). Avoiding unnecessary intervention was the dominant reason for choosing home birth in 95.5% of participants, regardless of parity, education or previous birth experience; this was followed by the comfort and familiarity of the home (93%) and the freedom to make their own choices (86%). Avoiding unnecessary intervention ranked the highest of the 3 most important reasons. Women reported a high level of support for their choice from their spouse (4.65/5) and substantially less from family and friends (3.68/5). They ranked the safety of homebirth highly and had a high level of confidence. The women who elected to share further comments referred most frequently (28%) to GP's and obstetricians not presenting homebirth as an option, and also made frequent reference to their negative attitude in relation to the women's choice. Women also commented on the negative attitudes encountered from family and friends, and additional references reflected their attitudes regarding intervention. Conclusion: Women choosing homebirth in WA do so to avoid unnecessary intervention and have the freedom to make their own choices in the surrounds of the home. They receive limited support for their choice from GP's and obstetricians as well as friends and relatives. This study underscores the reaction of some women to the current rates of obstetric intervention.


Azidoprofen {2-(4-azidophenyl)propionic acid; AZP}, an azido-substituted arylalkanoic acid, was investigated as a model soft drug candidate for a potential topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent (NSAIA). Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods were developed for the assay of AZP, a series of ester analogues and their· degradation products. 1H-NMR spectroscopy was also employed as an analytical method in selected cases. Reduction of the azido-group to the corresponding amine has been proposed as a potential detoxification mechanism for compounds bearing this substituent. An in vitro assay to measure the susceptibility of azides towards reduction was developed using dithiothreitol as a model reducing agent. The rate of reduction of AZP was found to be base-dependent, hence supporting the postulated mechanism of thiol-mediated reduction via nucleophilic attack by the thiolate anion. Prodrugs may enhance topical bioavailability through the manipulation of physico-chemical properties of the parent drug. A series of ester derivatives of AZP were investigated for their susceptibility to chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis, which regenerates the parent acid. Use of alcoholic cosolvents with differing alkyl functions to that of the ester resulted in transesterification reactions, which were found to be enzyme-mediated. The skin penetration of AZP was assessed using an in vitro hairless mouse skin model, and silastic membrane in some cases. The rate of permeation of AZP was found to be a similar magnitude to that of the well established NSAIA ibuprofen. Penetration rates were dependent on the vehicle pH and drug concentration when solutions were employed. In contrast, flux was independent of pH when suspension formulations were used. Pretreatment of the skin with various enhancer regimes, including oleic acid and azone in propylene glycol, promoted the penetration of AZP. An intense IR absorption due to the azide group serves as a highly diagnostic marker, enabling azido compounds to be detected in the outer layers of the· stratum corneum following their application to skin, using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). This novel application enabled a non-invasive examination of the percutaneous penetration enhancement of a model azido compound in vivo in man, in the presence of the enhancer oleic acid.


The South Pacific region features enormous variation in state performance. While Polynesian nations such as Samoa have proved to be relatively successful post-colonial states, Melanesian countries like the Solomon Islands are increasingly categorised as 'weak', 'failing' or 'failed' states. Drawing on a range of comparative studies by economists and political scientists in recent years, this article argues that cross-country variation in ethnic diversity between much of Polynesia and Melanesia is a key factor in explaining differences in state performance across the South Pacific. It shows how different kinds of ethnic structure are associated with specific political and economic outcomes, including variation in political stability, economic development, and internal conflict from country to country. In so doing, it helps explain why some parts of the South Pacific appear to be failing while others are relative success stories - and why this is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.


The Internet of Things is connecting an ever-increasing number of devices. These devices often require access to personal information, but their meagre user interfaces usually do not permit traditional modes of authentication. On such devices, one-time pairing codes are often used instead. This pairing process can involve transcribing randomly generated alphanumeric codes, which can be frustrating, slow and error-prone. In this paper, we present an improved pairing method that uses sets of English words instead of random strings. The word method, although longer in terms of character length, allows users to pair devices more quickly, whilst still maintaining the complexity necessary for secure interactions.


Fish resources contribute to the socio-economic development for people who live surrounding the waters. The fishermen of Ranau Lake, South Ogan Komering Ulu Regency, South Sumatra Province and West Lampung Regency, Lampung Province are the prime stakeholder and direct interest in fish resources, because they depend on it for their livelihoods or they are directly involved in its exploitation in some ways. However, to well manage these resources, it needs data and information about fish utilization and fishing activity. The objectives of this work are to assess fishing activities such as the fishing craft and gears, catch composition, fish yield, catch per unit of effort (CPUE) and to estimate the fihermen income with economical parameter such as cost and price. Field surveys were conducted from February to November 2014. Fishing activities data were collected from field survey and interview. The results showed that fish resources utilization in Ranau Lake was categorized as traditional and small scale fisheries using different selective fishing gears such gillnet, harpoon, net trap and basket trap with the fish catch in average of 696.66 g/day; 205.03 g/day; 1.584.06 g/day and 123.67 g/day, respectively. Fisherman income (IDR 2,163,300) means the fishermen in Ranau Lake reach standard Indonesian welfare.


Abstract 3763

Background: Ponatinib is a potent pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor that is active against native and mutated forms of BCR-ABL, including the TKI resistant T315I mutant. The efficacy and safety of ponatinib (45 mg orally once daily) in patients with chronic phase (CP), accelerated phase (AP), or blast phase (BP) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), or Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) were evaluated in a pivotal phase 2, international, open-label clinical trial (PACE).

Objective: To evaluate the patterns of molecular response in patients treated with ponatinib in the PACE trial.

Methods: The PACE trial enrolled 449 patients resistant or intolerant (R/I) to dasatinib or nilotinib or with the T315I BCR-ABL mutation. Patients were assigned to 1 of 6 cohorts according to disease phase (CP-CML, AP-CML, or BP-CML/Ph+ ALL), R/I to dasatinib or nilotinib, and presence of T315I. Mutation and molecular response analyses were performed at a single central laboratory. Molecular responses are reported on the International Scale (BCR-ABLIS; b2a2/b3a2 [p210] transcript only): major molecular response (MMR), ≤0.1%; MR4, ≤0.01%; MR4.5, ≤0.0032%. The trial is ongoing. Data as of 23 July 2012 are reported, with a minimum follow-up of 9 months (median 12 [0.1 to 21] months).

Results: The median age was 59 (18 to 94) years. The median time from initial diagnosis to start of ponatinib was 6 (0.3 to 28) years. 96% had received prior imatinib, 84% dasatinib, 65% nilotinib; 8% received 1, 39% received 2, and 53% received all 3 prior approved TKIs. In patients previously treated with dasatinib or nilotinib (N=427), 88% had a history of resistance and 12% were purely intolerant to dasatinib or nilotinib. BCR-ABL mutations were detected in 55% of all patients at baseline: 22.9% T315I only, 26.5% mutations other than T315I, 5.8% mutations in addition to T315I. The most common mutations were T315I (29%), F317L (8%), E255K (4%), F359V (4%), and G250E (3%). Baseline BCR-ABL transcript levels were >10% in 74% (74% in CP-CML) and >1% to ≤10% in 14% (20% in CP-CML). No patients entered the study in MMR. The best response to the most recent dasatinib or nilotinib containing regimen was MMR or better in 4% (3% in CP-CML).

Molecular response rates by cohort are shown below for CP-CML and AP-CML. Deep molecular responses, including MR4.5, were observed in both disease phases. Of 16 BP-CML and 3 Ph+ ALL patients with the b2a2/b3a2 transcript and baseline and post-baseline bone marrow assessments, 5 BP-CML and 0 Ph+ ALL patients achieved MMR. In CP-CML, MMR rates for the most frequent mutations other than T315I were 41% F317L, 50% E255K, 31% F359V, 38% G250E. Subgroup analyses in CP-CML indicated significant differences in the MMR rate for patients with T315I only (56%; p<0.001) and mutations in addition to T315I (50%; p=0.0216) vs. no mutation (21%), and for T315I only vs. mutations other than T315I (34%; p=0.0237). These differences are likely due to younger age (median 51 vs. 61 years) and exposure to fewer prior TKIs (median 2 vs. 3) in CP-CML patients with T315I vs. those without T315I. In CP-CML, 53% maintained or achieved BCR-ABLIS ≤10% by 3 months, with a trend towards higher rates in patients receiving fewer prior approved TKIs (1: 81%; 2: 61%; 3: 45%). The MMR rate (cumulative) in CP-CML improved over time: 13% by 3 months, 24% by 6 months, 28% by 9 months. The median time to MMR for CP-CML patients achieving MMR was 6 (2 to 17) months. CP-CML patients with MMR had an estimated probability of remaining in MMR at 6 months and 1 year of 87% and 84%, respectively (Kaplan-Meier). Ponatinib was generally well-tolerated. Data with a minimum follow-up of 12 months will be presented.

Conclusions: Ponatinib treatment led to significant and deep molecular responses in this heavily pretreated population. In CP-CML, the MMR rate was ∼10-fold higher than that reported with the most recent dasatinib or nilotinib treatment.

| Molecular response in peripheral blood | CP-CML[a][1],[b][2] | AP-CML[a][1] |
|:--------------------------------------:| ------------------- | ------------ | ---------- |
| R/I N=203 | T315I N=64 | R/I N=65 | T315I N=18 |
| MMR | 25% | 55% | 14% | 17% |
| MR4 | 16% | 33% | 6% | 0% |
| MR4.5 | 10% | 17% | 5% | 0% |

* [↵][3]a Excludes 3 CP-CML and 2 AP-CML patients post-imatinib and without T315I

* [↵][4]b The MMR rate in CP-CML patients previously treated with dasatinib or nilotinib was 79/256 (31%)

Disclosures: Hochhaus: ARIAD, Novartis, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Pfizer, and MSD: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Kim: Novartis, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Pfizer, ARIAD, and Il-Yang: Consultancy, Employment, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Pinilla-Ibarz: Novartis, BMS: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. le Coutre: Novartis and BMS: Honoraria. Paquette: ARIAD: Consultancy. Chuah: Novartis and Bristol Myers-Squibb: Honoraria. Nicolini: Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, ARIAD: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Apperley: Novartis, Bristol Myers-Squibb, and ARIAD: Honoraria, Research Funding. Talpaz: Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Millenium: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; ARIAD: Research Funding; Deciphera: Research Funding; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Abruzzese: BMS: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Rea: Bristol Myers-Squibb, Novartis, and Teva: Honoraria. Baccarani: ARIAD, NOVARTIS PHARMA, BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB, PFIZER: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Muller: ARIAD: Consultancy. Wong: MolecularMD Corp: Employment, Equity Ownership. Lustgarten: ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Rivera: ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Clackson: ARIAD: Employment, Equity Ownership. Turner: ARIAD: Employment, Equity Ownership. Haluska: ARIAD: Employment, Equity Ownership. Guilhot: ARIAD: Honoraria. Hughes: Novartis, BMS, ARIAD: Honoraria, Research Funding. Goldman: Novartis, Bristol Myers-Squibb, and Amgen: Honoraria. Shah: ARIAD: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy. Kantarjian: Novartis: Consultancy; Pfizer: Research Funding; ARIAD: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding. Cortes: Novartis, BMS, ARIAD, Pfizer, and Chemgenex: Consultancy, Research Funding.

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Background: Low levels of physical activity and high levels of sedentary behavior during adolescence are a cause for concern. Sociodemographic, developmental, environmental, and psychological factors may be relevant, but the correlates of these behaviors may differ.Purpose: To investigate the multidimensional correlates of physical activity and sedentary behavior in a large sample of 11- to 12-year-old boys and girls.Methods: Cross-sectional survey of 2,578 boys and 1,742 girls from36 schools stratified by socioeconomic background and gender mix of students (84% response rate). Questionnaire assessments and objective measurements of height and weight were obtained.Results:Days of vigorous physical activity and hours of sedentary behaviors over the past week were uncorrelated. Ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, developmental stage, environmental factors, and psychological variables were associated with physical activity and sedentary behavior in univariate analyses. In multiple regression, sedentary behavior was greater in ethnic minority groups, in students frommore deprived backgrounds,andin those with conduct problems. Girls who were more advanced developmentally and who reported emotional symptoms also engaged in more sedentary behaviors. Vigorous physical activity was associated with good self-rated health, prosocial psychological characteristics, and (in boys) with low emotional symptoms.Conclusions:A multidimensional approach to understanding the context of physical activity in early adolescence is needed because factors in several domains are relevant. The correlates of physical activity and sedentary behaviors are distinct in this age group, and there are also important gender differences.


The head of the Laurentian Channel is a very dynamic region of exceptional biological richness. To evaluate the impact of freshwater discharge, tidal mixing, and biological activity on the pH of surface waters in this region, a suite of physical and chemical variables was measured throughout the water column over two tidal cycles. The relative contributions to the water column of the four source-water types that converge in this region were evaluated using an optimum multiparameter algorithm (OMP). Results of the OMP analysis were used to reconstruct the water column properties assuming conservative mixing, and the difference between the model properties and field measurements served to identify factors that control the pH of the surface waters. These surface waters are generally undersaturated with respect to aragonite, mostly due to the intrusion of waters from the Upper St. Lawrence Estuary and the Saguenay Fjord. The presence of a cold intermediate layer impedes the upwelling of the deeper, hypoxic, lower pH and aragonite-undersaturated waters of the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary to depths shallower than 50 m.


Learning can be improved when instructors use classroom time to engage students with hands-on activities and other kinds of active learning. However, time and cost constraints, especially in the higher education domain, can make integrating active learning into course curricula a significant challenge. With this dissertation, we have designed, implemented, and rigorously evaluated an inexpensive, easy-to-implement educational intervention that facilitates increased student engagement and active learning. A key technological component of this intervention is web lectures: condensed, studio-recorded lectures made available via the web as multimedia presentations that combine video of the lecturer, audio, lecture slides, and a table of contents. When web lectures are used to replace the traditional in-class lecture, classroom time can be utilized in other more engaging, learning-beneficial ways. This work is not just about using web lectures, however; it is also about making them with the best combination of modalities (e.g., video, audio, slides, narrative text) and about technologies and pedagogics that bridge the gap between studying web lectures individually and subsequently applying and extending that lecture material in the classroom.
We explored the effectiveness of this educational intervention using two complementary threads of investigation. First, we used a controlled, experimental study to evaluate individual's learning with web lectures as standalone learning objects. Here, we found that our web lectures are more effective and efficient than other similar educational multimedia presentations. Second, we used longitudinal, naturalistic studies to evaluate the deployed classroom intervention as a whole. With these studies, we found that a course taught using our web lecture intervention produces as good or better student grades and significantly improved perception of learning and satisfaction than a traditionally-taught course. Guidelines for making and using web lectures are provided.


This investigation was conducted to elucidate whether atractylenolide-I (ATL-1), which is the main component of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz, can sensitize triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells to paclitaxel and investigate the possible mechanism involved. We discovered that ATL-1 could inhibit tumor cell migration and increase the sensitivity of tumor cells to paclitaxel. ATL-1 downregulated the expression and secretion of CTGF in TNBC cells. Apart from inhibiting TNBC cell migration via CTGF, ATL-1 downregulated the expression of CTGF in fibroblasts and decreased the ability of breast cancer cells to transform fibroblasts into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which in turn increased the sensitivity of TNBC cells to paclitaxel. In a mouse model, we found that ATL-1 treatments could enhance the chemotherapeutic effect of paclitaxel on tumors and reduce tumor metastasis to the lungs and liver. Primary cultured fibroblasts derived from inoculated tumors in mice treated with ATL-1 combined with paclitaxel expressed relatively low levels of CAF markers. Collectively, our data indicate that ATL-1 can sensitize TNBC cells to paclitaxel by blocking CTGF expression and fibroblast activation and could be helpful in future research to determine the value of ATL-1 in the clinical setting.


Impedance loci information is well used by electrical engineers. In power system engineering it is useful too: (i) to see if the addition of static VAR compensation will cause resonance problems; (ii) to enable harmonic filters to be designed and (iii) to assess if a proposed ripple control frequency is practical. In the past, to obtain a good frequency locus, the frequency range was scanned using a constant but small increment in frequency. This is computationally very expensive and interpolation methods have also been used, to allow a larger frequency increment in the scan. By allowing the interval between frequency points to vary a better choice of frequencies for impedance evaluation can be found. An adaptive scheme for automatically choosing the frequencies for impedance evaluation is described. A parametric cubic spline is then fitted through the chosen points. This dramatically reduces the number of frequency points that need to be evaluated without losing any essential detail in the loci.


The wide-band code division multiple access (WCDMA) based 3G and beyond cellular mobile wireless networks are expected to provide a diverse range of multimedia services to mobile users with guaranteed quality of service (QoS). To serve diverse quality of service requirements of these networks it necessitates new radio resource management strategies for effective utilization of network resources with coding schemes. Call admission control (CAC) is a significant component in wireless networks to guarantee quality of service requirements and also to enhance the network resilience. In this paper capacity enhancement for WCDMA network with convolution coding scheme is discussed and compared with Block code and without coding scheme to achieve a better balance between resource utilization and quality of service provisioning. The model of this network is valid for the real-time (RT) and non-real-time (NRT) calls having different data rate. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the network using convolutional code in terms of capacity enhancement and QoS of the voice and data services.


In order to identify joint contact dynamic parameters of 3 DOF flexible joint manipulators, a vibration and movement coupled modeling approach of the manipulators was proposed. Combining the traveling wave approach of structure and the rotation transformation matrix of joint, the waveguide equations of mechanism were established. Considering the conditions of the general force balance and displacement boundary of each joint, vibration excitation of the system in moving states were obtained. Vibration equations were achieved according to the derived vibration torques and torsional vibration angles. The contact dynamic parameters of joint surface can be identified by using the vibration and movement coupled equation derived in this paper.


Bilateral bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was carried out in right middle and left upper lobes of 22 nonsmoking females suffering from progressive systemic sclerosis in order to assess interlobar differences and functional correlation of the BAL composition. The patients' age ranged from 20 to 66 years, and the mean disease duration was 10.4 years. The most frequent finding was a mild BAL lymphocytosis (right in 11 of 22 patients; left in 8 of 22), but eosinophilic (right in 11 of 22; left in 5 of 22 patients) and neutrophilic (right in 9 of 22 patients; left in 1 of 22) alveolitis was recognized as well. Differential counts suggestive of alveolitis limited to one of the lavaged lobes were demonstrated in about one fourth of the cases. Including increased cellularity among the criteria of pathological BAL fluid composition, 14% of the subjects showed bilateral BAL results within the normal range. OKT8-positive lymphocytes were significantly increased in 3 patients, but the mean values were not. Total lung capacity, vital capacity, and forced expiratory volume in 1 s correlated inversely with BAL neutrophil (p less than 0.05) and granulocytic (p less than 0.01) differential counts; the strongest, positive correlation was demonstrated regarding the lymphocyte/granulocyte ratios (p less than 0.0005). In conclusion, several patterns of alveolitis as well as a bilaterally normal BAL composition were found in our series; moreover, even if inhomogeneous alveolitis did occur, a single lavage performed in the right middle lobe correctly detected or excluded the presence of an alveolitis in 95% of our patients.


Two patients with seriously impaired left ventricular function, abnormal left ventricular conduction on the electrocardiogram, mitral regurgitation, and a very late systolic click are reported. Idiopathic non-obstructive cardiomyopathy seemed to be the cause of the left ventricular dysfunction in both cases. The mitral valve was anatomically normal at the time of operation in one patient, except for dilatation of the annulus, and the mitral regurgitation appeared to be secondary to left ventricular failure. The very late timing of the mitral systolic clicks in these two patients may be related to a large left ventricular end-diastolic volume and impaired left ventricular function, or to an abnormal sequence of excitation of the left ventricle. The timing of the late systolic click in these patients is in contrast to that in patients with mid systolic clicks, hearts of normal size, and little cardiac disability.


This research aims to reveal the interactions between e-shopping and in-store shopping using a sample of Internet users in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. This report summarizes previous research on the interactions among spatial attributes, e-shopping, and travel behavior and makes eight recommendations for future research. Guided by the recommendations, this study adopts an innovative research design by integrating a conventional shopping survey with an activity diary. This report provides a detailed description of survey development and implementation and points out several common pitfalls in survey administration. This report also presents results on the interactions. Specifically, two ordered probit models and structural equation models were developed to investigate the influence of geography on online shopping usage and the influence of e-shopping on traditional shopping.


In January, 1971, the Regional Medical Program of New York implemented a comprehensive regional stroke program at Harlem Hospital in cooperation with Columbia University, New York, New York. The program is directed toward prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients. During the first year of the program, 395 patients with the diagnosis of acute stroke were admitted. Sixty-seven had not suffered an acute stroke. Of the remaining 328 patients with a verified acute stroke, 52 were classified as hemorrhagic. Only three patients with TIA were seen. One hundred thirteen patients, 40 of whom had suffered hemorrhagic strokes, died while in the hospital. Two hundred thirty-six patients had associated diseases, hypertension being the most common. The median age was 65 for women and 66 for men. Based on the 1970 census, the rate per 100,000 is estimated to be at least 212. Age-specific rates show a higher than expected rate among the younger age groups. Compared with similar studies of white populations, this study indicates the following characteristics of the entity stroke in an urban black community: (1) incidence is high, (2) patients are relatively young, and (3) high incidence of associated disease.


The march towards democratic progress remains one of the defining developments of the late 20th century. For Africa, it has been (a) the dismantling of colonial governance, (b) the embracement of the monolithic party structure for its development, (c) the return to political pluralism without significant improvements in the improving the quality of life of the vast majority of the people, (d) failure to improve the living standards of the population. These developments provide challenges and opportunities for African states to rethink the kind of developmental strategies so far adopted. It equally begs a simple question – whether political independence was properly initiated and whether the colonial powers were pleased to grant independence to their colonies? Against the backdrop of the shared dissatisfaction with the current pace of poverty alleviation, curbing the vices of corruption and poor development, how can progress be best accelerated in the 21st century in building the necessary capacity for knowledge society in a fast growing knowledge based global economy? Which instruments must be put in place to ensure "Futures Intelligence Capacity" as proactive strategic approaches in overcoming the predicament of a continent rich in natural resources but poor in terms of development and quality of livelihood? The paper goes further to look at serious deficiencies of governance highlighting public cynicism that diminishes public esteem for democracy. It articulates a triple heritage strategic approach of (i) building from below, (ii) deepening the political process, and (iii) focusing on people first as the means of achieving sustainable, equitable growth and development. It argues within this premises that to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to enhance the continent's role within the global community, emphasis should focus on State-Civil Society-Private Sector interface, operating under the umbrella of partnership, participation and benefit sharing. The failure to govern effectively takes a toll on the legitimacy and stability of democracy and development process. Proactive strategic policy measures are advanced as a way forward and in linking futures study and the various challenges that humankind face.

 Key words: Governance, inclusion, participation, partnership, democracy, exclusion, state, civil society, private sector interface, capacity building, future intelligence capacity.