Conventional intuition of semiconductor wafer fab performance relies on assumptions of linear work flow and fixed (deterministic) behavior of the fab equipment's breakdown and capacity. This intuition is used to analyze fab capacity by using simple mathematical models in a "spreadsheet" fashion to obtain feasibility bounds on capacity (wafers out/unit time), cycle time (or lead time) and work-in-progress levels. However, assumptions of linearity and fixed behavior are not always valid, especially when strategic analysis needs to be done over long time horizons. This paper demonstrates the effects of such non-linearities and random (stochastic) behavior. This is done by modeling simple fab scenarios using advanced mathematical and discrete-event simulation tools. In particular, effects of a high degree of variance on equipment availability are investigated using serial representations of a manufacturing line. The impact of setup change-over times is also analyzed through random queuing scenarios in order to arrive at more accurate results of the line loading phenomenon. These results are then statistically analyzed to provide a contrast to conventional intuition.


Data-driven U-net machine learning (ML) models, including the pix2pix conditional generative adversarial network (cGAN), are shown to predict 3D printed voxel geometry in digital light processing (DLP) additive manufacturing. A confocal microscopy-based workflow allows for the high-throughput acquisition of data on thousands of voxel interactions arising from randomly gray-scaled digital photomasks. Validation between prints and predictions shows accurate predictions with sub-pixel scale resolution. The trained cGAN performs virtual DLP experiments such as feature size-dependent cure depth, anti-aliasing, and sub-pixel geometry control. The pix2pix model is also applicable to larger masks than it is trained on. To this end, the model can qualitatively inform layer-scale and voxel-scale print failures in real 3D-printed parts. Overall, machine learning models and the data-driven methodology, exemplified by U-nets and cGANs, show considerable promise for predicting and correcting photomasks to achieve increased precision in DLP additive manufacturing.


We present an empirical study of the accuracy-cost tradeoffs of Anderson's method. The various parameters that control the degree of approximation of the computational elements and the separateness of interacting computational elements govern both the arithmetic complexity and the accuracy of the method. Our experiment shows that for a given error requirement, using a near-field containing only nearest neighbor boxes and a hierarchy depth that minimizes the number of arithmetic operations minimizes the total number of arithmetic operations.


The landscape of digital games is segregated by player ability. For example, sighted players have a multitude of highly visual games at their disposal, while blind players may choose from a variety of audio games. Attempts at improving cross-ability access to any of those are often limited in the experience they provide, or disregard multiplayer experiences. We explore ability-based asymmetric roles as a design approach to create engaging and challenging mixed-ability play. Our team designed and developed two collaborative testbed games exploring asymmetric interdependent roles. In a remote study with 13 mixed-visual-ability pairs we assessed how roles affected perceptions of engagement, competence, and autonomy, using a mixed-methods approach. The games provided an engaging and challenging experience, in which differences in visual ability were not limiting. Our results underline how experiences unequal by design can give rise to an equitable joint experience.


Abstract The study describes bioactive compounds as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), from the stem bark extract of Montrouziera cauliflora, selected among 19 dichloromethane extracts from Clusiaceae species. Our work focused on the development of an original normal phase HPLC microfractionation strategy to rapidly assess highly active zones from this crude active non-polar plant extract. Two different microfraction collection methods were evaluated for the assessment of the AChE inhibition. Two guttiferones and a tocotrienol were directly isolated among five compounds identified off-line by NMR after upscaling the fractionation and their AChE inhibition was evaluated. The strengths and weaknesses of the two microfractionation collection methods for HPLC-AChE activity-based profiling are discussed.


We extend the previous results of exact bosonization, mapping from fermionic operators to Pauli matrices, in 2d and 3d to arbitrary dimensions. This bosonization map gives a duality between any fermionic system in arbitrary $n$ spatial dimensions and a new class of $(n-1)$-form $\mathbb{Z}_2$ gauge theories in $n$ dimensions with a modified Gauss's law. This map preserves locality and has an explicit dependence on the second Stiefel-Whitney class and a choice of spin structure on the manifold. A new formula for Stiefel-Whitney homology classes on lattices is derived. In the Euclidean path integral, this exact bosonization map is equivalent to introducing a topological "Steenrod square" term to the spacetime action.


This article reflects on some influential theories, concepts and institutions that have shaped the nature and substance of international development since the mid-20th century. In particular, theories of modernisation and dependency are deployed to reflect on the ways in which the International Financial Institutions, such as, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have adopted a 'Washington Consensus' concerning the social and economic development of 'developing' nations. 'Soft power' national agencies, such as, the British Council and USAID are brought into consideration, especially, for their interests and influences over matters of learning for development. The multi-national Commonwealth of Learning's particular contribution to learning for development is discussed with suggestions made for developing member nations' capacities to produce new local knowledge and to bring their existing local knowledge to the fore to share as part of a (Lockean) 'commonwealth of learning'.


Standard test methods for determining the mechanical properties of Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) are properly defined if they reproduce the actual structural behavior. Among many proposals, a round panel test seems to have all potentials to become an easy-to-use tool and, at the same time, a reliable procedure for the characterization of FRC, in terms of toughness and the post-cracking constitutive cohesive law. A new geometry for the round panel test is herein proposed and discussed in order to make the panel easier to place, handle, and test, therefore avoiding one of the major drawbacks that limit an extensive utilization of the panel test. A comparison between different test typologies for characterizing FRC is reported and discussed in the present paper, with special emphasis on the different scatter that each test produces. Tests are performed on beams as well as on panels. All specimens herein compared have the same concrete mechanical properties and fiber content. The aim of the experimental investigation is to critically discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each testing procedure, focusing on the applicability of the method and on the reliability of results toward a consistent characterization of the structural behavior. Suitable correlations among the different fracture and energy parameters defined in the standards considered are finally reported, and the results are very useful for harmonizing the available standards.


We show that loss of beta1 integrin function affects connexin (Cx) expression in embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Both loss of beta1 integrin function and inhibition of integrin clustering by RGD peptides in wild type ES cells correlated with upregulated expression of gap junctional proteins in ES-derived cardiomyocytes. The upregulation of connexin transcript levels in beta1 integrin-deficient cells is paralleled by a higher fraction of cells co-expressing Cx40 and Cx43. These observations demonstrate that the expression of connexins in developing cardiomyocytes is correlated to integrin-dependent mechanisms. Further, we found that upregulated cardiac connexin expression in beta1 integrin-deficient cells is related to Rho- and Wnt-dependent pathways. beta1 integrin-deficient cardiac cells displayed high levels of cytoplasmic gamma- and beta-catenins throughout the differentiation period. The administration of lithium, an activator of beta-catenin-dependent pathways, resulted in up-regulated connexin mRNA levels in wild type cardiomyocytes at intermediate, but not at early stages, indicating that the effects are restricted to advanced stages of cardiac differentiation. On the other hand, inhibition of Rho-dependent integrin signaling by treatment of cardiac cells with exoenzyme C3 resulted in immediate up-regulation of cardiac connexin transcript levels at early differentiation stages. Our data indicate that integrin function affects connexin expression in cardiomyocytes via direct effects on RhoA-dependent signaling mechanisms at early differentiation stages and of beta-catenin/Wnt-dependent pathways at advanced stages.


PURPOSE
To determine the effect of amniotic membrane-conditioned medium (AMCM), via insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 induction, on human corneal epithelial cell (HCEC) proliferation.

METHODS
HCECs were cultured from corneal limbal tissue with supplemented hormonal epithelial medium (SHEM). After administration of AMCM, cell proliferation was evaluated with an MTT assay and DNA synthesis with methyl-[(3)H]-thymidine incorporation assay. RT-PCR and Western immunoblot analyses were performed, to determine potential inducible factors that may be associated with AMCM-induced cell proliferation. Neutralizing anti-IGF-1 antibody and small interfering (si)RNA were also used to clarify the role of IGF-1 in AMCM-induced HCEC proliferation.

RESULTS
HCEC proliferation increased after AMCM treatment. Of the cytokines known to be associated with HCEC proliferation, only IGF-1 expression was upregulated in response to AMCM in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The IGF-1 induction effect was found on both AMCM from live AM and from cryopreserved AM. HCEC proliferation was also increased by addition of exogenous IGF-1. AMCM-induced HCEC proliferation was inhibited in the presence of neutralizing anti-IGF-1 antibody and IGF-1 siRNA. Finally, Akt phosphorylation was increased in HCECs after AMCM treatment and was inhibited by IGF-1 siRNA.

CONCLUSIONS
IGF-1 is induced by AMCM during HCEC proliferation, and this induction may play an important role in the amniotic membrane during HCEC proliferation and migration in several intractable corneal epithelial defects.


A new unsymmetrical photochromic diarylethene 1-[2,5-dimethyl-3-thienyl]-2-[3,5-difluorophenyl]perfluoroyclopentene (1a) was synthesized, its photochromic, fluorescent and optical strorage properties were examined, the result indicated that the diarylethene 1a changed the color from colorless to purple upon irradiation with 313 nm UV light, in which absorption maxima were observed at 542nm and 556nm in hexane and PMMA film, respectively. This new photochromic system exhibited remarkable fluorescence intensity and clear fluorescent switches by photoirradiation in PMMA film. The results showed that the cyclization/cycloreversion process of the compound was determined to be the zeroth/first order reaction. This new photochromic system also exhibited remarkable optical storage character.


In this letter, we propose a new metric for energy-efficient cooperative transmission in wireless sensor networks (WSN) where the circuit energy consumption is taken into consideration. Under the guide of the new metric, we optimize the energy consumption per unit transmit distance by selecting the appropriate number of cooperative nodes and the transmit energy consumption. In this way, we provide a new point of view to achieve the energy-efficient cooperative transmission, and the proposed metric can be applied in clustered multi-hop sensor networks to transmit data to an appropriate next relay cluster far away from the former cluster.


Background Most of the world's people live in developing countries yet there has been limited application of scientific methods of injury control in many of them. Traditional cultural and religious values can act as a barrier to health-promoting and injury prevention behaviours, in general and especially in relation to road safety, and may also contribute to risk-taking behaviours. Such beliefs, including fatalism and superstition, can present significant challenges for health advocates who aim to change behaviour in order to avert road crashes and diminish their consequences. Methods Qualitative research was undertaken in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore in Pakistan with a range of drivers, religious orators, police and policy makers to explore cultural and religious beliefs and their association with risky road use, and to understand how they might affect development of road safety interventions. Results Overall, findings indicated a variety of strongly-held religious and cultural beliefs (such as fatalism and superstition), many that were non-scientific in nature, about road crash causation and ways in which people protect against harm on the road. The findings highlight a range of issues, including the identification of aspects of beliefs that have complex social implications when designing safety intervention strategies. The pervasive nature of such beliefs can affect road user behaviour by reinforcing the presumption that the individual has no part to play in safety, thereby supporting continued risk taking behaviours. Conclusions The mechanisms of culture and religion should be taken into account when trying to change attitudes and behaviours relating to public health. For effective road safety interventions in developing countries, it is important to understand the prevailing cultural and social beliefs towards road crashes which influence behaviour and thereby preventive measures and responses to interventions adapted from developed countries.


Walking a straight line or steering a car down a road may seem effortless, but your brain has to perform a difficult computation to keep you on course. The images of oncoming objects provide a clue to where you are headed, because their images appear to expand from a central point. But that point doesn't stay fixed on your retina, because your eyes are continually moving about. Results reported on page 1544 by a research team help explain how the brain compensates: The researchers have found individual neurons that combine visual information with information about eye movements to calculate the correct heading.


We report here radiocarbon measurements of monkey eye lens nucleus proteins and a narwhal tusk, biological tissues which have sampled the bomb radiocarbon signal in different ways. The results confirm the metabolic inertness of eye lens nucleus proteins and demonstrate the feasibility of measuring radiocarbon in small samples of biological tissue using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The narwhal tusk provides a unique record of the radiocarbon activity in Arctic Ocean waters over most of the 20th cen-


A series of four articles on the "other side" of the brain has been published in this journal by Dr. Joseph Bogen and his colleagues (1, 2, 3, 4). The first three of these are rapidly becoming minor classics for those of us interested in hemispheric specialization. However, the fourth article reports a combination of sociologic and neurologic observations which, in our opinion, are misinterpreted. This misinterpretation stems primarily from the use of inappropriate statistical procedures and the misleading characteristics of a variable which is comprised of a ratio of two other variables (i.e. the A/P ratio). In short, we argue that the sociologic data presented (4) are not consistent with the constant sum model of hemisphericity discussed in that paper. An alternative model is discussed.


Increased demand for timber, the reduction in the available timber resources, and more frequent and severe forest fires under a changing climate have increased the use of salvage logging in North American forests despite concerns regarding impacts on biodiversity and long-term forest productivity. We aimed to complement previous approaches that used bird species richness or individual abundance in salvage-logged habitats to assess the sustainability of this practice. We looked for commonalities in the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic components of bird assemblages among these three post-disturbance habitats across a broad geographic range. We compiled six North American datasets selected from primary and grey literature that documented species composition of avian assemblages in habitats after recent fire, post-fire salvage logging, and traditional logging. Our results revealed contrasting patterns of bird trait assemblage among burned, post-fire salvage, and traditionally logged habitats. In salvage-logged habitats, taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and functional and phylogenetic redundancy were significantly lower than in both burned and traditionally logged habitats. The frequency of insectivores was significantly lower after salvage logging than after both fire and traditional logging. These findings suggest that cumulative disturbances have a negative effect on early assembly of bird communities. The outcomes of this study encourage further assessments, at landscape level, of salvage logging intensity, burn size, and fire severity on bird functional structure to better plan for their conservation.


The effects of microwave (180, 360, 540, 720 and 900 W), convective (100, 160 and 220 °C), and combined microwave (180 and 540 W) and convective drying (100, 160 and 220 °C) on drying time, drying rate and color degradation of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) leaves were investigated. The drying data were applied to nine different mathematical models, namely, the Newton, Page, Henderson and Pabis, Logarithmic, Wang and Singh, Diffusion Approach, Verma, Two-Term Exponential and the Midilli-Kucuk Equation Model. The performances of these models were compared based on the coefficient of determination (R²), the standard error of estimate (SEE) and the residual sum of squares (RSS), between the observed and predicted moisture ratios. The Midilli-Kucuk model described the drying curve best in all drying methods (R²= 0.9996–1.0000, SEE = 0.0014–0.0208, RSS = 0.0001–0.0047). After the drying process, the color of the samples was determined in terms of CIE L*, a*, b*, Chroma* and α values. The color quality of products dried using 180 W microwave drying alone, 160 °C convective drying alone, or combined microwave-convective drying 180 W-100 °C was the best compared with that of the other treatments. Key Words: color, drying, modelling, Portulaca oleracea L., purslane


The paper describes the design of a novel multimodal corpus of spontaneous multiparty conversations in Swedish. The corpus is collected with the primary goal of investigating the role of breathing and its perceptual cues for interactive control of interaction. Physiological correlates of breathing are captured by means of respiratory belts, which measure changes in cross sectional area of the rib cage and the abdomen. Additionally, auditory and visual correlates of breathing are recorded in parallel to the actual conversations. The corpus allows studying respiratory mechanisms underlying organisation of spontaneous conversation, especially in connection with turn management. As such, it is a valuable resource both for fundamental research and speech techonology applications.


In the present paper, we finalize some threads in our investigations into the effects of chain-length-dependent propagation (CLDP) on radical polymerization kinetics, confirming all our previous conclusions. Additionally, and more significantly, we uncover some unexpected and striking effects of chain-length-dependent chain transfer (CLDTr). It is found that the observed overall rate coefficients for propagation and termination (and therefore the rate of polymerization) are not significantly affected by whether or not chain transfer is chain-length dependent. However, this situation is different when considering the molecular weight distributions of the resulting polymers. In the case of chain-length-independent chain transfer, CLDP results in a considerable narrowing of the distribution at the low molecular weight side of the distribution in a chain-transfer controlled system. However, the inclusion of both CLDP and CLDTr yields identical results to classical kinetics – in these latter two cases, the molecular weight distribution is governed by the same chain-length-independent chain transfer constant, whereas in the case of CLDP only, it is governed by a chain-length-dependent chain transfer constant that decreases with decreasing chain length, thus enhancing the probability of propagation for short radicals. Furthermore, it is shown that the inclusion of a very slow first addition step has tremendous effects on the observed kinetics, increasing the primary radical concentration and thereby the overall termination rate coefficient dramatically. However, including possible penultimate unit effects does not significantly affect the overall picture and can be ignored for the time being. Lastly, we explore the prospects of using molecular weight distributions to probe the phenomena of CLDP and CLDTr. Again, some interesting insights follow.


Aging refers to progressive physiological changes in a cell, an organ, or the whole body of an individual, over time. Aging-related diseases are highly prevalent and could impact an individual's physical health. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) methods have been used to predict aging-related diseases and issues, aiding clinical providers in decision-making based on patient's medical records. Deep learning (DL), as one of the most recent generations of AI technologies, has embraced rapid progress in the early prediction and classification of aging-related issues. In this paper, a scoping review of publications using DL approaches to predict common aging-related diseases (such as age-related macular degeneration, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, arthritis, Alzheimer's and lifestyle patterns related to disease progression), was performed. Google Scholar, IEEE and PubMed are used to search DL papers on common aging-related issues published between January 2017 and August 2021. These papers were reviewed, evaluated, and the findings were summarized. Overall, 34 studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies indicate that DL could help clinicians in diagnosing disease at its early stages by mapping diagnostic predictions into observable clinical presentations; and achieving high predictive performance (e.g., more than 90% accurate predictions of diseases in aging).


Introduction The foundational concepts of early intervention are: family-centered and relationship-based practices, natural environments, child learning, adult learning, and quality team practices (Pletcher & Younggren, 2013). In this literature review, the authors consider the application of these concepts to services provided to families of infants and toddlers with visual impairments (that is, those with blindness or low vision) by vision professionals. Methods Three databases (ERIC, ProQuest, and PsychINFO) were used to search for articles from 1997 to 2016, focusing specifically on infants and toddlers with visual impairments. Twenty-seven articles met the criteria for inclusion in the review. Results Family-centered practices are valued by virtually all researchers in the field of visual impairment. Practices that promote parent-child relationships are especially important, given the specialized needs for early communication and the development of strong social relationships. Concerning the natural environment, commentators from the field of visual impairment are critical of federal definitions of natural environments; however, a broader definition of natural environments is supported. Child and adult learning are viewed as important for the promotion of positive outcomes for children and families who receive early intervention services, as is practice that promotes the formation of quality teams. Discussion The foundational concepts of early intervention (Pletcher & Younggren, 2013) have applicability to professionals working with infants and toddlers with visual impairments and their families. Research supports these concepts as beneficial in achieving positive child and family outcomes. Implications for practitioners Pre-service and in-service training programs for visual impairment should include early intervention principles and concepts in a manner that prepares the workforce to address the unique needs of this population.


In this paper, I propose a general pricing framework that allows the risk−neutral dynamics of loss given default (L) and default probabilities (λ) to be separately and sequentially discovered. The key is to exploit the differentials in L exhibited by different securities on the same underlying firm. By using equity and option data, I show that one can efficiently extract pure measures of λ that are not contaminated by recovery information. Equipped with this knowledge of pure default dynamics, prices of any defaultable security on the same firm with non-zero recovery can be inverted to compute the associated L corresponding to that particular security. Using data on credit default swap premiums, I show that, crosssectionally, λ and L are positively correlated. In particular, this positive correlation is strongly driven by firms' characteristics, including leverage, volatility, profitability and qratio. For example, 1% increase in leverage leads to .14% increase in λ and .60% increase in L.


It is an established fact that the mineral constituents of cow's milk are not so well utilized by infants as are those of breast milk. This fact, however, seems to have been based largely on investigations in which different infants were employed as subjects for the experiments on the two kinds of milk. It is a matter of surprise, on going through the literature, to see how little has been written regarding the mineral metabolism in the same infant fed on the two kinds of milk. Since the constitution of normal people is known to vary to a certain extent with different persons, the difference in the utilization of the mineral constituents of the two milks may be owing not only to the nature of the milk, but to the constitutional differences of the individual infants. In order to determine whether there is any difference in the utilization of mineral


Line intensity mapping (LIM) is an emerging technique with a unique potential to probe a wide range of scales and redshifts. Realizing the full potential of LIM, however, relies on accurate modeling of the signal. We introduce an extended halo model for the power spectrum of intensity fluctuations of CO rotational lines and [CII] fine transition line in real space, modeling nonlinearities in matter fluctuations and biasing relation between the line intensity fluctuations and the underlying dark matter distribution. We also compute the stochastic contributions beyond the Poisson approximation using the halo model framework. To establish the accuracy of the model, we create the first cosmological-scale simulations of CO and [CII] intensity maps, MithraLIMSims, at redshifts 0.5 ≤ z≤6, using halo catalogs from Hidden-Valley simulations, and painting halos according to mass-redshift-luminosity relations for each line. We show that at z=1 on scales kmax≲ 0.8 Mpc-11h, the model predictions of clustering power (with only two free parameters) are in agreement with the measured power spectrum at better than 5%. At higher redshift of z=4.5, this remarkable agreement extends to smaller scale of kmax≲ 2 Mpc-11h. Furthermore, we show that on large scales, the stochastic contributions to CO and CII power spectra are non-Poissonian, with amplitudes reproduced reasonably well by the halo model prescription. Lastly, we assess the performance of the theoretical model of the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) and show that hypothetical LIM surveys probing CO lines at z=1, that can be deployed within this decade, will be able to make a high significance measurement of the BAO. On a longer time scale, a space-based mission probing [CII] line can uniquely measure the BAO on a wide range of redshifts at an unprecedented precision.


Increasing evidence suggests that microRNAs are intimately involved in the pathophysiology of heart failure. MicroRNA-22 (miR-22) is a muscle-enriched miRNA required for optimum cardiac gene transcription and adaptation to hemodynamic stress by pressure overload in mice. Recent evidence also suggests that miR-22 induces hypertrophic growth and it is oftentimes upregulated in end stage heart failure. However the scope of mRNA targets and networks of miR-22 in the heart failure remained unclear. We analyzed transgenic mice with enhanced levels of miR-22 expression in adult cardiomyocytes to identify important pathophysiologic targets of miR-22. Our data shows that forced expression of miR-22 induces a pro-hypertrophic gene expression program, and it elicits contractile dysfunction leading to cardiac dilation and heart failure. Increased expression of miR-22 impairs the Ca2+ transient, Ca2+ loading into the sarcoplasmic reticulum plus it interferes with transcription of estrogen related receptor (ERR) and PPAR downstream genes. Mechanistically, miR-22 postranscriptionally inhibits peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α), PPARα and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression via a synergistic circuit, which may account for deleterious actions of unchecked miR-22 expression on the heart.


While pressures were recorded separately from the four chambers of the heart in openchest dog preparations, together with a standard limb lead of the ECG, the right and left stellate ganglia were stimulated. Measurements from the beginning of the P wave to the initial rise in chamber pressures revealed that pressure in the left ventricle began to rise approximately 20 msec prior to that in the right ventricle. This interval was significantly shortened during electrical stimulation of the stellate ganglion. Although the interval between P wave and the initial pressure elevations in the right atrium (RA) and the left atrium (LA) both shortened during stellate stimulation, P-RA decreased considerably more than P-LA. The P wave, PR interval, and the QRS complex all shortened markedly, indicating increased conduction velocity over the atria, the nodal conducting tissue, and the ventricles during stellate stimulation. These events occurred with or without alterations in heart rate and were correlated with large increases in the rate of change of ventricular pressures. Simple algebraic summation of individual muscle segment contractions may achieve significantly greater intraventricular pressure as the contractions become more synchronous. The total pressure developed is further augmented when each individual unit contracts with greater force and greater velocity. The recruitment of additional functional units would result in further summation and thus in still greater augmentation in total force and pressure. Alterations in pacemaker site are common during stellate stimulation.


In this study, impact of the real effective exchange rate (REER) and its volatility (REERV) on Turkey's agricultural foreign trade was investigated. 25importantcountries in agricultural trade of Turkey and 1990-2012 periods were examined, and panel data analysis was used in this research. IGARCH model was applied to obtain for the REERV. Influence of the REER and REERV on Turkey's agricultural trade was analyzed whit FMOLS model both individual country and groups panel. According to the results of FMOLS model; It was determined that Turkey agricultural import (7.61%) and export (2.24%) were increased when the REER was risen about 1%. The agricultural import was decreased 18.83% in case the REERV was increased 1%. On the other hand, when the REERV was increased around 1%, there was no significantly relationship between agricultural export and REERV. As a result, it can be stated that REER and REERV were caused an imbalance on Turkey's agricultural foreign trade. Agricultural producers and industrialists are often adversely affected by the REERV. For these reasons, it is important to take protective measures for them.


Philosophers of mind typically conduct their discussions in terms of mental events, mental processes, mental properties, mental states—but rarely in terms of minds themselves. Sometimes this neglect is explicity acknowledged. Donald Davidson, for example, writes that 'there are no such things as minds, but people have mental properties, which is to say that certain psychological predicates are true of them. These properties are constantly changing, and such changes are mental events'. Hilary Putnam agrees, though for somewhat different reasons: The view I have long defended is that the mind is not a thing, talk of our minds is talk of World-involving capabilities that we have and activities that we engage in. As Dewey succinctly put it, 'Mind is primarily a verb. It denotes all the ways in which we deal consciously and expressly with the situation in which we find ourseleves. Unfortunately, an influential manner of thinking has changed modes of action into an underlying substance that performs the activities in question. It has treated mind as an independent entity which attends, purposes, cares and remembers'. But the traditional view, by treating mental states as states of the 'underlying substance', makes them properties of something 'inside', and, if one is a materialist philosopher, that means properties of our brains. So the next problem naturally seems to be: 'Which neurological properties of our brains do these mental properties "reduce" to?' For how could our brains have properties that aren't neurological? And this is how materialist philosphers saw the problem until the advent of such new alternatives in the philosophy of mind and philosophy of language as Functionalism and Semantic Externalism.


Co-Ni alloys exhibit g(fcc)®e(hcp) martensitic transformation and show reversible induced strain under applied magnetic field, which means they are potential magneto-shape-memory materials. Polystalline of Co-Ni alloys with varied Ni content were prepared. The g(fcc)®e(hcp) martensitic transformation and shape memory effect (SME) of Co-Ni alloy were studied. The influences of Ni content and deformation temperature on SME were discussed. The shape recovery rate and recoverable strain decrease with the increase of Ni content.


Nitrogen losses from the agricultural systems not only reduce crop yields, but could also impose adverse effects on environment. Although there is no quick fix to immediately reduce these losses; however, improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) through controlled mineralization would be helpful for sustainable management of the losses. This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of nitrogen (N) application and sorghum mulch on the performance and NUE of barley under different cropping systems. Barley was planted in fallow, maize and alfalfa vacated fields. Nitrogen was applied at 0, 50 and 100 kg N ha -1 with or without sorghum mulch under maize-barley, alfalfa-barley and fallow-barley cropping systems. The contribution of soil N from the preceding crop had a considerable influence on the productivity of barley. Barley grain yield was higher in maize-barley cropping system than fallow-barley and alfalfa-barley cropping systems. Application of N at 50 kg ha -1 had the highest agronomic NUE, which declined with further increase in N, indicating its potential loss to the environment. However, production efficiency, sink capacity, and economic profitability were higher from N application at 100 kg ha -1 . Although there was no significant influence of sorghum mulch on the barley productivity, it helped to reduce the nitrification rate, as more NH4 + and less NO3 contents were noted with mulch application. The study reports useful information about the potential use of sorghum mulch for suppression of nitrification. However, high cost associated with mulch may render it unacceptable to farmers, unless favorable price policy is devised. © 2018 Friends Science Publishers


Engineered nanomaterial (ENM) use has proliferated in research, manufacturing, and in consumer products. Material exchange with the environment is ongoing and inevitable, and thus it is crucial to understand the fates and effects of ENMs in ecological systems. Expecting that ecological fates and effects of ENMs will vary with ENM chemistry and characteristics under various environmental conditions, an important outcome of nano-ecotoxicological research is to guide the future safe development of ENMs. The mission of the University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN) is to insure that nanotechnology is introduced and implemented in a responsible and environmentally-compatible manner to allow the U.S. and the international community to leverage the benefits of nanotechnology for global economic and social benefit. To elicit understanding that is environmentally-relevant and transferable, UC CEIN members are conducting coordinated research to simultaneously address: mechanisms of ENM effects on cells and organisms, origins and manifestation of effects in several representative complex biological systems involving multiple trophic levels, and modeling frameworks for quantitatively extrapolating results from controlled, individual studies to other ENM-biological system contexts. In this presentation, research results from within the UC CEIN are reported, demonstrating both the value of the research perspective and efficacies of the approaches. Partnerships within and external to the UC CEIN define and provide: EMNs that are societally-relevant and that build upon industrial ENM formulations for specific hypothesis testing, insights into ENM physicochemical behaviors within ecological experiments, high throughput facilities for rapid and deep hypothesis testing, and an integrative fate and effects modeling framework whose results can be used in risk ranking. The essentiality of these partnerships is demonstrated by ecotoxicological results thus far for model ecological systems.


We address the question of charge delocalization in amorphous and crystalline fullerene solids by performing state of the art calculations encompassing force-field molecular dynamics, microelectrostatic and quantum-chemical methods. The solution of a tight-binding model built from spatially (down to atomistic scale) and time (down to fs) resolved calculations yields the density of electronic states for the charge carriers and their energy-dependent intermolecular delocalization. Both pristine C60 and the soluble PC61BM/PC71BM acceptors may sustain high-energy states that spread over a few tens of molecules irrespective of morphology, yet electrostatic disorder (mostly dipolar and static in nature) makes the thermally available electron states collapse to hardly more than one molecule in PC61BM/PC71BM, while it has a much more limited impact in the case of the bare C60. Implications of these results for charge transport and exciton dissociation at donor–fullerene interfaces are discussed.


In this work, Silver nanoparticles prepared by arc discharge method in deionized water by applying stablized direct current between two silver rods which are submerged in deionized water at room temperature without any heat exchanger, vacuum equipment and gas handling equipment. During electrical discharge the temperature between electrodes can reach several thousand Celsius degrees. This leads to etch of silver electrodes in deionized water, silver vapor condensed in water creats a stable silver aqueous suspension. The silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Visible photometer, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Atomic Force Microscope AFM. The optical absorption measurement shows that the spectrum exhibits a Plasmon absorption band at ~ 400 nm which is the characteristic of silver nanoparticles. X-Ray Diffraction of the resulting NPs indicated that the particles had a crystalline structure and the average particle size determined from AFM, is about 78.75 nm.


The capacity to detect remnants of fire usage in archaeological sites, along with a better understanding of its use by prehistoric populations, can help us to shed light on hominin cognition, social organization, and technology. The application of phytolith studies to understand fire and its use can be widely applicable since plants typically contain phytoliths that are identifiable to different taxonomic levels. Pinnacle Point 13B (PP13B) is one of several South African Middle Stone Age (MSA) sites that shows an abundant presence of lenses of burnt material and intact hearths. Phytolith analyses at PP13B have been used to identify the types of plants used as fuel in the hearths. The phytoliths overall show high levels of alteration, and varying alteration is used to identify areas with higher alkaline conditions related to dripping water. In some areas of the site, there is excellent preservation of multicellular structures from the epidermal leaves of dicotyledonous plants, suggesting in situ structures with practically no chemical or post‐depositional alteration. A notable pattern is the abundance of dicotyledonous leaves from the rear of the cave, which might indicate specific leaf‐fuels for the fires, short‐term fire activities, or other actions such as cooking.


This paper deals with flow investigations using endoscopes in a single-injector reduced scale Pelton turbine performed with a CMOS high-speed camera. Both onboard and external visualizations techniques of the flow in a bucket are presented. The flow observations evidence the unsteadiness of the successive steps of jet/bucket interaction, free surface flow development and evolution throughout the bucket duty cycle.


Introduction Sri Lanka's conflict that has been escalating since January 2009 has come to an end. The resettlement process in continuing and has reached the last stages with the majority of the IDPs being resettled. Anaemia is a global public health problem affecting both developing and developed countries with major consequences for human health as well as social and economic development. No study of the levels of haemoglobin in the Northern Province has been published. Objective Our main objective was to estimate anaemia prevalence among the resettled population of the Mannar district. Methodology The district of Mannar is situated in the Northern Province Sri Lanka. Study was carried out in Adampan public health midwife (PHM) area, Vidatalativu East PHM and Vidatalativu West PHM area. These areas were randomly selected PHM areas from the resettlement areas in Mannar. Sample size was selected as a 25% of the population. Simple random sampling method was done, house holds were randomised. Two members were invited from each house hold. Results There are 87 participants from all three areas. 48 (55%) were females. 15 (17%) were children. In our study we found 79% (n=27, 95% CI 11.6 to 12.7, SD 1.58) of men are anaemic and 60% (n=23, 95% CI 11.0 to 12.0, SD 1.4) of women are anaemic. In children 53% (n=8, 95% CI 10.6 to 12.3, SD 1.54) of them are anaemic. Conclusions According to the previous studies in Sri Lanka this small study shows very high prevalence of anaemia among these resettled populations.


In 2010, Myanmar (Burma) held its first elections after 22 years of direct military rule. Few compelling explanations for this regime transition have emerged. This article critiques popular accounts and potential explanations generated by theories of authoritarian "regime breakdown" and "regime maintenance". It returns instead to the classical literature on military intervention and withdrawal. Military regimes, when not terminated by internal factionalism or external unrest, typically liberalize once they feel they have sufficiently addressed the crises that prompted their seizure of power. This was the case in Myanmar. The military intervened for fear that political unrest and ethnic-minority separatist insurgencies would destroy Myanmar's always-fragile territorial integrity and sovereignty. Far from suddenly liberalizing in 2010, the regime sought to create a "disciplined democracy" to safeguard its preferred social and political order twice before, but was thwarted by societal opposition. Its success in 2010 stemmed from a strategy of coercive state-building and economic incorporation via "ceasefire capitalism", which weakened and co-opted much of the opposition. Having altered the balance of forces in its favour, the regime felt sufficiently confident to impose its preferred settlement. However, the transition neither reflected total "victory" for the military nor secured a genuine or lasting peace.


A simple and rapid flow-injection spectrophotometric method for the determination of iron(III) and total iron is proposed. The method is based on the reaction between iron(III) and O-acetylsalicylhydroxamic acid (AcSHA) in a 2 % methanol solution resulting in an intense violet complex with strong absorption at 475 nm. Optimum conditions for the determination of iron(III) and the interfering ions were tested. The relative standard deviation for the determination of 5 μg L−1 iron(III) was 0.85 % (n = 10), and the limit of detection (blank signal plus three times the standard deviation of the blank) was 0.5 μg L−1, both based on the injection volumes of 20 μL. The method was successfully applied in the determination of iron(III) and total iron in water and ore samples. The method was verified by analysing a certified reference material Zn/Al/Cu 43XZ3F and also by the AAS method.


Facilities management continues to expand and develop in terms of the
volume and diversity of commercial activity, with a significant influence upon
organisational success and goal achievement. The two previous editions of
Facilities Management have become established as key sources for all facilities
management courses and forward thinking facilities managers, providing a strong blend of research-informed opportunities and practical, balanced advice for strategically orientated practitioners. This third edition builds on those foundations, focussing on the driving idea that excellent facilities management demands a responsive and dynamic approach to the positive impacts facilities can have on users operating within a world in flux. Within this overarching theme the book considers numerous contemporary issues facing facilities managers, within a framework that covers organisation, technology and process.


: The article presents characteristics and prevalence of EKG changes among sportsmen of high qualification. A new interpretation of such changes is given in the article. EKG data had been compared with the dynamics of sports results. It was established that ECG carried out in a group of professionals was not of sufficient diagnostic value. Differential diagnostics of ECG changes may be practiced with a wide use of current stress pharmacological testing, modern methods of ECG monitoring, echocardiography with Doppler analysis, stress-echocardiography under physical activity, assessment of variability of the cardiac rate.


In designing personalized ranking algorithms, it is desirable to encourage a high precision at the top of the ranked list. Existing methods either seek a smooth convex surrogate for a non-smooth ranking metric or directly modify updating procedures to encourage top accuracy. In this work we point out that these methods do not scale well in a large-scale setting, and this is partly due to the inaccurate pointwise or pairwise rank estimation. We propose a new framework for personalized ranking. It uses batch-based rank estimators and smooth rank-sensitive loss functions. This new batch learning framework leads to more stable and accurate rank approximations compared to previous work. Moreover, it enables explicit use of parallel computation to speed up training. We conduct empirical evaluations on three item recommendation tasks, and our method shows a consistent accuracy improvement over current state-of-the-art methods. Additionally, we observe time efficiency advantages when data scale increases.


Although conflicts most often occur between groups, research and theory on conflict management and negotiation have largely focused on the interpersonal system and ignored how groups negotiate a solution to their intergroup conflict. Thus we have a thorough understanding of the motivational, cognitive, and affective processes underlying the development of high quality solutions in interpersonal negotiation, but we know little about the extent to which these insights can be comfortably generalized to intergroup settings. Likewise, the large volume of work on intergroup perceptions and intergroup relations has much to say about intergroup negotiation, but these research areas have rarely been connected and produced systematic analysis. The current Special Issue presents research on these topics and aims at promoting cross-talk between negotiation researchers and social psychologists in the intergroup relation domain.


Molecule-substrate interaction channels of metal-phthalocyanines (MPcs, including NiPc, CuPc, ZnPc, FePc, and CoPc) on graphene on Ni(111) were investigated by employing high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). Except the expected IR-active modes, some Raman-active modes were also observed in all of MPcs, which are considered in this study. From the origination of the Raman-active features, it was deduced that MPcs are coupled with the substrate mainly through their central metal atom. The Raman-active modes appear as symmetric peaks in the HREELS in the case of MPcs with Ni, Cu, and Zn, whereas they are asymmetric and appear as a Fano line shape in the case of MPcs with Fe and Co. This spectroscopic difference indicates that the molecule-substrate coupling is completely different in the two cases mentioned above. The molecule-substrate interaction strength is considerably weak and comparable with the π-π interaction between molecules in the case of MPcs with Ni, Cu, and Zn, whereas it is much stronger in the case of MPcs with Fe and Co. From the HREELS observations, it can be suggested that the whole molecule can be effectively decoupled from the underneath Ni(111) by inserting a single layer of graphene between them in the case of MPcs with Ni, Cu, and Zn, whereas only benzene rings can be completely decoupled in the case of MPcs with Fe and Co.


This study of four of Keats's greatest poems explores a dynamic pattern in the poet's imagination: a relationship between the oral/fusional imagery and the romantic/oedipal themes. The poet's imagination seems to have been propelled backward from oedipal conflict to earlier narcissistic/oral unrest and pleasure. There is a layering of special psychic capabilities evident in Keats's imagination: an element of oedipal romance which stabilizes the process of sublimation, a sense of magical play and danger in the maternal/oral imagery, and powerful narcissistic longins organized through the desire to communicate and the gift for expression.


On-section immunocytochemistry is divided into two parts: (i) processing of biological tissue for section microscopy and (ii) immunolabelling of sections. Many of the more successful microscopical methods employ delicate aldehyde fixation of biological tissue followed by "sympathetic" processing into an acrylic resin. Processing regimens do not have to be complicated. Simple and cost effective room temperature protocols utilising partial dehydration have been devised and they can be as effective as the more complex low temperature techniques in preserving both ultrastructure and antigenic reactivity. The embedded material can be investigated by either light or electron microscopy. Frozen sections can be cut and immunolabelled but only if the tissue is chemically fixed first, as in resin embedding. Fixation with low concentrations of aldehyde will normally better preserve tissue immunoreactivity but this may be at the expense of good ultrastructure with these protocols. If so, low temperature resin embedding methods or rapid freezing and cryosubstitution can be tried. The choice of processing protocol will determine which acrylic resin to use, as will the preference for subsequent immunolabelling with either colloidal gold or peroxidase/diaminobenzidine (DAB). Both types of labelling system offer advantages to localisation studies and can be used in combination for double or even triple labelling. Silver enhancement of the colloidal gold or DAB allows for improved observation by light microscopy.


We argue that three environmental trends have created a need for new tools to help managerial decision-making: [i.] an expansion of existing command and control directives; [ii.] the introduction of market-based policy instruments; and [iii.] the adoption of Extended Producer Responsibility. To address this need, we develop a non-linear mathematical programming model from a profit-maximizing firm's perspective, which can be tailored as a decision-support tool for firms facing environmental goals and constraints. We typify our approach using the specific context of diesel engine manufacturing and remanufacturing. Our model constructs are based on detailed interviews with top managers from two leading competitors in the medium and heavy-duty diesel engine industry. The approach allows the incorporation of traditional operations planning considerations - specifically capacity, production, and inventory, together with environmental considerations that range from product design, through production, to product end-of-life. A current hurdle to implementing such a model is the availability of input data. We therefore highlight the need to not only involve all departments within businesses, but also for industrial ecologists and business managers to work together in order to be able to implement meaningful decision models based on accurate and timely data and with the potential to have positive economic and environmental impact.


The experiment aimed to evaluate the optimal level of fermented blood meal used in grow-out diets for tiger grouper, as an alternative protein source to fish meal. Juvenile tiger grouper, initial weight 31.1 ± 2.1 g, were stocked into 1 m x 1 m x 2 m floating net cages at 20 fish cage-1. The treatment applied was isoprotein and isocaloric diets formulated to contain fermented blood meal (FBM) of 0%, 7.5%, 15.0%, 22.5%, and 30.0% replacement of fish meal protein. The diets were fed to the fish twice a day to satiation for 20 weeks. Based on the Tukey test, the fish fed 0%–15.0% FBM demonstrated similar performance (P>0.05) to those fed the control diet (FBM0) in terms of specific growth rate, weight gain, and feed and protein efficiency. Specific growth rate, weight gain, feed efficiency and protein efficiency of the fish fed 22.5%–30.5% FBM were significantly lower (P<0.05) than those of the fish fed control diet (FBM0). However, there was a significant culvilinier decliner in overall fish performance with increasing inclusion of FPM and most notable for weight gain, feed efficiency and feed consumption. Based on regression analysis, the asymptote where fish growth deteriorates as a function of FBM inclusion was determined to be 8.9%. Tiger grouper diets incorporating up to 9% FBM as fish meal replacement had no adverse affects on fish growth and survival.


This volume represents a multi-disciplinary research effort into the development of basins of carboniferous to Tertiary age on the North West Seaboard of the British Isles and includes 30 contributions from oil company personnel, university research groups, consultants and geological surveys. The series of basins which stretches from west of Shetland to the west coast of Ireland constitutes one of the largest basin systems in Europe. Regions covered in this volume include the Hebrides, off-shore N Ireland/SW Scotland, onshore N Ireland, the Porcupine Basin and the Celtic Seas. All of these regions are attracting the attention of hydrocarbon exploration programmes and have already seen drilling activity. This interest is reflected in papers on basin burial and thermal histories, source rock potential, depositional models for reservoir rocks and diagenetic studies. Beyond the British Isles, papers are included on the NE Atlantic Seaway and the Canadian Margin, and several authors make comparisons between the Canadian and European Margins. The models and data reported in the volume will be of value to all concerned with an area which has an important future both in hydrocarbon exploration and in fundamental research into basin evolution.


Varicose veins may be due to weakness of the vein wall as a result of structural problems. There are conflicting findings in the literature about these problems especially concerning collagen, elastin and smooth muscle cells content. The aim of this study was to look at the structural abnormalities of varicose veins (with and without valvular incompetence). Materials and methods: We studied 70 specimens of long saphenous veins from 35 patients (24 with varicose and 11 with normal veins). Two specimens were taken from each vein approximately 3–4 cm from the saphenofemoral junction. Vein specimens were processed for histological and electron microscopic studies. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed to assess the degree of wall changes. Using the image analyzer, contents of collagen, elastin and smooth muscle cells, in addition to intimal and medial thickness, were measured. Results: Light microscopy revealed significant increase in intimal and medial thickness and collagen content of media and significant decrease in elastin content in varicose veins compared with normal veins. There was no statistical significant difference between varicose veins with and without saphenofemoral valve incompetence. Electron microscopy showed marked degenerative changes in intima and media of varicose veins. Conclusion: The findings in our study supported the theory of primary weakness of the vein wall as a cause of varicosity. This weakness is due to intimal changes, disturbance in the connective tissue components and smooth muscle cells. 2007 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.


The sense of hearing is the first most important sense among our five senses. The studies indicate hearing disability is more harmful to persons than visual disability, and their effects appear on their personal characteristics, such as linguistic, Social, Psychological and Academic. On the other hand, researchers in the field of deaf education agree that their mental abilities are normal and may exceed the normal level for some others. Hence, a deaf person with  good education can compete with a healthy individual, learn the same educational and vocational skills, and can even excel in that. With the global increase in the interest in people with special needs, the two researchers saw the need to shed light on the category of hearing disability and their potential inherent skills that must be exploited by providing appropriate educational conditions, and training programs to open the way for them to rely on themselves and meet their living requirements by setting up micro-projects that do not need large capital funds. The researchers have used the remnants of velvet fabrics in the designs of some flowers to enrich the home furnishings as it is one of the smoothest and softest fabrics among all other types of fabrics. Velvet fabrics are specially made and processed due to their distinctive properties. Velvet fabric is used in garments including pants, shirts and many more. It is also used in bed sheets, covers, curtains, etc. They are no less than silk in any reviews, whether they are glossy or matte. The velvet fabric, due to its high-quality look and price-fit, in addition to being non-reproducible which made it the most preferred fabric.  Research problem: What is the possibility of providing a training program for persons with hearing disability and deaf to develop their skill in producing home furnishings using velvet residue for the development of micro-projects? What is the possibility of benefiting from the remnants of velvet fabrics (velor) and recycling them in the production of some furniture pieces and home decoration accessories. To what extent are the aesthetic and functional values of the pieces executed to be used in the labor market achieved? How successful are the pieces executed from the specialists' point of view? Results: There are statistically significant differences between the average scores of trainees with hearing and health disabilities in the knowledge gained in implementing some furnishings and home decoration supplements Before and after training in favor of post-training, where the mean levels of tribal application (6.7) and standard deviation (2.09) and the average degrees of post-application (19.5) and standard deviation (2.99), and the value of "T" (30.58) and the level of significance (0.001), which indicates statistically significant differences between the two applications in the cognitive test in favor of the post-application.


STUDY QUESTION
Are the transmembrane mucins, MUC1, MUC4 and MUC16, differentially expressed in endometriosis compared with normal endometrium?

SUMMARY ANSWER
This study revealed that transmembrane mucin expression does not vary significantly in normal endometrium during the menstrual cycle and is not altered in endometriosis relative to the epithelial marker, cytokeratin-18 (KRT18).

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
Increased serum levels of the transmembrane mucin fragments MUC1, MUC4 and MUC16 that normally dominate the apical surface of simple epithelia are found in several pathological conditions, including endometriosis. Altered mucin expression in gynecologic diseases may promote infertility or endometrial pathologies.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
This was a laboratory-based study of samples from 12 endometriosis patients as well as non-endometriosis control samples obtained from 31 patients.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
Total RNA was isolated from endometrial biopsies of ectopic and eutopic endometrium from women with endometriosis and control patients from different stages of the menstrual cycle. Quantitative (q)-RT-PCR analyses were performed for the mucins, MUC1, MUC4 and MUC16, relative to the epithelial marker, cytokeratin-18 (KRT18), or β-actin (ACTB). Frozen sections from endometrial biopsies of proliferative and mid-secretory stage women with endometriosis were immunostained for MUC1, MUC4 and MUC16.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
qRT-PCR analyses of MUC1 and MUC16 mRNA revealed that these mucins do not vary significantly during the menstrual cycle nor are they altered in women with endometriosis relative to the epithelial marker, KRT18. MUC4 mRNA is expressed at very low levels relative to MUC1 and MUC16 under all conditions. There was little difference in MUC1 and MUC16 expression between eutopic endometrial and ectopic endometriotic tissues. MUC4 expression also was not significantly higher in the ectopic endometriotic tissues. Immunostaining for all three mucins reveals robust expression of MUC1 and MUC16 at the apical surfaces of endometrial epithelia, but little to no staining for MUC4.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
qRT-PCR analysis was the main method used for mucin detection. Additional studies with stage III-IV endometriotic tissue would be useful to determine if changes in MUC1 and MUC16 expression occur, or if MUC4 expression increases, at later stages of endometriosis.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
We report a comprehensive comparative profile of the major transmembrane mucins, MUC1, MUC4 and MUC16, relative to the epithelial marker, KRT18, in normal cycling endometrium and in endometriosis, and indicate constitutive expression. Previous studies have profiled the expression of individual mucins relative to β-actin and indicate accumulation in the luteal phase. Thus, these differences in interpretation appear to reflect the increased epithelial content of endometrium during the luteal phase.

STUDY FUNDING
This study was supported by: NIH R01HD29963 to D.D.C.; NIH U54HD007495 to S.M.H.; and NIH R01HD067721 to S.L.Y. and B.A.L. The authors have no competing interests to declare.


A number of fundamental milestones define the pace at which animals develop, mature, reproduce and age. These include the length of gestation, the age at weaning and at sexual maturity, the number of offspring produced over a lifetime and the length of life itself. Because a time-scale for dental development can be retrieved from the internal structure of teeth and many of these life-history variables tend to be highly correlated, we can discover more than might be imagined about fossil primates and more, in particular, about fossil hominids and our own evolutionary history. Some insights into the evolutionary processes underlying changes in dental development are emerging from a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling enamel and dentine formation. Our own 18–20-year period of growth and development probably evolved quite recently after ca 17 million years of a more ape-like life-history profile.


The design of various engineering structures, such as buildings, infrastructure, aircraft, ships, as well as microelectronic components and medical implants, must ensure an extremely low probability of failure during their service lifetime. Since such a low probability is beyond the means of histogram testing, we must rely on some physically based probabilistic model for the statistics of structural lifetime. Attention is focused on structures consisting of quasibrittle materials. These are brittle materials with inhomogeneities that are not negligible compared with the structure size, as exemplified by concrete, fiber composites, tough ceramics, rocks, sea ice, bone, wood, and many more at the micro- or nano-scale. This paper presents a finite weakest-link model of the fatigue lifetime of quasibrittle structures that fail at the fracture of one representative volume element (RVE). In this model, the probability distribution of critical stress amplitude is first derived by assuming a prescribed number of loading cycles and a fixed stress ratio. The probability distribution of fatigue lifetime is then deduced from the probability distribution of critical stress amplitude through the Paris law for fatigue crack growth. It is shown that the present theory matches well with the experimentally measured lifetime histograms of various engineering and dental ceramics, which systematically deviate from the two-parameter Weibull distribution. The theory indicates that the mean fatigue lifetime of quasibrittle structures must strongly depend on the structure size and geometry. Finally, the present model indicates that the probability distribution of fatigue lifetime can be determined from the mean size effect analysis.


E-tourism combines e-commerce and Information Technology (IT) in the tourism industry. It can be defined as the investigation, strategy, application and implementation of e-commerce solutions and IT in the travel, leisure, and tourism industry. Training is required to update the skills and knowledge of employees. This learning is mandatory for performance enhancement of job-related tasks. Training and development also strives to increase organisational commitment, which can be defined as an effective connection with the organisation that encourages the employee to work productively as well as to continue to work with the organisation. Organisational commitment can be characterised by the willingness of employees to contribute to the objectives of the organisation. Previous works in the literature have investigated e-training and development and its correlation with e-tourism performance. However, the impact of organisational commitment on the relationship between e-training and development and e-tourism performance, particularly in a virtual team setting, is not well understood. Therefore, this paper investigates the mediatory role of organisational commitment on e-training and IT project performance for virtual teams working in the e-tourism field. The primary objective of this paper is to prove that improvement in e-training and development and organisational commitment of e-tourism virtual teams will also improve the job performance of the virtual teams. This work is justified from the needs of current organisations that are embracing a more virtual working environment, with the aim of catering to detached workforces—internally and externally—that communicate through IT and thus further improve organisational performance. The results help determine whether or not e-training and development helps employee participation in training programs and their perceptions towards it. The findings also prove that organisational commitment is a crucial factor affecting the productivity and efficiency of employees in the workplace.


The present article recognizes the value of bilingualism as a tool to gain access
to globalization as the new world order. Three substantial concepts are involved:
bilingualism as such, maternal language and globalization. They are substantial
elements of a learning process that will allow us to enter and leave the great
village, which the world is becoming.


Isolation and identification of phosphorylated macromolecules is essential for the deconvolution of most biological regulatory networks. Koike and co-workers recently reported the application of a dinuclear zinc-(pyridylmethyl)amine complex to phosphate-specific affinity purifications and gave it the shorthand name "phos-tag". This complex is valuable for studying phosphorylation because it binds selectively to phosphate dianion in the presence of acidic functional groups at physiological pH, and because the binding is largely independent of molecular context. These properties of phos-tag recommend it for applications in phosphoproteomics, metabolomics, and nucleic acid biology. The catch has been that the molecule is difficult to make and prohibitively expensive to buy. Here, we describe an efficient and inexpensive synthesis of a phos-tag derivative with a versatile alkyne handle. The alkyne handle allows for attachment of phos-tag to alkyl azides via the copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction ("click chemistry"). We characterize the phosphate binding behavior of the new phos-tag derivative in a variety of experimental assays, including its conjugation to a fluorescent reporter, to acrylamide gels, and to sepharose chromatography resin. The synthesis we report should enable a broader use of phos-tag for phosphate-related biochemistry, as both an analytical and a preparative reagent.


Introduction. Parenting a child with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) is both practically and emotionally challenging. The condition brings difficulties in communication and social interaction, as well as abnormal behaviour patterns, all of which have an impact upon parents. Method. As part of a larger study, one hundred mothers of children with ASC were asked to complete several scales including the Family Adaptation and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES IV), and The Parenting Stress Index-Short form (PSI-SF). Results. The Parenting Stress Index scores showed that the mothers of the primary aged children felt very high levels of parental stress, and distress, while the mothers of secondary age children reported lesser levels. The FACES IV scores indicated that the sense of flexibility was higher in the mothers of adolescents, and that the families of girls were less cohesive than that of boys. Discussion. The highest level of parental stress was reported by the mothers of younger children, with the parenting of teenage girls being the most stressful. Conclusion. A family pattern which tends to seek smaller changes could reduce the sense of family distress that parents of children with ASC experience. As the children move into adolescence the mothers tend to feel less stressed, but less so for the mothers of teenage girls.


ABSTRACT Olympic athletes' training environments influence their abilities to develop and excel as Olympians. Our authors considered a Canadian trampoline training environment with a history of developing Olympic medal-winning athletes from the grassroots through to Olympic podium. The sport environment is presented, drawing upon guided walks, through a cursory description in accordance with the Environmental Success Factors model derived from a holistic ecological approach to talent development. This presentation of the Skyriders Training Environment (STE) reveals how environmental factors facilitate Olympic talent development culminating in the highest level of artistic sport performance.


As an alternative to variable selection or shrinkage in high-dimensional regression, we propose to randomly compress the predictors prior to analysis. This dramatically reduces storage and computational bottlenecks, performing well when the predictors can be projected to a low-dimensional linear subspace with minimal loss of information about the response. As opposed to existing Bayesian dimensionality reduction approaches, the exact posterior distribution conditional on the compressed data is available analytically, speeding up computation by many orders of magnitude while also bypassing robustness issues due to convergence and mixing problems with MCMC. Model averaging is used to reduce sensitivity to the random projection matrix, while accommodating uncertainty in the subspace dimension. Strong theoretical support is provided for the approach by showing near parametric convergence rates for the predictive density in the large p small n asymptotic paradigm. Practical performance relative to competitors is illustrated in simulations and real data applications.


This paper presents a simple end-to-end model for speech recognition, combining a convolutional network based acoustic model and a graph decoding. It is trained to output letters, with transcribed speech, without the need for force alignment of phonemes. We introduce an automatic segmentation criterion for training from sequence annotation without alignment that is on par with CTC (Graves et al., 2006) while being simpler. We show competitive results in word error rate on the Librispeech corpus (Panayotov et al., 2015) with MFCC features, and promising results from raw waveform.


Future smart vehicles will incorporate highdata- rate communications and high-resolution radar sensing capabilities operating in the millimeter- wave and higher frequencies. These two systems are preparing to share and reuse many common functionalities, such as steerable millimeter- wave antenna arrays. Motivated by this growing overlap, which is advanced further by space and cost constraints, the vehicular community is pursuing a vision of unified vehicular communications and radar sensing that represents a major paradigm shift for next-generation connected and self-driving cars. This article outlines a path to materialize this decisive transformation. We begin by reviewing the latest developments in hybrid vehicular communications and radar systems, and then propose a concept of unified channel access over millimeter-wave and higher frequencies. Our supporting system-level performance characterization relies upon real-life measurements and extensive ray-based modeling to confirm the significant improvements brought by our proposal to mitigating the interference and deafness effects. Since our results aim to open the door to unified vehicular communications and radar sensing, we conclude by outlining the potential research directions in this rapidly developing field.


Ever since the late 1990s, China has experienced explosive growth in consumer lending, especially in short-term consumer loans, among which, the growth rate of non-bank lending has surpassed bank lending due to the development in financial technology. On the other hand, China does not have a universal credit scoring and registration system that can guide lenders during the processes of credit evaluation and risk control, for example, an individual's bank credit records are not available for online lenders to see and vice versa. Given this context, the purpose of this paper is three-fold. First, we explore if and how alternative digital footprint data can be utilized to assess borrower's creditworthiness. Then, we perform a comparative analysis of machine learning methods for the canonical problem of credit default prediction. Finally, we analyze, from an institutional point of view, the necessity of establishing a viable and nationally universal credit registration and scoring system utilizing online digital footprints, so that more people in China can have better access to the consumption loan market.

Two different types of digital footprint data are utilized to match with bank's loan default records. Each separately captures distinct dimensions of a person's characteristics, such as his shopping patterns and certain aspects of his personality or inferred demographics revealed by social media features like profile image and nickname. We find both datasets can generate either acceptable or excellent prediction results, and different types of data tend to complement each other to get better performances. Typically, the traditional types of data banks normally use like income, occupation, and credit history, update over longer cycles, hence they can't reflect more immediate changes, like the financial status changes caused by business crisis; whereas digital footprints can update daily, weekly, or monthly, thus capable of providing a more comprehensive profile of the borrower's credit capabilities and risks. From the empirical and quantitative examination, we believe digital footprints can become an alternative information source for creditworthiness assessment, because of their near-universal data coverage, and because they can by and large resolve the "thin-file" issue, due to the fact that digital footprints come in much larger volume and higher frequency.


STUDY DESIGN
A retrospective review was conducted.

OBJECTIVE
To compare the accuracy of two objective radiographic techniques in identifying nonunion after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
The accuracy of diagnostic methods for detecting pseudarthrosis has been poorly documented. Radiographic criteria mentioned in the literature include perceived motion or change in the Cobb angles between the involved segments on flexion-extension views.

METHODS
The participants in this study were 27 patients with 29 cervical fusions ranging from one to three levels. Patients were examined and radiographs obtained. The mean follow-up period was 39 months. Two measurements were obtained from lateral flexion-extension radiographs: Cobb angle and the distance between the tips of the spinous processes of the surgically managed levels. The measurements were obtained independently by three physicians in a blinded fashion.

RESULTS
The reliability among the observers, as measured by Cronbach's alpha, was 0.95 for the spinous process method and 0.74 for the Cobb angle method. A measurement of more than 2 mm between spinous processes was noted in patients with a known pseudarthrosis. The Pearson correlation between pseudarthrosis and use of the spinous process method was 0.77 ( < 0.001). The Pearson correlation between pseudarthrosis and use of the Cobb angle method was 0.28 ( > 0.10). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the spinous process method was found to be 0.980, as compared with 0.662 for the Cobb angle method, for the measurement of pseudarthrosis.

CONCLUSIONS
Measurement of the change in distance between spinous processes is more reproducible and accurate than the Cobb method for making the diagnosis of pseudarthrosis. The authors believe that the measurement of distances between spinous processes on lateral flexion-extension radiographs should be used as a method for evaluating radiographic fusion in patients with pseudarthrosis.


Background Inhaled antibiotics are increasingly used in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis as off-label treatment, without quantifiable effectiveness. Patients'perspective is an important part of healthcare quality. Due to internal procedures the pharmacy service supervises off-label treatments. Purpose To explore in a group of patients suffering from bronchiectasis, their perception of their last year and their current health status. Materials and methods Prospective study based on a survey given to patients treated with inhaled colistimethate for last year at least. Surveys were delivered between October 2012 and June 2013 containing 10 items about their current health status and the perceived changes in their physical and mental health during last year. A four-point scale was used for all questions (1 = never/poor health; 2 = sometimes/regular health; 3 = usually/good health; 4 = always/very good health). Colistimethate was dispensed once a month at the pharmacy service and the procedure for completing the survey was explained by a clinical pharmacist. The questionnaire could be completed by the patient himself or by a caregiver. Results 97 questionnaires were delivered, 67 (69%) were returned: 40 (41%) were useful and 27 weren't completely filled in. Mean age was 72 years (32–93). 82.5% of patients referred to having bad or moderate health, however 52% believed their health was better than the previous year. During the last year 48% of patients had to reduce the working time (always) and 78% had less activity than desired (always) while 43% never or sometimes had difficulty performing certain activities. 72% had a perception of bad or very bad health, and almost all (95%) believed that their health was going to get worse. Relating to mental health 93% felt calm and quiet and only 40% never had moments of discouragement or depression. Conclusions It's difficult to measure health benefits in chronic degenerative diseases. Despite their situation half of our patients believed their health had improved during last year. No conflict of interest.


Research on Social Work Practice (RSWP) announces a call for papers to appear in a peer reviewed special edition entitled ''Intervention Research for Social Work Practitioners.'' Submissions can be conceptual, methodological, or empirical, are welcome to originate from any country, and can range across the continuum from micro to macro practice. Prior to writing your submission, please contact the guest editor via email below for additional author's instructions, and to confirm that your topic is unique from others in the proposed publication. Differentiated from evaluation research, which focuses on assessing processes and outcomes, intervention research is distinguished by its emphasis on the design and development of planned interventions, its theoretical basis, and producing positive change outcomes. Some suggested topics include, but are not limited to:


A case of intestinal obstruction with surgical diagnosis of duodenal trichophytobezoar occurs in a 20 years old man, undergoing Military Service, with alterations in his behavior labelled as "border-line" schizophrenia, and hysteroschizoid characteristics (oral anxiety). It couldn't be determined neither trichophagy nor ingestion of any of nutrients involved by literature in bezoars formation. Etiological and physiopathological data offered by literature are compared. Without the existence of organic causes of remora in our case the presence of alterations in his behavior determined by the anxiety caused by his military duties might be the catalyst of the atypical ingestion.


This article attempts to identify the causes of intraregional great power expansion. Using the state-to-nation balance theory we argue that, in many cases, such great power expansion can be explained as being the result of the incongruence within a given region between the nationalist aspirations and identities of the various peoples inhabiting it and the region's division into territorial states. The existence of the external type of such incongruence within a great power (that is, a pan-nationalist ideology) turns it into a revisionist state eager to expand, using all means available, in order to "resolve" this incongruence. In addition, this incongruence also creates various nationalistic trans-border groups (like terrorists, private military expeditions/filibusters, settlers, etc.). Often these groups try, through various independent efforts (usually in nearby weak states), to achieve these revisionist goals as well, thus complementing and aiding the revisionist great power's own efforts. After demonstrating the weaknesses in other existing explanations, this argument is illustrated in the case of the territorial expansion by the United States in the Southwest at the expense of Mexico in the second quarter of the nineteenth century.


A b s t r a c t . This article presents the use of GIS system for the construction of a hydraulic model in the network enterprise. The model has been built on the basis of data associated with the objects existing in the network and with their spatial relations. The data describing the network objects are usually transferred from existing technical documentation. The local stocktaking of networks is carried out in case of any doubts regarding data update status. The preparation of properly processed data, as well as verifi cation of their correctness while entering them into a database is the most diffi cult and labour consuming phase of network modelling. A properly confi gured network model should incorporate at least the following features: the possibility to perform comprehensive analyses of the existing system functioning as well as analyses of the system modernization and extension variants in order to optimize technical solutions. K e y w o r d s : GIS, hydraulic model, bit map, vector map.


Automatic recognition of human facial expressions is a challenging problem with many applications in human-computer interaction. Most of the existing facial expression analyzers succeed only in recognizing a few emotional facial expressions, such as anger or happiness. Instead of being another approach to automatic detection of prototypic facial expressions of emotion, this work attempts to measure a large range of facial behavior by recognizing facial action units (AUs, i.e. atomic facial signals) that produce expressions. The proposed system performs AU recognition using temporal templates as input data. Temporal templates are 2D images, constructed from image sequences, which show where and when motion in the image sequence has occurred. A two-stage learning machine, combining a k-nearest-neighbor (kNN) algorithm and a rule-based system, performs the recognition of 15 AUs occurring alone or in combination in an input face image sequence. Each rule utilized for recognition of a given AU (or a given AU combination) is based on the presence of a specific temporal template in a particular facial region, in which the presence of facial muscle activity characterizes the AU (or AU combination) in question. When trained and tested on the Cohn-Kanade face image database, the proposed method achieved an average recognition rate of 76.2%.


The involvement of the strictly conserved Trp354 residue in the catalysis of the Yersinia protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) has been investigated by site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic studies. Crystallographic structural data have revealed that Trp354 interacts with the active site Arg409 and is located at one of the hinge positions of the flexible surface loop (WpD loop) which also harbors the general acid/base (Asp356) essential for catalysis [Schubert, H. L., Fauman, E. B., Stuckey, J. A., Dixon, J. E. & Saper, M. A. (1995) Protein Sci. 4, 1904-1913]. Two mutants were constructed and expressed that contained the Trp354-->Phe and Trp354-->Ala substitutions. The K(m) of the W354F and W354A mutants were not significantly different from that of the wild-type. However, a major decrease in the affinity for oxyanions was observed for the mutants, which is consistent with Trp354 playing a role in aligning Arg409 for oxyanion binding. In addition replacement of Trp354 with Phe or Ala caused a decrease in kcat of 200-fold and 480-fold, respectively, and impaired the ability of the mutant enzymes to stabilize the negative charge in the leaving group at the transition state. In fact, the W354F and W354A mutants exhibited catalytic efficiency and leaving group dependency similar to those observed for the general acid-deficient PTPase D356N. These results indicate that Trp354 is an important residue that keeps the WpD loop in a catalytically competent conformation and positions the general acid/base Asp356 in the correct orientation for proton transfer.


Work-integrated learning (WIL) is central to the delivery of high quality student learning that provides students with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and professional networks for successful careers. In rural and regional Australia WIL placements can be particularly challenging to source due to limited clinical supervision capacity. This article reports regional Allied Health clinical supervisors' perceptions of enablers and barriers to engaging with interprofessional student WIL. A phenomenology of practice framework was used to interpret the data, highlighting three key themes: introducing an interprofessional lens early; tapping into unique possibilities; and setting up for success, balancing challenges with opportunities. The study identified key elements that may contribute to successful Allied Health interprofessional WIL placements in rural and regional settings, including incorporating early student placement opportunities, using shared interprofessional supervision to foster the development of junior clinicians' supervisory skills, and ensuring clarity around the purpose and processes of each interprofessional placement.


In the latest years, considerable progress has been achieved for accurately acquiring the geometry of human hair, thus largely improving the realism of virtual characters. In parallel, rich physics-based simulators have been successfully designed to capture the intricate dynamics of hair due to contact and friction. However, at the moment there exists no consistent pipeline for converting a given hair geometry into a realistic physics-based hair model. Current approaches simply initialize the hair simulator with the input geometry in the absence of external forces. This results in an undesired sagging effect when the dynamic simulation is started, which basically ruins all the efforts put into the accurate design and/or capture of the input hairstyle. In this paper we propose the first method which consistently and robustly accounts for surrounding forces---gravity and frictional contacts, including hair self-contacts---when converting a geometric hairstyle into a physics-based hair model. Taking an arbitrary hair geometry as input together with a corresponding body mesh, we interpret the hair shape as a static equilibrium configuration of a hair simulator, in the presence of gravity as well as hair-body and hair-hair frictional contacts. Assuming that hair parameters are homogeneous and lie in a plausible range of physical values, we show that this large underdetermined inverse problem can be formulated as a well-posed constrained optimization problem, which can be solved robustly and efficiently by leveraging the frictional contact solver of the direct hair simulator. Our method was successfully applied to the animation of various hair geometries, ranging from synthetic hairstyles manually designed by an artist to the most recent human hair data automatically reconstructed from capture.


This study presents the exposure scenario to mycotoxins of adult population throughout Europe. The urinary biomarkers values were obtained by modelling data from two European projects. Exposure to AFB1, OTA, CIT, FBs, DON, NIV and T2/HT2 are presented. The main output obtained refers to a concern for public health about AFM1, FBs, T2/HT2 and NIV, and low concern for OTA, DON and CIT. The margin of exposure for AFM1 did not respect the reference value of 10,000 considered of low priority for risk; for Fusarium toxins, FBs and T2/HT2, probable daily intake (PDI) values resulted about ten times higher than their tolerable daily intake and NIV presented the most critical situation with a calculated PDI 30 times higher than the reference TDI value. North and South Europe scenarios were also depicted by clustering biomonitoring data. OTA and DON showed to be prevalent in Northern countries and the opposite was noticed for ZEN, higher in Southern countries. The critical issues of the availability of records feeding the dataset and of the accuracy of excretion rate for some mycotoxins are source of uncertainty for the reliability of the outputs, nevertheless the time is ripe for asking for more concrete HBM values and/or HBM-HBGV which would help in interpreting the burden of mycotoxins in Europe.


The first Slovene experiences of Australia, if one of the first documented visits of a Slovene to Australia is taken into consideration, go back into the colonial period. A certain Matija Kliner arrived to Australia sometime between 1857 and 1859, when he was working on the Austrian (Habsburg) military ship on its journey around the world. Rihard Poga~nik came to Australia in 1860, working as a navigation officer on one of the steamers owned by Lloyd's from Trieste (Trst). Anton Dolenc was during 1890 and 1891 on an Austrian military ship likewise making its way around the world and also stopped in Australia. He kept a diary about his journey on which he reported in the then Slovene papers. It is interesting, though, that none of these early Slovene visitors of Australia decided to stay for good, although the gold rush still swept the land and attracted many settlers from other European countries.


Compulsory blood alcohol testing To the Editor: The advocacy by the Road Trauma Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons of compulsory blood-alcohol testing of all adult road-crash casualties led to the enactment of legislation in 1973 in South Australia and in 1974 in Victoria. Recently, the Government of New South Wales has introduced similar legislation directed against drink-drivers. Community support for this legislation has been shown in Australian opinion polls. Three principal arguments had favoured the legislation: (i) blood-alcohol tests would allow the prosecution of drink-driver casualties; (ii)doctors involved in emergency care would be able to obtain a blood-alcohol estimation without the threat of litigation; and (iii) the management of road-crash casualties would be improved by the availability of blood-alcohol estimations. Experience in Victoria has also proven that monitoring the results of compulsory bloodalcohol tests is a valuable method of assessing the effectiseness of drink-driving countermeasures. The complaint by Dr N. Van Dugteren, former Medical Secretary of the New South Wales branch of the AMA (MJA Notice Board, February 19,1983), that the requirement of the medical profession to take blood for alcohol concentration estimation was the "legalizingof assault on patients" was a matter also raised in 1974 by some Victorian doctors. Dr B. A. Herriott, Medical Secretary of the New South Wales branch of the AMA, has recently expressed concern at the conscription under penalty of doctors to the task of blood collecting with or without the patient's consent (MJA, June 25, 1983). The Road Trauma Committee, however, has been pleased to note the positive viewpoint taken by the Minister for Transport, Mr Cox: "The real consideration in relation to civil liberties is the loss of the liberties of those persons killed or injured in road accidents as a result of the actions of drinking drivers." Experience in Victoria has shown that doctors have accepted that, as well as a responsibility to an individual patient, they have a responsibility to the community to comply with legislation against drinkdriving. Compulsory blood-alcohol testing is of positive medical assistance to drink-driver casualties, just as lossof a driving licence is a protective measure for drink-drivers,and not only for other road users. Because the level of blood-alcohol concentrations is a useful discriminator of the drinking habits and other alcohol-related problems of road-crash casualties, the results of this legislation also permit the referral of road-crash casualties for medical assessment and, where relevant, re-education and rehabilitation. The notion of preliminary breath analysis, followed by a blood test only in positive cases (MJA, June 25, 1983)is worthy of further consideration. In Melbourne a high correlation has been demonstrated between the blood-alcohol concentration results obtained at the Police Forensic Laboratory and those obtained in 100 road-crash casualties tested by a fuel-cell alcometer in the casualty department of the Alfred Hospital.' However, before this modification can be recommended, the results of similar investigations presently being undertaken in other Melbourne hospitals require evaluation. F. T. McDermott, Department of Surgery, Monash University, Alfred Hospital, Chairman, Victorian Road Trauma Committee. E.s.R. Hughes, Department of Surgery. Monash University, Alfred Hospital, Prahran, Vic. 3181.