Polyacrylamides have been synthesised by a solution polymerisation
process using water as the solvent. The radical polymerisation performed
under a nitrogen blanket was initiated by the thermal decomposition of
potassium persulphate. The influence of monomer and initiator concentrations,
temperature and reaction time on the polymerisation conversion of
monomer into polymer and on polymer molecular weight has been investigated.
Average molecular weights of the polymers were determined by solution
viscometry and membrane osmometry. A procedure for obtaining reproducible
viscosity data.has been developed using the Ubbelohde capillary type
viscometer. Because of a degassing problem with water as a solvent and
membrane breakdown with formamide as a solvent, it was found that reliable
osmotic pressure results were only obtained with difficulty for polymers
dissolved in formamide/water (1:3) mixtures.
Polyacrylamide samples have been separated by analytical gel permeation
chromatography with silica packings. Various modified silicas and several
eluents were investigated with the aim of reducing the adsorption of polyacrylamide
onto the chromatographic packing. Studies were performed with
physically coated phases such as polyethylene oxides, Aerosol OT, with
chemically bonded phases such as hexamethyldisilazane and n-propylamine,
and with eluents such as distilled water, formamide/water (1:5), 1% 880
and ammonia/formamide. Experimental results have shown that satisfactory
separations of polyacrylamide dependent solely on a permeation mechanism
were only obtained with a porous silica having a covalently bonded aminopropyl
phase at the pore surfaces and with a mixed eluent of formamide/
water (1:5). This GPC system was calibrated with polyacrylamide fractions
prepared by fractional precipitation. Molecular weight distributions were
determined from the chromatogram for a fraction and a whole polymer. The
distribution for the unfractionated polyacrylamide was in reasonable agreement
with distributions predicted from the mechanism of polymerisation.


ABSTRACT The benefits of psychological support in the workplace (also known as workplace counselling) are well documented. Most large organisations in the UK have staff counselling schemes. However, it is unclear what, if any, factors affect employee decisions to use such schemes. This study has used a qualitative methodology to explore the reasons that make employees use workplace counselling. Eleven employees of a university in the north of England who had used the staff counselling service of their employer took part in the study. The employer had two schemes available: an internal staff counselling service and an external Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). A semi-structured interview was used with each participant and grounded theory techniques were used to analyse the interviews. The analysis resulted in the construction of a model of psychological help-seeking in the workplace. The main findings indicate that most participants were motivated to use their employer's counselling service by their prior positive experiences of similar or other type of mental health services. Other encouraging factors were: recommendation of service by others, a supportive environment and trust in the confidential ethos of the service. Conversely, negative preconceptions of psychological help-seeking and a perception of the employing environment as unsafe were shown to have been discouraging factors. The study concludes with suggestions for practice and for further research.


The biological function of the plant-microbiome system is the result of contributions from the host plant and microbiome members. The Populus root microbiome is a diverse community that has high abundance of β- and γ-Proteobacteria, both classes which include multiple plant-growth promoting representatives. To understand the contribution of individual microbiome members in a community, we studied the function of a simplified community consisting of Pseudomonas and Burkholderia bacterial strains isolated from Populus hosts and inoculated on axenic Populus cutting in controlled laboratory conditions. Both strains increased lateral root formation and root hair production in Arabidopsis plate assays and are predicted to encode for different functions related to growth and plant growth promotion in Populus hosts. Inoculation individually, with either bacterial isolate, increased root growth relative to uninoculated controls, and while root area was increased in mixed inoculation, the interaction term was insignificant indicating additive effects of root phenotype. Complementary data including photosynthetic efficiency, whole-transcriptome gene expression and GC-MS metabolite expression data in individual and mixed inoculated treatments indicate that the effects of these bacterial strains are unique and additive. These results suggest that the function of a microbiome community may be predicted from the additive functions of the individual members.


Background: The group IIA secretory phospholipase A2 gene, Pla2g2a, confers resistance to intestinal tumorigenesis in the ApcMin/+ mouse model. However, it is unclear how Pla2g2a exerts its tumor-suppressive effects and whether its mode of action depends on Apc-germline mutations. Methods: We tested whether expression of a Pla2g2a transgene provides protection against carcinogen-induced colon tumors, and examined whether the normal colon microenvironment is modulated by Pla2g2a expression. Results: Pla2g2a strongly inhibited colon tumorigenesis in mice following treatment with the DNA alkylating agent azoxymethane (AOM). Moreover, AOM-induced duodenal tumors were also attenuated by Pla2g2a expression. These tumors demonstrated upregulation of β-catenin, indicative of involvement of the Wnt signaling pathway. Comparison of genome-wide microarray expression profiles of healthy (non-pathologic) colon tissues from Pla2g2a-transgenic to non-transgenic mice revealed 382 genes that were differentially expressed, comprising clusters of genes involved in inflammation and microbial defense, cell signaling and cell cycle, transactivation, apoptosis and mitochondrial function, DNA repair, and lipid and energy metabolism. Pathway analysis using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) indicated that Pla2g2a suppresses the expression of interferon-induced genes. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that Pla2g2a attenuates colon tumorigenesis independent of Apc-germline mutations, and reveal Pla2g2a target genes and pathways in non-pathologic colon microenvironment that influence conditions for colorectal cancer development.


Malignant rhabdoid tumor, first described in the kidney of young infants, is a rare and highly aggressive neoplasm of controversial histogenesis that has been reported at many other sites, including the gastrointestinal tract. However, malignant rhabdoid tumor of the small intestine is very rare, with only seven cases published to date. We report a 70‐year‐old man who presented with abdominal pain and weight loss, and showed a perforated jejunal mass with disseminated metastases by imaging. The patient underwent partial jejunectomy and biopsy of a liver metastasis. Microscopically, the tumor was characterized by neoplastic cells with vesicular nuclei, large nucleoli and abundant eccentric cytoplasm with hyaline globular intracytoplasmic inclusions. Immunohistochemically, the neoplasm coexpressed vimentin and epithelial antigens (AE1/AE3, Cam 5.2, CK34βE12, CK19 and EMA), most of them showing a peculiar immunostaining pattern in relation to the globular inclusions. Ultrastructurally, the inclusions corresponded to paranuclear whorls of intermediate filaments. The patient received postoperative chemotherapy but died 9 months after surgery. In summary, we report the exceptional case of an undifferentiated carcinoma of the jejunum with rhabdoid phenotype. As with tumors at other sites, recognition of rhabdoid morphology in small intestine neoplasms is of significance because the prognosis is extremely poor.


This research aims to 1) to provide experience and direction in research activities, 2) to know the planning of education and training in Jakarta Provincial Human Resource Development Agency, 3) to know the implementation of Training and Education in Jakarta Provincial Human Resources Development Board 4) to know the evaluation of Training. This research uses descriptive approach, in order to obtain information and phenomena that occur in planning, implementation and evaluation of Training. The design of this research is further directed to exploratory research, aiming to deepen the object under study from the wider aspect. While data collection techniques include; 1) document analysis, 2) observation, 3) questionnaire 4) interview as supporter. The results of this study illustrate, 1) Training planning refers to the policy of planning and implementation of training in the Agency for Human Resource Development of the Provincial Government of Jakarta related to human resources, facilities and infrastructure, financing has been running well, 2) Training implementation supported widiaiswara competence, The number is still less compared to the activities undertaken, 3) evaluation Training to see aspects of knowledge, understanding, implementation and achievement of the results Training, foster motivation, improve work skills.


Mine tailings can host elevated concentrations of toxic metal(loid)s that represent a significant hazard to surrounding communities and ecosystems. Eolian transport, capable of translocating small (micrometer-sized) particles, can be the dominant mechanism of toxic metal dispersion in arid or semiarid landscapes. Human exposure to metals can then occur via direct inhalation or ingestion of particulates. The fact that measured doses of total lead (Pb) in geomedia correlate poorly with blood Pb levels highlights a need to better resolve the precise distribution of molecularly speciated metal-bearing phases in the complex particle mixtures. Species distribution controls bioaccessibility, thereby directly impacting health risk. This study seeks to correlate Pb-containing particle size and mineral composition with lability and bioaccessibility in mine tailings subjected to weathering in a semiarid environment. We employed X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF), coupled with sequential chemical extractions, to study Pb speciation in tailings from the semiarid Arizona Klondyke State Superfund Site. Representative samples ranging in pH from 2.6 to 5.4 were selected for in-depth study of Pb solid-phase speciation. The principle lead-bearing phase was plumbojarosite (PbFe(6)(SO(4))(4)(OH)(12)), but anglesite (PbSO(4)) and iron oxide-sorbed Pb were also observed. Anglesite, the most bioavailable mineral species of lead identified in this study, was enriched in surficial tailings samples, where Pb concentrations in the clay size fraction were 2-3 times higher by mass relative to bulk. A mobile and bioaccessible Pb phase accumulates in surficial tailings, with a corresponding increase in risk of human exposure to atmospheric particles.


As for untold thousands of other secondary school students, my first encounter with the name A. A. Phillips came through textbooks with such titles as Presenting Ideas, In Fealty to Apollo, An Australian Muster; and Thinkers At Work-the title of the last in red letters on a green cloth cover, or at least this is the image memory brings to mind, and with it other associations. Writers of textbooks must be among the least lionised of authors, and here I should like to take the opportunity of acknowledging one student's gratitude to A.A. As one who had difficulty with such elementary exercises in logic as Pythagoras's Theorem, rote memory of which was necessary in the public examinations, I was excluded from the science stream. Even the low level of mathematics we 'humanities' students had to achieve seemed impossibly demanding. Algebra and geometry were taught, as were the classics to Tom Tulliver, with never a hint as to their place in the scheme of things. Language, or at least English, conveyed the pleasures of literature and the fascination of history; but these were regarded as peripheral pursuits, even feminine distractions, compared with the hard, central, masculine disciplines of a mathematical kind.


AIM
The aim of the study is to describe the connection between the burden of nurses' work experience and patient dissatisfaction using electronic indicators available in databases.

BACKGROUND
The hospitals in this study have a lot of information stored in electronic databases, but the data is stored in different databases and there are no straight connections between them.

METHODS
This study was retrospective. Inpatient rates, workload statistics, patient classification, patient satisfaction and financial statistics were collected on 39 hospital wards from electronic databases. The data were analysed statistically.

RESULTS
The results showed that the higher care intensity index and number of gross treatment days are, the greater was the burden on nurses. The burden was smaller on those wards using a named nurse system.

CONCLUSIONS
Nurses' workload varies according to the condition of patients and patient flow. There is a connection between high workload and patient dissatisfaction. Nurse Managers should easily be able to use significant indicators.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT
Nursing management must have tools that are easy to use in every day workload measurement, burden adjustment and personnel planning in the long run. This article presents patient classification and the number of beds used including daily change percentage of wards as instruments for nursing management.


The Western Tradition of Realism and Spatial Unity: La Grande IllusionSet in a German prisoner-of-war camp, Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion (1937) is ostensibly a war film, revolving around three French compatriots: Lieutenant Marechal (Jean Gabin), Private Rosenthal (Marcel Da lio), and the aristocratic Captain De Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay), whose German counterpart is Capitain von Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim). And, indeed, through these figures, Renoir questions the previous certainties of class, race, gender, nation, politics, and even artistic styles, all of which were all coming under sustained and critical scrutiny across Europe.1 But the film presents only the "vague ambience of the conflict"2 itself because Renoir's chief concern is not conventioanily thematic-the territories of nations formally disputed in World War I-but, rather, spatial: the territories of mind articulated through cinematographic form.This spatial articulation is evident when the protagonists meet each other. Having just shot down the French reconnaissance plane in which De Boeldieu and Marechal where flying, Captain von Rauffenstein enters the dining room of German officers and heads straight for the bar. Quaffing a brandy presented to him by an elegant waiter, who subsequently relieves him of his jacket, Rauffenstein orders a subordinate to check whether the French prisoners are of the "officer class." If so, they are to be invited to dine with their German counterparts. The scene turns absurd, with the officers being served by waiters as if in a gentleman's club in high-society Berlin. The atmosphere of upper-class decorum and respect belies the horrors and madness of World War I that had long been captured on film (from Vidor and Milestone to Ford and Hawks) and in literature (most famously in the poetry of Wilfred Owen and Siegfreid Sassoon). Over dinner, De Boeldieu and Von Rauffenstein, who ignores the Lieutenant Marechal, talk about the illustrious histories of their respective families. They reminisce about shared events and memories, and swap stories of horse races and aristocratic parties. At the same time, Marechal strikes up a conversation with a German of his own rank, and their conversation revolves around the factories they worked in before the war (see Figure 1).However, in addition to introducing the principal narrative themes of the film, this scene also introduces the type of filming and spatial treatment that will characterise all that follows. Using a series of long takes, the camera documents the room and the actions within it. Each man introduces himself and then, in preparation to sit for dinner, finds his seat in a subtle choreography that allows Renoir to dolly around the principal characters without ever cutting. In this way, the space remains strikingly-and ironically-continuous while completely unrelated sets of actions and conversations occur. Renoir saw the camera as a means for deeper "realism," an opportunity to capture the nature of the external world with greater fidelity than could any other form of visual representation then available; if used correctly, it could break down of differences between screen perception and actual perception.3 For Renoir, this translated into an attempt to reproduce, not just imitate, optical reality on screen, and was thus a reflection of what Andre Bazin would call the "art of the real."4On this basis, the analogy between the camera and the eye became central and the need to maintain spatial and temporal unity became key. The human eye might jerk or "cut" from point to point, but the mind behind the eye formed one continuous perceptual field, which (excessive) cutting in film actually violated. It was precisely this unity that Bazin, the most important proponent of cinematic realism, would praise some years later.5 Although he does not highlight La Grande Illusion as one of Renoir's greatest films, Bazin did observe that it contains all the major aesthetic tenets that make his work "realist"-a mode referring to multiple aspects of filmmaking (acting, wardrobe, narrative theme, dialogue) but centered on this continuous form of "optically realistic" filming. …


The advent of Web-based services and cloud computing has instigated an explosive growth in demand for datacenters. Traditionally, Internet companies would lease datacenter space and servers from vendors that often emphasize flexibility over efficiency. But as these companies grew larger, they sought to reduce acquisition and operation costs by building their own datacenters. Facebook reached this stage earlier in 2011 when it unveiled its first customized datacenter in Prineville, Oregon. In designing this datacenter, Facebook took a blank-slate approach where all aspects were rethought for maximum efficiency. Although the resulting datacenter is optimized for Facebook's workload, it is general enough to be appeal to a wide variety of applications. This paper describes our choices and innovations in the thermal design of the datacenter building, which employs 100% outside-air economization. The efficiency of this design is manifest in an average infrastructure energy use reduction of 86% compared to leased space, and an overall energy use reduction of 29%. This reduction in turn translates to a power usage efficiency of 1.08, measured over the summer of 2011.


Transactional Causal Consistency (TCC) extends causal consistency, the strongest consistency model compatible with availability, with interactive read-write transactions, and is therefore particularly appealing for geo-replicated platforms. This paper presents Wren, the first TCC system that at the same time i) implements nonblocking read operations, thereby achieving low latency, and ii) allows an application to efficiently scale out within a replication site by sharding. Wren introduces new protocols for transaction execution, dependency tracking and stabilization. The transaction protocol supports nonblocking reads by providing a transaction with a snapshot that is the union of a fresh causal snapshot S installed by every partition in the local data center and a client-side cache for writes that are not yet included in S. The dependency tracking and stabilization protocols require only two scalar timestamps, resulting in efficient resource utilization and providing scalability in terms of replication sites. In return for these benefits, Wren slightly increases the visibility latency of updates. We evaluate Wren on an AWS deployment using up to 5 replication sites and 16 partitions per site. We show that Wren delivers up to 1.4x higher throughput and up to 3.6x lower latency when compared to the state-of-the-art design. The choice of an older snapshot increases local update visibility latency by a few milliseconds. The use of only two timestamps to track causality increases remote update visibility latency by less than 15%.


This is the first edition of Andreas for 55 years, also the first to present the Anglo-Saxon, or rather Old English, text with a parallel Modern English poetic translation. The book aims not only to provide both students and scholars with an up-to-date text and introduction and notes, but also to reconfirm the canonical merit of Andreas as one of the longest and most important works in Old English literature. The introduction to our text is substantial, re-positioning this poem in respect of nearly six decades' progress in the palaeography, sources and analogues, language, metrics, literary criticism and archaeology of Andreas. The book argues that the poet was Mercian, that he was making ironic reference to Beowulf and that his story of St Andrew converting pagan Mermedonian cannibals was coloured by King Alfred's wars against the Danes (871-9, 885-6, 892-6). Andreas is here dated to Alfred's later reign with such analysis of contexts in history and ideology that the author's name is also hypothesized. The Old English text and Modern English translation of Andreas are presented in a split-page format, allowing students at whatever level of familiarity with the Anglo-Saxon vernacular to gain a direct access to the poem in close to its original form. The translation follows the poem's word order and style, allowing modern readers to feel the imagination, ideology and humour of Andreas as closely as possible. The text of the Old English poem is accompanied by a full set of supporting notes, and a glossary representing the translation.


In addition to other topics on railway engineering, the Department of Railway Engineering and Track Management is permanently paying attention to the issue of the non-traffic load of railway track (track load of climatic impacts) for the purpose of verification and possible adjustments of the existing methodology of the railway subgrade structure design to the adverse effects of frost used on the Slovak railways. For this purpose, the model of a railway track structure was built – Experimental Stand DRETM I – with an inbuilt thermometer in its individual structural layers and their interfaces, connected to recording equipment. This paper presents the characterized results of individual winter periods observed since 2003, its partial analysis is made and it states some fundamental knowledge necessary to be taken into account in the design and assessment of the railway track structure to the adverse effects of frost. Based on the evaluation of experimental measurements and knowledge obtained so far, a draft design nomogram for the design of the structure of a railway track on a non-traffic load was made, which greatly simplifies this whole process of design and assessment, compared with the current methodology in TNŽ 73 6312 \"The design of structural layers of subgrade structure".


Young protostellar discs may be massive enough that they become unstable and fragment, leading to the formation of planets, brown dwarfs, and low-mass stars. This thesis examines the development of the gravitational instability in discs: how it occurs and whether planets can form through gravitational fragmentation.
I consider the effects of radiative feedback by objects formed through gravitational fragmentation in discs, and compare simulations which consider three cases of radiative feedback: none, continuous, and episodic. I find that when radiative feedback is continuous, only one object forms as its radiative feedback supresses further fragmentation. However, when radiative feedback is episodic, further fragmentation occurs as the disc cools between episodes. Generally, the stronger the radiative feedback, the fewer objects ultimately form through gravitational fragmentation. Since multiple objects are formed, those of lower mass are ejected due to gravitational interactions. On the other hand, the more massive objects accrete a sufficient amount of gas to eventually become brown dwarfs or low-mass stars. Therefore, disc fragmentation may be a significant source of free-floating planets and companion brown dwarfs.
I study the effects of gravitational instability in protostellar discs around M-dwarfs and determine the minimum disc mass required for fragmentation. Disc-to-star mass ratios of between q ~ 0.3 and q ~ 0.6 are found to be necessary, and although the metallicity of the disc does not affect this, a high metallicity can inhibit fragmentation altogether. The gravitational fragmentation of protostellar discs around M-dwarfs results in the formation of massive protoplanets: they have initial masses above 5 Mjup and for on wide orbits (~ 10 – 100 AU from the host star). Therefore, the massive planets on wide orbits observed around M-dwarfs may have formed via gravitational fragmentation, provided that they were attended by relatively massive discs during their early phase of formation.


In this study, we report the development of a microbore hollow fiber enzyme reactor (mHFER) coupled to nanoflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-ESI-MS/MS) for the online digestion or selective enrichment of glycopeptides and analysis of proteins. With mHFER, enzymatic digestion of protein could be achieved by continuous flow within a very small volume (~10 μL) of mHF inserted in a PEEK tube. Digested peptides exited through the pores of the hollow fiber membrane wall to external single or multiplexed trap columns for nLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. Evaluation of online mHFER-nLC-ESI-MS/MS system was made with bovine serum albumin (BSA) by varying the temperature of digestion and the amount of protein injected. We evaluated the ability of the mHFER system to enrich glycopeptides by injecting a mixture of lectin (concanavalin A) and digested peptides from α-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) into the mHFER, followed by delivery of PNGase F for endoglycosidic digestion. Nonglycosylated peptides unbound to lectins eluted at the first breakthrough run while N-linked glycopeptides eluted after the endoglycosidic digestion. The developed method was applied to urine samples from patients with prostate cancer and controls; 67 N-linked glycopeptides were identified and relative differences in glycopeptide content between patient and control samples were determined.


Purpose: To validate the accuracy of Monte Carlo(MC) simulations performed with TOPAS (TOol for PArticle Simulation; to be released to the proton therapy community) against phantom measurements in proton therapy.Methods: We used TOPAS, a new MC simulation tool that provides a user‐friendly interface to the Geant4 package, to simulate proton depth‐dose curves from the MGH gantry treatment heads in double‐ scattering mode. Simulations were compared to QA measurements of SOBPs. Field flatness and field symmetry from all clinical options (i.e. combinations of double‐scattering system, range modulator wheel and beam current modulation settings) have been simulated and benchmarked against measurements performed with 2D dose detectors. A step‐compensator consisting of two sections of different thickness was placed upstream a water phantom in which we measured lateral and longitudinal dose profiles. Results: For all treatment options TOPAS depth‐dose curves are within clinical required accuracy, the range being within +1/−1.5 mm and the modulation within ±3 mm of the requested specifications. SOBP simulations also validate time‐dependent geometry and beam current in TOPAS, as the modulator wheel is rotating with the beam current modulation changing at the same time. The field flatness of simulated protons is within ±2% the average dose measured in a plane transverse to the beam axis. Field symmetries show slight discrepancies compared to measured data. In the case of the step‐compensator, TOPAS correctly predicts the lateral width of the beam and longitudinal profiles at different transverse positions. In the transverse profiles, the edge scatteringeffects due to multiple Coulomb scattering were correctly reproduced by TOPAS. Conclusions: We demonstrated TOPAS accuracy to reproduce measured dose profiles in a variety of homogeneous phantom setups relevant for proton therapy. The accuracy in the benchmarking achieved with TOPAS simulations provides the basis for routine clinical dose calculations. NIH/NCI P01 CA021239


[1] This study makes use of calendar month averages of surface temperature taken from the long control runs of 13 coupled atmosphere/ocean general circulation models (GCMs) as well as from the record of observational surface temperature measurements. After aggregating the data into global averages, we examine the mean seasonal cycle as well as the anomaly statistics. We find a large range of different results for the models in the seasonal cycle of anomaly statistics. There appears to be an "empirical" relationship between the published sensitivity of the models to CO2 doubling and the seasonal cycle of the anomaly statistics. We draw an inference about the sensitivity of the real climate based upon this relationship. The relationship appears to be plausible based upon simple considerations of the land–sea distribution and the wintertime variance of climatic noise forcing. This inference leads us to estimate the sensitivity of climate to a doubling of CO2 to be about 2.7°C with the 95% confidence interval (2.3°C, 3.1°C).


This Chapter charts the development of UK competition law and policy towards vertical agreements since the Competition Act 1998 (CA98) came into force in March 2000.

It traces how UK policy has evolved and notes that although early UK cases focused principally on resale price maintenance, a variety of vertical restraints have now been analysed under the rules, including restraints on online selling which have proliferated with the rapid growth of e-commerce.

Although the analysis of vertical agreements under the CA98 is now closely aligned with that adopted under EU law, the UK authorities have also appraised some agreements which have to date received limited attention in EU jurisprudence, including price relationship agreements and most favoured nation clauses ("MFNs").

Finally, the Chapter considers how the law could, or should, develop in the future, especially after the transition period following the UK's departure from the EU ends. In particular, whether, post-Brexit, the UK authorities should continue to follow EU competition law, which has in significant respects been influenced by internal market considerations in this sphere, or whether it should take a different course.


In this work we present the results of over the air spoofing experiments with common Commercial of the Shelf (COTS) receivers. In the literature only very few over the air transmissions of spoofing signals were treated, most likely because of the missing sending permission. Therefore this paper analyses some successful spoofing experiments with over the air transmission. Signal generator spoofing is the generation and emission of artificial authentic Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-signals with a signal generator, which tries to imitate the real satellite signals as good as possible to induce a wrong time and/or position output on the victim receiver. The artificial signals must have a higher amplitude at the target position than the authentic signals to be tracked from the receiver. We investigated synchronized attacks with a purchasable Jamming and Spoofing generator from [14], which is able to perform a synchronized spoofing attack to real satellite signals and by now Galileo E1B/C and GPS L1 C/A signals can be spoofed. The spoofing device estimates the navigation bits and code phase in real time. The position could be shifted kilometres away from the initial position. The behaviour of several anti-spoofing parameters under the spoofing attack were analyzed, amongst others some tracking parameters like the Code Minus Carrier (CMC), Code rate of the replica (CRR), Doppler, discriminator values, In-Phase (I) and Quadrature (Q) channel power and C/N0 . Additionally several Signal Quality Monitoring (SQM) parameters were tested, the Single Sided Ratio metric (SRM), Ratio Metric (RM), Delta Metric (DM), Double Delta Metric (DDM), Moving Variance of Delta Metric (MV) and the Threshold Fluctuation Metric (TFM), presented in [9]. For this specific spoofing experiment all considered anti-spoofing parameters and metrics showed a significant deviation when the spoofing started, which allows for threshold-based detection methods. One receiver could be spoofed with Galileo E1B/C and GPS L1 C/A signals, even if it tracked in parallel authentic Beidou and GLONASS satellites on the L1 band. This illustrates that a spoofer not necessarily need to spoof all GNSS's which are supported by the receiver, in order to perform a successful spoofing attack. The position shift of the receivers was in the kilometer range.


Statistics show that the fatalities rate per 10,000 vehicles in the State of Kuwait is about
three times that in the UK, and the number of traffic accidents in Kuwait is increasing each year.
In 1992, there were 16,017 traffic accidents, with 279 killed. By 2005, the number of accidents
had increased to 56,235 with 451 fatalities, although the size of the vehicle fleet was only
1,134,042. This thesis presents the findings of a study of a substantial road accident database for
Kuwait and a supplementary questionnaire survey to further understand related driver behaviour. Police accident reports relating to fatality and injury for the year 2002 were collected from the
General Investigation Administration at the Ministry of the Interior to obtain an overview of the
situation. Human behaviour and driver error were considered to be the main contributory factors,
as has been found elsewhere. A questionnaire survey was undertaken to obtain a more in-depth
understanding of driver behaviour and attitudes towards traffic regulations, which might relate to
road accidents, and the potential acceptability of remedial measures. The questions were
developed to suit the traffic environment and culture in Kuwait, and 1,528 questionnaires were
completed. Analysis has shown that there are significant associations between accident
involvement and other contributory factors. A road accident prediction model was developed,
linking behaviour and attitudes with a number of factors such as age, sex, nationality, education
level, marital status, driver education, driver training, usual speed on motorways, number of
dangerous offences per year, years of driving experience, and drivers' perceptions of the
effectiveness of enforcement on total accident rate. The Generalised Linear Model (GLM)
approach was used. It was found that driver attitude towards traffic regulations, enforcement, the
number of critical traffic violations, nationality and age were significant contributory factors. The
results will be used to influence future policy towards driving education, training and
enforcement in Kuwait.


I argue that low-frequency movements in U.S. base velocity are well explained by standard models of money demand. The model of Gordon, Leeper, and Zha is not standard because they assume a very high interest elasticity. The positive conclusion that they reach about the model's ability to mimic movements in velocity necessarily implies that predicted movements in interest rates are too smooth.


Background/Aims: Gemcitabine (GEM) is the first-line chemotherapy in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. However, the clinical outcomes of this regimen are still unsatisfactory in prolonging survival. Resistant to GEM is one of the reasons for poor prognosis. Therefore, looking for molecular biomarkers to predict chemosensitivity to GEM is important for treatment in unresectable pancreatic cancer patients. The aim of this study was to analyze S100A4 mRNA in tissues of unresectable pancreatic cancer obtained by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNA), and to determine the relation between S100A4 mRNA level and chemosensitivity to GEM. Methods: The analysis was performed on samples from 36 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer who were treated with gemcitabine alone. The patients were assigned to receive GEM at 1,000 mg/ m2/wk for weeks 1 to 6, followed by 1 week rest, then for 4 weeks. mRNA was extracted for S100A4 mRNA assay from patients above by EUS-FNA before GEM-treatment. The 36 patients were divided into the following two groups. Patients with partial response and those with stable disease whose tumor markers decreased by 50% or more were classified as the effective group. The rest of patients were classified as the non effective group. The relationship between GEM efficacy and S100A4 mRNA expression was then examined by chi-squared test. Results: S100A4 mRNA showed a significant correlation with GEM efficacy. Patients in the effective group had low S100A4 mRNA expression, whereas patients in non-effective group had high S100A4 mRNA expressions (P = 0.0059). Conclusion: S100A4 mRNA level analyzed in EUS-FNA samples is an important molecular biomarker for prediction of chemosensitivity to GEM in unresectable pancreatic cancer.


Health care providers recognize that delivery of effective communication with family members of children with life-threatening illnesses is essential to palliative and end-of-life care (PC/EOL). Parents value the presence of nurses during PC/EOL of their dying child. It is vital that nurses, regardless of their years of work experience, are competent and feel comfortable engaging family members of dying children in PC/EOL discussions. This qualitative-descriptive study used focus groups to explore the PC/EOL communication perspectives of 14 novice pediatric oncology nurses (eg, with less than 1 year of experience). Audio-taped focus group discussions were reviewed to develop the following 6 theme categories: (a) Sacred Trust to Care for the Child and Family, (b) An Elephant in the Room, (c) Struggling with Emotional Unknowns, (d) Kaleidoscope of Death: Patterns and Complexity, (e) Training Wheels for Connectedness: Critical Mentors during PC/EOL of Children, and (f) Being Present with an Open Heart: Ways to Maintain Hope and Minimize Emotional Distress. To date, this is the first study to focus on PC/EOL communication perspectives of novice pediatric oncology nurses.


Objective: To study analgesic activity and to evaluate the involvement of opioid and monoamines in the antinociceptive activity of methanol extract of leaves of Aegle marmelos. Materials and Methods: Analgesic activity of methanol extract (ME) of A. marmelos alone (75,150 and 300mg/kg orally) and in combination with morphine or venlafaxine (subanalgesic) were studied using tail flick test and acetic acid-induced writhing in mice. The effect of pre-treatment with opioid antagonist naltrexone 1mg/kg was also studied on antinociception induced due to ME. Result: ME produced a dose-dependent significant antinociceptive activity in the tail flick test and acetic acid-induced writhing in mice. (P<0.05) Administration of subanalgesic dose of ME with morphine or venlafaxine also resulted in significant (P<0.05) antinociceptive activity in both the pain models. Pre-treatment with naltrexone inhibited analgesic activity induced by ME alone and combination with morphine or venlafaxine. Conclusion: A.marmelos in induced antinociception is mediated through both opioid and monoaminergic pain pathways, suggest its possible use in chronic pain.


Rural development generally refers to the process of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people living in relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas. Rural development has traditionally centred on the exploitation of land-intensive natural resources such as agriculture and forestry. However, changes in global production networks and increased urbanization have changed the character of rural areas. Meanwhile, promoting development in rural areas is a slow and complex process. It requires simultaneous action in various sectors, where an environment undergoes rapid and sometimes, volatile change. The change comes from internal as well as external processes such as privatization and globalization, by forces appearing to be scattered and disparate (Bauman, 1998). What is the role of rural societies in this change? Just adjust to a rapidly changing and highly competitive international economy (World Bank, 2005) or to have a more innovative and proactive role? India is in the midst of a transformation to a network economy with a shift from markets to networks, from quantities to qualities, from commodities to niche, and from supply-driven to demand-driven large chains. The new developments have provided opportunities for small farmers too. Some of them are linked to supermarkets (at least in certain products). However, the process is uneven. Financial inclusion policy priorities are identified primarily with a view to boosting growth in average material living standards as measured by GDP per capita. This has been the hallmark of 'Going for Growth' since its launch. The ultimate aim, however, is a genuine and broadly-shared improvement in living conditions, which implies that stronger growth in average income does not come at the expense of other important aspects of well-being. Hence, the researcher is interested to reveal the income, saving and expenditure of rural areas, how far the financial policy reached the study area and to examine the role of financial inclusion policy in rural development. Aus. J. Acc. Eco. Fin. Vol 2(1), April 2016, P 49-56


GEZGIN and GEZGIN-2 are real-time multi-spectral image processing subsystems developed for BILSAT-1 and RASAT satellites respectively, the first two Earth observing small satellites of Turkey. Main functionality of these subsystems is to compress in real-time multi-spectral images received concurrently from imagers, using JPEG2000 image compression algorithm. The compression features are controlled through user-supplied parameters uploaded in-orbit, so that the compression rate could be adapted to bandwidth, image quality and other mission requirements. GEZGIN employs both reconfigurable hardware and a DSP processor for image processing, where as the more advanced GEZGIN-2 contains full integration of the JPEG2000 processing path plus other image pre-processing features on reconfigurable hardware, hence offering increased performance and full reconfigurability in orbit. Both systems demonstrate space-tailored architectures for implementing image processing functions where adaptability becomes the crucial issue determining robustness, flexibility and survivability of the system


The 1/3 disc fragment model for fan disc burst shall allow aircraft manufacturers to minimize the hazards to the aeroplane without unnecessarily constraining its design. This paper presents a finite energy approach, along with its benefit assessment on the electrical segregation height and rapid decompression rotor burst design constraints. The fan case energy absorption is estimated through the AGARD impact mechanics formula, considering its capability to withstand fan blade-off events. The results for a standardized single-aisle engine suggest 34% energy absorption, 95mm minimum electrical segregation height decrease and 83% rapid decompression maximum opening decrease. The first estimation of energy absorption shows that it is unlikely that the fan retention belt would retain the 1/3 disc fragment. Assumptions regarding material failure, ring shape effect, and blade deformation energy absorption could be refined.


To foster an active and engaged community, social networks employ recommendation algorithms that filter large amounts of contents and provide a user with personalized views of the network. Popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter generate follow recommendations by listing profiles a user may be interested to connect with. Federated social networks aim to resolve issues associated with the popular social networks - such as large-scale user-surveillance and the miss-use of user data to manipulate elections - by decentralizing authority and promoting privacy. Due to their recent emergence, recommender systems do not exist for federated social networks, yet. To make these networks more attractive and promote community building, we investigate how recommendation algorithms can be applied to decentralized social networks. We present an offline and online evaluation of two recommendation strategies: a collaborative filtering recommender based on BM25 and a topology-based recommender using personalized PageRank. Our experiments on a large unbiased sample of the federated social network Mastodon shows that collaborative filtering approaches outperform a topology-based approach, whereas both approaches significantly outperform a random recommender. A subsequent live user experiment on Mastodon using balanced interleaving shows that the collaborative filtering recommender performs on par with the topology-based recommender.


Two kinds of Er-doped lithium phosphate glass have been chemically strengthened by ion exchange in a mixed binary melt of KNO3 and NaNO3 at temperature far below glass Tg. Ion depth profile has been determined with WDS technique. The effect of acid wash on surface morphology, hardness and fracture temperature of glass was investigated. It was found that acid wash following ion exchange could improve the surface morphology and strength of glass. Nevertheless, WDS analysis showed that the acid wash could cause the ion diffusion from glass surface to acid wash liquid, i.e. the back diffusion of K+ and Na+. The results revealed that the back diffusion of K+ was severer than that of Na+ during acid wash and the bond of K+ to glass network was weak.


Problem statement: Location knowledge in indoor environment using Indoor Positioning Systems (IPS) has become very useful and popular in recent years. A number of Location Based Services (LBS) have been developed, which are based on IPS, these LBS include asset tracking, inventory management and security based applications. Many next-generation LBS applications such as social networking, local search, advertising and geo-tagging are expected to be used in urban and indoor environments where GNSS either underperforms in terms of fix times or accuracy, or fails altogether. To develop an IPS based on Wi-Fi Received Signal Strength (RSS) using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), which should use already available Wi-Fi infrastructure in a heterogeneous environment. Approach: This study discussed the use of ANN for IPS using RSS in an indoor wireless facility which has varying human activity, material of walls and type of Wireless Access Points (WAP), hence simulating a heterogeneous environment. The proposed system used backpropogation method with 4 input neurons, 2 output neurons and 4 hidden layers. The model was trained with three different types of training data. The accuracy assessment for each training data was performed by computing the distance error and average distance error. Results: The results of the experiments showed that using ANN with the proposed method of collecting training data, maximum accuracy of 0.7 m can be achieved, with 30% of the distance error less than 1 m and 60% of the distance error within the range of 1-2 m. Whereas maximum accuracy of 1.01 can be achieved with the commonly used method of collecting training data. The proposed model also showed 67% more accuracy as compared to a probabilistic model. Conclusion: The results indicated that ANN based IPS can provide accuracy and precision which is quite adequate for the development of indoor LBS while using the already available Wi-Fi infrastructure, also the proposed method for collecting the training data can help in addressing the noise and interference, which are one of the major factors affecting the accuracy of IPS.


This paper focuses on the notion of endowment and its role in the building and development of pesantren in Indonesia. It is interested particularly in investigating the economically independent nature of pesantren through the scheme of endowment. It also traces the history of pesantren to show that it has been independent all along. Its independence, the paper argues expands not only in economic terms but also in academic, theological as well as intellectual realm. Even against the onslaught of modernity, pesantren has been independent in the sense that it has not fallen prey to the negative impacts of modernity, if any. This paper discusses this as well as the strategy of pesantren in dealing with modernity particularly by referring to the experience of two great pesantrens, namely Tebuireng and Gontor. The paper keeps in mind that it is the values of the two pesantrens that kept them intact from the influence of modernity. It investigates therefore the nature and kind of these values as well the extent to which the two pesantrens are attached to them. One of the values that the paper is interested in is the notion of charity (sadaqah), the some-what equivalent word for endowment (waqf).


Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers. Here, we will be discussing two upcoming techniques for its management. One is cryotherapy which has returned from oblivion after nearly 150 years armed with latest technology and looking as if its full potential has been recognized now. On the other hand is high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), the application of ultrasound to this field is relatively new and hence a lot of excitement and hope. We searched MEDLINE (PubMed 1942-2005), reference lists of retrieved articles, urology textbooks and our own data looking for studies comparing cryotherapy and HIFU. From 81 titles or abstracts, two independent reviewers identified 50 as potentially relevant. Disagreement was resolved by discussion involving the third reviewer and we finally identified 45 articles. Full reports of 45 articles were retrieved and final selection was made by the same two independent reviewers using the same criteria as for the initial selection. Data were extracted and methodological qualities of selected studies were reviewed by two independent reviewers. Qualitative analysis and synthesis were done. Treatment options depend upon the age of patient, grade of tumor and expectations out of treatment. Patient choice governs the treatment actually to be given. It is the selection of a patient for a particular treatment option that decides how favorable the outcome is going to be. Both these techniques are relatively new and they look promising but both lack long-term data to prove their efficacy.


Traffic jam is a big problem that faces the specialists who work on the traffic management. It is a common problem in many countries and it differs in the degree and varies from place to place according to population and the good infrastructure of that country. Consequently, some countries have developed systems to control traffic congestion. There are many methods of controlling and managing streets, highways and roads. A common and old technique is to use a timer which controls traffic lights in each line. The other technique is utilizing electronic sensors which used to detect cars and vehicles. Image processing is one of the smart and intelligent techniques to detect cars and vehicles. In this paper, MATLAB software was utilized to detect and count the number of cars. First, a mounted web camera captures a photo of the lane or the road that need to control. Then the captured image of the road is sent to the MATLAB software installed on the PC for further process and then to detect the number of cars on the road by using image processing method. After that, the detection number of cars is used to calculate the suitable time for each lane to control the traffic light according to the congestion on each lane.


The influence of waves on the dynamic properties of bending moments at the root of blades of tidal stream vertical-axis rotors is reported. Blade element-momentum theory for wind turbines is combined with linear wave theory and used to analyze this influence. Experiments were carried out with a 350 mm diameter rotor to validate the simulation and the comparison shows the ability of the theoretical approach to predict the blade root bending moments. It can be concluded that, in steep waves, linear theory underestimates the dynamic behaviour of bending moments. However, in long waves, linear theory works well. Bending moments at roots of rotor blades fluctuate with significant amplitudes (as much as 50 per cent of mean value for out-of-plane bending moment and 100 per cent of mean value for in-plane bending moment), which will be important for design of tidal stream rotors.


The marginal pressure profile that is imposed either by ideal ballooning modes or by interchange modes on every nested flux surface of a three-dimensional equilibrium modelling the ATF device is determined for conditions of vanishing net toroidal plasma current. The corresponding limiting values are β = 3.75% and β(0) = 9.89%. Mercier modes dominate in regions of strong stellarator-like magnetic shear (ι′/ι > 0), and non-symmetric ballooning modes (non-symmetric eigenstructures in the extended poloidal angle domain) dominate in regions with strong tokamaklike magnetic shear (ι′/ι < 0).


Curcumae Longae Rhizoma (turmeric), Curcumae Radix and Curcumae Rhizoma are derived from the Curcuma species, and have gradually become three of the most commonly used medicinal herbs in China due to their different origins, processing methods and medicinal part. These three herbs have certain similarities in morphology, chemical composition, and pharmacological effects. All three of these herbs contain curcuminoids and volatile oil compounds, which exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties, although modern clinical applications have their own requirements. At present, there is no systematic guidelines for the clinical application of these three of Curcuma species; consequently, there is a high risk of unwanted phenomena associated with the mixing and indiscriminate use of these herbs. In this review, we focus predominantly on morphology, chemical composition, and the pharmacological activity of these three Curcuma herbs and summarize the current status of research in this field. Our goal is to provide a better understanding of clinical value of these Curcuma species so that we can provide reference guidelines for their further development, utilization and rational clinical application.


Operators of power grid supervisory control systems have to gather information from a wide variety of views to build situation awareness. Findings from a conducted field study show that this task is challenging and cognitively demanding. Visualization research for power grid supervisory control systems has focused on developing new visualization techniques for representing one aspect of the power system data. Little work has been done to demonstrate how information visualization techniques can support the operator in the sense making process to achieve situation awareness. To fill this gap, and with support from a field study, we propose solutions based on multiple and coordinated views, visual interactive filtering and parallel coordinates.


The aim of this study is to identify the critical success factors (CSF) in school improvement related to the principals' efforts, challenges and difficulties faced. Literature review shows two models commonly observed in the process of school improvement: (a) the top-down, and (b) the bottom-up models. However there are missing links to explain the differences between these models. The identifying process is designed through a descriptive non-experimental approach, adopting the grounded theory framework. Semi-structure interviews were conducted to gather data. Excellent principals for the interview are selected through 'critical sampling' approach from among all principals. Seven excellent principals have been identified in which one is for the pilot study and the remaining six for the interview. An open-ended and unstructured interview questionnaire is used. Data acquired is analyzed using the (i) within-case analysis and (ii) cross-case analysis. The approach is through thematic analysis using the three levels of coding process (i) open coding (ii) axial coding and (iii) selective coding. The results have identified a certain number of constructs clustered as critical success factors. Three main factors linked towards school improvement have been identified from the qualitative data collected from a group of high performing secondary school principals in Malaysia: (a) leadership (b) managements and administrations (c) strategic factors. These are shown in a model form named the CSF Model. The outcomes show that the model has empirically proved of its potentials. Specifically in enabling principals to identify the most effective way in their undertakings of school improvement efforts.


The local geometric properties such as curvature and normal vetor play important roles in analyzing the local shape of objects. The weighted normal vector methods are applied to estimate the curvatures on surface of meshes. However, these apporoaches still cause some serious problems, such as when two adjacent triangles are of co-planarity or the shape of triangles of the mesh is irregular. In this paper, we propose an efficient algorithm which is able to compute the normal vectors more accurately and is available to meshes of arbitrary topology. Our method uses the conformal mapping which resembles the local geometric properties synthetically, and the mean value coordinates which may smoothly represent a relationship with the adjacent vertices. It is confirmed by experiment that the normal vector of our algorithm is more accurate than that of the previous methods.


The German interlinguistics society Gesellschaft fur Interlinguistik e.V (GIL) was founded in Berlin in 1991 by twelve German interlinguists to bring together interlinguistics and esperantology scholars, mainly in Germany. GIL's principal fields of activity are the dissemination of interlinguistic knowledge, the promotion and support of relevant research and teaching, and the support of national and international cooperation among interlinguists. GIL concentrates its activities in four fields: (a) international linguistic communication, (b) language planning, (c) esperantology (Esperanto studies), and (d) the teaching of Esperanto and interlinguistics at institutions of higher education. Since 1995 GIL has published the proceedings of its annual conferences. Eight volumes have appeared to date, on such topics as translation, terminology, sociocultural aspects of planned languages, lexicography, European language policy, and the structure of planned languages.


Micro-structural changes and decomposition of hydrogenated carbon films on magnetic disk substrates prepared by DC-magnetron sputtering were studied using Ar+ laser irradiation and physical heating in air and nitrogen ambience, respectively. It was found that a weak Ar+ laser of a fluence of 0.3 mW µ m-2 could significantly decompose a-C:H films. The decomposition rate was fast initially and slowed down significantly after about 20 min. The decomposition rate of a-C:H increased with hydrogen concentration in the film. Raman light intensities of the irradiated sites reduced exponentially with irradiation time. Physical heating in air revealed that the oxidation-dominated decomposition took place between 320 and 350 °C within 15 min, and an increased hydrogen concentration made the a-C:H film more vulnerable to decomposition. At 150-300 °C, a phenomenon of nano-crystal graphite formation was observed from Raman spectra. XPS analysis indicated that there was no significant diffusion of carbon atoms into the substrate at 400 °C heating.


INTRODUCTION
Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the calcium-sensing receptor gene (CASR) encoding the missense substitutions A986S, R990G, and Q1011E have been associated with normal variation in extracellular calcium homeostasis, both individually and in haplotype combination. The aim of this study was to examine haplotype associations in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients with sporadic PHPT (n = 237) were recruited from endocrine clinics and healthy controls (n = 433) from a blood donor clinic, and levels of serum calcium, albumin, and PTH were measured. In PHPT patients, urinary calcium/creatinine clearances and bone mineral density at spine and femoral neck were measured and the presence of kidney stones and vertebral fractures identified. The CASR single-nucleotide polymorphisms were haplotyped by allele-specific sequencing.

RESULTS
Four haplotypes (ARQ, SRQ, AGQ, and ARE) of eight were observed, in keeping with significant linkage disequilibrium, but haplotype frequencies did not show significant Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium. The SRQ haplotype was more common in PHPT (125 of 474 alleles) than in controls (170 of 866 alleles, P = 0.006) and showed a significant (P = 0.006) gene-dosage effect. There was no significant association between haplotype and bone mineral density or fractures, but association with kidney stones was significant (P = 0.0007). In the stone-forming subgroup, the SRQ haplotype was underrepresented and AGQ overrepresented. Patients bearing the AGQ haplotype had an odds ratio of 3.8 (95% confidence interval, 1.30-11.3) for presentation with renal stones compared with the rest.

CONCLUSION
Our data indicate that the CASR SRQ haplotype is significantly associated with PHPT in our population. Within the PHPT patient population, the AGQ haplotype is significantly associated with kidney stones.


The pharmacokinetic properties of cefpodoxime, and its prodrug, cefpodoxime proxetil, were evaluated in two separate studies, one following intravenous (i.v.) administration of cefpodoxime sodium and the second after oral (p.o.) administration of cefpodoxime proxetil to healthy dogs. After cefpodoxime administration, serial blood samples were collected and plasma concentrations were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A single i.v. administration of cefpodoxime sodium at a dose of 10 mg cefpodoxime/kg body weight resulted in a cefpodoxime average maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of 91 (+/-17.7) microg/mL, measured at 0.5 h after drug administration, an average half-life (t1/2) of 4.67 (+/-0.680) h, an average AUC(0-infinity) of 454 (+/-83.1) h.microg/mL, an average V(d(ss)) of 151 (+/-27) mL/kg, an average Cl(B) of 22.7 (+/-4.2) mL/h/kg and an average MRT(0-infinity) of 5.97 (+/-0.573) h. When dose normalized to 10 mg cefpodoxime/kg body weight, cefpodoxime proxetil administered orally resulted in Cmax of 17.8 +/- 11.4 microg/mL for the tablet formulation and 20.1 +/- 6.20 microg/mL for the suspension formulation and an average AUC(0-LOQ) of 156 (+/-76.1) h.microg/mL for the tablet formulation and 162 (+/-48.6) h.microg/mL for the suspension formulation. Relative bioavailability of the two oral formulations was 1.04 (suspension compared with tablet), whereas the absolute bioavailability of both oral formulations was estimated to be approximately 35-36% in the cross-study comparison with the i.v. pharmacokinetics. Combined with previous studies, these results suggest that a single daily oral dose of 5-10 mg cefpodoxime/kg body weight as cefpodoxime proxetil maintains plasma concentrations effective for treatment of specified skin infections in dogs.


1. The present report shows an intra specific, sexually dimorphic variation in harmonic content and waveform, as well as intensity, of the Electric Organ Discharges (EODs) in the green knife fish, Eigenmannia (Figs 2, 11). There is a close correlation between harmonic content of the EODs and waveform (as defined by the ratio of intervals between zero-crossings in the two half-waves of one EOD cycle; Fig. 3). The aim of the following experiments was to determine whether the fish are sensitive to differences in stimulus waveform or harmonic content. 2. Stimulation with electric fields of various waveforms but equal peak-to-peak amplitudes at frequencies close to the fish9s frequency elicited the Jamming Avoidance Response (JAR) which is an EOD frequency change increasing the frequency difference (Watanabe & Takeda, 1963). The strength of JARs to distorted square wave and sawtooth stimuli was 25% smaller than that elicited by sine wave stimuli (Fig. 6). Undistorted square waves elicited stronger responses than sine waves, while undistorted sawtooth waves were the least effective (Table 1). The differences in response strength were proportional to differences in the intensity of the fundamental frequency or first harmonic, f 1 , of the stimulus waveforms. 3. Subharmonic stimuli of nine artificial or synthesized natural waveforms at frequencies near one-half or one-third of the EOD resting frequency elicited responses only when a strong higher harmonic, or overtone, of the stimulus was close to the EOD fundamental frequency (Fig. 7). Stimuli of different waveforms, but identical spectral amplitudes, elicited similar responses not significantly different from each other, at stimulus frequencies near one-half (Table 3) and near the EOD resting frequency (Fig. 10). 4. Eigenmannia9s JARs to synthesized male EODs at frequencies close to the fish9s frequency were weaker than those to female EODs of equal peak-to-peak amplitude. The weaker response was proportional to the weaker intensity of the first harmonic of the male EOD (Fig. 12). A stimulus frequency near one-half of the EOD baseline frequency evoked opposite results, as the second harmonic, f 2 , of the male EOD was relatively four times stronger than that of the female EOD (Table 4).


Among various types of multi‐wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are those containing fibrous particles longer than 5 μm with an aspect ratio of more than three (i.e. dimensions similar to mesotheliomagenic asbestos). A previous study showed that micrometer‐sized MWCNT (μm‐MWCNT) administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 3000 μg/mouse corresponding to 1 × 109 fibers per mouse induced mesotheliomas in p53 heterozygous mice. Here, we report a dose‐response study; three groups of p53 heterozygous mice (n = 20) were given a single intraperitoneal injection of 300 μg/mouse of μm‐MWCNT (corresponding to 1 × 108 fibers), 30 μg/mouse (1 × 107) or 3 μg/mouse (1 × 106), respectively, and observed for up to 1 year. The cumulative incidence of mesotheliomas was 19/20, 17/20 and 5/20, respectively. The severity of peritoneal adhesion and granuloma formation were dose‐dependent and minimal in the lowest dose group. However, the time of tumor onset was apparently independent of the dose. All mice in the lowest dose group that survived until the terminal kill had microscopic atypical mesothelial hyperplasia considered as a precursor lesion of mesothelioma. Right beneath was a mononuclear cell accumulation consisting of CD45‐ or CD3‐positive lymphocytes and CD45/CD3‐negative F4/80 faintly positive macrophages; some of the macrophages contained singular MWCNT in their cytoplasm. The lesions were devoid of epithelioid cell granuloma and fibrosis. These findings were in favor of the widely proposed mode of action of fiber carcinogenesis, that is, frustrated phagocytosis where the mesotheliomagenic microenvironment on the peritoneal surface is neither qualitatively altered by the density of the fibers per area nor by the formation of granulomas against agglomerates. (Cancer Sci, doi: 10.1111/j.1349‐7006.2012.02318.x, 2012)


k-nearest-neighbors (k-NN) graphs are widely used in image retrieval, machine learning and other research fields. Selecting its neighbors is a core for constructing the k-NN graph. However, existing selection methods usually encounter some unreliable neighbors in the k-NN graph. This paper proposes an efficient Markov random walk (MRW) based method for selecting more reliable neighbors for constructing the k-NN graph. The MRW model is defined on the raw k-NN graph. The k-NN of a sample is determined by the probability of the MRW. Since the high order transition probabilities reflects complex relationships among data, the neighbors in the graph obtained by our proposed method are more reliable than those of existing methods. Also, our proposed method can improve the performances of some applications with k-NN graph. Experiments are performed on the synthetic and real datasets for comparison. The results show that the graph obtained by our proposed method better correspond to the structure of the data compared to those of the state-of-the-art methods.


: The purpose of the present study was to determine differences in the grading abilities of the vertical jump between 2 different conditions. For this purpose, we evaluated grading abilities in a vertical jump with preferred timing (preferred condition) and a combination task involving simple reaction and vertical jump tests (quick condition). Fourteen healthy college students participated in the experiment. The participants were instructed to perform a vertical jump to 4 target levels, which were 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the maximum jump height, in each condition. The results showed that both jump height and relative jump height (%max) under each condition were shorter/lower under the quick condition than under the preferred condition. Correlation analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between the jump height and the maximum flexion angle of the knee, and the hip joint under both conditions. There was a significant correlation between jump height and maximum dorsal flexion angle of the ankle under the quick condition, but not under the preferred condition. From these results, it was suggested that combining a simple reaction task with a grading task might alter the behavioral properties during the grading task, as well as the relationship between subjective effort and jump height.


CONTEXT
Recently, CXCL9 and CXCL11 have been shown to be involved in autoimmune thyroid disorders; however, no data are present about CXCL9 and CXCL11 circulating levels in thyroid autoimmunity.

OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to evaluate circulating CXCL9 and CXCL11 in autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT). DESIGN AND PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Serum CXCL9 and CXCL11 have been measured in 141 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed AIT (AIT-p), 70 euthyroid controls, and 35 patients with nontoxic multinodular thyroid. The three groups were similar in gender distribution and age; among the AIT-p, 26% had subclinical hypothyroidism.

RESULTS
Serum CXCL9 and CXCL11 levels were significantly (P < 0.0001 for both) higher in AIT-p (143 ± 164 and 121 ± 63 pg/ml, respectively) than in controls (68 ± 37 and 65 ± 19 pg/ml, respectively) or patients with multinodular thyroid (87 ± 43 and 71 ± 20 pg/ml, respectively). Among AIT-p, CXCL9 and CXCL11 levels were significantly higher in patients older than 50 yr or those with a hypoechoic ultrasonographic pattern or with hypothyroidism. In a multiple linear regression model including age, thyroid volume, hypoechogenicity, hypervascularity, TSH, anti-thyroglobulin, and anti-thyroid peroxidase, only age and TSH were significantly (P < 0.05) related to serum CXCL9 or CXCL11 levels. In a multiple linear regression model of CXCL9 vs. age, TSH, and CXCL11, TSH (P = 0.032) and CXCL11 (P = 0.001) were significantly and independently related to CXCL9.

CONCLUSIONS
We first show that circulating CXCL9 and CXCL11 are increased in patients with thyroiditis and hypothyroidism and are related to each other. These results underline the importance of a Th1 immune attack in the initiation of AIT.


The main specific features of high performance scientific simulation consist of obtaining optimal performance levels, sustainability of the codes and models and the use of dedicated architectures. The construction of codes and of the physical phenomena to be simulated requires substantial investments both in terms of human resources and of the experiments required to validate the models. The need for increasingly refined modeling leads to optimization of the performance levels of the codes to obtain simulation results within acceptable calculation times. Finally, the necessary recourse to highly specialized hardware resources adds further constraints to the programming of such software, especially when the lifetime of the codes, often close to 20 years, is compared to that of super computers, in the order of just 4 years.

The MDA approach (Model Driven Architecture), standardized by the OMG and based on UML 2.0, provides among things a generic method for obtaining a runnable code from a UML model describing a system on several levels of modeling. Its various abstraction mechanisms should make it possible to increase the lifetime of our codes by facilitating the porting operations while at the same time improving performance thanks to the capitalization of good programming practices. MDA technologies have already proved their value in other fields of the computer industry. The sector of real time systems, for example, is based on UML to define a profile specific to their programming constraints (size on the onboard code, limited resources, rapidity of upgrades, etc.).

By analogy to these other sectors of the computer industry, we have therefore chosen to adopt the definition of a UML profile specific to the constraints for the development of high performance scientific simulation. This approach is explained in the article which addresses in turn the following points: definition of a meta-model for high performance simulation, the use of proven technologies (Topcased, Acceleo) for the automatic transformation of models with in particular the automatic generation of a Fortran code, and finally an overall illustration of an implementation of this profile.


The play, Antigone's Diary , is a re-written version of Sophocles' classical play, developed with teenage schoolchildren in the riot-ridden suburb Husby, a 30-minute subway ride away from the centre of Stockholm. Rebecca Forsberg of RATS Theatre adapted the plot into an interactive radio performance with a mobile audience, walking through the suburb and responding via text messages to Antigone's questions after each of the twelve scenes. Young audiences were of especial interest for this project. Therefore, school performances for teenagers are the focus of this survey. The responses of pupils were studied during and after performances by means of observations, qualitative interviews and quantitative analysis of the text messages that the participants sent in response to Antigone's questions. The seriousness and enthusiasm of young audiences were one of the stunning outcomes of this survey and a number of quotations illustrate the immersive power of this production. Furthermore, this experiment also served as a test bed for the Department of Computer and System Science, to which Rats Theatre is closely tied. The multimedia performance, combining radio drama, mobile audiences in a local environment and the options of interactive participation, demonstrated the potential of participatory experiences to engage audiences in democratic processes that can be applied to issues of political interest and decision making in the public sphere.


Postnatal depression and anxiety have been shown to increase the risk of disturbances in mother–child interaction and child development. Research into mechanisms has focused on genetics and maternal behavior; maternal cognitions have received little attention. Our aim was to experimentally determine if worry and rumination in mothers with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), diagnosed in the postnatal 6 months, interfered with maternal responsiveness to their 10-month old infants. Mothers (N = 253: GAD n = 90; MDD n = 57; control n = 106) and their infants were randomized to either a worry/rumination prime (WRP) or a neutral prime (NP); mother–infant interactions were assessed before and after priming. Type of priming was a significant predictor of maternal cognitions, with WRP resulting in more negative thoughts, higher thought recurrence and more self-focus relative to NP across the entire sample. Interaction effects between group and priming were significant for two parenting variables: Compared with controls, WRP had a more negative impact on maternal responsiveness to infant vocalization for GAD, and to a lesser extent for MDD; WRP led to decreased maternal vocalization for GAD. Also, mothers with GAD used stronger control after the NP than WRP, as well as compared with other groups, and overall post-priming, their children exhibited lower emotional tone and more withdrawal. Across the entire sample, WRP was associated with increased child vocalization relative to NP. This study demonstrated that disturbances in maternal cognitions, in the context of postnatal anxiety and to a lesser degree depression, play a significant role in mother–child interaction.


The aim of this paper is to estimate the extent of social specialization of residential space within the French Riviera metropolitan area. Unlike classical approaches, where social groups are pre-defined through given characteristics of households, our approach determines clusters of households inductively. Socio-demographic characteristics of households are thus measured through 16 different indicators. Clustering is then carried out through the optimization of two distinct criteria. Simulated annealing, simple and multi-objective Genetic Algorithm were adapted for this purpose and has produced pertinent results.


: In five dogs with normal renal function, doses of 200, 400, 600 and 800 mg of iodine/kg bodyweight of iohexol (350 mg of iodine/ml) were assessed in comparison to a dose of 880 mg of iodine/kg bodyweight of meglumine-sodium amidotrizoate (370 mg of iodine/ml) to determine the hematologic and biochemical parameters, urinalysis and urinary osmolality, pulse and respiratory rates, and adverse effects were determined. The such clinical secondary effects as tachycardia, muscular contractions and tremors took place in the animals with the contrast Iohexol, these were transitory and without vital repercussion. There was no significant difference between groups and times in any of the biochemical and hematological parameters analyzed. A decrease in urine creatinine was observed on Amidotrizoate group 24 hours after administration of the contrast agent while an increased was observed on Iohexol 600 mg of iodine/kg in that time.


ABSTRACT Objective: women are more likely to give birth at a health facility when their families agree with the birthplace. However, in rural areas of Tanzania, women are often marginalized from decision-making. This study predicted birthplace intention and identified factors to reduce perceptional gaps among pregnant women, husbands and family members. Method: explanatory cross-sectional survey was conducted in three villages in North Eastern Tanzania. Participants were 138 pregnant women and their families who answered the Birth Intention Questionnaire (BIQ), measuring knowledge, attitude, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms and intention for birthplace. Descriptive analysis, ANOVA, Chi-square, and multiple linear regression was used to analyze the data. Results: the regression model showed that knowledge, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms predicted intention for birthplace (R2 = .28). While 81% of pregnant women thought their husbands were decision-makers for their birth, only 38% of husbands and 37% of family members agreed. Pregnant women had significantly lower scores on the item "I will prepare for childbirth with my family" compared with husbands (p < .01) and other family members (p < .001). Conclusion: providing evidence-based birth preparation and reducing the identified perceptual gaps may enhance women's intention to deliver at health facilities.


Fifty dogs underwent intradermal allergy testing with housedust mite and house dust extracts, using concentrations recommended by the manufacturer. Twelve dogs (group I) were healthy dogs obtained from a pound; 12 dogs (group II) were healthy, privately owned dogs; 15 dogs (group III) were suspected of being atopic and had had multiple positive reactions to intradermal injections of allergens of specific trees, weeds, grasses, or molds; and 11 dogs (group IV) were suspected of being atopic, but only had had positive reactions to intradermal injections of housedust mite, house dust, and flea antigen extracts. Use of the concentrations of housedust mite and house dust extracts currently recommended for intradermal allergy testing resulted in false-positive reactions in 14 of 24 (58%) and 12 of 24 (50%) healthy dogs tested, respectively. Differences in number of dogs with positive reactions or grade of reaction to housedust mite or house dust allergens were not detected between groups of healthy dogs (groups I vs II), between groups of suspected atopic dogs (groups III vs IV), or between healthy dogs and dogs suspected of being atopic (groups I and II vs III and IV). Therefore, clinical importance of positive results of intradermal allergy testing of house dust or housedust mite allergens was equivocal for dogs suspected of being atopic. Threshold concentrations for intradermal allergy testing were determined in 24 healthy dogs (group I and II) by intradermal administration of 5 dilutions each of housedust mite extract and house dust extract.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Research on positive psychology interventions (PPIs) has established the value of activities such as acts of kindness, gratitude, and savoring life's joys, for increasing individuals' sense of well-being. Critical to the efficacy of PPIs is person-activity fit – the degree activities stem from intrinsic motivation. Although person-activity fit effects are well documented, gaps remain in our understanding of how sociodemographic variables, particularly age and gender, play a role. We investigated how gender may affect self-reported person-activity fit across three PPIs: A gratitude journal; Acts of Kindness; and Savoring life's joys. Age was explored since the subject sample ranged widely, from 18 to 51 years. Twenty-eight men and 82 women completed person-activity fit questionnaires. A multiple analysis of variance resulted in a main effect for gender, with women showing greater person-activity fit for all three PPIs. Among women only, age correlated significantly with person-activity fit for all three PPIs, suggesting greater maturational variability among men.


Duck populations tend to have male-biased adult sex ratios (ASRs). Changes in ASR reflect species demographic rates; increasingly male-biased populations are at risk of decline when the bias results from falling female survival. European and North African Common Pochard Aythya ferina numbers have declined since the 1990s and show increasing male bias, based on samples from two discrete points in time. However, lack of sex ratio (SR) data for common duck species inhibits assessing the pattern of change in the intervening period. Here, we describe changes in annual SR during winters 1991/92–2005/06 for five duck species (Common Pochard, Gadwall Mareca strepera , Northern Pintail Anas acuta , Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata and Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula ) at Martin Mere, Lancashire, UK. Pochard, Pintail, Tufted Duck and Shoveler showed significantly male-biased SRs, with the male bias increasing in Pochard and Shoveler, exhibiting a weak decrease in Pintail, and with no significant trend recorded for Tufted Duck or Gadwall. The increasing male-biased Pochard SR at Martin Mere contrasts with the stable trend for Britain, suggesting that site trends may not reflect those at the national level. The results provided insight into limitations of local datasets and the potential usefulness of widespread SR data. Given potential associations between changes in SR with demographic rates and population trends, regular collection of SR data is recommended for wildfowl as part of routine long-term monitoring of these species.


Productivity of sugar beet and brassica vegetable crops is constrained by the nematode Heterodera schachtii worldwide. In sugar beet cropping areas of Central Europe and North America, H. schachtii is managed by crop rotation, and cultivation of resistant brassica cover crops. The recently released nematode-tolerant sugar beet cultivars suffer less damage than susceptible cultivars at high initial population densities of H. schachtii. Many tolerant cultivars allow for less nematode reproduction than susceptible cultivars. Monoculture of susceptible hosts can facilitate the evolution of suppressive soil. Objectives of this study were to determine if susceptible hosts are required for this process, and if monoculture with sugar beet genotypes of different host status (susceptible, resistant, tolerant) impact this capacity. Additionally, we tested if amending soil with the cyst nematode pathogens Pasteuria nishizawae or Hyalorbilia sp. strain DoUCR50 favored the establishment of soil suppressiveness. In 4-year microplot studies with H. schachtii Schach0 or Schach1, one susceptible, one Schach0-resistant, and one tolerant sugar beet genotype were monocultured. In 2010, plots were amended with P. nishizawae or DoUCR50, the last being introduced into non-treated soil for Schach0, and into previously biocide-treated soil for Schach1. In 2011, respective Schach0 plots received a second amendment with DoUCR50. Nematode population densities and growth and yield parameters were determined annually. Effects of P. nishizawae and DoUCR50 on populations of H. schachtii were limited and not consistent. Starting in the second year of the monoculture, eggs of both H. schachtii pathotypes became diseased. Up to 90% of the total eggs were encumbered by the third cropping cycle, under the susceptible, resistant, and tolerant cultivar. In all years, the tolerant genotype produced the highest and most stable white sugar yields while yields of the other cultivars slowly improved during the monoculture. Results of this study suggested the presence of egg-infecting factors in this sugar beet monoculture that dramatically increased the proportions of diseased eggs. The tolerant cultivar allowed establishment of soil suppressiveness without the initial yield decline observed when susceptible sugar beet genotypes are grown in monoculture.


The coral island of Minicoy (Fig. 1 a and b) in the Indian Ocean (Latitude
8° 7' N., Longitude 73° 18' E.) is the most important tuna fishing centre in
the Indian Union (Fig. 1). Situated between the two main groups of islands
of the Laccadive and the Maldive Archipelagoes, it is about 10 km. long
and 820 m. broad in the centre and has an area of about 455
hectares and population of about 4,000 who speak the same Mahl dialect as
the Maldivians to whom they are related ethnically. The main port of
trade in India for the islanders is Cannanore about 420 km. away on the
Malabar coast and specially built sailing vessels known as odams are used
for carrying men and cargo to the mainland and back. Tuna fishery is the
most important industry of the island and the chief product of export is
the mas min or the cured and dried meat of tuna the value of which has
recently risen to the record figure of over half a million rupees a year. Export
of cured tuna meat contributes about two-thirds of the total income of the
islanders while next in order of importance comes the money remitted by
those serving as lascars in merchant vessels. The only other source of
income is from the sale of produce like copra, jaggery, coir and vinegar
from coconuts. There is practically no other source of revenue and the
inhabitants have to depend entirely on the mainland for all essential items
and necessities of daily life such as rice and other commodities. In view
of this, a barter system of trade prevails there and the necessary goods are
supplied by certain merchants at Cannanore directly or through their
agents stationed in the island.


Covariate-adaptive treatment allocation is considered in the situation when a compromise must be made between information (about the dependency of the probability of success of each treatment upon influential covariates) and cost (in terms of number of subjects receiving the poorest treatment). Information is measured through a design criterion for parameter estimation, the cost is additive and is related to the success probabilities. Within the framework of approximate design theory, the determination of optimal allocations forms a compound design problem. We show that when the covariates are i.i.d. with a probability measure µ, its solution possesses strong similarities with the construction of optimal design measures bounded by µ. We characterize optimal designs through an Equivalence Theorem and construct a covariate-adaptive sequential allocation strategy that converges to the optimum. Our new optimal designs can be used as benchmarks for other, more usual, allocation methods. A response-adaptive implementation is possible for practical applications with unknown model parameters. Several illustrative examples are provided.


Scar endometriosis usually affects the abdominal wall or the perineum. Virtually all cases are linked with some form of surgical manipulation. Although the clinical diagnosis of scar endometriosis may be straightforward with classical symptomology, imaging with ultrasound and MRI are important for the determination of its extent, which is imperative for adequate preoperative planning. In addition, assessment of perineal scar endometriosis also requires the identification of anal sphincter complex involvement, which can significantly impact the surgical approach. Radiology plays a vital role in its diagnosis in atypical clinical scenarios.Contribution: This series of four cases describes the morphology and highlights the importance of imaging in the surgical management of scar endometriosis; three with abdominal wall involvement and one with the involvement of perineum.


Abstract. About 18 years ago, a large-scale discontinuous layer in properties and colour was found in the new Fengjie town at the shore of the Three Gorges Reservoir area in China. There are many resettled residents and buildings on the sloping area, the safety of which is potentially affected by this layer, so it has become the focus of attention. Before this study started there were two viewpoints regarding the origin of this layer. One was that is was from a huge ancient slide and the other was that is was from a fault graben. In order to find out how it was formed and to be able to carry out a stability analysis of the slope the authors have carried out a research program, including geological field investigations and mapping, a deep drilling hole, a geotechnical centrifuge model test, and a simulation analysis. The results of the research led to the conclusion that the layer is the sliding plane of a huge deep-seated ancient rock slide, which we called the Sanmashan landslide. An important argument for the conclusion is the recognition of a regional compressive tectonic stress field in this area, which cannot lead to the formation of a fault graben because it needs a tensional tectonic stress field. Moreover, numerous unique geological features, sliding marks, and other relics of the ancient slide have been discovered in the field. The formation process of the ancient slide could be repeated in a large geotechnical centrifuge model test. The test shows that a deformation and failure process of "creep–crack–cut" has occurred. The type of the ancient slide can be classified as a "successive rotational rock slide". Finally, the role of seepage in the stability of the Sanmashan landslide has been analysed. Our final conclusions are that, during rainfall and filling–drawdown cycles in the Three Gorges Reservoir, the Sanmashan landslide as a whole is dormant and stable and the secondary landslides in the toe area of the slope are presently stable but can be reactivated. This research provides an important basis for the remedial measures and land use planning in the new Fengjie town, and a well-documented case history for researchers worldwide.


Introduction Conclusions References Tables Figures ◭ ◮ ◭ ◮ Back Close Full Screen / Esc Abstract Introduction Conclusions References Tables Figures ◭ ◮ ◭ ◮ Back Close Full Screen / Esc Abstract In the framework of the Mediterranean Forecasting System project (MFS) sub-regional and regional numerical ocean forecasting systems performance are assessed by mean of model-model and model-data comparison. Three different operational systems have been considered in this study: the Adriatic REGional Model (AREG); the AdriaROMS 5 and the Mediterranean Forecasting System general circulation model (MFS model). AREG and AdriaROMS are regional implementations (with some dedicated variations) of POM (Blumberg and Mellor, 1987) and ROMS (Shchepetkin and McWilliams, 2005) respectively, while MFS model is based on OPA (Madec et al., 1998) code. The assessment has been done by means of standard scores. The data used for operational 10 systems assessment derive from in-situ and remote sensing measurements. In particular a set of CTDs covering the whole western Adriatic, collected in January 2006, one year of SST from space born sensors and six months of buoy data. This allowed to have a full three-dimensional picture of the operational forecasting systems quality during January 2006 and some preliminary considerations on the temporal fluctuation 15 of scores estimated on surface (or near surface) quantities between summer 2005 and summer 2006. In general, the regional models are found to be colder and fresher than observations. They eventually outperform the large scale model in the shallowest locations , as expected. Results on amplitude and phase errors are also much better in locations shallower than 50 m, while degraded in deeper locations, where the models 20 tend to have a higher homogeneity along the vertical column compared to observations. In a basin-wide overview, the two regional models show some dissimilarities in the local displacement of errors, something suggested by the full three-dimensional picture depicted using CTDs, but also confirmed by the comparison with SSTs. In locations where the regional models are mutually correlated, the aggregated mean-25 square-error has been found to be lower, which is a useful outcome of having several operational systems in the same region. Abstract Introduction Conclusions References Tables Figures ◭ ◮ ◭ ◮


Books on the history of the Reformation are filled with the heroic struggles and sacrifices of men. But this compelling volume puts the spotlight on five strong and intellectually gifted women who, because of their absolute and unconditional commitment to the advancement of Protestant Christianity, paid the cost of their reforming convictions with martyrdom, imprisonment, and exile. Anne Boleyn (1507-1536) introduced the Reformation to England, and Katharine Parr (1514-1548) saved it. Both women were riveted by early versions of the "justification by faith" doctrine that originated with Martin Luther and came to them through France. As a result, Anne Boleyn was beheaded. Katharine Parr narrowly avoided the same fate. Sixteen-year-old Jane Grey (1537-1554) and Anne Askew (1521-1546) both dared to criticize the Mass and were pioneers of Protestant views concerning superstition and symbols. Jane Grey was executed because of her Protestantism. Anne Askew was tortured and burned at the stake. Catherine Willoughby (1520-1580) anticipated later Puritan teachings on predestination and election and on the reformation of the church. She was forced to give up everything she had and to flee with her husband and nursing baby into exile. Paul Zahl vividly tells the stories of these five mothers of the English Reformation. All of these women were powerful theologians intensely interested in the religious concerns of their day. All but Anne Boleyn left behind a considerable body of written work - some of which is found in this book's appendices. It is the theological aspect of these women's remarkable achievements that Zahl seeks to underscore. Moreover, he also considers what the stories of these women have to say about the relation of gender to theology, human motivation, and God. An important epilogue by Mary Zahl contributes a contemporary woman's view of these fascinating historical figures. Extraordinary by any standard, Anne Boleyn, Anne Askew, Katharine Parr, Jane Grey, and Catherine Willoughby remain rich subjects for reflection and emulation hundreds of years later. The personalities of these five women, who spoke their Christian convictions with presence of mind and sharp intelligence within situations of life-and-death duress, are almost totemic in our enduring search for role models.


Organophilic Bentonite / Paraffin composite phase change energy storage materials (OB/P PCM composite) were prepared by melting intercalation method. Under high temperature, no melt paraffin seep out from the PCM of organophilic bentonite/paraffin (OB/P) mass ratio is 2:1, which paraffin content is largest. Samples were tested by X ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Paraffin was well intercalated into layerd bentonite. Melting point and fussion heat of composite PCM with mass ratio2:1 are 45.7 °C and 68.7 kJ/kg, it can be added to solar energy.