In this paper, design and implementation of a baseband receiver integrated circuit (IC) for a downlink multi-carrier code-division multiple access (MC-CDMA) system are presented. This MC-CDMA system aims to provide higher data transmission capacity than the current wide-band CDMA systems in mobile cellular communication environments. The proposed chip provides a robust tracking mechanism for synchronization errors and an accurate channel estimation strategy to overcome the challenge of outdoor fast-fading channels. Besides, low-power and low-complexity architecture design techniques are adopted to satisfy mobile receiver needs. Experimental results of the designed baseband receiver integrated circuit demonstrate its superior system performance and great reduction in power consumption. The chip was fabricated in a 0.18-mum CMOS technology with a core area of 2.6 mm times 2.6 mm. It can support up to 21.7-Mbps uncoded data rate in a 5-MHz bandwidth. When running at 5.76 MHz, its power consumption is as low as 9.9 mW from a supply voltage of 1.1 V.


the equilibrium lattice constants, elastic and thermodynamic properties of cubic CdTe are systemically investigated at high temperature using the plane-wave pseudopotential method as well as the quasi-harmonic Debye model. The bulk modulus of CdTe are calculated as a function of temperature up to 1000K, the relationship between bulk modulus B and pressure is also obtained. The results gained from this model will provide overall predictions accurately for the temperature and pressure dependence of various quantities such as the bulk modulus, the heat capacity and the thermal expansion coefficient. More over, the dependences between Debye temperature and temperature are also successfully obtained. Our results are compared with the experimental data and discussed in light of previous works.


Central pattern generators (CPG) are oscillatory systems that are responsible for generating rhythmic patterns at the origin of many biological activities such as for example locomotion or digestion. These systems are generally modelled as recurrent neural networks whose parameters are tuned so that the network oscillates in a suitable way, this tuning being a non trivial task. It also appears that the link with the physical body that these oscillatory entities control has a fundamental importance, and it seems that most bodies used for experimental validation in the literature (walking robots, lamprey model, etc.) might be too complex to study. In this paper, we use a comparatively simple mechanical system, the nonholonomic vehicle referred to as the Roller-Racer, as a means towards testing different learning strategies for an recurrent neural network-based (RNN) controller/guidance system. After a brief description of the Roller-Racer, we present as a preliminary study an RNN-based feed-forward controller whose parameters are obtained through the well-known teacher forcing learning algorithm, extended to learn signals with a continuous component.


Abstract The trepidation over tourism and crime has emerged as a global issue, gaining prominence in the media and political debates. South Africa is often viewed as the crime capital of the world and while crime rates in specific types of crime are decreasing or stabilising, there continues to be an upward trend in many types of crimes. Examining issues pertaining to crime and tourism is important since effective crime prevention and changing negative perceptions can contribute significantly to economic growth by promoting investments and tourism. Furthermore, this can have a positive impact on residents' quality of life since low crime levels are one of the global indicators of social stability and integration. This article uses relevant literature as well as data from South African Tourism (SAT) on tourists' perceptions and attitudes toward crime and satisfaction with security in the country, the South African Police Services (SAPS) data on crime rates and resident perception findings on crime and tourism. The study underscores that tourists and locals perceive South Africa as having high levels of crime. Crime remains an important consideration in relation to tourism in South Africa and requires an interdisciplinary and critical theoretical and methodological approach to examine multi-faceted and complex economic, social, political and spatial aspects. It is critical that actual as well as perceptions of crime and security are addressed in relation to different stakeholders such as locals, tourists and the tourism industry. This needs to be part of broader strategies that incorporate risk and safety.


The primary objective of this work is to develop computing capabilities to enable computational prototyping as a complementary and parallel path to the hardware product development process. The evolution of a systems approach, capturing aspects of information generation, processing, visualization, transfer, and reuse, within a sharable, multimedia, electronic environment, is crucial to the integrated design process of the future. We discuss a general computing environment to support the multi-level (process-device-material) simulations of xerographic subsystems. This environment features: distributed computing, concurrent processing, network sharable information and tools, a visual programming interface, dynamic computing and visualization, and interactive steering. We describe the implementation of the testbed environment and the mathematical simulations, from first principles, of the charging, imaging, and development subsystems. Generic algorithms developed for these subsystems are discussed. Interactive steering of dynamical solutions and browsing of visual data are emphasized. A model for multi-level simulation is proposed to support the decision making process. A visual programming interface is used to encapsulate the simulation and visualization tools as modules which can then be visually assembled into dataflow networks on Unix workstations. Mathematical formulations, parallel computing on clusters of workstations, and their use in interactive sessions are detailed.


Abstract

This panel consists of the following papers: "Anonymity in Chatroulette: Embodied Practices Within Online Impression Management"; "The Embodied Mods: How Modders in Virtual Spaces Embody Practices of Self Through Virtual Community Creation and Values"; "There and back again - a Self-Shooters Tale: reconfiguring embodiment via selfies"; "Internet Dating: Technologies Appropriation of the Body for Targeted Relationship Initiation". Research covers a variety of platforms – Chatroulette, tumblr.com; Skyrim Nexus; adultfriendfinder.com, and redhotpie.com.au. Authors have conducted visual narrative analysis; textual analysis of data pulled from a blended ethnographic study; autoethnographic analysis of active participation-observation, and discourse analysis.

Advocates and critics alike have long claimed "virtuality" as a space of identity play, construction, and tourism, either a (safe) space of exploration (Alvesson et al, 2008; Bargh & McKenna, 2004; Bargh, McKenna & Fitzsimons, 2002; Baym, 2000; boyd, 2006, 2007; boyd & Heer, 2006; boyd & Ellison, 2007; Daneback, 2006; Hardey, 2002; Joinson, 2008; Ross, 2005; Whitty, 2003) or zone of dysfunction and deceit (Brym & Lenton, 2001; Gibbs, Ellison & Heino, 2006; Toma, Hancock & Ellison, 2008). How do we navigate the space of intermixing, the borderlands of identities as the distinctions between "virtual" and "real" continues to blur (Orgad, 2009; Baym & Markham, 2009)? As online users blend digital and physical practices, the meanings attached to the self and the body are reconfigured, ranging from discovery to obfuscation.

In late-modernity, the body and the self have become sites of interaction, appropriation, and reappropriation (Giddens, 1991, p.218). Some users who experiment online are impelled to transition bodily, while others return to normative expression. Self-evaluation and playacting as ways of testing the boundaries of social roles may lead to reconfiguring of habits, customs, and representations. In this context, the increased participation in media content creation and the consequently blurred role of "gatekeeper" (see Jenkins, 2006; Deuze, 2007) is another factor in the reconfiguration of embodiment. For example, as a result of online experimentation, individuals may select a new hobby, career, or professional identity, and thus become a member of a physical community of practice, which would again minimize the distance between online and offline selves. Through produsage (Burns, 2006) practices, the virtual self is implemented into modified, cultural content (cf. ludic practices and identity, Aarseth, 1998). Some virtual worlds and online communities inspire a material turn, while others keep users bound within the "magic circle" of the digital imaginative.

Our work will examine the embodied identity projects in the borderlands of material and mediated self across a range of platforms and practices, including appropriation of users' bodies and sexualities for the purpose of internet dating, modding as a form of cultural expression and community engagement, impression building in Chatroulette, and self-shooting as a technology of self. Our panel explores how online and offline practices reconfigure the meaning of the embodied self for ourselves and those around us through innovative applications of qualitative methodologies. Specifically, this panel's authors conduct visual narrative analysis of images, captions, ethnographic field notes, and interviews of a self-shooters' community on tumblr.com; textual analysis of data pulled from a blended internet ethnographic study including field research, interviews, and participant observation on the popular mod distribution and news channels Steam Workshop and Skyrim Nexus; autoethnographic analysis of active participation-observation in Chatroulette (Chatroulette.com), and discourse analysis of AdultFriendFinder (adultfriendfinder.com) and RedHotPie (redhotpie.com.au).

Through our combined research, this panel demonstrates the relationships between self and community, particularly within the blurred role of creator and consumer of game content while modding. It inspects how interactions or representations in internet dating sites can be incompatible with those in the actual world, not due to intended deceit, but because of a failure to recognize how the internet may allow the true self to be more easily expressed. This panel also offers the first academic examination of Chatroulette as an ethnographic site of analysis and demonstrates the importance of the socially-enacted, embodied self in online encounters that center upon quick evaluations of the body. In addition, it explores how we can construct a sexier, more lovable "reflexive body" as a result of aesthetic self-stylization and critical self-awareness in self-shooting and body-blogging.

Via analyses of the aformentioned virtual-material practices, this panel illuminates contemporary Internet research phenomena of modding, Chatroulette, self-shooting, and dating. This panel extends the discussion of embodied self-identity online and contributes to new knowledge on the material return of the body in the realm of the virtual.

References:

Aarseth, E. (1997). Cybertext: Perspectives on ergodic literature. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Alvesson, M., Lee Ashcraft, K., & Thomas, R. (2008). Identity Matters: Reflections on the Construction of Identity Scholarship in Organization Studies. Organization, 15(1), 5–28. doi:10.1177/1350508407084426

Bargh, J. a, & McKenna, K. Y. a. (2004). The internet and social life. Annual review of psychology, 55, 573–90. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.141922

Bargh, J. A., Mckenna, K. Y. A., & Fitzsimons, G. M. (2002). Can You See the Real Me ? Activation and Expression of the " True Self " on the Internet. Journal of Social Issues 58(1), 33–48.

Baym, N. K. (2000). Tune In, Log On: Soaps, Fandom, and Online Community. Thousand Oaks, Sage.

Baym, N. K., Markham, A. N. (2009). Introduction. Making Smart Choices on Shifting Ground. In Markham, A. N., Baym, N. K. (eds.) Internet Inquiry, conversations about method. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

boyd, d. (2007). 'Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life.' In Buckingham, D. (Ed.). MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Learning – Youth, Identity, and Digital Media Volume (pp. 119-142). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

boyd, d. (2007). 'Social Network Sites: Public, Private, or What?' Knowledge Tree, 13.

boyd, d. and Heer, J. (2006). 'Profiles as Conversation: Networked Identity Performance on Friendster.' Proceedings of the 39th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences – 2006.

Boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), 210–230. doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.

Brym, R. J., & Lenton, R. L. (2001). Love online: A report on digital dating in Canada. Retrieved from: http://projects.chass.utoronto.ca/brym/loveonline.pdf.

Bruns, Axel (2006) Towards Produsage: Futures for User-Led Content Production. In Sudweeks, F., Hrachovec, H. & Ess, C. (Eds.) Proceedings Cultural Attitudes towards Communication and Technology, pp. 275-284, Tartu, Estonia.

Daneback, K. (2006). Love and sexuality on the internet. Landscape.

Deuze, M. (2007). Media work. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Gibbs, J. L., Ellison, N. B., & Heino, R. D. (2006). Self-presentation in online personals: The role of anticipated future interaction, self- disclosure, and perceived success in Internet dating. Communication Research, 33, 1-26.

Giddens A. (2010 [1991]). Modernity and Self Identity, Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Hardey, M. (2002). Life beyond the screen : embodiment and identity through the internet. The Editorial Board of The Sociological Review (46), 570 – 585.

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide. New York: New York University Press.

Joinson, A. N. (2008). " Looking at ", " Looking up " or " Keeping up with " People ? Motives and Uses of Facebook. CHI 2008, April 5–10, 2008, Florence, Italy.

Orgad, S. (2009). Question Two: How Can Researchers Make Sense of The Issues Involved in Collecting and Interpreting Online and Offline Data? In Markham A. M, Baym N. K. (Eds.) Internet Inquiry, conversations about method. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Ross, M. W. (2005). 'Typing, doing and being: sexuality and the Internet.' Journal of Sex Research, 42: 342-52.

Toma, C.L; Hancock, J; Ellison, N. (2008). Separating Fact From Fiction:
An Examination of Deceptive Self-Presentation in Online Dating Profiles. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 34, 8: 1023-1036. DOI: 10.1177/01461672083180

Whitty, M. T. (2003). 'Pushing the Wrong Buttons: Men's and Women's Attitudes toward Online and Offline Infidelity.' Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 6: 569-579.


Differential privacy protects individuals' confidential information by subjecting data summaries to probabilistic perturbation mechanisms, carefully designed to minimize undue sacrifice of statistical efficiency. When properly accounted for, differentially private data are conducive to exact inference when approximate computation techniques are employed. This paper shows that approximate Bayesian computation, a practical suite of methods to simulate from approximate posterior distributions of complex Bayesian models, produces exact posterior samples when applied to differentially private perturbation data. An importance sampling implementation of Monte Carlo expectation-maximization for likelihood inference is also discussed. The results illustrate a duality between approximate computation on exact data, and exact computation on approximate data. A cleverly designed inferential procedure exploits the alignment between the statistical tradeoff of privacy versus efficiency, and the computational tradeoff of approximation versus exactness, so that paying the cost of one gains the benefit of both.


Background. The objective of the present study was to compare mechanical strength and stability of the newly designed spacer plate with the gold standard plate for the treatment of medial knee joint osteoarthritis. Materials and Methods. Ten fourth-generation tibial bone composites underwent a medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO) according to standard techniques, using five TomoFix plates and five Contour Lock plates. Static compression load to failure and load-controlled cyclical fatigue failure tests were performed. Forces and horizontal displacements were measured; plastic deformations and dynamic stiffness were determined. Results and Discussion. In all samples, rotation of the tibial head and fracture of the opposite cortex were observed. Behaviors of the specimens under static loading were comparable between groups. Cyclic testing revealed lateral significant higher stiffness until failure for the Contour Lock compared to the TomoFix plate. No visible implant failure was observed in any group. Conclusion. Considering the static analysis, both plates offered sufficient stability under physiologic loads of up to 3000 N. The Contour Lock plate-fixated specimens showed a higher stability during the cyclic testing, supposedly due to the wider distance between the fixation screws.


Inflammation is a local response of tissue to microbial invasion or injury, which is usually a protective phenomenon. This inflammatory response, also called as inflammatory reflex, should be regulated precisely as deficiency or excess of the inflammatory response can cause morbidity and reduce lifespan.[1] If inflammation spreads into the bloodstream, as occurs in septic shock syndrome, systemic sepsis, meningitis and severe trauma, the inflammatory responses can be more harmful. Homeostasis is restored when inflammation is limited by antiinflammatory responses that are adaptive to changes in input and integration by autonomic nervous system (ANS). The recent discovery that cholinergic neurons inhibit acute inflammation has facilitated our understanding of how the ANS moderates immune responses. Recent studies have identified a basic neural pathway that reflexively monitors and inhibits inflammatory response. Therefore, the activation of anti-inflammatory responses has collectively been termed as anti-inflammatory reflex. Inflammatory stimuli activate sensory pathways that relay information to the hypothalamus, which integrates and mobilizes defences to eliminate the inflammation.
The inflammation-sensing and inflammationmediating functions are the principal components of the inflammatory reflex. Though, the inflammation is mediated by many chemicals, important among them are tumor necrosis factor (TNF), IL-1 and high-mobility group B1 (HMGB1).[2] Read more. . .


Urban gardening (UG) as a component of urban agriculture (UA) has reached popularity during the last decades. This growing interest depends on several factors including the different functions that have been attributed to UG over the years, operating from the economic to the social, health and cultural levels. While multifunctionality of UG is well documented, only a few studies investigated individual gardeners' motivations, which can be subjective and heavily affected by the local context in which it takes place. The paper aims to detect some peculiar features of Milan city gardeners, in order to highlight the motivations of their activity through an innovative and replicable approach based on multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). The analysis has been applied to the Milan case study, in the North of Italy; the results suggest a great importance of the social component of UG, and trace some different gardeners' profiles.


Observation of the atmospheric climate and detection of changes require high quality data. Radio Occultation (RO) using Global Positioning System (GPS) signals is based on time measurements with precise atomic clocks. It provides a long‐term stable and consistent data record with global coverage and favorable error characteristics. Highest quality and vertical resolution is given in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). RO data exist from the GPS/Met mission within 1995–1997, and continuous observations are available since 2001. We give a review on studies using RO data for climate monitoring and change detection in the UTLS and discuss RO characteristics and error estimates, climate change indicators, trend detection, and comparison to conventional upper‐air data. These studies showed that RO parameters cover the whole UTLS with useful indicators of climate change, being most robust in the tropics. Refractivity is most sensitive in the lower stratosphere (LS) and tropopause region, pressure/geopotential height and temperature over the UTLS region. An emerging climate change signal in the RO record can be detected for geopotential height of pressure levels and for temperature, reflecting warming of the troposphere and cooling of the LS. The results are in agreement with trends in radiosonde and ERA‐Interim records. Climate model trends basically agree as well but they show less warming/cooling contrast across the tropical tropopause. (Advanced) Microwave Sounding Unit LS bulk temperature anomalies show significant differences to RO. Overall, the quality of RO climate records is suitable to fulfill the requirements of a global climate change monitoring system.


Abstract The article reveals the methodological potential of the cosmopolitan approach to the study of collective memory as one of the main prerequisites for the formation of group identity and identification of the foundations for the formation of global memory. For this purpose, the civilizational approach of S. Huntington, the paradigmatic approach of J. Heidt and the methodological apparatus of memory studies with its inherent intention to the problem of forming a group identity are used. These methodological tools helped to explain the whole spectrum of modern civilizational transformations and provided an impartial view of the sources of aggressive policy of russia towards Ukraine's European choice and entire Western civilization. In view of this, the results of the study can be useful for developing a humanitarian policy appropriate to Ukraine's European choice, in particular, for elaboration of a strategy for the development of Ukrainian memory policy. It must be developed taking into account the ultimate importance of global (universal) memory for overcoming international conflicts for the sake of peace and prosperity of all mankind and understanding the problematic nature of its emergence in the near future due to civilizational differences and economic inequality. Given this, it is important to the modern world to form supranational communities, whose members being aware of the decentralized nature of global processes and the risks involved will focus on creating a system of interstate mechanisms to overcome turbulence to preserve peace and increase human well-being. Despite the noble intentions of the supporters of the cosmopolitan world based on the principles of liberal democracy, their ideas and programs are discern with great caution, and sometimes even with open hostility in cultural environments and communities with different from European collective experience and historical memory. This, in turn, puts on the list of items the need to unite the entire Western world and construct a supranational pan-European identity as a prerequisite for the internal consolidation of European society around core values defined by shared historical memories that underpins European international policy.


Two paradigm shifts are occurring in health care: managed care and community partnerships. The distinct principles and trends of each paradigm are certain to determine the future practice of advanced practice nurses (APNs). The impact of managed care and community partnerships will affect the resource management, clinical decision making, and time management of APNs. Concomitantly, APNs will have opportunities to influence practice guidelines, individual and community decision making, cultural competence, and the cost-effectiveness of care in communities. Capitalizing on these opportunities will enhance the value of APNs to their managed care plan employer and their community.


MOTIVATION
To validate the candidate disease genes identified from high-throughput genomic studies, a necessary step is to elucidate the associations between the set of candidate genes and disease phenotypes. The conventional gene set enrichment analysis often fails to reveal associations between disease phenotypes and the gene sets with a short list of poorly annotated genes, because the existing annotations of disease-causative genes are incomplete. This article introduces a network-based computational approach called rcNet to discover the associations between gene sets and disease phenotypes. A learning framework is proposed to maximize the coherence between the predicted phenotype-gene set relations and the known disease phenotype-gene associations. An efficient algorithm coupling ridge regression with label propagation and two variants are designed to find the optimal solution to the objective functions of the learning framework.

RESULTS
We evaluated the rcNet algorithms with leave-one-out cross-validation on Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) data and an independent test set of recently discovered disease-gene associations. In the experiments, the rcNet algorithms achieved best overall rankings compared with the baselines. To further validate the reproducibility of the performance, we applied the algorithms to identify the target diseases of novel candidate disease genes obtained from recent studies of Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS), DNA copy number variation analysis and gene expression profiling. The algorithms ranked the target disease of the candidate genes at the top of the rank list in many cases across all the three case studies.

AVAILABILITY
http://compbio.cs.umn.edu/dgsa_rcNet

CONTACT
firstname.lastname@example.com.


A new adhesive resin containing a reactive monomer, 4-methacryloxyethyl trimellitate anhydride (4-META) was prepared, and its application to hard tooth tissues and metals was studied. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the average length of 4-META resin tags in enamel and dentin was 22 mu and 40 mu respectively. The tensile adhesive strength between 4-META resin and enamel was about 130 kg/cm2 after etching with 65% phosphoric acid. Its bond strength to dentin treated with a cleaning solution of 10% citric acid and 3% ferric chloride was about 190 kg/cm2. In precious alloys heated at 500 degrees C for 5-10 minutes, a bond strength of more than 100 kg/cm2 was obtained. The precious alloys containing Au, Ag, Pt and Cu should be selected especially for dental restorations. In polished non-precious alloys, the bond strength was greater than 100 kg/cm2. If non-precious alloys were oxidized with HNO3, the bond strength increased to 150-200 kg/cm2. The results suggest that the nickel-chromium alloy used in fixed prosthodontics must be treated chemically before adhesion with 4-META resin, but cobalt-chromium alloy used in removable partial dentures bonds well with 4-META resin without chemical treatment. In conclusion, MMA-4-META-TBB resin seems to be a promising adhesive material in dentistry.


results of such a trial would help women with bleeding in early pregnancy, and their general practitioners, decide what is best. Women are dissatisfied with the care that they receive when they miscarry,4 and the lack of effective treatment for threatened miscarriage probably contributes to their dissatisfaction. Perhaps, it is the medicalisation of miscarriage-a sad but common physiological event-that has greatly contributed to women's dissatisfaction. If so, we as doctors have only ourselves to blame.


Design and manufacture of dies and moulds is a critical aspect of many production systems since the manufacturing and try-out of new dies and moulds often is essential in determining the lead-time and quality of a new production system. In the automotive industry, many new car models are introduced each year and for each of these models, a new set of pressing dies has to be designed and manufactured.
In manufacturing of pressing dies, the effects of manufacturing processes on functional performance are not fully understood. One of the reasons for this is the lack of effective methods for characterisation. In the work described in this thesis, experimental work is conducted to establish such methods. First, the focus is on methods for obtaining measurement data. Second, the focus is on methods for relating the measurement data to functional performance. In contrast, the technique commonly used today for characterisation is visual and tactile inspection, with the help of reference surfaces, by an experienced operator.
In this work, effective 3D measuring strategies were established for pressing die surfaces, including the use a surface replication technique. It was also found that machined surfaces are more homogeneous than manually polished surfaces and therefore require fewer measurements to give representative results.
Furthermore, it was established that in production, a 2D profiler can be used for quality control of a finish milled steel surface, in regard to surface roughness, if an appropriate measuring strategy is used and limits for the evaluated parameters first are established for each combination of cutting tools, cutting data, workpiece material etc. In addition, using Rz (average peak-to-valley profile roughness) or Rp (highest peak) is better than using Ra (arithmetical mean deviation) if surface finish appearance is to be assessed.
The method employed in this study, using scale-sensitive fractal analysis, for evaluating functional correlations and designing filters was very usable and gave good results. This method can surely be applied to other types of surfaces and functional correlations. Also, there is a correlation between the surface roughness parameter Sq (root-mean-square deviation of the surface) and the surface finish appearance of pressing dies and this correlation is stronger in certain wavelengths on the surface.


Predators commonly structure natural communities, but predation effects can vary greatly. For example, increasing predator densities may not reduce prey populations as expected if intraspecific predator interactions suppress foraging efficiency or if prey size refuges exist. In northeastern Florida (USA), outbreaks of the predatory crown conch Melongena corona have contributed to declines in oyster populations and the commercial oyster fishery. However, despite expectations of oyster population collapse, reefs have persisted, albeit with reduced adult oyster size and living reef biomass. To investigate the mechanism(s) underlying this unexpected persistence, we used field observations and experiments to examine the effects of predator density and prey size on predation rates. Multi-year surveys indicated that large oysters did not experience a predation size refuge, and further suggested that predation rates declined with increased predator density. Consistent with field surveys, field experiments demonstrated that conchs selectively consumed larger oysters (potentially explaining the absence of large oysters on natural reefs) and that high conch densities suppressed per capita predation rates, likely due to intraspecific antagonistic interactions. A Type III ratio-dependent model best described the experimental conch functional response, explaining >50% of the variation in per capita prey consumption and including a signal of reduced attack rates at high predator densities. Thus, although large aggregations of predators have the potential to deplete prey populations, our study illustrates intraspecific predator interactions that possibly prevent the local extirpation of an important habitat-forming prey species.


Since ancient time silver and silver based compound have been used as a powerful antimicrobial agent in medicine. Discovery of antibiotics pushes the silver away from medicine and pharmaceutical sciences. By emerging resistance strains and reducing the efficiency of antibiotics, silver became point of attentions again, but in a novel form of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). AgNPs are the most effective and powerful novel antimicrobial with ancient roots. Chemical synthesis is one of the first techniques for synthesis of AgNPs. In this technique silver ions reduced to AgNPs by using chemical reducing agents such as sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ) and sodium citrate (Na 3 C 6 H 5 O 7 ). Later investigations have shown that biological molecules from living organisms such as bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants can also be used as more safe and in some cases sheep reducing agent for biosynthesis of AgNPs.


Abstract:This article explores dimensions of motifs of rescue of women in peril from dangerous others: religious, political, or ethnic enemies; malevolent supernaturals; or unacceptable human suitors. Defense of women's chastity and sexual vulnerability are immediate and pervasive communal concerns. Across an array of Persian-language oral and written narrative genres, what kinds of rescue/escape are possible and impossible? What are the forms of female agency entailed by different scenarios (differentiated by genre)? What is tellable, what is untellable, by whom, to whom? The parameters of possibility align with genre: sacred legend appears to be backed in some cases by older mythic associations; romance and folktale are identified by tellers as fictional and fanciful; local oral historical accounts and personal experience narratives have constraints on tellability related to the social vulnerability of victims. These thematic variations on female peril and rescue may propagate orally in local communities then also appear in written form as legends, tales, memorates, historical and journalistic accounts, and memoirs intended for different audiences. In a cultural area where the peaceful (and consensual) seclusion of women in protected domestic space was traditionally regarded as an index of social order and well-being, a striking element of certain legends is that of immobilized sequestration as both escape and consecrated agency for women. The place of refuge also becomes a locus of female sacred power.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the applicability of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) to support fetal oxygenation in utero.

METHODS
An ECMO system with a centrifugal pump was applied to ten chronically instrumented fetal lambs, at 126 or 127 days of gestation. Blood was obtained through a double-lumen catheter inserted into the right atrium. After oxygenation, the blood was returned through a single-lumen catheter into either the carotid artery (veno-arterial; V-A ECMO) or the right atrium (V-V ECMO). After fetal hypoxia had been experimentally produced, V-A ECMO or V-V ECMO was instituted to maintain fetal oxygenation. We compared fetal blood gases with both routes of ECMO.

RESULTS
Oxygen partial pressure (pO(2)) in the fetal cranial carotid artery decreased to 12.9 +/- 0.6 mmHg after reducing the fraction inspiratory oxygen of the mother. After instituting V-A ECMO, pO(2) was found to be 23.5 +/- 2.6 mmHg; after instituting V-V ECMO, pO(2) was found to be 20.3 +/- 1.9 mmHg. Thus, fetal acidosis increased under both procedures. Fetal heart rate and blood pressure were not altered significantly during the experiments.

CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that V-V ECMO could more effectively and less traumatically maintain oxygenation in hypoxic fetal lambs.


Throughout East Timor's mountainous regions, high sediment loads are causing rivers to aggrade, which is leading to increases in the severity of flooding. Annually, human lives, livestock, infrastructure, and fertile farm land are lost during flood events. The first step towards management of this situation is to determine the sources of sediment which is causing the aggradation of the river channels. Consequently, three types of erosion thought to be main sources of sediment in the Caraulun River are evaluated. Sheet erosion, landsliding, and river bank erosion are analysed with regard to their spatial distribution and temporal changes in estimated sediment volumes. Methods are based on a combination of remote sensing, field work, and geographic information systems (GIS) analysis techniques. Vegetation cover mapped from Landsat 5 TM imagery from 1986, 1996, and 2006 forms the foundation for further analyses, and is linked with fieldwork, RUSLE modelling, slope threshold models, and change analysis techniques to determine the spatial distribution and net sediment loss associated with sheet erosion, landslides and bank erosion. A sediment budget focussing on sediment sources estimates a total denudation rate (DR) of 2.9±0.5 mm/yr for the Caraulun catchment between 1986 and 2006, with landsliding being the major source of sediment. The estimated mean DR from landsliding for the period is 1.4±0.3 mm/yr (assuming a sediment delivery rate, SDR, to channels of 90%) of which 0.4±0.05 mm/yr is thought to be due to earthquakes. The mean DR from bank erosion is estimated to be 1.0±0.03 mm/yr, and mean DRs from sheet erosion range from 0.2±0.02 mm/yr in the lower catchment to 1.7±0.07 mm/yr in the upper catchment, with an average for the whole catchment of 0.5±0.2 mm/yr (60% SDR) for 1986-2006. Future work should include research into sediment sinks, such as the floodplains, and transport processes to complete the sediment budget and to improve catchment management.


The biochemical basis underlying the genetic polymorphism of drug N-acetylation was investigated using a combination of in vivo and in vitro assays for arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity and content in human liver. The acetylator phenotype of 26 surgical patients was determined using caffeine as an innocuous probe drug by measurement of the 5-acetyl-amino-6-formylamino-3-methyluracil to 1-methylxanthine molar ratio in urine. Liver wedge biopsies from these patients and livers from 24 organ donors were then used for measurement of N-acetyltransferase activity with the substrate sulfamethazine and for quantitation of immunoreactive N-acetyl-transferase protein. In vivo (caffeine metabolites in urine) and in vitro (sulfamethazine acetylation) measures of N-acetyl-transferase activity correlated very highly (r = 0.98). More-over, in all subjects tested, slow acetylation both in vivo and in vitro was associated with a decrease in the quantity of immu-nodetectable N-acetyltransferase protein in liver cytosol rela-tive to that seen in cytosols from rapid acetylator livers. Two kinetically distinct enzyme activities, designated NAT-1 and NAT-2, were partially purified from low- and high-activity livers and their relationship to acetylator status was determined. Low1 acetylation capacity was related to decreases in the liver content of both of these immunologically related proteins. The results demonstrate that genetically defective arylamine N-acetylation is due to a parallel decrease in the quantity of two structurally and functionally similar acetylating enzymes. (J. Clin. Invest. 1990. 85:968-972.) phenotype-caffeine N-acetyltransferase sulfamethazine


Hereditary endometrial cancer (EC) is a Lynch syndrome (LS) related cancer variant and 2-10% of all EC are hereditary. The aim of this study was to develop a method for analysis of microsatellite instability (MSI) as such analysis would assist in identifying potential LS patients with EC at an early state of their disease, before a possible second cancer is developed in another organ.Twenty-six patients with adenocarcinoma in the endometrium, diagnosed at Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden between 1993 and 2012, were included in the study. Seven of these patients were also diagnosed with LS and the rest were sporadic EC. DNA was extracted from the patients' formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues. The extracted DNA was subjected to a multiplex PCR with fluorescently labelled primers and then analysed by using capillary electrophoresis.Of the sporadic EC, 26% was MSI-High, which correlates well with published data. Of the LS patients, 83% was MSI-High. The outcome of this project resulted in that MSI analysis is now a validated and established method used in the process of identifying potential LS among patients with EC.


International private equity firms took center stage in South Korea in the late 1990s, riding to the rescue of troubled companies laid low in the Asian economic meltdown. But in the aftermath of recent high-profile criminal investigations surrounding the Lone Star acquisition of Korea Exchange Bank, private equity investors have had to write a new script. With Korea's economy strong, western private equity firms are acquiring underperforming business units from Korea's leading chaebols and helping them become more competitive, providing capital and management skills to help Korean entrepreneurs fuel their growth, and joining forces with strategic partners who can complement their deal-making mastery with local business know-how.


Abstract William Edward Burghardt Du Bois is considered one of the most prolific and brilliant scholars of our time. While his contributions to civil rights, sociology, history, African American studies, and urban studies are universally recognized, his legacy in the public health and epidemiology discourses is not as widely acknowledged by contemporary health researchers. His seminal work The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study (1899) and his report "The Health and Physique of the Negro American" (1906) may be considered early harbingers in general of public health—and more specifically, social epidemiology—research. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Black and White differences in mortality and morbidity were largely attributed to notions of biological racial inferiority. Efforts by Du Bois to challenge these predominant notions resulted in the systematic empirical investigation of social factors contributing to Black health risk and health disparities. More than one hundred years after Du Bois's pioneering scholarship, racial/ethnic and social disparities remain a central challenge for public health and medical professionals. Given the persistence of health disparities and the increasing focus on neighborhood social and physical environments as fundamental factors contributing to health inequalities, this paper seeks to historically situate Du Bois's scholarship, describe the methodological and conceptual significance of his seminal studies, and articulate the importance of incorporating Du Bois's legacy to advance the next generation of racial/ethnic health inequality research.


The circulation and exchange processes controlling transport and water renewal within the western subregion of Florida Bay, USA, are presented and compared to our previous findings for the north-central and northeast subregions of the bay. We find there is a common bank/basin flow response to wind forcing that is the primary driver of water renewal for each of the regions studied. Florida Bay is a patchwork of shallow basins surrounded by very shallow banks that are cut through with deeper channels connecting to nearby basins. We observed that, for each subregion studied, there was a net downwind basin outflow through the larger channels that was approximately balanced by a net basin inflow over the surrounding shallow banks. The resulting basin through flows are used to estimate exchange times for renewal of western basin waters of approximately 1 mo. This exchange time is sufficient to prevent hypersalinity and degradation of water quality in the western basin, in contrast to the north-central subregion, where hypersalinity development is an annual occurrence. Our results highlight the importance of wind induced water renewal in shallow coastal bays with weak to moderate tidal exchange. In addition, we have discovered a significant clockwise circulation pattern through the western basins from strong inflows of coastal waters through Flamingo Channel that turn southward through the western basins before rejoining the coastal flow toward the Florida Keys tidal passages and Atlantic coastal zone. A practical solution to control hypersalinity, sea grass die-off, and water quality degradation of Florida Bay is proposed.


This article analyzes the ways in which trans and travesti women experienced state terrorism during the Chilean military dictatorship (1973–90), a subject that has received little attention in memory and recent history studies in Chile. In particular, the authors propose that the use of the concept of human rights by truth commissions, as well as its inclusion in public policies, has largely excluded trans and travesti women. This text therefore introduces the concept of antitrans state terrorism and, given the limited studies that exist on the subject, encourages more historiographic research of state terrorism and trans and travesti women in Chile.


Abstract. In order to research the influence of the environmental vibration and the protection of the architectural heritage, CMG-5TCDE accelerometer was used to obtain the real-time vibration monitoring data of the Grand Stage in the Garden of Virtuous Harmony in Summer Palace. This paper employs the control variable method and the multivariate statistical analysis, integrating monitoring statistics with wind speed and transportation observation statistics to make interrelated analysis, in order to study the response rules and impact degree of the Grand Stage under the environmental vibration impact. The analyses of the vibration monitoring statistic of the recent two years show that the vibration acceleration of the Grand Stage is below 10mm/s2, which is remarkable related with factors such as visitors flow rate, transportation and weather.


In vitro selection techniques are useful means of dissecting the functions of both natural and artificial ribozymes. Using a self-cleaving conjugate containing the Escherichia coli ribonuclease P RNA and its substrate, pre-tRNA (Frank DN, Harris ME, Pace NR, 1994, Biochemistry 33:10800-10808), we have devised a method to select for catalytically active variants of the RNase P ribozyme. A selection experiment was performed to probe the structural and sequence constraints that operate on a highly conserved region of RNase P: the J3/4-P4-J2/4 region, which lies within the core of RNase P and is thought to bind catalytically essential magnesium ions (Harris ME et al., 1994, EMBO J 13:3953-3963; Hardt WD et al., 1995, EMBO J 14:2935-2944; Harris ME, Pace NR, 1995, RNA 1:210-218). We sought to determine which, if any, of the nearly invariant nucleotides within J3/4-P4-J2/4 are required for ribozyme-mediated catalysis. Twenty-two residues in the J3/4-P4-J2/4 component of RNase P RNA were randomized and, surprisingly, after only 10 generations, each of the randomized positions returned to the wild-type sequence. This indicates that every position in J3/4-P4-J2/4 contributes to optimal catalytic activity. These results contrast sharply with selections involving other large ribozymes, which evolve improved catalytic function readily in vitro (Chapman KB, Szostak JW, 1994, Curr Opin Struct Biol 4:618-622; Joyce GF, 1994, Curr Opin Struct Biol 4:331-336; Kumar PKR, Ellington AE, 1995, FASEB J 9:1183-1195). The phylogenetic conservation of J3/4-P4-J2/4, coupled with the results reported here, suggests that the contribution of this structure to RNA-mediated catalysis was optimized very early in evolution, before the last common ancestor of all life.


Plant phenology has been exploited as an important research venue for assessing the impact of climate changes. One common approach for monitoring vegetation relies on the use of digital cameras. The employment of imaging techniques for phenological observation allows the extraction and analysis of visual characteristics based on color and texture information with the objective of determining plant life cycle changes, such as the beginning of the leaf flushing or the senescence period. This paper presents a novel approach for detecting phenological changes by analyzing image temporal series. Our method is based on the use of visual rhythm analysis and the adoption of a dissimilarity measure to detect visual changes in the time line. Experiments were conducted on a three-year data set composed of 3,538 vegetation images and 21 samples of 6 different species of interest. Results demonstrate that the proposed change detection approach is able to effectively identify phenological events.


Natural selection is a consequence of differences in reproductive success among distinctly unique individual phenotypes living at a given generation and resulting in a biased representation of genes at the next generation. Reproducing, transient phenotypes, not 'eternally selfish' genes, form the arena in which selection takes place in a given biotic and abiotic environment. The evolved, complex relationship between genotype and phenotype is largely unknown and perhaps unknowable given the promiscuity of genes to participate in different functional networks at one and the same time, and given the vagaries of the external environment on individual ontogeny and life cycle. Accordingly, there is a many-on-many discourse between genes and traits, making the complex evolutionary role of natural selection difficult to fathom. Hopes for, or fears of, genetic determinism of human behaviour are premature.

Key Concepts:

Natural selection is a simple idea widely misunderstood: 'Adaptation' has come to mean both the mechanism of natural selection and its product.

The ephemeral, reproducing individual phenotype is at the heart of natural selection, not the 'eternally selfish' gene.

The unique pathway of individual development is not predictable given the 'degeneracy' of network interactions among genes, proteins, neurons, etc. within an ever shifting environmental milieu.

There is a many-on-many, not a one-to-one, relationship between genes and traits.

Natural selection is a means of changing the average genotype/phenotype of a population with the passing of the generations. There are two other means ('neutral drift' and 'molecular drive') for achieving the same effect.

Natural selection is not a process as such as the internal and external factors that influence differences in reproductive success differ at each generation.

It is not logically possible, without recourse to 'just-so' stories, to determine which of two or more co-extensive traits in a species was naturally selected and which a 'free-rider'.

The pattern of a given set of genetic interactions (network topology) may differ between individuals yet have the same trait outcome ('degeneracy').

Keywords:

natural selection;
genotype;
phenotype;
genetic determinism;
evolution;
networks


The article deals with the analysis of non-bank financial institutions activity on the financial market of Ukraine, their basic progress and co-operating trends with the real sector of economy. The degree of development of non-bank financial institutions is presented through the context of their influence on the economic growth of Ukraine, and is based on appropriate foreign experience. Moreover, it is presented a methodical approach of determining the integration of non-bank financial services market into the world financial space on the basis of analysis of the level of openness and development of the domestic economy as a whole and the market of non-bank financial services in comparison with other countries of the world. It is made a comparison of the Ukrainian non-bank financial services market general level with indicators of development of this sector in other countries of the world. Furthermore, it is determined the share of foreign capital in the domestic market of non-bank financial services of Ukraine that allows to determine the effectiveness of the changes that it brings to the domestic financial services market. Finally, it is compared volumes of mutual use of foreign capital in the activities of the Ukrainian non-bank financial services market and domestic capital in the activities of foreign non-bank financial institutions.


In 2018 Russia initiated attempts to substantially revitalize the slow process of the Russian – Belarusian integration by implementing the fundamental obligations set out in the Union Treaty not only in the fields of economy or the military, but by also resolving the essential political and financial issues, thus building a strong foundation for further creation of the union state and a certain breakthrough. This article discusses the new phase in the creation of the Union State in order to identify the reasons behind the new initiative and the key factors having led to the slow-pace integration of the Union State and different rates in individual fields. It is argued that the creation process of the Union State does not gain the required momentum due to different interests of the states: Russia's aspirations for full control over Belarus and the efforts made by the President of Belarus seeking to maintain an integration format enabling unobstructed existence of the model of the political system established by him and allowing him to stay in power. This process could be described as a certain strategic partnership enabling flexible and non-binding actions (postponement of agreements for economic, security, and personal gain). The 2020 crisis in Belarus when President A. Lukashenko lost the legitimacy of his constituents and the Western States did not recognise the presidential election as democratic, the Union State project was "frozen" temporarily until the political situation in the country stabilizes. Under these conditions Russia's ambition to keep Belarus has remained unchanged and it is likely that cautious tactics would be implemented to achieve this goal at the same time to avoid stirring up opposition sentiment, to maintain sentiments of the Belarusian public favourable to the great power in their neighbourhood, and to activate economic actions directed at strengthening the positions of Russian capital in the neighbouring space.


Determining a computer model of a spin echo to simulate its amplitude and obtain information about the magnitudes and orientations of the local magnetic field, the direction of the gradient of the crystalline electric field in a sample, is an important task. The paper considers a number of topical issues that enable solving the problem of computer parametric identification of the NMR and NQR spectra. Analysis of the data presented in literature revealed several software programs for simulation of the shapes of NQR lines associated with quadrupole interactions of nuclei in powder solids. It has been established that many computer programs for modeling NMR/NQR experiments developed over the past four decades can be categorized as follows: NMR analytical tools (usually implemented in Mathematica), specialized applications (for example, NOESY spectrum simulator), application programming interfaces, API; the generic NMR modeling program. The available means of computer simulation of the spin echo are described in regard with obtaining information about its amplitude, the magnitude and orientation of the local magnetic field, and the direction of the gradient of the crystalline electric field in the sample. Considerable attention is paid to the imitation of accurate NMR/NQR spectra using the fast diagonalization procedure, as well as an effective averaging scheme for Olderman, Straw, Grant powders. The conducted analysis revealed that Quadrupolar Exact SofTware (QUEST) is one of the most accurate programs for modeling quadrupole nuclei of powder samples under static conditions. The QUEST spectral simulation is based on summation in the full quadrupole Hamiltonian. This theory is valid and holds for all transitions and at an arbitrary direction of the magnetic field. When modeling the NQR spectra, it is necessary to use low Larmor frequency ( 0.0001 MHz), but not equal to 0. This is due to the fact that the pure NQR peaks are infinitely sharp and, therefore, it is difficult to summarize them if they appear between the bins in the histogram. Since the calculations in QUEST are performed in units of the absolute frequency, when using a very narrow spectral window, the required accuracy in the frequency values of each bin in the histogram may be missing.


Neural networks are one of the disruptive computing concepts of our time. However, they fundamentally differ from classical, algorithmic computing. These differences result in equally fundamental, severe and relevant challenges for neural network computing using current computing substrates. Neural networks urge for parallelism across the entire processor and for a co-location of memory and arithmetic, i.e. beyond von Neumann architectures. Parallelism in particular made photonics a highly promising platform, yet until now scalable and integratable concepts are scarce. Here, we demonstrate for the first time how a fully parallel and fully implemented photonic neural network can be realized by spatially multiplexing neurons across the complex optical near-field of a semiconductor multimode laser. Discrete spatial sampling defines ∼90 nodes on the surface of a large-area vertical cavity surface emitting laser that is optically injected with the artificial neural networks input information. Importantly, all neural network connections are realized in hardware, and our processor produces results without pre- or post-processing. Input and output weights are realized via the complex transmission matrix of a multimode fiber and a digital micro-mirror array, respectively. We train the readout weights to perform 2-bit header recognition, a 2-bit XOR logical function and 2-bit digital to analog conversion, and obtain <0.9×10−3 and 2.9 × 10−2 error rates for digit recognition and XOR, respectively. Finally, the digital to analog conversion can be realized with a standard deviation of only 5.4 × 10−2. Crucially, our proof-of-concept system is scalable to much larger sizes and to bandwidths in excess of 20 GHz.


Recent years there has been a fast increase in the development of composite materials, particularly in the automobile and aerospace industries, due to their high strength to weight ratio, high wear resistance, low density and low coefficient of thermal expansion. The advancements in the field of application make the study of their desirable properties like bending, compression and tensile got utmost importance. This paper attempts to assess the desirable properties of the composite material which has been made up with Banana fibers, Jute Fiber and, Resin Epoxy (LY-556) and hardener (HY917).In this work we have compared 3 different composite materials, that is material is the same but the size of the material are varied across different materials.. The results obtained shows that the composite possesses good tensile and bending strength comparatively.


ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to contribute to knowledge about children's opportunities to participate in early childhood education and care (ECEC) communities. The study focuses on the communication between educators and children in ECEC settings and how the communication forms condition children's opportunities to participate in the community. The research questions are: What kind of communication patterns occur in educator and child interactions and how do these influence children's opportunities to participate in the ECEC community? How can the communication patterns and the opportunities for participation in a community be understood from a lifeworld and a system perspective? Theoretically, the study is based on Habermas's (1995) social philosophical perspective and the way he views the world from both a lifeworld and a system perspective. His concepts of communicative and strategic action guide the study in the purpose to identify and interpret communication patterns. The data consist of video observations of educators and children in everyday interactions in three Norwegian ECEC institutions. The analysis generated three main categories representing different communication patterns and participation opportunities in the community: (a) controlling communication – limited participation, (b) supportive communication – passive participation, and (c) co-operative communication – mutual participation. The findings show a priority in early childhood education on the individual child and a goal-oriented practice where the educator controls the communication and, by that, the children's lifeworlds.


Economic theory suggests that market economies are likely to underprovide innovation because of the public good nature of knowledge. Empirical evidence from the United States and other advanced economies supports this idea. We summarize the pros and cons of different policy instruments for promoting innovation and provide a basic "toolkit" describing which policies are most effective according to our reading of the evidence. In the short run, R&D tax credits and direct public funding seem the most productive, but in the longer run, increasing the supply of human capital (for example, relaxing immigration rules or expanding university STEM admissions) is likely more effective.


Research in soil-plant water relations during the last two
decades has successfully addressed itself to the problems of expressing water status in soils and plant tissues in terms of free
energy. The initial impetus was provided by Spanner (1951}
in his classical work on the psychrometer. During the ensuing
years the science of water relations was provided with a new
theoretical approach based on thermodynamic principles and
terminology. This was complemented by a substantial amount
of research on basic techniques. The result has been a rather
sophisticated technology which provides a means of describing
the free energy status of water in natural systems in quantitative
terms consistent with modern thermodynamic theory. This
marks a significant turning point, because now we are capable
of expressing the flow of water in the soil-plant continuum in
meaningful terms of energy status. The recent comprehensive
review by Barrs (1968) cites over 50 references on the use of
the Spanner psychrometer and related vapor exchange methods,
and a great many other useful references on various techniques
for evaluating other aspects of plant water status. However, with
this and other reviews (Boyer, 1969; Brown, 19TH; Pack 1968,.
1969; Rawins, 1966) there still appears to be a need for a practical guide on the use of thermocouple psychrometers and other
methods of measuring water potential and its components.


Background: There is a need for more studies that analyse evaluation methods in the context of maternal health promotion. These should assess the effectiveness of health promotion interventions on health outcomes, factors contributing to impact, and transferability. This thesis reports on an evaluation of one such intervention in Nepal targeting rural women to promote maternal health. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used where, first, a Difference-in- Difference (DiD) estimation assessed the effects of the intervention on selected outcome variables while controlling for: 1) a constructed wealth index; and 2) women's socio-economic characteristics in a five-year controlled, non-randomised, repeated cross-sectional study of a community-based health promotion intervention targeting maternal health in Nepal. Second, the qualitative data were analysed to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of women post-intervention. Finally, the financial data were analysed to identify resources needed and estimate the cost of the health promotion intervention. Results: After five years, women in the intervention area were more likely to seek antenatal care at least once, to take iron/folic acid, and to attend postnatal care. The intervention did not influence women's place of birth or likelihood of receiving care from a skilled birth attendant. However, it did improve attendance for the recommended four antenatal visits for the first two and a half years. The qualitative findings helped explain some of the changes or lack thereof, where in the intervention area women were perceived, by the researcher, as empowered, confident, and the family as supportive. The cost of providing the health promotion intervention per group/woman and the evaluation process consisted of only 10% of the total programme cost. Conclusion: This is the first community-based health promotion intervention that has demonstrated a greater impact during pregnancy (i.e., uptake of antenatal care) than around birth (i.e., changes in delivery care). Other factors, not easily resolved through health promotion interventions, may influence birth outcomes, such as financial liquidity or geographical constraints. The evaluation showed that using mixed methods provided valuable information that would not have been extracted through one method alone. While DiD is a precise tool for measurement, the qualitative research provided insight into why the intervention had an impact in pregnancy but not at birth.


. This study presents a method for monitoring the 3D fatigue damage progression on a micro-structural level in a glass fibre/polymer coupon test specimen by means of laboratory X-ray Computed Tomography (CT). A modified mount and holder made for the standard test samples to fit into the X-ray CT scanner along with a tension clamp solution is presented. Initially, the same location of the test specimen is inspected by ex-situ X-ray CT during the fatigue loading history, which shows the damage progression on a micro-structural level. The openings of individual uni-directional (UD) fibre fractures are seen to generally increase with the number of cycles, and new regions of UD fibre fractures also appear. There are some UD fibre fractures that are difficult to detect since their opening is small. Therefore, the effect of tension on the crack visibility is examined afterwards using a tension clamp solution. With applied tension some additional cracks become visible and the openings of fibre fractures increases, which shows the importance of applied tension during the scan.


The aim of our work is to provide a modeling framework for evaluating performability measures of Multipurpose, Multiprocessor Systems (MMSs). The originality of our approach is in the explicit separation between the architectural and environmental concerns of a system. The overall dependability model, based on stochastic reward nets, is composed of 1) an architectural model describing the behavior of system hardware and software components, 2) a service-level model, and 3) a maintenance policy model. The two latter models are related to the system utilization environment. The results can be used for supporting the manufacturer design choices as well as the potential end-user configuration selection. We illustrate the approach on a particular family of MMSs under investigation by a system manufacturer for Internet and e-commerce applications. As the systems are scalable, we consider two architectures: a reference one composed of 16 processors and an extended one with 20 processors. Then, we use the obtained results to evaluate the performability of a clustered system composed of four reference systems. We evaluate comprehensive measures defined with respect to the end-user service requirements and specific measures in relation to the distributed shared memory paradigm.


This chapter compares and contrasts the separate UN regimes of rights for minorities and for indigenous peoples: their historical antecedents; the conditions and actors behind the emergence of the present regimes; their foundational texts and enabling mechanisms; their common as well as divergent goals. The chapter highlights minorities' pursuit of equality and non-discrimination. Indigenous peoples, on the other hand, use the normative tool of self-determination, which they hope will help them maintain or regain their traditional lands, territories, and resources that have sustained their physical and cultural survival but are endangered by globalization. The two sets of goals, while appreciably different, are not mutually exclusive; both assert the rights to be equal to and different or separate from dominant populations.


Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) has large mental health impacts for patients and caregivers, yet their preferences regarding how to relieve these impacts are poorly understood. Objective: To understand patients' and caregivers' preferences for AD-related mental health care and support. Methods: We surveyed 279 adult AD patients and 154 caregivers of children with AD across 26 countries regarding their AD-related mental health burden, preferred strategies for improving AD-related mental health, and experiences with mental health care in AD. Results: Caregivers reported significantly worse overall mental health (P = 0.01) and anxiety (P = 0.03) than adult patients when controlling for AD severity. Among adult patients, 58% selected treating the AD, 51% managing itch, 44% wearing clothing to cover up skin, 43% avoiding social situations, and 41% spending time alone, as strategies they felt would improve their own AD-related mental health. Caregivers selected managing itch and treating the AD most frequently for both their own (76% and 75%, respectively) and their children's (75% and 61%) mental health. Adult patients were less satisfied with mental health care from mental health providers versus nonmental health providers (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Effective AD management is the preferred method for improving mental health among patients as well as caregivers, who may experience the greatest mental health impacts. Self-care strategies should be considered in a shared decision-making approach.


When we communicate with others, we usually know when we are expected to contribute to an evolving dialogue, such as during a debate, or when it is suitable to generate predictable responses, for example, at a marriage ceremony. However, in cross-cultural communication situations, communicating
 partners may have different assumptions in this respect. In particular, when a western communicator expects a dialogical development, a Russian participant may expect the same communication situation to progress as a sequence of predictable communication acts. This clash of implicit expectations
 often results in communication failure, without either party realizing that implementing incompatible approaches to information sharing is the reason for this failure. In this article, I introduce the terms 'dialogical engagement' and 'monological sequencing' whilst
 exploring cross-cultural communication problems between Russia and the West. I use these terms to describe mechanisms that characterize both cultures' preferred communication patterns and which, when inadvertently deployed, cause collisions between Russian and western communicating partners.
 By uncovering these differences, I intend to progress beyond merely acknowledging cross-cultural communication problems between the two worlds. Besides, as in the Russian cultural setting, more communication situations are implicitly expected to develop as monological sequences than similar
 situations in the West, understanding this particular distinction may prevent practitioners in numerous fields from making the mistake of expecting cross-cultural communication situations to develop in line with their implicit assumptions.


Background Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are increasingly prevalent, and associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and cost. An interprofessional approach to DFU management is critical given the etiological complexity involved. This study aimed to assess the impact of an interprofessional team approach on DFU diagnosis and management for a cohort of patients receiving treatment in an Ontario Canada home care setting. Methods A retrospective cohort study of patients attending a large regional Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) between February 11, 2013-September 30, 2014 was conducted. Following CCAC referral, patients were assessed by an interprofessional team at the Toronto Regional Wound Healing Centre (TRWHC). Those aged > 18 years with a DFU of > 6 weeks duration were included. The primary outcome was the precision of the initial diagnosis relating to DFU etiology (i.e. neuropathic, ischemic or mixed etiology). Secondary outcomes included wound healing, and infection parameters. Analysis was completed with STATA 13.1 (College Stn., TX) of pre-determined outcomes with 2 sided α of 0.05. Results A total of 308 patients were screened, and 49 patients (67.3% male) of mean age 64.2 years (SD 13.7) with a diagnosis of DFU > 6 weeks duration were included for analysis. Of these, 95% were referred with unspecified DFU, and were reclassified to a precise diagnosis relating to etiology, including neuropathy, ischemia or neuroischemic etiology following TRWHC assessment (p < 0.001). For secondary outcomes post-assessment, healability assessment was conducted for a greater proportion of patients (100% versus 44%, p < 0.001). Infection was identified in a greater number of patients (p = 0.04), and of the 35 patients, 94.5% had deep and surrounding infection, and 88.0% were initiated on systemic antibiotics. Vascular insufficiency was diagnosed in an additional 14.3% of the cohort (p = 0.03). Offloading/footwear assessment was conducted in all patients compared with 30.6% prior to referral (p < 0.001) Dressing change frequency decreased significantly following TRWHC assessment (pre: 4.31/week; post: 3.54/week; p = 0.03). Pain scores decreased (2.18 to 1.67) on the numerical rating scale but this was not statistically significant at the final TRWHC assessment. Notably, 36.7% (18/49) reported improved quality of life by the second TRWHC encounter. Conclusions Interprofessional care teams are associated with improved diagnostic acumen and wound healing outcomes over conventional community care services. Initiatives including best practice interprofessional diabetic foot care pathways are recommended with timely vascular management of ischemia, treatment of deep and surrounding infection as well as the availability of foot care and footwear.


There is converging evidence demonstrating that the ability to voluntarily stop or prevent movement is controlled via a cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical loop. However, the physiological mechanism underlying this network control is unclear. There is growing evidence that concurrent neural activity in different frequency ranges interact and transiently couple, raising interest for its possible role in information processing and motor control. A particular form, phase-amplitude-coupling (PAC), the instantaneous amplitude of a higher-frequency band within a signal is modulated by the instantaneous phase of a lower-frequency band of the same (or a different) signal. The present study investigated whether PAC within the subthalamic nucleus (STN), and between the STN and motor cortex (M1) contribute to the ability to voluntarily stop or prevent movement. Patients with externalized deep brain stimulation electrodes performed a stop-signal task while electroencephalography and STN local field potentials were simultaneous recorded. Patients were instructed to press a button in response to a visual go-signal but try to inhibit this response if a stop-signal was subsequently presented. The time between the go-signal and stop-signal varied using a one-up/one-down staircase algorithm based on stop success/failure. Results revealed an increase in STN-STN PAC between beta phase (10-30Hz) and high frequency oscillation amplitude (150-400Hz) during successful- compared to failed-stop trials, and a decrease in STN-M1 PAC between beta phase (10-30Hz) and gamma amplitude (50-100Hz) during successful- compared to failed-stop trials. These findings provide novel human evidence for the role of PAC within the response inhibition network and a possible mechanism underlying the ability to stop responses.Acknowledgments: Canadian Institutes of Health Research


Herein, we report the facile synthesis of two α-Fe2O3 nanostructures with different morphologies via an electrospinning technique using ferric acetyl acetonate as a precursor and polyvinyl acetate and polyvinyl pyrrolidone as the respective polymers. The as-electrospun metal oxide–polymer composite fibers were sintered at 500 °C to obtain two distinct nanostructures, denoted as nanograins and porous fibers throughout this manuscript. These crystalline nanostructures were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The characterization results elucidated the predominance of hematite (α-Fe2O3) with particle sizes of 21 and 53 nm, for the respective nanostructures. Electrophoretic deposition was carried out in order to fabricate thin film electrodes, which were then subjected to electrochemical analysis. Electrochemical characterization revealed that both of the fabricated electrodes exhibited excellent performance in 1 M LiOH electrolyte with specific capacitance values of 256 and 102 F g−1 for the porous fiber and nanograin structures, respectively, at a scan rate of 1 mV s−1 and excellent capacitance retention, even after 3000 cycles, thus making them promising electrode materials for energy storage devices.


Nanocelluloses are anisotropic nanoparticles of semicrystalline assemblies of glucan polymers. They have great potential as a renewable building block in the materials platform of a more sustainable society. As a result, the research on nanocellulose has grown exponentially over the last decades. To fully utilize the properties of nanocelluloses, a fundamental understanding of their colloidal behavior is necessary. As elongated particles with dimensions in a critical nano-size range, their colloidal properties are complex, with several behaviors not covered by classical theories. In this comprehensive review, we describe the most prominent colloidal behavior of nanocellulose by combining experimental data and theoretical descriptions. We discuss the preparation and characterization of nanocellulose dispersions, how they form networks at low concentrations, how classical theories cannot describe their behavior, and how they interact with other colloids. We then show examples of how scientists can use this fundamental knowledge to control the assembly of nanocellulose into new materials with exceptional properties. We hope that aspiring and established researchers will use this review as a guide.


Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of mothers/caregivers on infant and young child feeding are key factors for optimal nutritional status, health and growth of the children. Hence, this study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of the mothers/caregivers on infant and young child feeding. A cross sectional study was carried out among 415 mothers/caregivers from Gode and Adadle Districts in Shabelle Zone of Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia, by using semi structured interviewer administered questionnaire. The principal component analysis was carried out to generate KAP indices. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to isolate independent predictors for good knowledge, good practice and favourable attitude of the mothers/caregivers related to child feeding. Out of 415 study participants, 87.5%, and 69.4% were illiterate, and from rural residence, respectively. The majority (96.1 %) of the participants knew the importance of colostrums, time initiation, exclusive and duration of the breastfeeding, and, 82% believed that a newborn should be given butter, sugar and water for the first six months. Furthermore, 50% of the mothers started breastfeeding within one hour after delivery, 66% of the participants started additional food items before the age of the six months, and 69.2% continued breastfeeding for 24 months and above. On multivariable logistic regression, after adjusting for other predictors, being in Gode District (P <0.001), and not being housewife (P = 0.014) were significantly associated with having good Knowledge about optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF), and wealth index (P = 0.001) are positively associated with favourable attitude, and being literate (P = 0.01) is positively associated with good practice. Conversely, good knowledge about optimal IYCF were negatively associated with favourable attitude (P <0.001), and urban and semi urban residence was negatively associated with good knowledge (P <0.001). In conclusion, the findings showed that despite the high knowledge of the participants on IYCF; a large proportion of mothers/caregivers had negative attitude and poor practice on proper IYCF leading to high rate of suboptimal feeding practices. Behavior change communication interventions using strategies appropriate for the pastoralist and agro pastoralist community. That is, targeting on culture, believes and practices related to IYCF, need to be performed using religious leaders, teachers, students, youth associations, female associations, health professionals, frontline health actors, and developmental armies to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice. Keyword: Child feeding, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, wealth


Phonetic repertoires in babbling are an important marker of prelinguistic development. Typical phonetic development, however, is difficult to identify given variability within and across infants. Prior to 18 months of infant age, caregiver report of prelinguistic vocal development is often an important part of clinical practice for early intervention. As a first step toward understanding the utility of caregiver report of babbling, the purpose of this exploratory study was to determine how the phonetic makeup of sounds reported by caregivers in infant babbling would develop, in particular comparison to markedness theory and established norms. In a longitudinal design, caregiver report was tracked through weekly interviews from 7 to 18 months of infant age (N = 15). Reports were phonetically transcribed and examined in terms of the number of utterances; place, manner, and voicing for consonants; and tongue position for vowels. In general, the number of utterances and phonetic segments reported by caregivers increased significantly with infant age (p < .05) and phonetic feature patterns were similar to what one would expect in the vocal development of English-learning infants. Results support the notion that caregiver report of infant vocalizations may provide a valuable means for describing early infant babbling development.


The Fourth World Conference on Women proposed a conceptual shift from the 'Women in Development' (WID) paradigm to the 'Gender and Development' (GAD) approach, a key strategy to reduce inequalities between men and women and bringing into mainstream economy of a country. The present study used a two-tier approach of 'public-private' sphere to investigate gender equity through greater decision making autonomy and economic independence of females. The sample consisted of Master degree (post-graduate) students between 20-24 years, enrolled in University of the Punjab, Lahore. Mixed- methodology approach was deployed and self-constructed questionnaires were used to collect data. In-depth interviews were also conducted with parents. The study concludes that young females in higher education in Pakistan are gradually getting the power of making decisions regarding their own matters as well as their family at both public and private spheres. The young females are operating their personal bank accounts independently, taking decisions in choice of institute for their higher studies, spending a day/night at a friend's place, buying things like car, furniture, other items for family etc. Moreover, on the pretext of financial security and economic independence, parents as well as young males were found in favor of young females to pursue professional careers.


The ribat in Bouna (present day Annaba), also called the Fusula Ribat, dominates the promontory of the hill with the same name and overlooks the port of the town. This defensive structure, whose typology dates from the Fatimid period, belonged to a chain of ribats marking Islamic territory along the length of the Mediterranean coast. It was concealed under the Sidi Boumerouane Mosque. Thus, through a series of transformations, the site became a veritable military-religious complex. The recent process of patrimonialization, as well as the restoration project at the complex, has revealed the structure of the ribat, leaning against the wall and essentially forming the foundations of the first mosque of the town. The aim of this article is, on the one hand, to bring new knowledge, as much technical as historical, about this fortified structure, which has largely been ignored by historical research until now, and on the other, to carry out the restoration project of this edifice, which has now been classed as national heritage.


The glycoside cluster effect, a special case of multivalency involving carbohydrates, is a powerful tool exploited by Nature to make relatively weak interactions stronger and more specific. Organic and supramolecular chemists have been applying this concept and are devising a plethora of neo-glycoconjugates which can interfere with a series of pathological events such as infections due to viruses and bacteria, tumour progression and migration, and inflammation processes. In the present Tutorial Review, we will illustrate the factors that make calixarenes, the cyclic oligomers obtained by the condensation of phenols/resorcinols and aldehydes, unique scaffolds for the construction of multivalent glycosylated ligands, individually analysing how structural parameters such as the size, valency, conformation, self-assembling behaviour of the macrocycle and especially the topology of the saccharide presentation in space influence the biological properties. We will not only survey the most significant results obtained to date in the inhibition of carbohydrate binding proteins (lectins), but we will also try to paint a picture of the potential that multivalent glycocalixarenes might have in bionanotechnology and nanomedicine, that are especially related to their combined ability to load cargo and to specifically deliver that cargo to target cells.


Suzuki Indo Mobil / Motorcycle is the largest motorcycle manufacturing industry in Indonesia today. Die Casting is one of the departments that is important in the manufacture of motorcycle parts. In the Die Cating section, there are a number of types of defects that exceed the company tolerance standards. During the February to July period, 228 pcs of defect products were found. For this reason, it is necessary to determine the most dominant factor in the occurrence of defects and determine the proposed improvement of the root problem. PDCA is a useful tool for continuous improvement and FMEA or Failure Mode Analysis is a tool that is often used in quality improvement methods. FMEA serves to determine the consequences of failure associated with failure in the Crank Case LH. There are three types of defects found, namely Chipped, Cracked, Wrinkled. With pareto diagram, it is known that there are three types of defect Crank Case LH which are the most dominant, namely: 9.9% chipped, Crack 6.75%, Wrinkles 4.72%. aluminum & mold is too low, engine filling time is too long, Crank Case LH Cracks the surface of the rough molding machine, engine pressure is too large, Crank Case LH Machine wrinkles Less pressure. Improve made is to make a standard number of Crank Case LH setting parameters of the engine and required SOP.


The purpose of this study was to quantify the risk of cancers other than melanoma among family members of CDKN2A mutation carriers using data from the Genes, Environment and Melanoma study. Relative risks (RRs) of all non-melanoma cancers among first-degree relatives (FDRs) of melanoma patients with CDKN2A mutations (n = 65) and FDRs of melanoma patients without mutations (n = 3537) were calculated as the ratio of estimated event rates (number of cancers/total person-years) in FDRs of carriers vs noncarriers with exact Clopper-Pearson-type tests and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). All statistical tests were two-sided. There were 56 (13.1%) non-melanoma cancers reported among 429 FDRs of mutation carriers and 2199 (9.4%) non-melanoma cancers in 23 452 FDRs of noncarriers. The FDRs of carriers had an increased risk of any cancer other than melanoma (56 cancers among 429 FDRs of carrier probands vs 2199 cancers among 23 452 FDRs of noncarrier probands; RR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.2 to 2.0, P = .005), gastrointestinal cancer (20 cancers among 429 FDRs of carrier probands vs 506 cancers among 23 452 FDRs of noncarrier probands; RR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.4 to 3.7, P = .001), and pancreatic cancer (five cancers among 429 FDRs of carrier probands vs 41 cancers among 23 452 FDRs of noncarrier probands; RR = 7.4, 95% CI = 2.3 to 18.7, P = .002). Wilms tumor was reported in two FDRs of carrier probands and three FDRs of noncarrier probands (RR = 40.4, 95% CI = 3.4 to 352.7, P = .005). The lifetime risk of any cancer other than melanoma among CDKN2A mutation carriers was estimated as 59.0% by age 85 years (95% CI = 39.0% to 75.4%) by the kin-cohort method, under the standard assumptions of Mendelian genetics on the genotype distribution of FDRs conditional on proband genotype.


We have investigated the behaviour of M. leprae in murine preadipocyte cells (clone Ob17) undergoing the adipose cell conversion process in vitro. Actively differentiating Ob17 cells were infected with M. leprae. The morphological index (MI) of the acid-fast bacteria (AFB) present at day 12 and day 25 after infection was compared to the MI of the AFB inoculated. An increase of the MI was consistently observed. This increase is suppressed by rifampicin. Due to important cell loss, an increase of the number of the AFB per culture could not be obtained in monolayer tissue cultures. In order to prevent cell loss, we used a three-dimensional culture system. This cell culture system is an in vitro reconstitution of the human dermis, a main target organ for the leprosy bacillus. Adipocytes infected with M. leprae are incorporated in a condensed collagen lattice together with skin fibroblasts. Under such conditions, both an increase of the MI and an increase of the number of the AFB are obtained. This suggests that cellular functions related to the adipose cell differentiation process might complement the defective bacterial genome, leading to transient multiplication in vitro.


An algebraic nonperturbative approach is proposed for the analytical treatment of Schrodinger equations with a potential that can be expressed in terms of an exactly solvable piece with an additional potential. Avoiding disadvantages of standard approaches, new handy recursion formulas with the same simple form both for ground and excited states have been obtained. As an illustration the procedure, well adapted to the use of computer algebra, is successfully applied to quartic anharmonic oscillators by means of very simple algebraic manipulations. The trend of the exact values of the energies is rather well reproduced for a large range of values of the coupling constant (g = 0.001–10000).


Abstract A public archaeology programme was initiated at the Fern Avenue site (an early nineteenth century Adelaide jam factory) as an integral part of the archaeological investigations conducted between March 2000 and November 2000. One component of the public archaeology programme was an archaeological education programme for primary and early secondary aged school children. The primary school component of the programme provided 583 inner-city primary aged school children (aged between 7 and 11) with a classroom introduction to archaeology followed by practical on-site experience. This paper focuses on the outcomes of the primary school class-based teaching. Analysis of the children's written schoolroom answers has enabled a basic evaluation of the students' overarching perceptions relating to Australian archaeology. In general, this study suggested that the primary aged school children involved in the programme understood that archaeology involved 'investigating the past' and 'excavation'. However, comprehension beyond these fundamentals was limited – especially in terms of more specific knowledge, such as an understanding that Australian archaeology comprised the major disciplines Aboriginal, historical or maritime. Although the children's initial understanding of archaeology was limited, it held a high level of appeal. The base interest generated by archaeology was used to teach the fundamentals, whilst the site visit compounded and enhanced most of the students' awareness of the discipline, creating a memorable experience for all involved.


Estimating the shape of the proximal articular border of the navicular bone and grading the radiological navicular bone condition (grades 3 and 4 representing the most severe changes), the aim of this study was to assess potential age-related implications of the previously reported shape predisposition to navicular disease in 746 normal and 174 clinically affected Dutch Warmbloods age 3-19 years. A significant, age-independent, shape-grade association found in normal and affected horses emphasises the fundamental character of the shape predisposition to navicular disease. A significant age-related increase of the least susceptible shape prevalence was found in elderly normal horses. A shape-independent low grades 3 and 4 prevalence (mean 15%) was found in normal horses, vs. a high grades 3 and 4 prevalence (mean 85%) in the affected horses. Therefore, the clinical manifestation of the disease is grade-rather than shape-dependent. A significant age-related appearance of inverted flask-shaped channels and enthesophytes was found in the clinically affected horses. However, considering the significant shape-radiological features association previously reported in 3-year-old normal horses, this association may be shape- rather than age-dependent.


During the early 1900's, numerous pin jointed steel bridge trusses were constructed throughout the United States. In the intervening years, these trusses were replaced by major structures in the metropolitan area. However, in the rural areas, these bridges still remain and are functional, despite the increased traffic volumes. The Federal Highway Administration reports that nationally, there are 6900 bridges that are classified as being structurally deficient and 26,600 functionally obsolete. The highway engineer therefore, is faced with the problem of maintaining and upgrading these structures, as the cost of replacement as a group would be excessive. Descriptions of truss bridges are given and include information on floor systems, truss elements, bearings, and critical members. Inspection procedures are reviewed. Analytical procedures for the rating of trusses, field test rating evaluation, and analysis data for rating are presented. Techniques are also presented for improving bridge behavior by strengthening or widening the bridge, or repair of bent or elongated members.


The novel natural product juncutol (1), 1,4,7-trimethyl-8,9-dihydro-4H-cyclopenta[def]phenanthrene-2,6-diol, along with the three related metabolites juncusol (2), dehydrojuncusol (3), and 6-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl-5-vinyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-2-ol (4), were isolated from the rhizomes of Juncus acutus L. (Juncaceae) growing in Egypt. The structural identity of 1 was determined on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, including 2D NMR spectroscopy. The inhibitory effect of these natural products on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells was determined for the first time. The unprecedented symmetrical compound juncutol (1) was found to be the most potent inhibitor against the induction of the proinflammatory iNOS protein.


The physiologic replacement of the lower paraspinal muscles by fat was evaluated in 157 patients undergoing computed tomography for reasons unrelated to abnormal ities of the locomotor system. Five patients with neuromuscular disorders were similarly evaluated. The changes were graded according to severity at three spinal levels: lower thoracic-upper lumbar, midlumbar, and lumbosacral. The results were analyzed in relation to age and gender. It was found that fatty replacement of paras pinal muscles is a normal age-progressive phenomenon most prominent in females. It progresses down the spine, being most advanced in the lumbosacral region. The severest changes in the five patients with neuromuscular disorders (three with poliomyelitis and two with progressive muscular dystrophy) consisted of complete muscle group replacement by fat. In postpoliomyelitis atrophy, the distribution was typically asymmetriC and some times lacked clinical correlation. In muscular dystrophy, fatty replacement was sym metric, showing relative sparing of the psoas and multifidus muscles. In patients with neuromuscular diseases, computed tomography of muscles may be helpful in planning a better rehabilitation regimen.


Customer knowledge value is becoming increasingly recognized as an important part of customer assets, which has got more and more attention to domestic and foreign scholars. This paper proposed to analyze the factors influencing customer knowledge value based on the analysis of present relevant research both home and abroad. We developed a conceptual model of five factors impacting on customer knowledge value: trust in enterprise, satisfy with enterprise, relevance to enterprise, products understanding and customer's own professional skills. The results suggest that these five factors all have closely relationship with customer knowledge value.